As women get dressed up again, makeup is a natural accompaniment,” said Larissa Jensen, beauty industry advisor at NPD. “The recovery and creativity of the makeup category is leading sales gains for the prestige beauty industry in 2022. After a gloomy period shrouded by the pandemic, we are seeing a renaissance in makeup artistry, as consumers experiment with color again.

In fact, about 70% of makeup wearers in the U.S. have returned to previous routines or are wearing more makeup than they did last year, according to The NPD Group, and the use of several makeup products is on the rise.

Mascara and foundation lead the way

Findings from the 2022 “Makeup Attitudes and Usage Report” from NPD show that mascara is the most used makeup product overall, followed by foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, and lipstick.

In the U.S., sales revenue of the prestige makeup category grew by 22%, from January through May 2022, versus last year. That’s more than twice the rate of skincare, and faster than fragrance, according to Retail Tracking Service data from NPD.