As much as ingredient lists, celebrity endorsements, or even scientific innovation prompt consumers to make a purchase, colors have increasingly become a silent and salient marker in the billion-dollar global beauty industry. From pastel serums and frosted glass jars to sunset-toned eyeshadow palettes and punchy monochrome packaging, the calculated use of color has evolved into a quiet but powerful language in beauty branding. Whether evoking wellness, luxury, inclusivity, or clinical efficacy, color is now deeply embedded in how consumers interpret, desire, and ultimately purchase beauty products.
Yet color in this context is not purely aesthetic. It operates at the intersection of psychology, culture, and commerce. Studies have shown that people form judgments about products within seconds, and up to 90% of that snap judgment is based on color alone. In a digitally driven marketplace, beauty brands are acutely aware that color doesn’t just attract the eye, it communicates mood, values, and lifestyle at a glance.
The Psychology of First Impressions: Color as an Emotional Shortcut
When consumers approach a beauty shelf, or more commonly now, scroll through an e-commerce site, they’re not just choosing between products. They’re responding to color cues that signal what a product means. The psychological principle at play is affective priming, meaning that color influences emotional response before conscious thought can intervene. “Color is a passive frequency activator, meaning that it literally shapes perception before a single feature or benefit is read or understood in the mind,” Colorlogist, Daphny Lauren Bravo, told BeautyMatter. “Colorology is the science of colors showing us that colors set an energetic tone and expectation of a product, creating parameters for what is perceived as luxury, regardless of the reality,” she continued.
Soft pastels suggest gentleness and self-care, appealing to consumers looking for serenity in their routines. Luxury beauty brands use millennial pink or soft white packaging and have become emblematic of approachable, minimal skincare. In contrast, dark, rich hues like those used by Pat McGrath Labs evoke power, seduction, and drama, resonating with makeup lovers who seek performance and visibility. “Much like the use of clean lines in design indicates order and structure, colors like white, black, navy, and metallics offer a sense of precision and science,” Bravo said. “While pastel colors, like light yellow and baby pink, evoke a juvenile undertone that can diminish the perceived sophistication in a product.”
Neuroscience backs this up. Studies found that cooler hues like blue and green were perceived as more calming and trustworthy, while warmer colors like red and orange were associated with excitement but also risk. This explains why premium skincare brands often gravitate toward cool-toned packaging—Augustinus Bader’s cobalt blue or Dr. Barbara Sturm’s clinical whites—while high-impact makeup brands embrace bolder palettes.
Importantly, the color of a product itself—such as the tone of a cream or the shade of a serum—also plays a role, meaning that perceived luxury and effectiveness are less about the specific color and more about the alignment between the color-activated traits and the brand's mission. “Each color in our visual rainbow spectrum offers us an emotional and organ system activation. For example, yellow activates confidence but also emotional processing and stomach digestion, while blue activates the feeling of inner peace, acceptance, the lungs and breath,” Bravo highlighted.
Color as Brand Signature: Visual Identity in a Crowded Market
As competition intensifies, color has become a critical part of brand identity. Within the current digital landscape, the need for a distinct chromatic signature is vital. Consumers often recognize a brand before they read a single word, through color alone. “There's a reason we see Tiffany's blue or the dark green Rolex color as high-end, in the same way we see black and gold as luxury,” Brian Pham, VP of Strategy, Creative, Media, and Production for Influencer, said to BeautyMatter.
Prestige brand Tatcha, for example, blends pale lavender with gold foil, evoking both Japanese rituals and modern femininity. Its hues reference Kyoto’s natural landscape, while positioning the brand as luxurious but serene. Meanwhile, brands like The Ordinary choose an entirely different route—stripped-back, grayscale packaging that communicates functionality, transparency, and scientific rigor. Luxury itself is being redefined through color.
No longer reliant on traditional black, gold, and navy, high-end brands are opting for softer tones that align with wellness, minimalism, and mindfulness. Earthy neutrals, sage greens, and seafoam blues—seen in brands like The Nue Co. or Costa Brazil—signal both natural efficacy and ethical luxury. These hues resonate with a new class of consumer who equates aesthetic subtlety with authenticity and care.
