We are in a world of increasing polarisations, defined by fluid yet fragmented identities; of boundless freedoms and unhealthy obsessions. Where the super real meets the super fake. In online and offline worlds, visions of inclusivity brush up against gender and beauty bias. This is a world where youth are shaping the future, and beauty is the medium for change, where youth culture exists in its rawest form – you just need to look hard enough to see it.

THE BEYOND BEAUTY REPORT from Dazed Studio is not just for beauty brands. It isn’t a traditional research study. This is a curation, analysis and compendium of audience voices, data and ideas from across the beauty landscape, which aims to reflect the shifting face of beauty.

This report is a comprehensive exploration of how beauty shapes and reflects culture and society. We ask, what’s next for the beauty industry? Compiled from the opinions of experts and thought-leaders, built on insights shared by 1,000+ young Dazed readers and 12 global multidisciplinary beauty experts, THE BEYOND BEAUTY REPORT explores beauty as a tool for youth culture, identity, politics, authenticity, self-expression and control, with contributors including Dazed Beauty collaborators such as Circus magazine founder Jackson Bowley, director and make-up artist Frances O’Sullivan, designer Charles Jeffrey, artist and model Raisa Flowers and special effects artist Tilda Mace. If you’re interested to learn more, you can sign up for our online webinar on 29 November here, and purchase the full report here.

Beauty in youth culture is a powerful language. Through social media, it’s become a way to communicate identity, personality, and values. Make-up allows me to explore my heritage, my cultural background and the narratives that have shaped me – Yilin Du, make-up artist & fashion designer

From Sephora Kids to the resurgence in Hanfu, a trend that honours and remixes traditional Chinese hair and make-up styles, beauty is the language of youth culture. And at a time when young people across the globe have less access to financial resources, beauty represents an affordable, accessible tool for creativity. As one Dazed reader from Georgia told us, “beauty to me means access.” Our survey showed us that the question of affordability is growing in importance with the cost of living crisis. People don’t want to throw away products; they’re increasingly looking for quality products and goods which will last. 

Despite, or perhaps because of economic pressures, beauty is taking central stage in the future of cultural production. In 2022, 30 per cent of Gen Z spent most on beauty and personal care — the most of any generation surveyed. Statista reported that the beauty industry is expected to generate $646.2 billion worldwide this year alone, while McKinsey estimates that by 2027, the global beauty industry will record over $580 billion of retail sales, growing at six per cent every year.

So what’s behind the beauty boom? We launched Dazed Beauty in 2018 as a future archive of
identity, focusing on celebrating creative self-expression. We knew then that the ways in which we define ourselves were changing. In youth culture, there was a gradual yet radical evolution of identity taking place – one which saw people demanding ideas that reflected their new sense of self and their values. We saw a need to disrupt dated stereotypes. A need to champion diverse aesthetics, subcultures, and new ideas around identity. A need to celebrate beauty and its ability to transform and express who we are or who we want to be.

Six years on, beauty has expanded in importance as a tool of identity, self-expression and creativity, politics, luxury and self-care. But as our research showed us, beauty has infinite meanings. For Loverboy designer Charles Jeffrey, beauty allows for transformation. “The ability to transform yourself into who you want to be and use products that make you feel empowered is really at the heart of it now. Beauty is a tool for self-expression and self-care, a way to signal different identities or ways of being. That exchange of ideas and looks lets us grow, reflect, and understand each other in a way that feels meaningful.” For 19-year old make-up artist Tysico Bosmans, beauty is a way of harnessing confidence. “It can be a form of empowerment, helping us feel more confident and authentic in our own skin,” he says. The definition of beauty reaches as far as our imaginations. One Portuguese survey respondent told us, “beauty is whatever the hell you want to be.” And one ancient wisdom still holds true; beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Any questions? You can purchase the full report here and to hear an exclusive preview listen to our New York Panel below or tune into our webinar here.