Summer 2025 trends according to Zalando A new report analyzed trends and buying behaviors of more than 50 million European users, identifying eight key micro-trends: from lazy routines to invisible make-up
Beauty in 2025? It's changing face. It’s no longer just about chasing unrealistic beauty standards, but about finding balance, emotional wellbeing, and authenticity. In an era marked by chronic stress, digital overstimulation, and relentless pace, consumers are redefining what self-care means. It’s not only about a flawless complexion or a perfectly smooth face anymore, but about an authentic sense of wellness, calm, and personal reconnection. Beauty routines are evolving into restorative rituals, silent allies of a new awareness: true beauty is about feeling good, before looking good. Confirming this shift is Zalando’s Beauty in Brief 2025, the first data-driven beauty report that deeply explores the evolution of the beauty industry. Based on data from over 50 million European customers via the proprietary Trend Spotter tool, combined with broad cultural beauty research and the expertise of Zalando professionals, the report identifies five key themes and eight major trends that are transforming how we experience beauty. Let’s take a closer look.
Energy Reset
The new beauty starts from within. After years of overstimulation, the need to unplug and “reset” is no longer just technological, it’s physiological. Digital fatigue, post-pandemic stress, and emotional pressure are showing up on our skin, causing sensitivity, inflammation, and dullness. This is why the demand is rising for routines that soothe and regenerate, rather than overstimulate. Skincare is now inspired by energetic detox, with purifying formulas, tonics used as recalibration rituals, and beauty tools inspired by acupuncture and reflexology. It’s your skin that sets the pace, not the other way around.
Lazy Routines
Who said care has to mean effort? Summer beauty 2025 embraces the luxury of laziness. Minimalism (searches for minimalist skincare are up 125%) meets the need for radical efficiency. Lazy routines are anything but neglectful, they are smart, refined, stripped down to be both sustainable and sensorial. Two or three products are enough, if they’re the right ones. The focus is on essentials: multi-use shower oils (up 164% in Zalando searches) like Sol de Janeiro’s Beja Flor Body Wash, a multitasking stick, a tinted lip balm that also works as blush, or an SPF serum like ILIA’s Super Serum Skin Tint, combining skincare, sun protection, and make-up in one step.
Nervous system regulation
Stress, anxiety, burnout: the skin tells all. Beauty now aligns with emotional regulation, becoming somaesthetic, with products that soothe both skin and mind (+700% in searches). Welcome calming skincare, anti-cortisol fragrances (the hashtag #cortisolface has surpassed 6.8k posts on TikTok), and evening rituals that promote relaxation. Favorites include Forest Lungs by The Nue Co., a fragrance with phytoncides, natural compounds that reduce stress and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, and The Serum by Augustinus Bader (+250% in searches), rich in soothing antioxidants like rice bran oil and pomegranate seed concentrate.
Beauty meets biohacking
Beauty and wellness are merging with science. The rise of “Cosmetic Chemists” on TikTok shows a growing preference for DIY treatments that are effective, science-backed, and biologically optimized. This is the future of cosmetics: enhancing results by combining efficacy with autonomy. Gaining traction are circadian rhythm-based skincare, neuroactive probiotics, intelligent peptides, scalp oils, and especially nighttime products. Sleep becomes the new frontier in biohacking, with products designed to boost overnight regeneration, from eye patches and face masks to aromatherapy pillow sprays.
Beauty sleep
Nighttime becomes a strategic moment to “repair” skin and mind. Searches for “overnight masks” (+264%) and scalp serums (+123%) show a rising trend. Products enriched with natural soothing ingredients like mango seed butter and aloe vera, such as Clinique’s Moisture Surge Overnight Mask or Face D’s Retinol Recovery Night Mask, emerge as nighttime allies for cellular recovery. Hair serums with peptides and caffeine, like The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, support regeneration at the root. Add under-eye patches, dermoactive pillows, anti-frizz silk pillowcases, and ceramide-treated pajamas, and it’s clear that sleep has become the primary skincare act. A good night’s rest is now the first beauty gesture. Everything else, makeup included, comes second.
