Beauty is in the midst of a new obsession – a love affair with the colour lilac across all touchpoints – but is it just a fad or a much broader movement?
The pastel hue has been dominating the cosmetics sphere this year, from packaging and marketing to product shades, despite colour specialist Pantone declaring that brown Mocha Mousse would reign supreme.
But mauve’s takeover is not by chance, the hue’s appeal is deliberately in contrast to the bold, call-to-action colours that have taken the past two years by storm – Charli XCX’s lime green Brat summer and hot cerise Barbie pink.
Lilac’s newfound popularity signals a wider shift in what consumers are looking for and where beauty brand’s attention should be focused.
“After the Barbiecore and Brat summer eras, consumers are now seeking depth and authenticity, and lilac answers that call,” explains Ayushi Dugar Bajoria, founder and Creative Director of multidisciplinary digital design company Obleeq Studio.
“It feels personal, grounding and emotionally intelligent, while still carrying that dreamy, almost whimsical touch that beauty brands love to play with.
The ascent of lilac is the result of both cultural timing and emotional resonance
“Psychologically, lilac evokes feelings of calm, creativity, introspection and subtle luxury.
“It is a colour associated with imagination and emotional intelligence. Unlike the bold primaries that scream attention, lilac invites presence.”
This year, a wave of beauty brands have been dropping lilac-themed launches and campaigns.
From Rituals Gen Z-focused The Dream Collection, which is marketed in a purple, dream-like space using AI; to Harry Styles’ Pleasing's Beauty Sleep Mask, which uses mauve as its core packaging aesthetic.
Glossier’s latest fragrance addition You Fleur is housed in a mauve bottle and was complemented with a pop-up in Paris, France, which was decorated with purple petals and flowers.
YSL Beauty's new Loveshine Plumping Lip Oil Gloss collection contains a daring lilac shade as part of its “playful expansion”, while ZIIP has even tapped a darker version of purple for the aesthetic design of its latest facial device ZIIP Dot.
Rituals The Dream Collection campaign showcases a purple dream-like world
Hitting an emotional sweet spot
This move to reset from loud colour storytelling also reflects the wider impact current economic and societal issues are having on consumers, such as the rising cost of living and some companies pushing back on DEI.
“Given the current political climate of the world, it makes sense that brands are expecting consumers to focus on taking
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