Visual style trends in Beauty & Cosmetics

Written by
Tim Arlestig

Jun 10, 2025

Table of contents
Visual trend 1: Modern Lifestyle
Visual trend 2: Modern Lifestyle variation
Visual trend 3: In The Dark
Visual trend 4: Whimsical Set
Visual trend 5: Beauty For Dessert
Visual trend 6: Monochrome
Explore these trends for your brand

Visual style trends in Beauty & Cosmetics

The modern audience desires both the real and the hyperreal. And beauty brands are responding with a new wave of sensory cross-overs and cinematic shadow plays.

This has led to five major visual style trends in beauty and cosmetics: Modern Lifestyle, In The Dark, Whimsical Set, Beauty For Dessert, and Monochrome.

Each trend offers a distinct language for storytellingβ€”helping brands create deeper connections, stand out visually, and express identity beyond words. Keep reading to explore each trend in detail with examples and practical guides.

This article recaps Chapter 3 of the 2026 BEAUTY & COSMETICS VISUALS TRENDS report. The analysis was based on a staggering 20,000+ brands in the industry, and was commissioned by Omi.so. In the report, beauty brand analyst Jennifer Carlsson reveals the formative trends in Macro, Color, and Visuals emerging out of changes to societal values, consumer behavior, and digital culture.

The 2026 report is here

Explore this unique look into modern Beauty & Cosmetics visuals

Visual trend 1: Modern Lifestyle

Modern Lifestyle is a grounded, lived-in visual trend that captures beauty products as part of real, relatable environments.

Characteristics

β€’ Warm, natural lighting or flash photography for realism

β€’ Lived-in props: books, textiles, ceramics, phones, jewelry, towels

β€’ Environments that tell a storyβ€”bedroom, bathroom, travel scenes

β€’ Slight clutter or layering to evoke personality and intimacy

Deep dive

Instead of placing items in sterile studios or high-gloss fantasy setups, this style integrates beauty into everyday scenesβ€”bedside tables, bathroom counters, vanities, book stacks, or weekend bagsβ€”suggesting how products actually function in the context of consumers’ lives.

This trend is driven by a desire for authenticity and intimacy, reflecting how people live, rather than how they aspire to be.

Whether it’s a Rare Beauty makeup bag casually unzipped on a speckled countertop or a Henry Rose perfume bottle placed next to a retro telephone, the styling feels personal, observational, and quietly cinematic.

Nothing is overly perfect or polishedβ€”it’s about a curated kind of imperfection.

Modern Lifestyle images often incorporate tactile elements: soft knits, creased linens, marble surfaces, old books, or natural light casting shadows across textured surfaces.

These details signal care, routine, and a sense of place. The props are not randomβ€”they reflect taste, character, and emotional tone. Sometimes nostalgic, sometimes utilitarian, but always real.

Applications

β€’ Frequently used by skincare, fragrance, and clean makeup brands aiming for a refined but accessible aesthetic.

β€’ Ideal for social storytelling, brand content, and packaging lifestyle imagery.

β€’ Connects strongly with the Essential Minimalism and Holistic Self-Care macro trends, where routines are intentional, and products serve emotional as well as functional purposes.

Visual trend 2: Modern Lifestyle variation

A softer, more nurturing evolution of the Modern Lifestyle trend, this variation leans into comfort, joy, and self-nurturing as visual themes. Products are still shown in real, lived-in environments, but here the styling choices emphasize emotional warmth, tactile pleasure, and sensory rituals.

This approach is closely aligned with the Holistic Self-Care macro trend, inviting viewers to associate beauty routines with personal time, healing, and playful self-expression.

Characteristics

β€’ Pastel and saturated warm colour palettes (peach, butter yellow, soft lilac, mint)

β€’ Real surfaces: tiled bathrooms, vanities, retro countertops

β€’ Lush or nostalgic textures: terrycloth, glass, glossy finishes, soft knits

β€’ Props that reinforce ritual (combs, rollers, toothbrushes, silk pouches, plush toys)

Deep dive

Color is key: warm pinks, soft pastels, cheerful corals, and sun-washed greens dominate the palette, creating an atmosphere of ease and optimism.

