What has been successful and what will be successful in TikTok?

Generation Z is driving and leading the way for brands on TikTok. Generation Z consumers play a key role in popularising and viralising products and brands. TikTok has become a fundamental tool that helps brands grow and has become a catalyst for cosmetics and beauty brands, helping to spread new practices and routines related to the beauty ecosystem.Gastronomy and make-up: a perfect symbiosis on social mediaThis 2023 has been a year in which the tendencies of make-up that have triumphed are those that have inspired by eaten. As it exposes in an article of the magazine Glamour, According to Nick Drewe, trend expert at the WeThrift platform, the viral success of food-inspired beauty makes sense: "The smell, look and feel of food is often a source of inspiration for brands, who seek to replicate the characteristics of a product that many are familiar with. These food-inspired trends follow a similar pattern: they focus on key features of certain aesthetics, such as freckles or a rosy complexion, and make connections to everyday items that many already know and love, causing us to identify with and remember them".One example of this is the #strawberrymakeup which has amassed over 360 million views. The #glazeskin has also been all the rage this 2023 on social media, as well as products that have been linked to this trend, such as celebrity Hailey Bieber's peptide lipstick.Naturalness, juiciness and 'glow'According to the report prepared by Spate, on Google, the trends that have accumulated the most searches on Google are Korean Glass Skin, Make-Up No Make-Up, which shows that, in 2023, hydrated, luminous, juicy and healthy skin has been a clear consumer demand. Another of the trends that have caught on in social networks in 2023, as the agency BeautyStreams points out, has been #jelloskin. This is a Korean skincare trend that has been popularised by an influencer on TikTok and is inspired by a jelly dessert that is known as Jell-O and refers to supple, elastic and glowing skin.Consumers are looking for product textures that elevate their sensory experience. Lip glosses have seen a significant increase in consumption this year, with users opting for products with comforting textures and finishes. As Spate mentions, in the UK and US, the search volume for lip glosses and lip inks has grown exponentially, while in France, liquid blusher has become a favourite and viral product among French consumers.Spate, the agency specialised in analysing trends in TikTok, shows that the brands that are growing the most are those that have a line of skin care products and make-up products such as blushers and foundations. The same agency also adds that users tend to show a greater interest in brands from countries other than their own and this has an impact on the globalisation of beauty trends. For example, in France, the brands that have grown the most in 2023 are Rare Beauty, the iconic brand of celebrity Selena Gomez, Milk, which has billions of plays on TikTok and Danessa Myricks.Real beauty: enhancing features through make-upSpate also alludes to the fact that consumers are looking for a creative transformation of their features. Colour-changing products are trending and products that reshape natural features are also gaining popularity in the West, such as the Doe Eyes trend in the UK and Contour Sticks in France. In Japan, for example, Botox eyebrow lifts are booming and cosmetic touch-ups are becoming widespread and normalised among the population.BeautyStreams explains that in 2023, it has been detected that the TikTok user is no longer looking for an unrealistic and unattainable ideal of beauty. Now, users are looking to embrace difference and imperfection. Other platforms such as Instagram or Youtube stand out for trying to offer and show the best version of each person, but is it the real one? Especially on Instagram, young people recognise an unrealistic and too perfect canon of beauty, with clean, impeccable, symmetrical and flawless faces. But they, themselves, do not see themselves reflected in this perfection. The TikTok user seeks to recreate achievable, real make-up that they, without great notions and knowledge in the field, are able to follow and reproduce. For this reason, BeautyStreams points out that TikTok has changed the paradigm of the beauty industry and contributes to sharing a more realistic and less superficial vision.Authenticity will still triumph in 2024In 2024, authenticity will continue to triumph. This authenticity is also reflected in Spate's report which shows that more than 60% of European users perceive the platform as helping them to freely express themselves and share their passion for makeup and other ways of expressing their creativity. Ultimately, consumers are looking to break free from judgement and restrictions to explore different beauty niches that reaffirm and reinforce their individuality. This quality is something that characterises the young people of Generation Z: according to Spate, more than 70% of Gen Z people believe they need to express themselves more to lead happier and healthier lives, so they are constantly looking for new ways and skills through unlimited sources of inspiration that expose them to these kinds of positive feelings and sensations.Authenticity, as BeautyStreams exposes, is becoming a core value and the essence of influencer marketing. Younger consumers identify with and prefer micro- and nano-influencers over big celebrities because they connect better with someone who is more like them and who shares a similar lifestyle. Nano and micro-influencers create a more relatable, engaged and genuine type of content that allows them to more effectively reach their audience. The 'get ready with me' and 'get unready with me' have become two types of content that leverage this authenticity and have also gained a lot of popularity this year, serving as a way for users to learn about new facial care habits and practices. Facial care has become a ritual and a 'feel good' moment. Of course, #skincycling has also become popular on tiktok. This latest trend consists of understanding our face as a muscle that also needs to be exercised to stay in shape.