Four predictions, one direction: Beauty’s strategic shift in 2026

Uh, what I wanted to do though, just to kick us off, uh, is to focus on our first one, which is all about engagement and wellness and multi-sensory.

Um, it's our prediction called sensorial synergy.

Uh, and that is, as I say, all about beauty becoming this multi-sensory immersive experience.

Um, so I'm-- easy question to open you guys up with, but what does that mean in practice? We're not just obviously talking just about fragrance.

Is it something more than that? What have, what have you guys seen i-in this particular space?

I feel like one of the things that excited us a lot about this prediction while we were all kind of collaborating on those-- back in those early days of the, of the brainstorming, um, was the fragrance momentum that was happening, right? We were seeing, you know, consumers who have maybe never bought a fragrance before in their lives turn to the category to kind of get some of those emotional benefits that are so strongly associated with the category.

Um, but I think fragrance is really just sort of the, the tipping point, if you will.

Demand for new experiences, new sensations trickle into every category across beauty and personal care.

I'm personally very excited for oral care.

Um, we're starting to see new flavors and new textures emerge that really make something like brushing your teeth into an experience that you can enjoy.

Yeah.

That's, that's great.

And for me, I think, uh, the prediction, I like how it looks beyond fragrance and the sense of smell, um, um, which, which is still exciting.

There's lots of exciting stuff happening in fragrance around the sense and, of smell, bringing like neurocosmetic concepts in-into the mix, functional fragrances and so on.

But I'm really excited by it because it kind of also focused on overlooked senses as well.

So it ki-kind of tried to, to, um, say to brands, "Look, leverage all of the five senses th-that we have to build that emotional connection between your product, your brand, a-and the consumer." Um, so-- and I'm really excited, um, in terms of soundscapes.

I think there's a white space for more soundscape-focused innovative concepts.

Also ramping up the focus on taste as well and, um, uh, touch as well.

So I'm really excited about, about those senses and ramping up, um, other senses beyond the sense of smell.

Yeah, I like what you said there because it's true.

I mean, it's not to downplay fragrance as like, oh, it's not just about fragrance.

Of course, fragrance is huge.

I mean, I think-

Yeah

...