Why Beauty Brands Are Finally Targeting Gen X: The Rise of 40+ Beauty and What It Means for the Industry

Table of Contents

  1. Key Highlights
  2. Introduction
  3. A long-overlooked market gets the spotlight
  4. What Gen X wants: representation, realism, and products that work
  5. Formulation over flash: how products are being reengineered for mature skin
  6. Influencers and the cassette-tape generation: Gen X creators reshaping beauty education
  7. Marketing without panic: balancing age-positive messaging and anti-aging promises
  8. Retail strategies and the economic case for Gen X
  9. Practical shopping guide: choosing makeup and skin care for 40-plus skin
  10. What this shift means for younger consumers and the industry at large
  11. The future of mature-beauty: what to expect next
  12. Criticisms and ethical considerations
  13. Case studies: how a few brands and creators are doing it
  14. Measuring success: what brands and retailers will track
  15. What to watch next
  16. FAQ

Key Highlights

  • Major brands and celebrity-fronted lines are shifting marketing and product design toward Gen X and Xennials, a cohort now poised to spend the most on skin care and makeup.
  • Formulation priorities, representation, and a new influencer ecosystem are reshaping product development: lightweight, buildable textures and 40+ models are replacing one-size-fits-all youth messaging.
  • The change is commercial and cultural: retailers and founders are responding to earned buying power, and consumers are demanding evidence, practicality, and dignity—not gimmicks.

Introduction

A beauty ad that feels like a high-school reunion: Gillian Anderson, Jennie Garth, Pamela Anderson, and Paulina Porizkova—icons from the 1990s—appear in campaigns that do not promise a return to adolescence. Their faces show movement, faint smile lines, and skin that looks cared-for rather than stretched. That image captures a larger realignment under way in the cosmetics and skin-care world. After years when youth-forward aesthetics dominated headlines, brands and retailers are recognizing what many women in their 40s and 50s knew all along: this is a demographic with buying power, clear preferences, and little patience for hollow marketing.

The shift is visible in storefronts and across social media. Sephora lists new brands described and built for "40+," legacy companies rehire long-familiar faces, and new celebrity founders aim at a customer who remembers the original era of certain beauty icons. Behind the headlines sits a pragmatic explanation: Gen X and Xennials are at peak earning capacity and want products that reflect how their skin and lifestyles have changed. They want representation. They want results. They want science without the spin.

This article traces how the industry reached this point, what distinguishes the Gen X beauty consumer, how product development and marketing are adjusting, and what the change means for shoppers and the broader marketplace.

A long-overlooked market gets the spotlight

Gen X—roughly those born between 1965 and 1980—has long been described as the "middle child" of generational marketing. Sandwiched between boomers and millennials, the cohort has often received less cultural attention despite substantial purchasing power. That picture is changing quickly.

A report from World Data Lab and NielsenIQ projected that Gen X will spend more on skin care and makeup than any other age group, largely because many in this cohort are at the height of their careers. The prediction sent an immediate signal through beauty's corporate and independent corners. Decisions that once prioritized young-adult tastes—glowy glass-skin finishes, viral palette shades designed for social media close-ups—are now counterbalanced by an emergent strategy: make offerings that perform on mature skin and speak to consumers who value authenticity, clinical evidence, and usable packaging.

Concrete moves have followed. L'Oréal Paris tapped Gillian Anderson. IT Cosmetics brought on Jennie Garth, a face synonymous with 1990s television. Pamela Anderson co-founded Sonsie, a brand emphasizing clean, approachable skin care. Paulina Porizkova returned to Estée Lauder after a 30-year absence. Those headline partnerships do more than spur nostalgia. They align recognizable faces with product lines explicitly crafted for concerns that become more salient with age: dehydration, photodamage, and changes in skin texture and elasticity.

That shift also opens retail space for brands built and marketed specifically to the 40-plus consumer: Sarah Creal Beauty, which promotes itself as "expertly crafted for babes 40+," has posted double-digit growth at Sephora. Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road Beauty, YSE Beauty (founded by Molly Sims), and longtime players such as Laura Geller are all leaning into formulas and messaging that address the realities of years lived.