Scenes often take place in bathrooms or bedrooms, styled with plush textures, cozy lighting, and layered personal objectsβ€”hairbrushes, towels, playful trinkets, or jewelry. The imagery is often feminine-coded, but with a flexible softness that resonates across gendered expectations.

Unlike the more neutral-toned or utilitarian version of Modern Lifestyle, this focus leans into visual pleasure and gentle chaosβ€”not every object is aligned, and that’s the point. The goal is to convey that self-care is real, imperfect, and emotionally satisfying. There’s a sense of spontaneity and playfulness that taps into daily joy, while still maintaining a polished, brand-forward presentation.

Applications

β€’ Popular in Gen Z and Millennial skincare, body care, and haircare brands that blend efficacy with emotional resonance.

β€’ Frequently used in campaigns targeting stress relief, daily joy, or beauty as ritual.

β€’ Well suited for seasonal collections, limited edition drops, or storytelling that centres around personal care, balance, or reclaiming time.

Visual trend 3: In The Dark

In The Dark is a cinematic visual trend that uses dramatic lighting, rich shadows, and deep negative space to create a sense of mystery, sophistication, and emotional intensity.

Characteristics

β€’ Black or near-black backgrounds with deep negative space

β€’ Sharp directional lighting with strong contrast and shadows

β€’ Reflective materials (glass, metal, lacquer) used to catch and sculpt light

β€’ Minimal colour palettes with gold, cream, or crimson highlights

β€’ Floating or sculptural product arrangements with no visible environment

β€’ Editorial still-life composition with a cinematic, moody tone

β€’ Emphasis on material quality, silhouette, and quiet luxury through restraint

Deep dive

Often set against black or nearly black backgrounds, these compositions are intentionally moody, using minimal light to spotlight form, texture, and materiality. The result is a visual language that feels premium, introspective, and carefully composed.

This trend draws from editorial photography, luxury fashion campaigns, and classic still life painting. It places emphasis on contrast and reflectionβ€”highlighting gloss, glass, and metallic finishes while enveloping them in darkness.

Whether it’s the golden sculptural cap of a Merit fragrance bottle or the mirrored glass under a Rhode product shot, these images evoke quiet luxury and timeless drama.

The mood is often meditative or slightly surreal: objects float in space, reflections become part of the composition, and shadows take on as much importance as the subject itself. This creates a contemplative, even narrative qualityβ€”inviting the viewer to linger and observe.

This style is particularly prevalent within the Essential Minimalism macro trend, where brands use darkness and restraint to underscore intentionality, material quality, and focus.

Rather than relying on decorative excess, these visuals celebrate simplicity through form, composition, and moodβ€”aligning perfectly with a minimalist ethos that favours clarity over clutter.

Applications

β€’ Frequently used by luxury and elevated minimalist brands, particularly in fragrance, prestige skincare, and packaging-led cosmetics.

β€’ Works well for launch campaigns, hero product reveals, and limited edition drops where a sense of exclusivity and artful restraint is desired.

β€’ Often paired with black or monochromatic backdrops, reflective surfaces, and tight framing.

Visual trend 4: Whimsical Set

Whimsical Set is a highly stylized, prop-heavy visual trend that blends the surreal, the playful, and the hyperreal. 

Characteristics

β€’ Carefully curated tabletop sets with exaggerated or unexpected props

β€’ Bold and contrasting colour palettes: pastels, brights, neons, acidic tones

β€’ Matte or high-gloss surfaces; translucent or jelly-like materials

β€’ Food-adjacent styling (e.g. gelatine, whipped textures, cherries, citrus, soda)

β€’ Floating objects or gravity-defying arrangements

β€’ Clean backdrops (white, pastel, or gradient) with high clarity and controlled lighting

β€’ Precise, editorial-level composition even in chaotic arrangements

Deep dive

In this style, beauty products are placed within fantastical, imaginative compositionsβ€”often defying gravity, logic, or everyday context. Props are exaggerated, symbolic, or unexpected: jelly moulds, crushed soda cans, cherries, miniatures, retro telephones, toy animals, or floating fruits. The goal isn’t realismβ€”it’s narrative flair and visual delight.

