Gen Z beauty is all about feathered brows, a radiant base, and glossed juicy puckers. Gone are the days when arches were perfectly sleek, cheeks heavily contoured, and lips were thickly matte. This is all because of a beauty revolution led by Gen Z. They are persistent in making a case for a new route—less matte, and more glow!
Described as an energetic crowd of trendsetters, even brands follow their every move to tweak and improve strategies. Gen Zs are always ready to share the latest craze whether it be a viral product, a hip aesthetic, a must-visit resto or destination. And when it comes to beauty, they are always first with the news, and this is thanks in large part to their attachment to—and fluency in—the use of social media.
Generation Z or what we commonly call as Gen Z were born between the years of 1997 to 2012. They grew up during the age of technology, and they witnessed social media on the verge of prospering. From there, a constant exposure to the world of beauty surfaced, leading them to the worlds of trending makeup, skincare, and must-follow personalities. This led to Gen Zs becoming hyper-aware of the beauty scenario, making them curate their skincare and makeup regimens at a young age, leaving the awkward teenage look out of the books.
In the same vein, their active presence on social media has also given them the opportunity to appreciate all types of people. They are dubbed as the most inclusive generation for a reason. From skin tones and skin concerns, they allow disability and gender to be felt and heard in the beauty space. Here, we take a deep dive into the many happenings in the new world that is, shall we dare say, “ruled” by the Gen Zs—and how it’s influenced the beauty landscape.
Social media matters
Social media peaked when WiFi and smartphones were starting to become accessible to everyone. This was when the older Gen Zs were in their tween stage, a time when they were starting to emotionally and physically learn about themselves and what they wanted to become.
In 2010, the world was introduced to the free photo-sharing app, Instagram. This led our eyes to constantly be updated on celebrities—and their lives off-cameras—when seeing them on our feed. While we used to just get updates on what these celebrities were doing and how they looked on reality TV, Instagram gave us access to their lives 24/7, and their supposed down times and off-duty days. Even if the Gen Zs are more accepting of all kinds of beauty appearances and modifications, research found that 80% of Gen Z women have developed a negative body image of themselves.
Famous stars like Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid are a few of many celebrities we often compare ourselves with, discarding the fact that they have undergone beauty procedures or that their photos have been heavily edited. Sooner or later we’ve learned how the social media stars, celebrities included, would deliberately stage, or rather, style their images to make it perfect for double taps.
Yet even if Gen Zs have become more accepting of all kinds of beauty appearances and modifications, this research found that 80 percent of Gen Z women have developed a negative body image of themselves. It has also been proven that the use of editing apps and feature-enhancing filters can contribute to low self-esteem, making body dysmorphia even more prevalent.
What can’t be ignored is that, aside from the negative effects that social media have carried out, it has also become a powerful influence in the beauty industry—especially on TikTok. This app became widely known in 2019, and with its beginner-friendly video-editing applications, many were convinced to give it a try, especially during the pandemic when everyone had nothing to do.
The Gen Z, being their natural tech-savvy selves, dominated the TikTok scene and pioneered its fame. They hyped up trends and products like the Dior Beauty Blush, Dyson Airwrap, clean girl makeup trend, skinimalism, and glazed donut nails, to name a few.
The app has become the leading source for bite-sized beauty reviews and intriguing conversations. The demand for short videos was increasing, and it made Instagram create Reels and follow TikTok’s interface. But let’s recall that before these apps were popular, personal blogs and YouTube vlogs were a top source for in-depth beauty reviews. It took a turn when constant access to social media throughout the years found individuals growing slightly impatient when scouring for answers. In a recent study, they found that 40 percent of Gen Z prefer to search on TikTok and Instagram instead of Google because it gives instant, not to mention entertaining, satisfaction. This became an opportunity for the Gen Z aspiring influencers to conveniently voice out all kinds of beauty hacks and knick-knacks on the apps. They have redefined beauty content through a new and in-demand video medium.
The new-gen beauty warriors—and war zone
This new generation of beauty gurus has become a popular source of beauty content. Flourishing in the space of TikTok and Instagram where videos are required to be short yet substantial, it captures the influencers’ raw charm that viewers can relate to. These influencers nonchalantly share all their beauty escapades from products, all the way to enhancements and procedures. Their documentation of these treatments, with their beauty doctors mentioned, plays a big importance as to why invasive procedures are slowly becoming normalized in society. Algorithms play a big role, and the more a beauty content is viewed by an audience, he or she will be fed even more beauty content. In this day and age where views and hearts have become metrics of influence and reach, these beauty creators’ reviews on products have become highly valued by both consumers and brands.
