This Year’s Must-know D2C Beauty Trends
At Bolt, we think D2C is where it’s at. And we’re not just biased – the stats add up to a big picture where many of us, 37% of UK consumers, to be exact, are flocking to ecommerce companies to fulfill our beauty and wellness needs.
Over the last year, online spaces have risen to meet consumer needs in new ways, giving rise to new social media trends and techniques that champion beauty and skincare through high-concept art direction, user-generated content and memes that hit the mark. And that’s just for starters!
But keeping up with the latest developments in D2C beauty can be… a lot. So we’re here to get you up to speed with a handy round-up of the biggest social trends that brands are loving right now. Let’s break it down.
Get Human
Brands jumping on the meme bandwagon is nothing new, but as the pandemic and its accompanying lockdowns forced us to live more of our lives online, beauty and wellness brands saw an opportunity to connect meaningfully with audiences.
Savvy ecommerce brands used this shared situation to level with their followers and show that hey, we’re in this together and we get it. This unique situation spawned genuinely #relatable content, from memes about self-care routines, collective boredom and sourdough starters, to shared puppy pics and stress-busting tips.
Lockdown may be behind us, but this upbeat and self-aware attitude to content has refreshed many a brand’s social strategy, allowing a lighter side that audiences love to shine through
Highbrow Beauty
Ecommerce beauty brands have been taking cues from arty editorials, and are sharing meticulously composed still lifes that place their products front and centre. Forget bog-standard product photography, our feeds are filling up with images worthy of slamming that save button. We’re thinking Jorgobe, Typology, Care/Of… the list is as long as an infinite scroll!
Block colours, minimal compositions and impeccably lit colouramas predominate, showing off the sculptural qualities of products and their textures. Instagrammable packaging is a welcome bonus.
Real People, Real Results
We all want to feel represented in advertising – especially on social. And few things fuel a doomscroll more than models and celebrities using their crystal-clear complexions to tout spot cream. These days, consumers are looking for something a bit more real. They want to see themselves.
Enter: before-and-afters, reviews and testimonials. Even better, some good old user-generated content. Any D2C beauty brand worth its salt is sharing content that casts customers as the face of the brand. This has the effect of making brands appear more accessible, and loads on the social proof to build trust amongst prospects who need an extra push to purchase.
The team at Milk Makeup are masters of UGC, whilst Skin+Me are big on reviews and before-and-afters. Beauty brands, take note!
Get Glitchy
Pretend pop-ups , glitchy videos, faux-film photography – the retro tech revival is here! The Gen Z trend for YK2 aesthetics has inevitably influenced creative choices across the board, from fashion and beauty to graphic design.
This nostalgia has birthed plenty of ads and organic social posts that reference 00’s tech, from Microsoft Paint to video tapes. Although D2C beauty brands are embracing these retro aesthetics to engage audiences, we’ve also clocked the flurry of more contemporary iOS faux-tifications filling our feeds. This clever design trend is due in part to the availability of social media templates (looking at you, Canva), but also doubles up as a neat psychological attention hack. One thing’s for sure, it definitely works!