This aesthetic draws on elements of still life, pop art, and experimental product photography. There’s often an air of humour or irreverence, with clear references to food styling, childhood nostalgia, or retro-futurist kitsch. Colour plays a central role: candy brights, acidic pastels, and hyper-saturated gradients dominate the palette, adding to the dreamlike or surreal feel.

Some compositions embrace balance and harmony, like Joonbyrd’s symmetrical tabletop with dominoes and juice glasses, while othersβ€”like Orris’ bar soap with pearls and egg yolkβ€”lean into visual tension and unexpected combinations. Across the board, intention is key: nothing is random, and every prop enhances the surreal story being told.

Applications

β€’ Ideal for brands focused on youth, self-expression, or feel- good experimentation

β€’ Popular for limited edition drops, seasonal campaigns, or viral social content

β€’ Strong synergy with brands that embrace Affordable Fun, Selfcare & Chill, or Gen Z–driven aesthetics

β€’ Frequently used to reframe everyday beauty products as collectible, artful, or joyful objects

Visual trend 5: Beauty For Dessert

Beauty For Dessert is a delectably styled visual trend that draws heavily from the world of sweet treats, transforming beauty products into indulgent, mouthwatering compositions.

Characteristics

β€’ Dessert-inspired compositions: ice cream, pancakes, pastries, whipped cream, sprinkles, custards

β€’ Soft or creamy textures paired with glossy finishes and syrupy drips

β€’ Monochrome or tonal colour stories, often in vanilla beige, caramel, strawberry pink, and butter yellow

β€’ Matte-gloss contrasts, especially using creamy liquids and glass or mirrored surfaces

β€’ Stylized table settings with vintage cafΓ© props (metal trays, dessert forks, napkins, saucers)

β€’ Playful yet composed layout, often featuring symmetry or purposeful imbalance

Deep dive

With aesthetics rooted in confectionery fantasy, cafΓ© culture, and comfort food nostalgia, this trend uses edible visual language to evoke immediate pleasure, warmth, and sensory delight.

Whether referencing syrupy drips, whipped textures, creamy swirls, or pastry stacks, the compositions are irresistibly tactile. Products are nestled in scoops of ice cream, stacked beside cookies, floating in bowls of cereal milk, or layered between fluffy pancakes. The line between food and product blurs, creating imagery that is equal parts delicious and desirable.

Importantly, this visual language is often directly tied to the fragrance profile or ingredient story of the productβ€”particularly when it features gourmand scents like vanilla, caramel, or baked goods.

The imagery reinforces the sensorial identity of the product, making it feel both luxurious and edible.

Whether it’s a lip balm scented like biscotti, a body butter infused with vanilla bean, or a fragrance with sweet, creamy base notes, the dessert-themed styling enhances the olfactory and emotional associations.

Despite the food-centric framing, the execution remains highly stylized and editorial. Clean, often pastel backdrops, controlled lighting, and intentional prop styling elevate the scenes into the realm of fine art still life meets advertising fantasyβ€”balancing visual playfulness with aspirational polish.

Applications

β€’ Especially common for fragrance, lip products, and body care, where scent and texture are key selling points

β€’ Often used in seasonal campaigns (e.g., vanilla or pumpkin spice launches) or limited edition dessert-flavoured SKUs

β€’ Highly shareable content that performs well across Instagram and Pinterest, where food-beauty crossovers thrive

Visual trend 6: Monochrome

The Monochrome visual style is defined by its disciplined focus on a single dominant hue, creating a hyper-cohesive and visually impactful composition.

Characteristics

β€’ Single-hue dominance: All set elements fall within the same colour spectrum.

β€’ Texture-driven contrast: Dimensionality is created through the play of matte vs. glossy,

creamy vs. liquid, or soft vs. structured materials.

β€’ Sculptural lighting: Shadows and highlights are carefully shaped to define product form without disrupting tonal harmony.

β€’ Minimal visual clutter: Props are used sparingly, if at all. When present, they are deliberately colour-matched and stylized.

β€’ Editorial sharpness: Clean backdrops, refined gradients, and symmetrical arrangements give the style a composed, high-design feel.