Retailers are noticing behavior beyond headlines. Gen X shoppers are not merely following influencers; many are returning to in-store testing, seeking service-level advice and products that work under real conditions—flashes of lifestyle that don't rely on filters or fine-focus selfies.

What Gen X wants: representation, realism, and products that work

Marketing that targets older customers does not begin and end with celebrity spokespeople. Representation needs to be practical. Sarah Creal, the brand founder who previously worked as a formulator at Estée Lauder, describes a pattern she saw when surveying the market: campaigns highlight two extremes—the very young and the very old—while ignoring the large and lucrative middle of the marketplace. Creal designed her brand to speak directly to 40- to 60-year-olds and beyond, offering shade ranges and demonstration models who are the age of her customers.

Representation matters in more than imagery. It informs the product itself. For instance, Creal’s concealer line includes 21 shades and is tested on women aged 40-plus. That degree of specificity reflects two realities: diverse skin tones need accurate color matches, and mature skin performs differently under product layers. A concealer that works at 20 may crease and accentuate texture at 50. The difference is not merely cosmetic; it changes how, and whether, people reach for products.

Gen X has developed a healthy skepticism toward beauty claims. Many grew up with late-night infomercials and overpromised potions. That background breeds demand for evidence—clinical studies, ingredient clarity, and demonstrable benefits. Erica Taylor, IT Cosmetics' global makeup coach and a content creator widely followed for her midlife makeup advice, emphasizes education. Her tutorials often update techniques learned decades ago—techniques taught in shopping-mall makeup counters or in bathrooms with friends rather than on YouTube. Taylor’s content corrects practices that no longer flatter maturing skin, such as overpowdering the under-eye or placing blush too high and harsh.

Practicality extends to texture and finish. Gen X wants a natural but polished look, not a masked youthfulness. That requires products that sit well on skin that may have texture, dryness, or areas of laxity. Cream blushes, skin-care-infused foundations, and primers that smooth rather than film are preferred. Packaging that is easy to open, applicators suited to diminishing dexterity, and multipurpose products that simplify routine are all valued.

Importantly, many in this cohort have outgrown the culture of chasing trends. They do not want strawberry-scented novelty shades or gimmicky, food-themed color cosmetics. The appeal of "glazed-donut" or ultra-dewy trends is limited for someone whose priority is avoiding product that settles into lines or emphasizes shadow rather than light. When Molly Sims describes the modern 40-plus woman, the note is not about erasing age; it is about meeting the present self with products that respect how time has changed skin and lifestyle.

Formulation over flash: how products are being reengineered for mature skin

Creating makeup and skin care for Gen X requires rethinking basic formulation choices. Younger skin is forgiving: many formulas that work well on a 20-year-old will not perform on skin with reduced sebum production, evolving collagen architecture, and more pronounced textural changes. Developers now approach aging skin as a distinct substrate, not merely an older version of youthful skin.

Texture and delivery matter. Cream-based color products—blushes, bronzers, and highlighters—are resurfacing because they tend to sit more naturally on dehydrated or textured skin. Creams layer without caking, and when built for flexibility and lightness, they avoid the "powdery" trap that accentuates lines. Laura Geller's Wonder Balm, for example, functions as both cream blush and illuminator to create a dewy but natural finish. Jones Road’s What The Foundation and Blushing Stick exemplify multi-use, easier-to-layer formats.

Formulators are also balancing active ingredients with aesthetic performance. Consumers demand both immediate visual improvement and long-term skin benefits. That has driven the pairing of cosmetic textures with ingredients historically associated with dermatology: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and gentle retinoid derivatives. Niacinamide, for example, improves barrier function and can help with tone irregularities; it appears across serums and primers—YSE Beauty markets a Skin Glow SPF 30 Primer with niacinamide, which blends sun protection, smoothing, and a skincare-active. Sonsie's Super Serum centers on niacinamide as well, highlighting a brand strategy that marries skincare efficacy with approachable packaging and messaging.

Light-diffusing technologies receive renewed attention. For mature skin, subtle scattering of light can soften the appearance of pores and fine lines without creating a mask-like finish. That necessitates pigment technologies and refractive particles formulated at sizes and dispersions that flatter rather than highlight texture.