Beauty in real life
Forget flawless, unattainable looks. Today, beauty is celebrated when it sweats, endures, heals, and adapts. Daily SPF is the norm, and long-wear formulas are a must. Consumers seek functional products that withstand sweat, humidity, redness, friction, and imperfections, delivering a fresh, natural look in real-life conditions, from commuting to the gym, the beach to the office. The goal isn’t perfection, but feeling good in your skin at all times, with a growing emphasis on inclusivity and celebrating individual traits.
Life-proof formulas
The 2025 aesthetic draws inspiration from the real texture of skin, the under-eye circles that tell stories, the end-of-day forehead glow. It’s a return to the real, with products that support skin across all climates and conditions. There’s no “ideal” routine, just one that holds up. One that resists a sweltering day, a sudden cry, a yoga session, or a bus run. The winners are flexible, adaptogenic beauty formulas, designed to protect against UV rays, withstand humidity, calm skin issues, and support hormonal changes. Examples? Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Camo Drop Serum with SPF and a color-correcting formula designed to calm luteal phase redness and conditions such as rosacea; Living Proof's Lip Phd Advanced Dry Shampoo, which is smart and perfect for keeping in your purse; Arkive's The Good Habit Hybrid Oil anti-frizz oil enriched with baobab and jojoba oil; and Dr. Jart+ products (+100%), known for their calming properties.
Sweat-proof skincare & make-up (and hot flashes)
Menopause and perimenopause are finally part of the mainstream beauty conversation. Sharing experiences and seeking solutions is now normal, and searches for sweat-proof products are on the rise. Beauty is evolving to meet hormonal needs, heat, and temperature fluctuations. This gives rise to skin-adaptive hybrids, hydrosensitive textures, breathable primers, and long-wear foundations. Among top performers: moisturizers such as KORRES' White Pine, waterproof foundations such as Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless Foundation and TirTir's Cushion Foundation (+183%) stand out for their ability to withstand the heat and enhance mature skin.
Invisible Make-up: it’s there, but you don’t see it
The question isn’t “what are you wearing?” but “can you even tell?”. The make-up of summer (and beyond) is barely-there, it smooths, enhances, refines, but subtly. Call it refined minimalism. No surprise that “light coverage” searches are up 200% on Zalando, and natural looks are dominating TikTok with hashtags like #kissedlips and #noMakeupMakeup. Authentic features like freckles are being embraced. Contouring is minimal. The ultimate chic? Lips with a sun-kissed flush. 2-in-1 products, such as RMS Beauty's LIP2CHEEK balm, and clear brow gels such as Anastasia Beverly Hills' Mini Brow Freeze Gel complete the “effortless” look, ideal for those who want to feel right in minutes.
Comfort in nostalgia
Memory becomes touch. Creamy textures like grandma’s skincare, powdery talc-like scents, soft stick lipsticks that feel like a childhood kiss. Comfort takes on a retro flavor, yet with modern ingredients. There’s something therapeutic about timeless rituals and classic products, especially after years of trends changing in the blink of an eye. Consumers are looking back to the past, to iconic looks like '90s minimalism, milky nails, center parts, or sleek chignons.
The return of '90s minimalist beauty
Make-up revisits '90s minimalism (+133%), that editorial aesthetic inspired by the beauty looks of Carolyn Bessette and Helmut Lang campaigns. The spotlight is on natural looks that enhance authentic features using multi-purpose products and lightweight textures. The focus shifts to fresh complexions, visible freckles, and refined yet simplified makeup routines. Eyeshadow palettes lean toward neutral tones (+66%) and browns (+77%), while nude lips make a strong comeback (+142%), easily achieved with products like MAC’s Glow Play Lip Balm. Also trending: milky nail polishes like ESSIE’s Gel Couture in Of Corset. To complete the back-to-basics '90s aesthetic, all you need is a barely-there eye look, a neat chignon, and maybe a slip dress paired with minimalist flip-flops.
True radiance
The 2025 glow? It’s a manifestation of wellbeing, rooted more in calm and inner balance than in shimmer or highlighters. It comes from consistent care, prioritizing hydration, serenity, and above all, skin equilibrium. That’s why K-beauty and barrier-repair rituals continue to thrive, with a 248% increase in searches on Zalando.