Deep dive

Whether muted pastels or deeply saturated tones, the backdrop, props, product, and textures are carefully colour-matched to fall within the same tonal range. This uniformity creates a sense of calm precision, aesthetic confidence, and modern polish.

Visual hierarchy is established not through contrasting colour but through texture, shadow, and material finish. Matte and glossy surfaces are placed in dialogue, while smears, smudges, and liquid textures break the visual flatness to add dynamism.

Reflections and light gradients further sculpt dimension within the constraints of a single hue.

This style is especially favoured by brands operating within skincare, haircare, and clinical beauty archetypesβ€”often using soft neutrals (beige, lavender, mint, sky blue) to evoke clarity and efficacy, or rich hues (deep green, cobalt, blush pink) to signal strength, hydration, or nourishment. Monochrome sets are frequently used to highlight product texture or key ingredients while reinforcing the brand’s core identity colour in a tightly controlled, design-led format.

Despite the simplicity of its colour palette, Monochrome is not minimalist in its execution. The precision lighting, architectural arrangement, and editorial finish transform this into a high-design, high-impact aesthetic language that reads instantly premium.

Applications

This style is commonly used in product-focused campaigns, texture studies, and ingredient-led spotlights. Its editorial clarity lends itself well to clinical skincare, haircare, and ingredient-conscious wellness brands, often signalling efficacy, purity, or technical sophistication. Monochrome setups are also favoured in launch visuals, helping define the brand’s hero colour in a bold, immersive way.

The 2026 report is here

Learn from this unique look into modern Beauty & Cosmetics visuals

Implementing visual trends is a challenge for every brand, big or small. In fact, established aesthetics tend to be rigid and resist evolution of any kind.

Meanwhile, producing new visuals are associated with big investment in time and resources, making experimentation risky.

However, that doesn’t have to be the case.

Omi's Virtual Photo Studio enables much more freedom and speed without compromises to your brand’s established profile. With hundreds of templates, thousands of 3D assets, and unlimited customizability, you can test visual trends incrementally or dive in fullyβ€”all while maintaining brand integrity.

Let's explore how Omi empowers your visual evolution.

Find a composition using templates

Every one of Omi's 300+ scene templates offers complete flexibilityβ€”from color schemes to prop selection to camera perspectives. Leading brands across industries rely on templates to speed up their creative process and revision cycles, regardless of how much they ultimately customize.

When adapting templates for visual trends, select based on compositional structure and environmental context. Then customize colors, props, and styling to match your chosen trend aesthetic. The evolution to final asset often removes any notion of the starting point.

Here are template starting points for each visual trend:

Modern Lifestyle & Modern Lifestyle Variation come to life through the 'Summer,' 'Bathrooms,' 'Kitchens,' 'Living rooms,' 'Shelves,' 'Rooms,' and 'Apothecary' templates. These deliver the lived-in environments and natural contexts that make this trend feel authentic and relatable.

The In The Dark aesthetic works beautifully with 'Mineral,' 'Wood,' 'Father's Day,' 'Black and white,' and 'Product Launch' templates. These offer some dramatic contrasts and sophisticated backdrops essential for moody, luxurious imagery.

For Whimsical Set, browse 'Nature,' 'Abstracts,' 'Easter,' 'Laboratory,' and 'World Music Day' collections. These templates provide the playful foundations perfect for building surreal, prop-heavy compositions.

Beauty For Dessert styling comes alive through 'CPG,' 'Beverages,' and 'Fruits' templates. These food-adjacent compositions offer the perfect starting point for indulgent, dessert-inspired scenes.

And for Monochrome, consider 'Abstracts,' 'Father's day,' 'Glass line,' 'Black and white,' 'Fragrance,' and 'Cosmetics' templates. Their clean, focused compositions provide ideal canvases for single-hue design.

Pick your own color scheme

Input your brand's specific hex codes or grab the integrated color picker to sample hues directly from your scene. You can transform the color of backgrounds, floors, many objects (especially neutral white elements), and even lighting itself.