Long-wear also means smart film-formers. Older consumers want reliability—products that stay put through workdays and active lives—without creating a rigid, "bionic" look. Tubing mascaras, like Laura Geller’s Long-n-Lifted tubing mascara, release from lashes with warm water while resisting smudging in day-to-day wear. Foundations designed for flexibility—those that allow expression, micro-movements, and layering—are vital; a signature of many 40-plus-centered lines is the claim that their compacts maintain natural expression.

Finally, shade diversity and undertone nuance reflect both good ethics and good economics. Matching complexions across decades requires more than expanded palettes: it demands textures that adapt to changes in skin reflectance as melanin distribution and skin translucency change with age.

Influencers and the cassette-tape generation: Gen X creators reshaping beauty education

Social media altered how people learn about beauty, but the modalities vary by generation. Millennials and Gen Z cultivated tutorial cultures on YouTube and TikTok, where before-and-after extremes and trend-led looks proliferated. Gen X is participating on these platforms on its own terms, creating content that privileges lived experience, humor, and practicality.

Erica Taylor, acknowledged as a midlife makeup authority, teaches techniques tailored to mature anatomy: strategic placement of color, how to avoid common creasing, and which products deliver a subtle lift. Her approach is corrective, not revolutionary. It assumes a baseline of familiarity with makeup and aims to update methods rather than replace them wholesale.

Tennille Jenkins and other Gen X creators craft content that mixes lifestyle, commentary, and product demonstrations. Jenkins’ social presence often celebrates the pleasures of middle age—gray hair, travel, and the reclaiming of self—which dovetails with a beauty ethos that is focused on feeling good rather than performing youth. This style of content builds trust: followers see creators using products in real time, with candid assessments about wear and comfort.

A new kind of trust is emerging between creators and consumers. Gen Xers frequently demand more transparency: testers who are their demographic, product claims supported by studies or visible results, and tutorials that anticipate the pitfalls of mature skin. That demand reshapes influencer marketing. Rather than one-off viral pushes, brands courting Gen X are investing in creators who can speak with authority and longevity. These creators often have sizable followings because they speak to an underserved audience with consistent, practical content.

The result is a feedback loop. When brands send realistic product samples to creators who test on older skin and provide nuanced reviews, the lessons inform future development. Creators become quasi-R&D partners in the field, identifying common failure points—too matte, too drying, mismatched shades—and offering immediate, consumer-facing corrections.

Marketing without panic: balancing age-positive messaging and anti-aging promises

A central tension in the launch of 40-plus beauty lines is how to discuss aging without sparking anxiety. The phrase "anti-aging" itself has become fraught: some consumers reject its implication that aging is a condition to cure. Others welcome targeted products that address specific concerns like dehydration, hyperpigmentation, and skin laxity. Brands navigating this terrain must strike a tone both aspirational and respectful.

Gen X has a pronounced "bullshit meter." That inherited skepticism demands fewer hyperbolic claims and more verifiable benefits. Cheryl Wischhover, a beauty journalist, frames the conversation bluntly: many in this cohort simply want products that are pleasurable to use and that produce visible but natural improvements. That means marketing which emphasizes ingredient function, realistic before-and-after images, and honest-sounding testimonials.

Some industry commentators worry that increased marketing toward 40-somethings risks stoking age panic—encouraging younger consumers to fear aging prematurely. That is a valid concern. The same campaign designed to reassure one group can create insecurity in another. Brands sensitive to this dynamic avoid messaging promising reversal of age or dramatic youth "restoration." Instead, successful campaigns frame products as tools that help skin look healthy, hydrated, and luminous at any age.

This balance extends to creative decisions. Photo retouching standards are shifting. Consumers now expect to see models who express, smile, and move without being airbrushed into unrecognizable smoothness. Lighting that flatters without erasing lines, styling that complements rather than masks, and narratives that center experience—career, parenting, travel—create a richer, less fearful portrait of aging beauty.

