Smart lipsticks, mood make-up: See how beauty brands are evolving
Make-up used to be about hiding flaws and looking perfect. Now, palettes echo feelings, tech mixes custom shades, brands break the binary and soften the mood
Blend, blend, blend. The beauty industry’s favourite mantra is all about mixing things up and blurring the edges. But for years, some ideas have stayed steadfastly separate. Red lips signified the femme fatale; pink was for the demure. Beige was some kind of universal neutral. Men and women needed different beauty products. Non-binary folks? Who knew what they wanted?
Turn the vanity lights on and take a close look—a lot is changing. New tech is filling in the gaps for foundation shades. Make-up is now less about what you look like than how you feel. And colour cosmetics are opening up to the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Here are just four updates.
Tech is matching up
At the CES 2020 tech show in Las Vegas, L’Oréal showcased Perso, a handheld device that uses AI to custom-mix lipstick based on an individual’s skin, outfit and the weather. The sleek, cylindrical gadget (about the size of a phone power bank) had built-in cameras, sensors and a colour reader. “It scans the user’s face via a companion app, processes the data in seconds, and dispenses a small, one-time dose of lipstick onto a detachable tray,” says Ananya Kapur, founder of Type Beauty.
The idea was to set up Perso in markets where access to in-store testers or beauty advisors was limited. But new tech isn’t cheap. So, L’Oréal launched the device for at-home use under its luxury brand YSL Beauty. The Rouge Sur Mesure, at $299, uses colour cartridges to mix shades on demand, giving users 5,000 different lip colours. “The colours are richly pigmented and offer more longevity, compared to standard high-end lipsticks,” says Kapur. Each starter kit includes four colour cartridges grouped into a shade family (reds, nudes, pinks or oranges). Additional cartridges cost around $100 for a set of three.
It isn’t yet available in India. But in the US, UK and France, it’s already the most coveted beauty tool. Demos on social media come with the requisite “Aaah” as users see their dream lipstick shade come to life. “The biggest benefit is hyper-personalisation. Using an app, you can customise exact hues that would be difficult to find off the shelf,” says Kapur.
Make-up is getting emo
Up until the pandemic, cosmetics were all about correcting flaws, dressing for an occasion, and figuring out a trend or look. Now, it’s self-care, therapy and emotional storytelling. New trends include Dopamine Beauty—think electric pinks, zesty oranges, metallic greens and bold graphic liner to induce joy. The colours are typically applied freely without worrying about symmetry or perfection, the technique favours spontaneity over structure. The soft-girl aesthetic combines dreamy pastels, pink blush across the nose, glossy lips and sparkly lids. And Sad Girl make-up includes cool-toned shades such as grey mauves, dusty lilacs, pale blues and dark berry; under-eye shimmer or slightly smudged liner, mimicking the aftermath of a good cry.
If the look is driven by mental states, then products are reflecting it too. Shade names used to be functional (Rum Raisin was a kind of brown, Brick O La was a kind of red). Now, brands such as Rare Beauty have shades named Happy, Grateful and Hope. Drishti Madnani, co-founder of Shryoan Cosmetics, explains that mood-based palettes encourage consumers to use make-up as an emotional release. “It’s less about ‘What complements me’ and more about ‘What expresses how I feel today’,” she says. “Companies that embrace this approach may build stronger relationships with their customers by transforming each blush or lipstick swipe into a self-care ritual.”
The undertones are fighting back
Beauty’s traditional warm, cool, neutral framework for undertones (the underlying hue for any skin shade) isn’t enough as customers in new global markets exercise their purchasing power. Cosmetics brands now factor olive browns, golden browns, red browns and even hints of blue and grey in their formulations. Inclusion is tricky. “The pigment balance has to be precise,” says Prerna Singla, director and make-up expert at Vive Cosmetics. “What works on one undertone may appear grey on another. Shelf-space constraints also limit how many colour variations a formula can have.”
Some brands are trying. MAC, for instance, relaunched its iconic Studio Fix foundation line, which previously had about 40 shades, with 78 skin-colour variations. NYX, a more budget-friendly brand, has expanded to 45 shades in its Can’t Stop Won’t Stop foundation range.They’re realising that inclusivity means helping people find their match too. “Brands help customers understand undertones through AR try-ons, quizzes and virtual and in-store consultations,” Singla says.
Colours are breaking the binary
The notion that certain colours are inherently “feminine” or “masculine” is fading fast. Fenty Beauty has put out gender-neutral campaigns and products. Fragrance packaging is less gendered (no fussy bows Pour Femme, no dark bottles Pour Homme). Ads feature trans and non-binary models. The tone acknowledges online feminist discourse – the old idea of women dressing up to appeal to men is vanishing.
But across the world, male and trans beauty influencers are still being bullied online and off it. Pria Sachan, make-up expert at Fashion Colour, stresses that inclusivity must go beyond marketing. “Gender-fluid narratives can’t be performative — just for Pride Month,” she says. Fashion Colour has recently launched a long-term campaign with LGBTQIA+ creators, consulted queer users during their product development, and hired non-binary talent to help shape branding and content strategy. “Inclusivity must become part of the decision-making roles, product design, and community partnerships. Beauty should be a space where everyone feels seen, year-round.”
From HT Brunch, May 10, 2025
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