For Modern Lifestyle & Modern Lifestyle Variation, embrace warm, natural tonesβ€”soft beiges, dusty pinks, and muted earth colors that feel lived-in and authentic.

In The Dark demands rich blacks, deep charcoals, with strategic pops of gold, cream, or crimson for dramatic accent.

Whimsical Set thrives on bold contrastsβ€”pair candy brights with acidic pastels, or clash neons against powder blue backgrounds.

Beauty For Dessert calls for edible huesβ€”vanilla cream, strawberry pink, caramel brown, and butter yellow create that confectionery appeal.

Monochrome requires disciplineβ€”select one dominant hue and explore its full tonal range from palest tint to deepest shade. Adding a Gradient background can add a dynamic touch without breaking the color integrity.

Decorate your scenes

Props and accessories are crucial for visual trend executionβ€”they establish context, enhance storytelling, and create the textural richness these trends demand. Omi's comprehensive library of 6,000+ accessories guarantees you'll find exactly what each trend requires. Digital props (of course) maintain perfect condition indefinitelyβ€”no wilting, melting, breakage, or wear.

For Modern Lifestyle & Modern Lifestyle Variation, incorporate everyday objects like books, ceramics, towels, jewelry, phones, textiles, plants, and personal care items that suggest real routines and settings. Focus on the small objects you can see in a close-up glance.

In The Dark requires minimal, sculptural elementsβ€”sharp silhouettes, deep shadows, floating objects, and strategic (minimalist) use of metallic or glass accents that emerge from darkness.

Whimsical Set invites playful chaosβ€”add jelly shapes, retro phones, nostalgic trinkets, miniature objects, floating fruits, toys, prop clouds, or geometric forms for surreal impact.

Beauty For Dessert requires edible elementsβ€”ice cream, fruits and berries, cupcakes, donuts, lemons, and coffee cafΓ© props (all of which you’ll find in the library!)

Monochrome leverages tonal beauty elementsβ€”color-matched (or white) cosmetic swatches, cream textures, powder dusts, or liquid drips in your chosen hue (or transparent), complementing the dominant color.

Play with lights and camera angles

Each visual trend requires specific lighting and camera treatment to achieve its signature look. Here's how to nail the mood for each style.

Modern Lifestyle & Modern Lifestyle Variation need soft, natural lightingβ€”warm and diffused, creating gentle shadows that feel like morning sun through windows.

In The Dark requires dramatic directional lightingβ€”sharp contrasts, deep shadows, and focused highlights that sculpt form from darkness.

Whimsical Set benefits from bright, even illumination that ensures every prop detail reads clearly against clean backgrounds.

Beauty For Dessert works best with soft, appetizing lightβ€”slightly warm tones that make textures appear creamy and indulgent.

Monochrome demands precise, sculptural lighting that creates dimension through shadow and highlight rather than color variation.

Adapt content to context

Build your scenes as versatile foundations, then tailor them for multi-channel deployment. Feel free to duplicate and save the main scene as a template, then work on the adaptations separately.

Product launch campaigns demand stopping power and memorability. Showcase your complete scene composition for maximum visual impact (particularly effective for website banners and hero imagery).

eCommerce product pages require clarity and functional presentation. Strip back props and simplify arrangements to spotlight the product itself, while preserving the scene's core aesthetic.

Social media thrives on dynamic content. Subtle light animations and camera movements consistently drive higher engagement. This is easily added to your scene using Omi's Video Maker add-on.

The Virtual Studio's adaptability means every scene can evolve for channel-specific needs, from striking campaign visuals to scroll-stopping social assets.

Unlock the complete trends report

The 2026 Beauty & Cosmetics Visuals Trends report offers unparalleled insight for shaping your visual strategy. From trend analyses to a curated library of examples, Carlsson shows you the avant-guard of compositions and color applications. Based on 20,000+ brands, this comprehensive study presents the undeniable macro, color, and visual trends to learn from to succeed in 2026 and beyond.

About the author

Tim Arlestig
-
Senior Content Manager

Tim Arlestig joined Omi in 2024 as a Senior Content Manager. In addition to working on Omi's general marketing strategy, he researches and writes about how brands can scale content production with Omi’s Virtual Photo Studio.