The so-called ‘selfie generation’ is helping to drive UK cosmetics sales, according to IRI.

Driven by the desire to share images on social media, the trends for contouring and groomed eyebrows has led to a huge boost in the market, which is now worth close to £1bn.

IRI has revealed that cosmetics is now the top-performing category within UK Health & Beauty, worth £893m (52 w/e 18 March 2017) – up £55m over the previous 12 months, and £100m since 2015. 

Figures reveal a surge in contouring products where both value and volume sales increased dramatically, thanks to the popularity of selfies from social media stars like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner and the increase in YouTube tutorials. Value sales of bronzers rose to £43m, up from £23m the previous year, while sales of concealers rose from £42m to £52m.

Meanwhile, the trend for groomed and pronounced eyebrows has seen sales of brow products soar by over £10m from the previous year to £42m in value sales, with more than nine million units of eyebrow products sold in just 12 months (52 w/e 18 March 2017).

Chloe Humphreys-Page, Retail Insight Director at IRI, says: “The impact of the so-called ‘selfie generation’ – where people are spending disproportionately long periods of time studying their faces and making sure they are camera-ready – is not just driving sales for certain cosmetics, but also boosting demand for ancillary products, like eyebrow kits, sponges, pencils and brushes.”