Retail strategies and the economic case for Gen X

Retailers respond to buying behavior. Sephora’s embrace of Sarah Creal Beauty and the platforming of products designed for older consumers indicate a larger retail calculus: these buyers make discretionary purchases, appreciate higher-quality formulations, and return to products that deliver consistent benefits. In some cases, Gen X customers still favor department stores for service-level interactions; in others, they have migrated to prestige retailers or direct-to-consumer brands that offer clarity and convenience.

Pricing strategies reflect demographics. Gen X consumers are often willing to pay a premium for demonstrable efficacy, but they also resist perceived overpricing driven by marketing rather than ingredients. Brands that combine accessible price points with ingredient transparency tend to outperform those relying purely on celebrity cachet.

Brick-and-mortar experience matters. Many 40-plus shoppers value in-person advice: a counter consultation, a color match by a consultant who understands mature skin, or the ability to test a primer under natural light. Retailers that train staff to understand the needs of older skin create meaningful differentiation.

E-commerce plays a role, too. Detailed product descriptions, ingredient callouts, and tutorial videos resonate with this audience because they support the demand for education before purchase. Return policies that allow testing without risk reduce hesitation for first-time buyers trying targeted formulas.

Finally, shelf placement and assortment curation send signals. Instead of burying 40-plus offerings in a back corner, successful retailers position them prominently, often grouped by concern—hydration and glow, age-appropriate color correction, lightweight sun protection—so shoppers can browse by need rather than by age label alone.

Practical shopping guide: choosing makeup and skin care for 40-plus skin

For shoppers navigating the current market, the abundance of targeted options is welcome but can also be overwhelming. The following practical guidance reflects product categories gaining traction among Gen X consumers, with examples drawn from brands that have positioned themselves for this demographic.

  • Start with skin: A luminous-looking base begins with barrier care. Look for serums and creams containing hyaluronic acid for hydration and niacinamide for barrier support and tone. Sonsie’s Super Serum centers niacinamide; YSE’s primer includes it as well. A robust SPF remains the cornerstone of long-term care—use a daily broad-spectrum formula with at least SPF 30.
  • Choose primers with purpose: Primers for mature skin should smooth without creating a film. Many now contain SPF or skin-benefit actives. A primer that blurs texture with light-reflecting particles and provides an even canvas will improve how foundation and concealer lay and reduce settling.
  • Base products: Favor lightweight, flexible foundations. Look for descriptors like "buildable," "breathable," and "skin-like." Jones Road’s What The Foundation positions itself as a skin-first product—formulated to enhance rather than mask. For powder lovers, choose finely milled, luminous formulas used sparingly; avoid heavy dusting around the eye area where creasing can occur.
  • Concealers: Seek formulations that offer buildable coverage and contain hydrating ingredients. Face Flex Concealer from Sarah Creal aims for a "no-crease" finish; test in-store if possible and check shade matches under natural light.
  • Blush and highlighter: Cream formats have advantages for mature skin. They blend into skin, create a natural flush, and do not emphasize texture. Blushing sticks and balms—Jones Road Blushing Stick and Laura Geller Wonder Balm—allow targeted placement and easy on-the-go touch-ups.
  • Eyes: Tubing mascaras lift without flaking; softer cream eyeliners that avoid dragging the thin eyelid skin are preferable. Kajal pencils that glide with minimal tugging avoid irritation on delicate lids. For under-eyes, avoid heavy setting powders; instead, use light-reflecting, hydrating concealers and set them delicately to avoid cakiness.
  • Eye creams: Look for serums and creams with caffeine and vitamin C derivatives for depuffing and brightening, and peptides for long-term structural support. YSE Beauty’s Wide Awake Brightening & Depuffing Eye Cream pairs vitamin C and caffeine for immediate and gradual benefits.
  • Multipurpose products: Simplify routine with products that serve several functions—tinted moisturizers with SPF, primer-foundation hybrids, and cream cheek-highlighter combos. Multi-use items reduce the number of steps and lower the risk of over-layering, which can accentuate texture.
  • Sample and test: If possible, test products in person. Ask to swatch on areas that reflect how you will wear the product—cheek, jawline, under-eye—and observe in different lighting. Read full ingredient lists if you have sensitivities and check for clinically supported claims.

