Performance, pricing & purpose
Could affordable beauty be redefining value in 2025?
From the Consumer Exec team
Luxury still holds its place. The craftsmanship, sensory appeal and emotional pull of a well-built premium brand remain unmatched — and for many consumers, aspirational beauty still lives in that space.
But 2025 is also showing us something new.
The latest Beauty Icons: 25 Under £25 list from SheerLuxe is packed with brands making waves — not because they’re high-end, but because they’re high-performing, thoughtfully priced, and rooted in a kind of modern credibility that today’s consumers are actively seeking.
This isn’t a luxury versus mass story.
It’s a value shift. And it’s worth asking:
What does ‘premium’ mean when a £12 product earns as much trust and attention as a £70 one?
The Changing Definition of Value
The rise of performance-led, price-accessible beauty is being driven by three overlapping forces:
1. Performance-first products at lower price points
Brands like CeraVe, Byoma, and e.l.f. Cosmetics are delivering clinically backed, ingredient-rich formulas at under £25. And they’re not hiding the price point — they’re leading with it.
2. Purpose-led positioning
Consumers are seeking out brands that are transparent, inclusive and sustainable. Think Saie’s refillable glow products or Human Beauty’s accessible design built for those with dexterity challenges. Value is now tied to intention, not just cost.
3. Editorial and social validation
Lists like SheerLuxe’s put affordable brands next to prestige favourites — and the consumer sees both as credible. A hero product from Beauty of Joseon or NYX might now sit comfortably alongside luxury skincare on the same shelf.
What This Means for Founders and Brand Builders
If you’re launching or scaling a beauty brand, this is a moment to ask:
- Is our pricing aligned with how people actually spend in 2025?
- Can we deliver high performance at a more democratic price point?
- Are we clear on our purpose — and can we live it across product, team and supply chain?
Crucially, this doesn’t mean abandoning luxury.
In fact, we’re seeing more luxury beauty brands borrowing from the accessible playbook:
- Travel sizes and discovery kits to support trial at lower spend
- Refillable packaging to build loyalty and reduce waste
- Ingredient storytelling that demystifies performance — not just branding
- Influencer partnerships that reflect culture, not just aesthetics
Premium still sells. But premium today is more nuanced — often blending prestige feel with conscious consumerism.
And What About Talent?
As product expectations evolve, so does the demand on internal teams.
Whether you’re building a skincare startup or leading a heritage brand through evolution, you need people who:
- Understand both performance-led innovation and brand heritage
- Can navigate price positioning without undermining perceived value
- Think cross-channel — from Boots to Space NK, Superdrug to Selfridges
- Can lead with insight, not assumption
We’re seeing a spike in demand for marketers, product leads, and commercial managers who can operate in this blended landscape — people who don’t see price as a ceiling, but as a design challenge.
Brands to Watch (Under £25)
All featured in SheerLuxe’s August list or trending across UK retail channels:
- CeraVe – Clinical, dermatologist-trusted skincare that underpins many routines
- Saie – Glowy, purpose-led beauty with refillable packaging
- Byoma – Gen Z-friendly skincare with a transparent, barrier-first message
- e.l.f. Cosmetics – Viral hits and impressive formulations under £15
- Human Beauty – UK-founded, accessible design-first beauty with a clear mission
- Boots Ingredients & Me+ Ranges – Affordable, effective, and fast-moving private-label skincare
Final Thought: It’s Not Either/Or — It’s And
Luxury isn’t going anywhere. But it is being challenged — not in quality, but in exclusivity. Today’s beauty consumers are multi-layered: they might use a refillable £68 serum and a £9 barrier cream. And they expect both to work.
For founders, marketers and hiring managers, this means the question is no longer “how do we stand out?”
It’s “how do we build trust — and deliver on value — wherever we sit on the shelf?”
Need support building a beauty team that can straddle both luxury and accessibility?
We partner with founder-led, scaling and investment-backed beauty brands to place commercial, marketing and product leaders who get the nuance — and deliver growth.