Gen Z’s consumer contribution in the beauty industry is undoubtedly impressive—according to Lending Tree, the average member of the generation spends around $2,048 per year on beauty products.

Among the differing groups of customers within Gen Z, college students hold a particularly strong share of the market, said to have $593 billion in spending power. In fact, despite students having to frequently follow a boot strapped budget, data suggests they spend more on cosmetics each year than full-time workers. In 2024, US consumers spent just over $7 billion on back-to-college personal care items—the largest figure ever tracked, with 67% percent of college students considering beauty and personal care products a necessity. 

Windsor Hanger Western—co-founder and President of Her Campus Media, a platform dedicated to empowering college women around the globe—believes that students frequently turn to beauty as a means to navigate their individuality in college, a space where people often want to stand out and make a good impression to peers.

“At Her Campus Media, we’ve always seen beauty as a powerful source of empowerment and self-expression, particularly in the college years—a transformative time when students explore their identity and sense of self,” Hanger Western told BeautyMatter. “Beauty evolves with students as they grow, shaping how they present themselves and connect with the world. That’s what makes it so impactful—it’s dynamic, all-encompassing, and resonates deeply with college students discovering their place in the world.”

During their time at college, students often find their holy grail cosmetics and personal care products when communities of friends come together to get ready for the next big night out, sharing their tips, tricks, and hacks to find the best brands and products. Hanger Western emphasizes how beauty goes beyond a personal venture for many college attendees. “Beauty provides a canvas for experimentation, confidence-building, and connection, especially through shared experiences like getting ready with friends. These moments often hold deeper meaning than the events students are preparing for [such as partying], fostering bonds and lasting memories,” she added.

From Dorms to Demos: Bringing Beauty to Campus Life

With such a focus on beauty from college students, it is clear that campuses are a fertile ground for beauty brands to engage with Gen Z and build consumer loyalty. “The college years are critical for building lifelong brand loyalty. Students connect with brands that meet their needs in authentic, meaningful ways,” Hanger Western continued. “Thoughtful gestures like providing stress-relief kits during finals or refresh stations at campus events, leave lasting impressions.”

Over the past few years there has been a rise in B2C engagement on college campuses, with several brands setting up activations to build awareness and deeper connections with their target audience. These events have a clear pay off with students, as 72% of Gen Z state they want to see more brands doing on-campus activations and ambassadorships.

As these activations become more frequent, as well as highly requested by students, brands shying away from on-campus campaigns risk failing to maximize their connection with consumers. “College students, while highly active online, also value in-person interactions and tangible experiences that reinforce their connection with a brand,” reads Zixuan Xi’s Impact of Female College Students’ Beauty Consumption on Industry Marketing Strategies report. “Brands that fail to balance their digital marketing efforts with other forms of engagement may struggle to create a comprehensive and impactful brand experience.”

The benefits of connecting with students on campus are widespread, but the core reasoning behind their success lies in meeting students where they are. Campus activations allow brands to integrate seamlessly into students' routines, creating authentic, hands-on experiences that resonate with them. By meeting students in their spaces, brands not only create memorable touchpoints but also demonstrate a commitment to being a part of their journey, building trust and loyalty that extends far beyond graduation.

“College campuses are a vibrant hub of energy and creativity, and we believe that engaging with students where they are is essential to building lasting relationships,” said Shai Eisenman, founder and CEO of Bubble Skincare.

Cultivating Community: The Proof Is in the Pop-Up

An example of a campus connection that captured the essence of brand to student relationships can be made of OUAI’s “OUAI-CATION” college tour, created to familiarize student consumers with the brand’s St. Bart’s collection of SKUs. The activation took place across 10 different universities, beginning at San Diego State University and ending 5,000 miles later at Ohio State University.

“We’ve seen fantastic turnout for brand activations/pop-ups in the past, and saw the opportunity to bring a similar format to campuses with high foot traffic and a demographic that has a proven interest in our St. Barts franchise,” Nicole Solorzano, VP of Brand Marketing at OUAI, told BeautyMatter. “We loved the idea of allowing the customer to experience the brand IRL; we don’t have our own brick-and-mortar stores, so this was an opportunity to connect with the community, grow awareness, and trial for St. Barts, while ensuring that the brand DNA and story came to life.”