“These colors are [also] dominant because a quiet beauty rebellion is happening. These colors, although considered soft and feminine, are being applied in the most fluid ways,” Eseosa Eke, founder of IconiQ Creative Group, told BeautyMatter. “These colors are becoming a movement and their application to all genders, all races, all backgrounds, and all people from all walks of life is quietly telling the world that ‘colors are for everyone,’” she continued. Pham is in agreement. “Color in beauty branding is about showing who a brand really is and what they represent. With all these celeb and creator-led brands popping up, we’re already seeing a shift,” he said.
In makeup, chromatic branding extends to shade design. Rare Beauty for example, founded by Selena Gomez, offers lipsticks and blushes that mirror the brand’s dusky mauves and warm neutrals, promoting emotional vulnerability and mental health alongside beauty. Here, color is not just visual, it’s ideological. “The traditional luxury look [like gold and black] is being swapped for bolder, more expressive colors that further humanize brand identity and that come to life in individuality, inclusivity, and purpose, potentially introducing new colours to the world of luxury,” Pham said.
Cultural Codes and Global Color Strategy: One Shade Does Not Fit All
While color has psychological universality, its cultural meanings are anything but static. In a global market, beauty brands must navigate these nuances carefully because what evokes wellness in one region may signal danger or taboo in another. For instance, red, often associated with boldness and romance in Western cultures, is a symbol of prosperity and good fortune in China. That’s why brands like Estée Lauder or SK-II frequently repackage hero products in red and gold for Lunar New Year, aligning with regional beliefs while boosting seasonal sales.
In India and parts of the Middle East, bold jewel tones like sapphire, amethyst, and ruby are culturally significant and often preferred in color cosmetics. In these markets, a minimalist beige palette may read as lifeless or uninspiring. Conversely, in Scandinavia or Northern Europe, where muted tones dominate design and interiors, soft neutrals signal sophistication and restraint. “Colors emit frequencies,” Bravo said. “The bolder the color, the more intense the frequency; the more muted the tones, the more white light involved. Color palettes set the tone of the brand, but perceived status is more dependent on design.”
Skin tone inclusivity also affects chromatic decision-making. Legacy brands long used colors that flattered lighter complexions, often overlooking how packaging or product tones performed on darker skin. That’s changed significantly in the wake of Fenty Beauty’s 2017 launch, which not only expanded foundation ranges but redefined packaging visuality through deep golds, nudes, and burgundy tones that felt inclusive and luxe.
Generational differences are not left out. “[While the] older generations saw blue and pink as masculine and feminine, respectively, Gen-Z and Gen Alpha saw these colors as more fluid,” Eke said. “While the psychological effect of color varies across gender, culture, and age groups, brands should not be afraid to step outside of the box,” she continued. Bravo enjoined that “by leaning into the energetic traits versus trends of colours, beauty brands can home in on their ideal demographics to engage their customers with a more sensorial experience than ever before. Exploring color-coded or color-changing seasonal packaging based on intention can even encourage a wider customer base and a more engaged beauty experience.
Digital culture adds yet another layer. On TikTok and Instagram, color trends move at lightning speed—“dopamine beauty” (featuring bright, joyful packaging), “clean girl aesthetic” (marked by off-whites and blush pinks), and “grunge glam” (smoky greys, rich plums) all dictate how brands position themselves online. Many now design packaging specifically for digital consumption—what pops in a flat-lay or reel may not be what reads best in-store. Research showed that brands that optimize color for social media use would see an increase in online engagement compared to those prioritizing traditional in-store visuals.
Color in beauty is very intentional. It tells stories, shapes emotion, and, crucially, drives conversion. In a market as saturated and visually driven as beauty, the right color strategy can mean the difference between a viral product and a shelf-sitter. Since the digital world is driven largely by visuals, colors have become an even bigger form of brand capital—able to signal science, seduction, sustainability, or self-care in a single glance. As the global beauty industry continues to expand, diversify, and digitize, the role of color will only grow in sophistication and influence.
