KEEPIN' UP WITH GENZ

Meet the new movers and shakers of the beauty industry

- HENA DESAI

A decade ago, buying a lipstick was simple - a good, smudge-free swatch and pocket-friendly price was all it took to add it to your shopping bag. Products were designed to excite, satisfy impulses, and leave you exhilarated, but that's not enough anymore. Now, it's not just about the pretty packaging anymore; they think about the people who made it, how the brand portrays beauty, whether it's inclusive and whether their ads are Photoshop-free. The beauty industry is undergoing a revolution, and one disruptive bunch is responsible for this big shift - Gen Z.

Out With The Old

Earlier, cosmetic companies sold us ideals of perfection and ever-lasting youth – no pores, no wrinkles, no greys, and no perceived flaws. And while Boomers and us geriatric millennials (an unfortunate term bestowed upon 30-somethings) spent a lot of time and energy living up to unrealistic beauty standards, it turns out these young guns just do not care. As graphic designer and new-gen beauty blogger Shalini Kutti (@urshaynesss) puts it, “There isn't a universal definition of beauty anymore it really does lie in the eyes of the beholder."