Intentional and unique beauty branding is key to standing out in the competitive cosmetics industry. In this post, we’ll break down the essential branding elements every beauty brand needs in order to draw the attention of modern consumers. We’ll also take a look at ten standout examples of popular beauty brands and how each is able to differentiate themselves in a crowded industry.
Why is beauty branding important?
The beauty industry is notoriously competitive. It currently generates over $100 billion in revenue worldwide and is expected to surpass $120 billion by 2025 (source). In order for newer brands to become competitive, it’s imperative to have a strong brand identity and marketing strategy that will help them stand out in the crowded industry.
There are many different ways to differentiate a brand. Starting with the basics, it’s essential for brands to have a solid mission and vision, which will help guide every creative decision. A brand’s mission doesn’t have to be anything groundbreaking, but it should be relevant and easy to understand.
Additionally, it’s important for brands to outline their core brand values and why they’re important. Combined, a brand’s mission, vision, and values will aid the development of clear, targeted messaging that will resonate with target customers.
Beauty branding essentials
Once you’ve developed the core messaging for your brand, it’s time to create a visual brand identity to match. Brand identity design includes elements such as logos, colors, and fonts.
Here are the essential beauty branding elements:
- Logo: A logo is a visual symbol used to identify a brand. Logos may include typography, iconography, or a combination of both. Beauty brand logos should be unique, memorable, and timeless. In addition, it’s important to have multiple logo variations for adaptability across all marketing materials and product packaging.
- Color Palette: It’s well-documented that colors can influence consumers’ buying decisions. They also increase brand recognition (think: Coca-Cola’s classic red.) Choosing the right color scheme for a brand can make all the difference in how the brand is perceived.
- Typography: Fonts provide powerful visual cues that help evoke the essence of a brand. For instance, a lightweight font may have a sophisticated, classic feel, whereas a bold font can appear edgy and modern. Check out this article for a guide on the different font types and how they’re used.
- Imagery: Branded imagery, such as photography, videography, and graphic illustrations, help shape the brand’s narrative. In order to create effective imagery for a brand, it’s important to stick to a cohesive style and highlight the brand’s unique values and features.
- Packaging: Inspirational and eye-catching packaging is essential to grab a consumer’s attention. When creating packaging for your beauty products, consider both form and function; beautiful labels can’t make up for shoddy materials.
All of the above elements contribute to how beauty brands are perceived by consumers. In a world where first impressions heavily determine whether someone decides a brand is trustworthy enough to purchase from, investing in professional branding services is money well spent.
Aside from enticing consumers, professional branding can also determine whether a brand is picked up by a major retailer like Sephora. The packaging should stand out, yet also look at home next to dozens of other premium products on a shelf.
10 beauty branding examples
In no particular, here are ten established and emerging beauty brands with exceptional branding. May these brands inspire you to develop your own unique and memorable brand identity.
Rare Beauty
First on the list is Rare Beauty, a brand that champions being yourself and letting go of unrealistic beauty standards. The brand’s warm and approachable aesthetic complements its mission and values. The packaging design is beautifully clean and simple with nude and pink shades and gold accents.
dae
Dae is a clean haircare line rooted in sunny Arizona. The vision behind the brand is simple and effective products that fit seamlessly into your daily routine. Dae’s visual brand identity is reminiscent of its desert roots with warm colors like pink and orange. Overall, the brand feels friendly and accessible.
Act+Acre
Act+Acre is a relatively new hair care brand that puts scalp health first. The brand sounds scientific with terms like “cold processed” and ingredients like stem cells. Visually, the brand looks professional and modern, with a black-and-white color scheme and clean typography.
Nécessaire
Nécessaire is an award-winning body care brand whose minimalist aesthetic matches its minimalist approach to personal care. Their beauty branding features a black-and-white color palette, elegant typography, and plenty of white space. With a small, curated product line, Nécessaire stands out among skincare brands by specializing in high-quality body products with science-backed ingredients.
Tatcha
Tatcha is an elevated beauty brand that blends Japanese botanicals with proven clinical ingredients. The brand’s primary color is purple, which represents wisdom, luxury, and purity, according to color psychology. Luxurious gold serves as an accent color. The overall aesthetic for the brand is soft, soothing, and elegant, and the unique packaging design helps its products stand out.
Tower 28
Tower 28 is a relatively new beauty brand that caters to sensitive skin. The brand’s differentiator is that it offers fun make-up products for those with sensitive skin. The beauty brand’s aesthetic feels youthful, joyful, and accessible with bold, bright colors and playful typography.
Saie
Saie is a clean beauty brand that offers fun and high-end products at accessible prices. The brand also puts their sustainability values at the forefront, claiming to use eco-conscious ingredients and packaging. Unlike many popular makeup brands, Saie’s messaging is geared at consumers going for an effortless, “no-makeup, makeup look.”
R+Co
R+Co is an award-winning haircare brand with a unique approach to packaging design. Each type of product has an interesting name – such as Television, Chainmail, Death Valley, and On a Cloud – with an accompanying photo on the label to match. The product names and visuals are meant to symbolically represent the purpose of the product. For example, Death Valley is a dry shampoo. Overall, the brand has a retro feel that would appeal to a certain demographic.
Supergoop!
Supergoop! is a sunscreen brand with a bright and playful aesthetic. The brand’s founding mission is to create sunscreen products that people actually want to wear. They achieve this by creating unique products, such as their popular Unseen Sunscreen, that both look and feel better on the skin than your typical sunscreen. With clever branding and clear messaging, they’ve become one of the most-loved sunscreen brands on the market.
Ready to elevate your beauty branding?
In this post, we covered why branding is so important for beauty brands and discussed the essential elements every brand needs in order to stand out and attract customers. We also reviewed some exceptional beauty branding examples and how their unique positioning and visual aesthetic has helped them gain traction in a highly competitive industry.
If you’re looking for support in developing an intentional, high-end brand identity for your beauty brand, you’re in the right place. At Steph Corrigan Design, we help beauty and wellness brands stand out and attract their ideal customers through strategic brand identity and web design. Click here to learn more about our services and schedule a free discovery call.
