Key findings:

  • Regular make-up users are more likely than the average American to notice online ads, TV, in-store promotions and direct mail.
  • Their purchasing stretches across nearly every major beauty and personal care category, making them a broad-reaching opportunity for holiday advertising.

With holiday shopping and seasonal promotions ramping up, brands planning their end-of-year activity benefit from understanding where high-engagement beauty consumers are paying attention.

For this analysis, “regular make-up users” (RMU) are defined as people who say they wear makeup every day or most days. This group is considerably more active in beauty and personal care than the average consumer, making their attention patterns highly relevant at this time of year.

YouGov Profiles data shows that 58% of regular make-up users say online advertising grabs their attention, compared with 52% of the national population.

TV (47% vs. 43%), in-store promotions (26% vs. 23%) and direct mail (23% vs. 18%) also stand out. 

What regular make-up users have bought in the past year

Regular make-up users report higher purchasing across almost every major health and beauty category.

Over the past 12 months, this group was more likely than the general population to have bought staples such as shampoo (90% vs. 78%), oral hygiene products (81% vs. 71%) and deodorants (80% vs. 72%), as well as category-specific items like make-up (86% vs. 34%).

They also over-index across multiple adjacent categories. In skincare, 65% of RMU purchased facial care products in the past year, compared with 39% of the general population, and 62% bought facial cleansers or exfoliators versus 36% nationally. Haircare shows a similar pattern: 80% purchased conditioner (58% nationally) and 65% bought hair styling products (36% nationally). 

Fragrance purchasing is higher as well, with 47% of regular make-up users buying perfume or aftershave, compared with 30% of U.S. adults overall. This consistent uplift across categories illustrates that regular make-up users are broad and frequent participants in beauty and personal care, extending well beyond colour cosmetics.

Regular make-up users notice a wider range of ads and buy across more categories, making them a strong multi-channel target for holiday beauty and personal care campaigns.

Methodology: 

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between November 2024 – November 2025, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the US and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.

Image: Getty Images

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