There is no questioning the crippling effect of the current cost of living crisis sweeping through the UK. For both brands and consumers, everyone is feeling the squeeze. But between reflective purchase habits, indulging in small luxuries thanks to the 'lipstick effect', and the pursuit of high quality beauty products, the economic situation is revealing a beauty sector that's booming. Enter 'masstige' beauty - the burgeoning middle ground.
The concept of 'masstige' – bringing together mass consumption and prestige luxury goods – is a term first introduced in 2003 by M.J Silverstein and N Fiske in a Harvard Business Review, Luxury for the Masses. From their research they understood that luxury was no longer fixated only on affluence - a concept that complemented the idea of affordable luxury. '"Masstige" brands will come into their own during the cost of living crisis as consumers will not stop buying beauty products; they'll be looking for better value for money and making smarter purchasing decisions,' explains Sienna Piccioni, WGSN Head of Beauty. Just as indulgent, '"Masstige" brands can offer the branding, experience and formulation that the prestige can offer, but at a more accessible price,' adds Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of The British Beauty Council.
In fact, with 1 in 5 people in the UK worried about affording skincare (1 in 3 for 18-25s) according to UpCircle’s Beauty Cost of Living Crisis Research, many of us want our beauty routines to work harder, last longer and cost less, all while maintaining efficacy. 'At WGSN, we’ve seen a rise in consumers adopting a "dupe mindset" - trading their beauty staples for cheaper alternatives with comparative results,' shares Piccioni. 'Brands tapping into this include The Inkey List who launched its SuperSolutions range with clinically proven products all developed by dermatologists and priced under £22.99,' she says.
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Similarly, consumers look to skincare leaders like La Roche Posay, The Ordinary and TikTok favourite, Byoma, for their transparency regarding ingredients and formulation. 'La Roche Posay has a great deal of trust that products can work for all skin types, including problematic skin, sensitive skin, blemish-prone skin and children’s skin. People trust that the formulations work and are transparent. Scientific background to the range and dermatologist approval makes it an authority,' shares Dr Emma Wedgeworth, Consultant Dermatologist at La Roche Posay. 'Masstige' skincare brands capture the best of both worlds. 'You'll find the best products in skincare between £20-£60, where the cost of goods doesn't restrict the quality or quantity of ingredients, actives and their concentration, but where you're not paying more for unnecessary marketing, merchandising and packaging,' says Dr Colette Haydon, Founder of Lixirskin.
It's not just consumers that are being affected by the rise in living costs, brands themselves are having to adapt to an increasingly expensive production line - something The Inkey List addressed directly on their Instagram, quoting increased prices of packaging, raw ingredients, freight and transportation, and energy as the reason for the decision to charge consumers more.
In addition to skincare, Kendall predicts that make-up brands such as 3ina in Superdrug and Sculpted by Aimee, who have recently launched in Boots, will grow the 'masstige' sector massively. While Piccioni sees a bright future for fragrance. 'We’ve seen the rise of independent fragrance brands offering affordable discovery boxes. A great example of this is UK brand Commodity, whose exploration sets feature six signature fragrances that can be layered to create endless personalised combinations from one box, priced at an affordable £22,' she shares.
Keeping high performance formulas at the forefront of their products, Tan-Luxe has cultivated an inclusive offering while sitting within that sweet 'masstige' middle ground. 'We created tailor-made tanning. We combined science-backed, skincare-first formulations with the world’s first transparent sunless formats. It became super-charged skin, no make-up, make-up with proven skincare benefits,' explains Marc Elrick, founder of Tan-Luxe. Take the brand's Illuminating Self-Tan Drops, £15, adored for their affordability, inclusivity and innovation. Via formulations that allow custom tanning and skincare benefits, adapt to all skin tones and contain cruelty-free ingredients, the brand has helped innovate self-tanning while maximising on usability. Tick, tick, 'masstige' tick.
With game-changing formulas on the one hand, there's the power of brand stories on the other. Noting the gap in the market for supplements that cater to the different health needs of the POC community led Simi Launey, Co-Founder of SOW Minerals, to carve a space in the wellness market, providing a beauty solution that's affordable yet effective. 'Keeping a close eye on our pricing is important to us as a business so we can ensure all audiences are catered to, even during strenuous times,' explains Launay. 'The ingredients we use are premium, meaning we go for the most bioavailable option and hold a premium formulation for the needs of our demographic without compromising on price.' Their Women’s Daily Multi Complex Supplement, available on a monthly subscription for £44.99, is packed with antioxidants, minerals, DNA-protecting coenzymes, memory-regulating choline and detoxifying botanicals for energy enhancement.
ELLE Edit: 'Masstige' Beauty
BYOMA Moisturizing Gel-Cream
Sculpted By Aimee Connolly Tint & Glow
Fenty Skin Total Cleans'R Remove-It-All Cleanser
Wanting to bottle that elusive luxury feeling isn’t surprising when facing an economic crisis. Known as the 'lipstick effect', consumers are searching for smaller, more affordable mood boosts. 'Luxury represents a way to escape,' says Benjamin Voyer, Behavioural Scientist and Beauty Pie 'Beauty Futures 2025' Report contributor. 'Affordable luxuries allow us to treat ourselves and serve as a form of psychological motivation,' adds Dion Terrelonge, Chartered Psychologist. This need to feel good and indulge in affordable luxuries has led to a boom in the beauty sector. 'Over the last quarter, the industry has shown resilience. October sales grew +5% vs LY, and +0.5% vs pre-pandemic (2019),' notes Kendall.
So, what does the future look like for 'masstige' beauty? Bright. As the demand for quality, reasonably priced beauty products grows, so the product offering will expand to match it. We're expecting innovation, affordability and accessibility in beauty's not-so-distant future.