Much of the St. Bart’s pop-up focused around the question “Wanna get A-OUAI?,” inviting students to transform their dorm shower into an “O-OUAI-SIS.” The temporary campus store was decorated to resemble the luxurious Caribbean Island of St. Barthélemy, complete with a beach hut featuring luscious green palm trees, vibrant florals, and relaxation spaces to paint the perfect picture of a calming holiday—ideal for busy students who had recently returned to campus from their summer vacations, which can sometimes feel overwhelming and require some down time.

“St. Barts is our #1 most requested product and fragrance in the brand’s history. The Hair & Body Mist was driven by a fervor of consumer demand that we listened to. With much of the audience being Gen-Z, our primary goal was to get the fragrance in front of this audience to try and grow awareness, as we have multiple body-centric products in this scent,” added Solorzano. “Additionally, showing up during the back-to-school time frame was a key objective of ours—to meet the collegiate students during a time on campus that can be chaotic.”

To encourage long-term loyalty, OUAI offered an exclusive student discount to those who attended, giving them 20% off all online purchases. Exclusive wearable merchandise was also gifted, contributing to continued memories of the brand across campus, even after the pop-up had left. “This allowed us to introduce OUAI as a lifestyle brand and more than just our St. Barts franchise,” Solorzano continued.

The OUAICATION tour amassed an impressive 20,000 attendees and saw over 100,000 samples gifted, from OUAI products to branded cocktails and caps. “We were able to show up at a blend of universities—big and small, but regardless of location we saw lines and students even willing to miss class to get to experience the OUAICATION University,” stated Solorzano.

Backpack Brand Ambassadors: Utilizing Student Influencers

Campus pop-up tours do more than just boost immediate consumer numbers; they can also pave the way for long-term brand growth through ambassadorships with student influencers. These individuals serve as trusted voices in their peer groups, helping to amplify a brand's presence.

“Her Campus Media’s GenZology data shows 64% of Gen Z identify as content creators, highlighting the dual opportunity for brands: connecting directly with students and empowering them as creators through on-campus events,” said Hanger Western. “These interactions not only introduce students to products but also enable them to elevate their personal brands, creating a win-win dynamic.” 

Solorzano affirms this duly-beneficial marketing method, noting that OUAI offered pop-up visitors who were also content creators the opportunity to be added to its PR list to receive new product launches. However, such partnerships do not always have to be contracted and official. Because Gen Z is so social media savvy, a lot of hype around these activities is produced organically in the form of user-generated content (UGC).

OUAI delivered hundreds of units of St. Bart’s collection mini’s (cleansers, scrubs, and crèmes) to sororities—as well as to on-campus housing—at each school. “It was a great opportunity for sampling within our target demo. I think the UCG that came from the tour says it all—we saw tons of “hauls” from the sororities and students in the dorms, going through their St. Barts samples on social media,” explained Solorzano.

Gen Z-loved essence makeup, owned by Cosnova Beauty, created its Call Me Queen college tour with a precise focus on student ambassadors and influencers. The brand’s tour was sponsored by Home From College, an organization with a focus of getting students on the career ladder. The partnership allowed essence makeup to tap three to four ambassadors from each campus to promote the events.

The guerilla marketing effort consisted of a large pink and purple branded trailer, decorated with images of the Call Me Queen Mascara, which students could visit to learn more about the product, receive branded goodies, and enjoy Poppi refreshments. The ambassadors from each location created UGC content for their social media, generating buzz, hyping up students throughout the campus.

“We strategically selected large campuses with a strong sorority presence, allowing us to tap into established communities with significant social reach,” Jill Krakowski, Chief Marketing Officer at Cosnova Beauty told BeautyMatter. “Home From College gave us invaluable access to a local network we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to reach. These local student influencers not only promoted and attended the event but also shared compelling content that resonated deeply with their followers, leading to millions of views.”

