According to NPD Group, US prestige beauty sales jumped 25% reaching $4.9 billion in Q3, with fragrance and haircare showing rapid growth while makeup remains the market's largest category.

“Makeup was hit particularly hard, so the fact that it's growing faster than skin care is just mechanical," Larissa Jensen, Vice President of Beauty at The NPD Group, said. "Makeup has always been the biggest category, even in the midst of all of the behavioral changes in terms of consumer spend in beauty. Last year, it lost market share to hair care, skin care and fragrance, but it's still bigger.”

Makeup Category

• Makeup grew 24% to $1.7 billion.
• Blush, bronzer, highlighter, and tinted moisturizer grew double digits, as did lipstick and lip gloss.
• Makeup setting sprays and powders, as well as makeup removers, also grew in revenue.

Skincare Category

• Skincare grew 14% to $1.4 billion.
• Body products grew faster than those for the face. From body cleansers and creams to exfoliators and oils, body skincare sales increased in Q3 compared to 2020 and saw significant revenue increases over 2019.
• More targeted facial skincare products such as lip and eye treatments and serums saw healthy revenue growth.

Haircare Category

• Haircare grew 36% percent to $1.1 billion.
• Hair-styling products, including sprays and gels, continued growth.
• Hair masks was the fastest-growing segment of the hair market in Q3.
• Curling iron sales jumped 43%, while hair setters grew by 35% and flat iron and straightener sales both increased by 25%.
• Body groomer sales jumped 43% versus 2020, while nose/ear trimmers grew dollar sales by 26%, and pen trimmers increased sales by 13%.

Fragrance Category

• Fragrance grew 36% to $619.4 million, outperforming other segments, with Q3 revenues not only up year over year, but also increasing by a whopping 38% versus pre-pandemic 2019.
• Juice sales rose by nearly 50% compared to Q3 2020, driven by eau de parfums and perfumes.

“Today, amid many uncertainties, we are seeing glimmers of normal life return which is helping the beauty industry to experience renewed growth across all its categories," said Jensen. "Fragrance has emerged as the brightest star and is experiencing unprecedented growth against both 2020 and 2019. With the holiday season upon us, we can expect this momentum to continue through the fourth quarter.”