Opinion: How can beauty brands navigate the ‘confessional era’?

We are living in an era of confession. Across culture, honesty, imperfection and lived experience are now being rewarded over polish.

Think singer Lily Allen’s West End Girl album, artist Lola Young’s song ‘Messy’ or Charli XCX’s track ‘Sympathy Is a Knife’ – but also artists like rapper Dave, whose lyrics lean into emotional openness and exploration. 

What connects them is a willingness to show the private, sometimes uncomfortable parts of themselves, rather than a carefully edited version.

Beauty too has shifted away from curated, filtered narratives to authenticity and inclusion. 

On some levels this has been happening since the 2010s, with a gradual widening of representation and a greater emphasis on ‘real people’. 

But the past five years have marked a more pronounced leap. This is not just about diversity or relatability anymore: it is about vulnerability. 

The ‘confessional era’ feels more raw, exposed and emotionally candid. 

For beauty brands, that creates both opportunity and risk. 

How does ‘confessional’ translate into a brand? And how can brands engage with it without feeling shallow or performative?

If ‘confession’ is about emotional exposure as much as physical realism, then ambassadors matter more than ever

The blueprint to beauty brands’ confessional cut-through

Part of the appeal lies in a growing tension within beauty culture itself.  

Audiences have become more aware of, and more critical about, perfection – even as it continues to dominate large parts of the visual landscape. 

While polished, idealised beauty still has a strong following, there is a parallel appetite for something more human and emotionally resonant.

That perfectionism has increasingly been challenged for promoting narrow, and sometimes harmful, beauty standards, which a report by Unilever-owned body care company Dove described as “a public health crisis”. 

In response, particularly among younger consumers, there is a rising demand for brands that prioritise self-acceptance and emotional wellbeing alongside aspiration.

Beauty now sits within a broader shift towards openness around health and self-care. 

Topics that were once avoided – periods,