CeraVe wins Gen Z, with e.l.f., Rare Beauty, Rhode, Fenty and Charlotte Tilbury leading as the most desired brands in beauty.
NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For Cafeteria's 2025 Next Gen Spenders: Beauty Edition, the insights platform listened to 2,100+ of its teen and Gen Z users to curate 335 hours of insights about 270+ beauty brands and behaviors.
In addition to the Top 10 most talked about beauty and skincare brands and the Top 5 brands to watch, Cafeteria has uncovered several surprising insights that signal significant shifts in behavior among young consumers. Teen girls and young women are prioritizing ingredient labels over brand labels. They are loyal to formulas as much as brands; they are savvy about active ingredients; and they expect transparency. Even slight changes to a formula will not go unnoticed.
The report also reveals that omnichannel marketing should balance digital discovery (primarily TikTok, where 61% of Gen Z discover their beauty products) and brick-and-mortar purchases (58% still prefer shopping in‑store).
"Cafeteria is in the unique position to spot what's coming next before it hits the mainstream. Right now, we're hearing a clear shift in how young people approach beauty: females are digging into ingredient lists and asking what's actually in their products, while males are gravitating toward fragrances and brands driving social currency. They're talking about almost 300 beauty brands in these conversations—yes, the big names everyone knows are still there, but Gen Next is actively championing brands that didn't exist five years ago. What strikes me most is just how much this generation cares about beauty and personal care. This isn't superficial stuff to them—it's deeply personal and their passion comes through in their text and voice notes on the platform." - Mark Silverstein, Co-founder & Chief Business Officer, Cafeteria.
Next Gen Spenders - Beauty Index
These are the 10 brands & products [cafeteria] users are talking about the most.
- CeraVe – Foaming Facial Cleanser
- e.l.f. – Halo Glow Liquid Filter
- Rare Beauty – Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
- Fenty – Gloss Bomb
- Charlotte Tilbury – Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray
- Rhode – Peptide Lip Treatment
- Glossier – Glossier You
- Summer Fridays – Lip Butter Balm
- Neutrogena – Oil Free Acne Wash
- Sol de Janeiro – Brazilian Bum Bum Cream.
Pre-Trend Brands
- Brands on the rise. Using a proprietary AI model based solely on user responses, Cafeteria has identified brands gaining momentum.
- 5 brands that stand out. Good Molecules, Bubble, ANUA, Tree Hut, and Byo
Ingredients are the new marketing.
- Gen‑Next shops formulation first, brand second. This generation speaks in the language of ingredients. Where previous generations said "I need Tylenol or Chapstick" (brand over chemical), Gen-Next say things like: "I need niacinamide."
- It's what's inside that counts. They are looking for actives, clean formulations, and transparent science.
- Brand Spotlight: The Ordinary for ingredient-forward packaging. CeraVe as a reliable staple.
- "I'm looking for something that's not stripping or [making] me feel super dry afterwards. Also something with hydrating ingredients like ceramides or hyaluronic acid". – female / 24 / Port Chester, NY
Fragrance as a wardrobe – Gen-Next is pairing them, layering them and rotating them to match their moment-to-moment experiences.
- Fragrance is no longer a signature, it's a playlist. 44% of females own 6 or more fragrances. They are collectible and experiential. Male buyers still meet traditional brand status cues.
- Females choose dessert over flowers. When talking about their favorite scents, gourmand scents make up 56% of mentions.
- Male priorities. Young males see fragrances as a social currency. They are purchasing based on brand prestige.
- Brand Spotlight: Males' top 3 picks for status are Dior, Versace and Gucci.
- "I have a solid perfume... I use it as a layering product because it doesn't really project much on its own. So usually I would pair it with like a different fragrance just for more layering." – female / 19 / Riverside, CA
Loyalty is earned product‑by‑product, with consistency.
- The Beauty Contract: 1) Don't harm my skin. 2) Don't change formulas without telling me. 3) Don't take my loyalty for granted.
- They will drop a brand immediately and permanently. Adverse reactions are the #1 reason Gen‑Next walks away from a skincare brand.
- Formula consistency is expected. Changes feel like betrayal.
- Trust and transparency are more critical than ever. For wellness/beauty brands who are evolving their formula or launching new SKUs, key narrative should emphasise consistency, transparency, and why change is positive.
- "I'm also not using [brand's] setting spray anymore. I have one bottle left of the original recipe ... but they've changed a formula since then so when finishing this bottle on I'm not repurchasing and I've moved on..." – female / 23 / Bronx, NY
- "It works every time, it makes it so soft, and it has consistently made it so shiny… I will probably use &honey till the day I die." - female / 17 / Ames, IA
More insights
- Face value. Lip products are leading the makeup category: 79% name lip products as their holy grail. Summer Fridays leads within the 14-17 age group and e.l.f. tops the 18-21's.
- Haircare. TRESemmé leads mass market haircare (19%), trailed closely by Pantene (17%).
- Spending behaviors. Gen-Next recognizes brands that are worth the splurge: 18% of makeup buyers mention Saie, ILIA, Tower 28, and Merit.
About Cafeteria
[cafeteria] launched in 2024 to enable teens to shape the brands they love while earning for their time. [cafeteria] is the first insights production platform for teens to contribute to a new and healthy creative economy. For brands, [cafeteria] is a live software platform for real time insights and a direct connection to text and voice notes from Generation Next, delivering always on data across Brand Alignment, Audience, Purchase History, Market Positioning, Share of Wallet, Influencers and Competitors.
[cafeteria] is co-founded by Leeann Sheely (Chief Design Officer), Mark Silverstein (Chief Business Officer) and Rishi Malhotra (CEO). [cafeteria] is backed by premiere consumer and technology investors including Collaborative Fund, Imaginary Ventures, Bertelsmann, Marquee Ventures, Listen Ventures, Thayer Investment Partners and music manager Guy Oseary.
Media Contact
Teresa Bigelow, Revel Society for Cafeteria, 1 6462230402, [email protected], https://www.teamcafeteria.com/
SOURCE Cafeteria
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