Every year, the crème de la crème of forecasting agencies gather at the Salons Hoche, invited by the CEW France, for the Beauty Business: a morning rich in content presenting the performance of the cosmetics sector. The 2025 edition took place on March 14. Claire Marty, Vice-President Global Beauty Vertical at Nielsen IQ, opened the event.
Although inflation is showing signs of slowing, its cumulative impact is still felt by consumers, for whom the cost of living remains high.
In Europe, and France in particular, optimism is tempered by concerns about the political climate, geopolitical tensions and the consequences of climate change. This state of mind has a direct influence on consumers’ purchasing behaviour and priorities.
Beauty, a resilient market
Despite this context, the beauty sector is staying afloat with sustained growth (+7.3% increase in value). However, this growth is based more on price increases than on a genuine expansion in sales volumes. “The challenge for the beauty industry will therefore be to increase sales volumes in order to achieve organic growth,” comments Claire Marty.
Overall, fragrances (+17% in value) are driving growth in the beauty industry. The make-up (+3%), face care (+6%) and hair care (+8%) segments posted more mixed performances.
Future trends
Innovation remains an essential lever for capturing consumers’ attention. Three major trends stand out, according to Claire Marty:
clean beauty (transparency throughout the value chain, virtuous sourcing, etc.),
attention to “star” ingredients (hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, retinol),
personalization and the importance of well-being (in & out routines, anti-stress products…).