Krakowski emphasized that connecting with student ambassadors and influencers meant that sampling went beyond just providing free products, allowing for experiences that resonated with student communities. “We integrated our products into events, on-campus partnerships, and activations that celebrate the style and creativity of college consumers. By staying present in students' everyday lives and at the forefront of the latest trends, we’re able to connect in a meaningful way that fosters loyalty,” she said.

Recognizing the value of student influencers and peer-to-peer connections, some beauty brands have gone as far as creating their own ambassador programs. Hanger Western speaks of Her Campus Media’s recent partnership with Sol de Janeiro to launch their first ambassador program, the Sol Squad. “This initiative recruited 45 ambassadors from 36 universities to host on-campus events, distribute products to classmates, and share video reviews. The program has been highly successful,” she explained. “Sol de Janeiro is already a popular brand among Gen Z, and we’ve heard nothing but good things from our ambassadors about how excited they are to see the brand on their campus.”

Her Campus Media has also worked with Clinique through its Clinique on Campus ambassadorship program, designed to engage Gen Z and seamlessly incorporate Clinique products into their everyday lives. Currently, there are 53 ambassadors across 50 college campuses in the United States. Clinique is planning to expand the program to 300 college campuses in the near future.

The student ambassadors parktake in digital workshops with Estée Lauder executives to learn more about the business of beauty and are assigned mentors from Clinique whom they meet with once a month to discuss their hopes and goals. “These ambassadors are driving impact by creating content, hosting events, and collaborating directly with Clinique’s marketing team to bring the brand to life on campuses nationwide,” said Hanger Western.

Additionally, some brands are choosing to connect with student ambassadors online. Drunk Elephant, e.l.f Cosmetics, and Rituals are all part of the UNiDAYS Sample Society, an exclusive product sampling community designed to connect brands with Gen Z students. The society was created in collaboration with sampling solution business SoPost and taps UNiDAY’s  27 million+ members. The partnership allows students to select products they want to sample, receiving a full-sized product for free, in exchange for a review shared with other students.

“Unlike broader advertising campaigns, the members of a sampling community are not only receptive to trying new products but are actively seeking them out,” explained Toby Evans, Chief Marketing Officer at SoPost.

Beauty on Demand: Low Maintenance Touchpoints

Despite emphasis on community spirit, not all brand campus activations have to be based on events. Sephora’s product vending machine, which began popping up in universities across the US last year, proves that sometimes students just need convenience. The vending machines are  found in on-campus shops and libraries, and stock commonly-seeked-out beauty bestsellers.

“We often get inquiries about beauty/wellness products in our shops on campus and since we don’t carry them, we thought [vending machine’s] might be received well by our students, staff, and faculty,” stated Chris Farmer, San Francisco State University’s Director of Operations.

The vending machines have led to numerous UGC TikToks, creating hysteria around a touchpoint that Sephora itself has not officially advertised, proving that sometimes, all you need is a visual presence on campus to be noticed.

“For those who live on campus, there’s no need to change out of your PJs to restock your favorite products. The kiosk has been incredibly convenient for students who simply don’t have the time nor energy to head to the nearest Sephora,” said Trish Huynh, a student at San Francisco State University.

“In my opinion, Sephora’s decision to implement beauty kiosks on college campuses feels long overdue. If there are beauty kiosks at airports, why not have them on campuses where the demand is just as high? College students are juggling multiple responsibilities and having a kiosk right on campus prevents unnecessary trips to the mall or week-long online deliveries,” she adds.

Crafting Loyalty Beyond the Campus Years

Engaging with college students is a long-term investment in cultivating loyalty among some of today's most influential consumers. From pop-up tours to student influencer partnerships, sampling solutions, and even convenient vending machines, beauty brands are implementing strategies that meet students where they are while aligning with the strong Gen Z values of authenticity, community, and self-expression. As these students navigate their college years, carving out their identities, businesses have the opportunity to establish themselves as trusted companions in the journey of self-discovery. The result? A loyal customer base that continues to grow and evolve—long after the dorm rooms are left behind.