Today’s beauty world is vastly different even from a few years ago. Consumers are increasingly eschewing average products that feel bland – they now want beauty products and wellness experiences that engage them in relaxing and playful ways. The modern shopper values how products feel emotionally, placing it on the same level as physical benefits and performance.
Saying that, overwhelming product cycles are everywhere, and consumers don’t want to think too much about their choices. Instead, they want products that give them a unique experience, in turn, creating new opportunities for retailers.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how brands can use “feel appeal” to cater to this discerning beauty-driven audience in 2025.
Orodha ya Yaliyomo
5 “feel appeal” trends to watch in 2025
1. Luxury “beautilities”: Happiness by design
2. Tactile hedonism: From scenting to sensing
3. Playful textures: Return to childlike wonder
4. Profound need for laziness: Therapeutic comfort
5. Dark comforts: Dystopian goosebumps
Bottom line
5 “feel appeal” trends to watch in 2025
1. Luxury “beautilities”: Happiness by design
Do your consumers value practicality and take pleasure in beautiful designs? If they do, they’ll love this trend. Luxury “beautilities” include everything from small treats to high-end luxury products, and one of the best ways retailers can leverage this trend is by promoting “guilt-free” luxury.
In short, there’s no better way to enjoy the “treat” culture than with thoughtfully designed, multifunctional products. This ensures consumers feel like they’re getting a luxury experience without harming the planet. Take American brand’s Soft Service, for example, whose Theraplush Overnight Hand Repair Treatment comes in stylish, rippled, buttery-yellow packaging doubling as a nightstand and jewelry holder.
Tapping into cultural heritage is another effective strategy in this trend, especially when combined with eye-catching craftsmanship. The result is practical yet beautiful products that create emotional connections and feel more meaningful.
Retailers must ensure they market these luxury “beautilities” products as purposeful so consumers feel they’re worth the investment. One brand that maximized this strategy is UK brand HUE, whose Dark Spot Night Serum SUPRA-EGG packaging is crafted by metal artisans in Turkey and can also be used as a small storage container for keepsakes.
Key categories for this trend: Color cosmetics, tools and accessories, and skincare
Bidhaa muhimu: Facial tools, hair tools, and lipsticks
2. Tactile hedonism: From scenting to sensing
The beauty market is entering a time when people want more products and experiences that engage all their senses. Products are tapping into scent, texture, and design because consumers look for items that surprise, excite, and help them in meaningful ways. That’s where tactile hedonism comes in.
This trend focuses on creating designs that trigger specific emotions or behaviors. For example, Vyrao (UK) offers “neuroscents” that are scientifically designed to improve mood and mental clarity. But that’s not all. Tactile hedonism also helps design products with unique textures to catch consumer’s attention and offer them a more enjoyable experience.
Japanese brand Nadeshiko shows the full power of this trend with its Cool Essence Cotton Maker, which sprays a formula that turns into solid, cooling cotton pads that help minimize pores.
Kwa kuongeza, na tu 4% of beauty brands catering to disabled and neurodiverse consumers, stocking touch-friendly designs is a great way to make the market more inclusive and accessible.
Key categories for this trend: Skincare, haircare, fragrance, and bath and body
Bidhaa muhimu: Cleansers, shampoo, body washes/scrubs, scalp scrubs, perfume, and home scenting
3. Playful textures: Return to childlike wonder
2025 will also be remembered for products that emphasize textures and designs that remind consumers of child-like joy. These playful textures are satisfying, exciting, and surprising, making them more enjoyable to use, too. The goal here is to design playful, nostalgic products that spark fun and creativity.
Here’s a great example: Italian brand Eigenmann & Veronelli created a skincare-infused Playdough Patch-to-Cleanser that turns into a milky texture when consumers mix it with water. Similarly, Indonesian brand Kefil’s Bubble Cleanser (despite making bath time enjoyable for kids being the main target) became a hit with Gen Z and Millennial TikTok users who love its foaming, sculpting, and ASMR features.
Another angle businesses can take is by focusing on products with fun, interactive textures like bouncy jellies or fluffy foams. Consider drawing inspiration from Milk Makeup (US), who offer Jelly Tints with a soft, cooling texture that glides smoothly onto lips and cheeks, resulting in a fresh experience for many consumers.
Key categories for this trend: Skincare, bath and body, and color cosmetics
Bidhaa muhimu: Cleansers, lipsticks, moisturizers, and blushes
4. Profound need for laziness: Therapeutic comfort
There’s also been a shift in focus to rest and sleep, as more consumers understand the value of proper relaxation. That means businesses must also offer products that help turn their home or bedrooms into cozy, all-around wellness spaces. Retailers who want to leverage this trend can focus on sleep-focused beauty products that turn bedtime into a self-care experience.
Singapore-based SOVA has capitalized on this trend by offering a mulberry silk pillowcase infused with hyaluronic acid, which provides hydration that aims to keep users comfortable while they sleep. Another brand doing something similar is sleepwear brand Lunya, which creates fabrics infused with skincare ingredients to create a full-body treatment and showcases new ways to deliver beauty benefits.
This trend also presents a great opportunity for businesses to tap into the growing demand for sleep preparation and relaxation products. For instance, UK brand Ancient + Brave offers a Cacao + Collagen drink that helps users relax for better sleep while nourishing their skin.
Retailers can also take a page from Austrian brand Susanne Kaufmann’s business book. The brand provides Hayflower Bath Oil, which hydrates the body and soothes the mind. Even devices can help tap into this trend, like US-based Current Body, which offers a device for at-home LED light therapy, delivering restorative, clinic-quality care.
Key categories for this trend: Bath and body, skincare, and haircare
Bidhaa muhimu: Overnight masks, bath oils/salts, and face/body/hair tools
5. Dark comforts: Dystopian goosebumps
Scent, color, and storytelling will be key to creating feelings of curiosity, surprise, and even discomfort – all part of the “feel appeal” trend. Over nusu ya watu worldwide (57%), especially Millennials (67%), enjoy experiences “that give them goosebumps.” Retailers can tap into this desire using packaging and scents inspired by dystopia and mysticism.
For example, US brand Baude’s Darkwave Utopia scent combines the ideal American suburb concept with a gothic twist, creating a mix of mystique and glamor. Additionally, retailers can focus on bold fragrances that put a dark twist on familiar scents or introduce unsettling, intriguing new ones.
One example to look at here is the Romanian brand Toskovat, which crafts unique and provocative scents like “Inexcusable Evil,” featuring unexpected notes of gunpowder, blood, and bandages. Remember to encourage consumers to embrace a full range of human emotions with Alt-Optimism and deeper, darker color palettes.
Key categories for trend: Fragrance, color cosmetics, and tools and accessories
Bidhaa muhimu: Perfume, lipsticks, eyeshadows, and face/body/hair tools
Bottom line
Utafiti from researchers at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia found that textures, packaging, and fragrances strongly impact how consumers feel and perceive products. Multisensory packaging and unexpected textures (like jellies, oils, and foams) can be especially appealing for Gen Z shoppers. Overall, “feel appeal” is the next big thing for 2025, and these trends are the best way to leverage this increasing demand for luxury, emotional intensity, and sensory appeal.