What this shift means for younger consumers and the industry at large

A renewed focus on mature consumers does not push younger shoppers to the margins. Instead, it expands the industry's vocabulary. Better formulations, clearer labels, and inclusivity in shade ranges benefit everyone. Technical improvements—delivery systems that emulate skin, light-diffusing pigments, and skin-care-infused color cosmetics—tend to migrate across age brackets. A moisturizer formulated for a 50-year-old's barrier can still be excellent for a 30-year-old seeking hydration.

There are also risks. Over-indexing on any single cohort may narrow a brand's appeal. Brands that succeed will likely do so by offering clear positioning while preserving flexibility—products that can be used across ages but marketed with particular attention to the needs of a targeted group. Retailers that segment too rigidly risk fragmenting customer journeys; those that curate intelligently create cross-generational dialogues around product benefits.

The cultural effect is notable. Beauty as a conversation is broadening. Celebrating lived experience—gray hair, laugh lines, long careers—diversifies standards of attractiveness and opens room for less reductive storytelling in campaigns. That is not merely commercial; it is a redefinition of who is visible in beauty media and why.

The future of mature-beauty: what to expect next

Expect to see continued sophistication in both formulation and messaging. Brands will invest more in R&D aimed at the specific needs of aging skin rather than relying on universalist claims. Some trends likely to accelerate:

  • Clinical clarity: Consumers will demand more studies and verifiable metrics. Expect brands to publish data—visible results in X weeks, controlled studies on hydration or pigment reduction—and to partner with dermatologists and labs to validate claims.
  • Personalization: Advances in diagnostics, AI-driven regimen suggestions, and at-home test kits will allow personalized routines tailored to skin barrier function, pigmentation profile, and collagen status. Mature-beauty lines that integrate personalization—shade-matching tools and regimen builders—will gain traction.
  • Hybridized formats: We will see more products combining protection (SPF), correction (tint), and treatment (actives) with textures tuned for mature skin. This convergence reduces complexity without sacrificing efficacy.
  • Retail curation: Expect curated sections at online and physical retailers labeled by concern (hydration, radiance, texture) where education accompanies products. Staff training focused on age-specific application techniques will become a differentiator.
  • Ethical marketing and authenticity: Campaigns that foreground real models, transparent retouching policies, and honest claims will win trust. Brands that avoid fear-based advertising and instead emphasize strength, health, and expression will resonate most with Gen X shoppers.
  • A new generation of founders: Many of the visible brands targeting 40+ consumers were founded by people with lived experience of aging skin—formulators, makeup artists, and celebrities who want better offerings. That pipeline of founders will continue to expand, creating brands born out of necessity rather than trend-chasing.

Criticisms and ethical considerations

The expansion of "mature-beauty" is not without critics. Some observers worry that targeted lines risk reinforcing age-based market segmentation—implicitly signaling that mainstream offerings cannot or will not meet older consumers’ needs. Others argue that any marketing toward age groups runs the risk of promoting anxieties about getting older.

Both critiques carry weight. The antidote is responsible product development and transparent communication. Brands that center education—helping customers understand why certain ingredients are recommended and how to use them—build long-term trust. Avoiding fear-based language and spotlighting positive outcomes—feeling better in skin, improved hydration, enhanced glow—reduces the potential for age panic.

Another ethical angle concerns access. Many of the most clinically supported formulations come at higher price points. The industry should guard against equating age-appropriate care with unaffordable luxury. Scaling effective ingredients into accessible price tiers and offering samples or travel sizes helps widen access.

Finally, representation must be substantive, not tokenistic. Showing a 70-year-old in an ad is meaningful; showing a 40-plus model and then designing products that fail on mature skin is not. Brands must align their creative with product performance.