On the other hand, aside from positive feedback and the big influence they provide, these influencers are also no strangers to heavy criticism. Many negative statements are thrown at them, especially by lurking trolls who project toxicity in the comments section. These Gen Z influencers are still pretty young and seeing hate comments can play a big role in their self-esteem. “To be criticized meant that I was vulnerable and imperfect, but later on, I realized that these are the characteristics that were actually appreciated on TikTok.” Miss Nate
In an interview with Miss Nate, a 26-year-old beauty content creator on Tiktok whose followers have sprung up to more than 550,000, he admitted that facing haters was difficult to deal with at first. With the amount of negative comments he’s received, he’s left with no choice but to ignore them all. But there are days when he also decides to play along with the criticism. Reading comments regarding his big cheeks, he unapologetically claps back and owns it, saying “I know right, [my cheeks] are so voluminous and plump.” And for when he is heavily bashed, he doesn’t bother retaliating as long as he knows that he has the upper hand. Miss Nate shared, “To be criticized meant that I was vulnerable and imperfect, but later on, I realized that these are the characteristics that were actually appreciated on TikTok.”
Another Gen Z influencer who has been making waves on TikTok is Kai Javier. She is a 23-year-old content creator who garners more than 160,000 followers on the app. Unlike Miss Nate, Kai admitted to being more sensitive towards negative comments. She revealed that she was first hesitant to start her content creation journey because she knew that she would be encountering haters. But with a load of courage, she managed to instantly make a mark on the social platform.
Since negative comments cannot be avoided, she started becoming insecure about her appearance. “Back in 2021, I got a hate comment on TikTok talking about how my body made them uncomfortable. It created a thread in the comments section all talking about how my head was too big for my body, calling me a bobblehead and such,” Kai shared. According to her, these were the things that she never noticed about herself, and it became a big insecurity. This took a toll on her mental health and would still get her upset to this day. But another thing she never expected was the people who came to her defense. Kai said, “I always make sure to remember that there will always be people who love and genuinely care about you.” Grateful for the support, this became her backbone in continuing what she loves to do–to show her love for makeup and continue to be the big TikTok star that she is.
It’s just to show that being a young influencer who is constantly presenting themselves on social media can be nerve-wracking, especially now that social media is more dominant than before.
Gen Zs leading the way
With the stream of videos by Gen Z beauty influencers showing us the best makeup and skincare to try, it’s hard not to always feel tempted to purchase the viral beauty products yourself. Gen Z’s enthusiasm for beauty has caused a boom in the industry making the demand even more glorious than ever.
For one, we have noticed the rapid release of new beauty products surfacing in the local beauty scene. It can be overwhelming at times, but Gen Z consumers always look for the brand’s transparency regarding their products mainly through influencer marketing. Cake Esteban, Issy’s social media manager, shared her thoughts on the importance of Gen Z consumers who make up most of their sales. She said, “For us, Gen Z influencers are very vocal in sharing their thoughts and feelings about our products on social media. They are the ones who we rely on for genuine reviews and product launches, whether it may be through word of mouth or their own platforms.”
This also helps the beauty brands pay close attention to their suggestions and opinions that they may apply in future product development processes. In an interview with the chief strategy and market officer of Ever Bilena Inc., Denice Sy, she shared, “In terms of innovation, greater emphasis has been placed on packaging aesthetics, as well as premiumizing our formulations, and expanding shade ranges.” She later added an insight, “It’s no longer the brands dictating beauty, but it’s Gen Z consumers choosing and conveying what they really want. We’re just here to listen and serve their needs and wants while having fun in the process.” A testament to this is Ever Bilena’s creation of a subcategory called Ever Bilena Plus, which showcases makeup-slash-skincare hybrids. This was due to the rising popularity of skincare during the pandemic. With so much competition in the market, a beauty brand always has to make sure that they are aligned with the current beauty trends and their target consumers. It’s the best trick to stay relevant in the modern beauty space.
It’s wild how Gen Z has shaped the world of beauty a lot quicker than the previous generations, and we can’t wait to see what the next generation of beauty enthusiasts will bring to the table. For now, we’re sure to see beauty enhancements and procedures becoming even more accessible—and accepted, and makeup will turn into a much easier experience, a norm even for those who don’t call themselves “beauty girls.”
If there’s one thing we want to safeguard through generations, Gen Zs, Generation Alphas, and so on, it’s the continuous effort to exert body positivity and inclusivity. Because, as we’ve seen, social media—and its effects on how we see ourselves—will only become even more steadfast from here.
