COLOR
Beauty Industry Insiders See Expressive Eye Makeup Coming Back In A Big Way
If you're looking for a break from lip balm mania, the eye makeup category could offer some relief. Recent Circana data shows it returned to growth in 2025 after a dip, with mascara in particular helping lift the segment and broader makeup performance strengthening. Still, with a 3% increase in prestige through the
…
Rachel Brown·February 6, 2026·1 min read
The 30-second read
If you’re looking for a break from lip balm mania, the eye makeup category could offer some relief. Recent Circana data shows it returned to growth in 2025 after a dip, with mascara in particular helping lift the segment and broader makeup performance strengthening. Still, with a 3% increase in prestige through the first nine months of last year, its growth trailed prestige beauty’s 4% overall growth. Reporting from the publication Business of Fashion also indicates that prestige eye makeup segments, including eyeshadow, posted gains through the period ending September 2025.
With eyes back in focus, for the latest edition of our ongoing series posing questions relevant to indie beauty, we asked eight brand founders, product developers, chemists, manufacturers and consultants the following: Do you believe the segment will grow this year? What products, trends or consumer behaviors are driving renewed interest in eye makeup? How are they different from past products, trends or consumer behavior? Are certain formats leading the charge? How should brands be responding to these shifts?
