SHIP Conducts "2026 Autumn/Winter Beauty Insights Survey" and Announces "2026 Autumn/Winter Beauty Trend Forecast"

Initial Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Yui Fujiwara; hereinafter referred to as Initial), which operates the SNS marketing label "SHIP" specializing in beauty, conducted a "Beauty Insights Survey" on beauty consciousness, purchasing behavior, and SNS contact among 520 women aged 15 to 64 nationwide, targeting Autumn/Winter 2026.

This survey investigated interest in beauty trends, beauty information gathering behavior, and resonance with SNS trends. Furthermore, through free-response questions, changes in beauty keywords and values that women are focusing on for Autumn/Winter 2026 were analyzed. The results revealed a growing interest in "lip care," "moisturizing care," "natural skin makeup," and "brow beauty." The background to this trend includes a shift towards efficiency, exemplified by the "cancel culture" movement, and the permeation of values that prioritize time and cost efficiency (typhoon/cost-performance).

Based on the survey results, SHIP will announce the "2026 Autumn/Winter Beauty Trend Forecast."

Survey Overview

Survey Period: June 19, 2026 (Fri) 11:00 AM - June 21, 2026 (Sun) 11:59 PM

Survey Method: Internet Survey

Target Audience: 520 women aged 15-64 nationwide

Summary of Autumn/Winter 2026 Beauty Trends

In the Autumn/Winter 2026 beauty market, "what to keep" is becoming a more important value than "what to add." Previously, the beauty market was dominated by "additive beauty," which incorporated new ingredients and processes. However, with the rise of "cancel culture" and time-efficiency consciousness spreading primarily through social media, values are shifting towards "subtractive beauty," which involves selecting only what is truly necessary. As a result, "skin-first beauty" that refines the skin, "multi-functional hybrid cosmetics," "lumi-matte textures," and "impression-making makeup centered on eyebrows" are emerging as key trends for Autumn/Winter 2026.

Trend Tendency 1 | "Less is more comfortable." "Minimal Beauty" Goes Mainstream

In recent years, a value system known as "cancel culture" has been spreading on social media.

This survey found that 75.4% of women resonate with the "cancel culture" movement, including those who answered "already practicing," "want to practice in the future," and "empathize but find it difficult to practice." Approximately 70% also supported all-in-one and multi-functional cosmetics. On the other hand, 43.3% stated, "It's good to have things organized, but I want single-function items for areas I care about," indicating a demand for both efficiency and personalization.

These results suggest that in beauty, the value is shifting from "increasing the number of steps" to "carefully selecting what is necessary for oneself."

For Autumn/Winter 2026, both skincare and makeup are expected to see increased support for simpler and more efficient beauty styles.

Trend Tendency 2 | From "Hiding Skin" to "Refining Skin": "Skin-First Beauty" Becomes Mainstream

For Autumn/Winter 2026, "skin-first beauty," which emphasizes making the skin itself look beautiful, is expected to spread further. Among the keywords that consumers are paying attention to, "skin-first," "minimal base," "natural glowing skin," "natural makeup," and "barely-there makeup" were frequently mentioned.

There is a growing tendency to prioritize making the skin itself look beautiful over concealing it with base makeup.

Furthermore, the fact that 50% or more of respondents use two or fewer items for their morning skincare routine indicates a trend towards minimalist beauty.

Trend Tendency 3 | The Star of Autumn/Winter is Lips: Focus on "Lumi-Matte" and Deep Colors

When asked about trending items to watch this Autumn/Winter, "lip products" were the most frequently mentioned makeup category in the survey.

Additionally, interest is growing in calm, autumnal colors such as "chocolate brown," "muted tones," "beige makeup," and "smoky eyes." In particular, the "lumi-matte texture," which lies between glossy and matte, is likely to be a defining keyword for Autumn/Winter 2026.

Trend Tendency 4 | Return to Moisturizing and Barrier Care: "Protective Beauty" Re-evaluated

In recent years, there has been growing interest in "aggressive beauty" such as regenerative beauty and high-performance ingredients.

However, for Autumn/Winter 2026, "protective beauty" such as moisturizing and barrier care is regaining attention. Keywords that consumers are interested in include "moisturizing care," "dryness countermeasures," "hydration care," and "ceramides." In addition to skincare and high-performance ingredients inspired by medical aesthetics that have gained attention in recent years, there is increasing interest in basic care such as "protecting the skin" and "building a foundation for the skin." This suggests a renewed recognition of conditioning the skin as the first step in beauty.

Trend Tendency 5 | "Brow Beauty," Which Influences Facial Impression, is Gaining Attention Again

For Autumn/Winter 2026, there are signs of increased interest in "eyebrows" over eye makeup as a whole. Noteworthy keywords include "brow bleaching," "thin eyebrows," "brow mapping," and "effortless eyebrows."

Instead of emphasizing the entire eye makeup, interest is growing in eyebrows as a part for creating a personal impression. In the future, further growth is expected not only in eyebrow cosmetics but also in related markets such as eyebrow salons and brow design services.

How to Choose Beauty Products and Access Information by Category

This survey also revealed changes in how beauty products are chosen and how information is gathered. While "cost performance" is emphasized across all categories, there is a tendency to choose products by comparing multiple pieces of information, such as ingredients, formulations, usability, and reviews. Furthermore, while video media such as YouTube and TikTok are the primary channels for encountering beauty information, drugstores are the most common place for final purchases, indicating that cross-shopping behavior between social media and physical stores has become established.

Skincare: The Era of Choosing by "Cost Performance x Ingredients"

The top points emphasized when purchasing skincare were "cost performance" (55.8%) and "ingredients and formulation" (45.6%). Additionally, before purchasing, consumers check factors such as usability, SNS reviews, and manufacturer reliability, indicating a tendency to choose products based on "conviction" rather than just price.

Makeup: "Real Reviews" Drive Purchases

For makeup, "reviews and testimonials from ordinary people" were the most influential information sources during the purchase consideration phase. There is a strong tendency to refer to actual results, color shades, and usage experiences from people with similar profiles, highlighting the growing importance of authentic review content on social media.

Beauty Purchases: "Video Exposure x Reviews x In-Store Purchase" is Mainstream

Regarding media for encountering beauty product information, YouTube and TikTok ranked high across all categories: skincare, makeup, and haircare.

On the other hand, drugstores were the most common purchase location, revealing that consumers learn about products through videos, compare and consider them through reviews, and then purchase them in stores.

Source of Trust for Beauty Information: Shifting from "Celebrities" to "Experts/Practitioners"

Reasons for trusting beauty information included "easy-to-understand explanations," "knowledge of ingredients and formulations," and "similar skin type or concerns." When asked about individuals whose opinions they trusted, many cited beauty experts, hair and makeup artists, and highly beauty-conscious creators. This suggests that not only follower count and name recognition but also expertise and communication based on real-life experience are valued.

In beauty communication in the SNS era, "why they say it" is becoming as important a criterion for judgment as "who is saying it."

What is "SHIP"?

SHIP is an SNS marketing label that provides the following services specialized for the beauty industry:

We will provide new marketing support services centered on the following three businesses:

About Initial Inc.

Initial Inc. is a group company responsible for the strategic PR business of Vector Inc., a leading PR company in Asia.

Leveraging the diverse solutions offered by the Vector Group companies, we provide optimal communication strategies to our clients.

Company Name: Initial Inc. Representative Director: Yui Fujiwara Location: 18F Akasaka Garden City, 4-15-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Established: August 1, 2012 Business Activities: PR/Integrated Communications Business, Digital Marketing Business,

Content and Business Development Business URL: https://initialinc.co.jp/