The sweetness industry continues to be up.

In line with Circana, dollar sales have continued to speed up in each prestige and mass beauty, growing a respective 15 percent and 9 percent in the course of the first half of 2023.

Prestige beauty posted $14 billion in total sales in the course of the period; mass beauty generated $28 billion.

In prestige, sales saw a lift due to continued growth in unit sales, or variety of products actually sold, in every category, while mass sales primarily grew due to average price increases. (Beauty prices have increased 9 percent on average in mass, verses 2 percent in prestige).

“It continues to be the case that prestige beauty is the one industry across general merchandise and CPG to be growing in units,” said Larissa Jensen, vice chairman of beauty at Circana. “Unit [sales] on the mass side are down for hair and fragrance, regardless that every little thing is up in dollars.”

Makeup was the fastest-growing category in prestige, up 18 percent in dollar sales and 13 percent in units. Skincare, fragrance and hair saw respective 14 percent, 13 percent and 13 percent dollar sales increases within the channel.

“Hair is greater within the mass market, nevertheless it’s growing faster in prestige,” said Jensen, noting the category is up 6 percent in prestige unit sales. “We’re seeing growth in units, but not at the speed we saw before, so this is absolutely a median price story on the prestige side for hair.”

While prestige fragrance continues to soar, unit sales growth is starting to melt.

“We’re seeing 8 percent unit growth, which continues to be very strong, nevertheless it’s softening versus what it was before,” said Jensen, adding that value-driven consumers proceed to succeed in for higher concentrations, gift sets and mini sizes.

Lip makeup, meanwhile, was the fastest-growing product category for each channels.

“Makeup usage is up three points versus last yr — it’s actually surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and that’s across mass and prestige,” Jensen said.

While skincare is seeing dollar and unit sales growth in each channels, 42 percent of consumers report they’ve begun using makeup products with a skincare profit to switch certain steps of their regimens. “So think tinted moisturizer, foundations with SPF — that kind of thing,” said Jensen, noting targeted skincare products, like those which address age spots or brightening, are seeing an uptick in usage.

Though prestige beauty has remained buoyant even amid economic uncertainty, Circana anticipates growth will begin to melt over the following few years.

“Circana is forecasting positive performance for the prestige market through 2025. Without delay, we’re riding high, but I believe what we’re beginning to see with fragrance is a gradual softening, type of indicative of what we’re going to see in the long run — it’s still growth, but a softer growth,” Jensen said.