John Lewis shares 2022 beauty trends

John Lewis is predicting that the “great British glow up” is here to stay as consumer lifestyles continue to shift, as people use their beauty expertise learnt over lockdown in their everyday routines.

In the John Lewis’ ‘Beauty Bets’ report, the retailer reveals that collagen, lip liner, perfume and beauty miniatures were among the beauty must-haves that defined the last 12 months, with bestsellers including Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillowtalk Push Up Lashes Mascara and The Boost LED face mask.

John Lewis reveals that pandemic shopping last year was dominated by scented candles and diffusers, in 2021, consumers new priorities including smelling good with perfume sales increasing by 24 percent compared to the previous year as people re-emerge after months at home, and fragrance body sprays also made a comeback with sales of Dior J’adore deodorant spray increasing by 275 percent versus last year.

Lockdown also saw many becoming experts in skincare searching core ingredients more than ever, with retinol, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid at the top of searches, explained John Lewis. When shoppers had the chance to hit the stores, skincare was still a priority in the three weeks following stores reopening on April 12, sales of facial cleansers grew by 82 percent, moisturisers by 80 percent and exfoliators by 79 percent.

As we move into party season, John Lewis adds that customers are seizing the opportunity to showcase their best bold make-up looks, with lipstick sales up 30 percent, a trend it expects to continue to grow. Sales of lip liners also increased 386 percent in the weeks following stores reopening in April.

John Lewis reports that the average spend within make-up and fragrance has increased by almost 6 percent in the last 12 months, with skincare accounting for over a third of all beauty sales. The department store’s beauty advent calendar also sold 4,200 units in the first 24 hours, 3,000 of which within the first hour.

John Lewis: 10 beauty predictions for 2022

Make-up Maximalism

Customers are falling back in love with their beauty bags and are experimenting with colour and textures. This has resulted in an uptick in sales across every make-up category since the end of the third national lockdown, with sales of blusher increasing by 181 percent, eyeshadow by 145 percent and lipstick by 178 percent.

John Lewis also notes that its customers have “enthusiastically” return to make-up counters to discover, experiment and utilise its staff to seek expert advice. This has been particularly prevalent in the foundation category where in-store colour matching has been so popular, it has led to a 14 percent rise in sales.

Healthy Mind, Healthy Skin

Collagen supplements are set to be a key focus in the ingestibles sector in 2022, and bestseller The Beauty Chef Collagen Inner Boost was up 230 percent on the year, will continue to be popular. John Lewis also adds that liquid and powder formats will remain strong, as we return to the daily commute, and capsules and tablets rise in popularity, as customers reach for a supplement that can be taken on the go. It predicts that Anatomē will dominate in this space next year.

The Big Perfume Return

Historically a strong category for John Lewis, perfume is the most searched for category ever on johnlewis.com, and fragrance will continue to be a strong trend next year, and it expects strong and intense scents to be on customers wishlists, with long-lasting EDP reached for over EDT. Also, customers will want fragrance throughout their beauty routine, starting with a scented shower oil, followed by a body lotion and then a hair mist.

All About Actives

Active-based products that target post-pandemic lifestyle-related skin concerns will dominate in 2022. John Lewis expects the new retinol eye masks from Murad launching early in the new year to dominate as they are designed to treat fine lines accelerated by increased screen time. The retailer is also backing Kate Somerville’s BHA-rich Eradikate skincare set which addresses maskne.

Not just reserved for skincare, actives will become increasingly sought after in the make-up space, via innovative complexion products designed to improve skin over time. Expect primers packed with active ingredients such as salicylic acid to reduce sebum production and pore size, foundations with brightening boosters such as vitamin C to improve skin over time and setting sprays with inbuilt pollution protection. John Lewis adds that there will be launches from Charlotte Tilbury, Gucci, Nars and Laura Mercier.

The 90s Pout Returns

Tapping into the trend for nineties nostalgia, power nudes will dominate with a move towards warm sunset tones, as seen on the spring/summer 2022 catwalks with burnt oranges, deep peaches, terracotta reds. Brands also recognise that there isn’t just one ‘nude’ for all and John Lewis now houses 1,274 lipsticks that fall in this category. A key product for 2022 will be Charlotte Tilbury’s The Super Nudes collection.

Beauty with Purpose

The next step-change for consumers will be waste-reducing refillable products becoming the norm. Brands including Ouai, Rituals and Charlotte Tilbury, already offer refillable products, and next year Molton Brown will also launch refillables at the department store. The retailer is also backing Hourglass’ Curator Eyeshadow Pan Palette, a tin and post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic palette, which uses five plastic bottles worth of recycled materials, to be a customer favourite.

Mini Adventure 2022

Miniatures are up 35 percent year-on-year for the retailer, something that will continue as customers’ are increasingly on-the-go. To cater for the appetite for bite-sized beauty, John Lewis has installed a floor-to-ceiling miniatures wall in its Edinburgh beauty hall, stocking small-scale iterations from hero brands including Dermalogica and Benefit. This will be rolled out to 12 further stores in the coming months as choice, experimentation and ‘try-before-you-buy’ continues to prove popular.

The 24 Hour Wellness Kit

As the beauty wellness boom continues, it will no longer solely be about ‘Self-Care Sunday’, 24 hour wellness, will be on the rise seven days a week, explains John Lewis. Calming essential oils will play a starring role, with sales of Aveda Chakra 4 Balancing Mist increasing by 350 percent year-on-year. The retailer has also seen sales increase on weighted blankets and silk pillowcases.

Beauty Tech Take Off

2020/21 saw beauty tech products boom due to being at-home during the pandemic, and John Lewis launched its first-ever beauty tech department with LED light masks, facial toning devices and clever cleansers. Foreo proving the most popular with a 361 percent uplift on the year, and the retailer predicts this will accelerate in 2022, with innovations in the space moving from DIY tools to high-tech HydraFacials, Micropeels and Cryotherapy.

The New 2-in-1

Several-step skincare routines will be replaced by a ‘skinimalism’ regime consisting of highly concentrated products that address multiple concerns in one, predicts the John Lewis beauty team. A mindset of “considered frugality” will see customers’ leave behind superfluous products and focus on those that fulfil not just one, but multiple functions excellently. This doesn’t mean spending less, just customers investing in hardworking products that deliver results.