Case studies: how a few brands and creators are doing it

  • Sarah Creal Beauty: Founded by a former Estée Lauder formulator, the brand targets 40-plus consumers with products like Eyes Up creamy kajal and Face Flex Concealer. Creal emphasizes shade inclusivity and testing on mature skin. Growth at major retailers like Sephora demonstrates market appetite for focused formulas with an honest voice.
  • Jones Road Beauty: Bobbi Brown’s brand leans into skin-first color products—What The Foundation and Blushing Stick among them—designed for quick application and a natural finish. The brand’s aesthetic emphasizes simplicity and approachability.
  • YSE Beauty: Founded by Molly Sims, YSE markets products like Skin Glow SPF 30 Primer and a brightening eye cream with ingredients aimed at common concerns. The brand’s packaging and price point position it toward prestige shoppers who want both performance and a lifestyle story.
  • Sonsie (Pamela Anderson): Sonsie leans into clean-leaning formulations and direct-to-consumer positioning. The brand’s narrative touches on empowerment and practicality—values that resonate with an audience that remembers the messy marketing of earlier decades.
  • Erica Taylor and Gen X creators: Taylor’s tutorials address technique updates for mature skin. Her influence showcases the importance of education and honest demonstration. Creators like Tennille Jenkins provide cultural framing—celebrations of midlife that underpin product choices.

These case studies show varied strategies—celebrity co-founding, founder-formulators, and creator-led education—each contributing to a more mature and nuanced market.

Measuring success: what brands and retailers will track

Brands aiming for sustained engagement with Gen X customers will track a mix of metrics:

  • Repeat purchase rates and product refill behavior. Mature consumers who find products that work return frequently. High repurchase rates indicate product-market fit.
  • Cross-sell behavior. Buyers who purchase a serum and then add a primer or concealer likely view the brand as a trusted source for broader needs.
  • Net promoter scores and qualitative feedback. Since this cohort values evidence and experience, qualitative data from consultations and reviews can be more revealing than raw conversion rates.
  • Educational content performance. Tutorials that reduce returns and increase correct usage will be a critical metric; they indicate whether the brand communicates effectively.
  • Clinical and instrumental outcomes. Brands that invest in clinical studies may track skin hydration, reduction in visible redness, or improved photodamage markers as part of long-term positioning.

What to watch next

The businesses and creators that succeed will do three things well: design products that genuinely perform on mature skin, communicate with clarity and respect, and create shopping experiences—online and in-store—that make education and testing straightforward. Expect more product launches that name their target audience, more creators dedicated to showcasing realistic outcomes, and more retailers integrating age-specific education into their customer services.

As formulations evolve, so will consumer expectations. If a new primer claims both instant blur and sustained skin barrier improvement, shoppers will ask for the data. That demand for substance over spin will benefit consumers of all ages.

FAQ

Q: What does “beauty for Gen X” actually mean?
A: It means product development and marketing tailored to the concerns and preferences common among people roughly ages 43–61—hydration, texture, tone, and formula behavior on drier or thinner skin—paired with representation in imagery and education from creators of similar ages.

Q: Are brands like Sarah Creal or Jones Road only for older people?
A: No. These brands are designed with older skin in mind but can be used by anyone. Their textures and ingredients often benefit diverse age groups, especially those who prefer a natural, skin-forward aesthetic.

Q: Which ingredients should I look for if I'm in my 40s or 50s?
A: Favor hydrating and barrier-supporting ingredients—hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide—alongside antioxidants and peptides for long-term support. For targeted concerns, science-backed concentrations of actives (and clear instructions for use) matter.

Q: Are cream products better than powders for mature skin?
A: Cream-based products often sit more naturally on textured or drier skin because they blend into the surface rather than settling into lines. That said, product choice depends on preference and skin type; finely milled powders can still work when applied judiciously.

Q: Will more brands start marketing specifically to older consumers?
A: Industry indicators—celebrity partnerships, founder-led brands, retail assortment changes, and reported growth of targeted labels—suggest the trend will continue, especially as retailers and manufacturers respond to demographic purchasing power.

Q: Is marketing to Gen X exploitative?
A: It can be, if brands rely on fear-based messaging or make unsupported claims. Ethical brands avoid age-shaming, emphasize transparent benefits, and invest in products that perform. Consumer demand for evidence and representative testing is one safeguard against exploitation.

Q: How should I test products to ensure they work for my skin?
A: Test in store when possible; swatch on relevant facial zones (jawline for foundation, cheek for blush). Observe in natural light. Try samples or travel sizes and allow a product a week or two to see how it interacts with your skin under normal routine conditions.

Q: What role do creators and influencers play in Gen X beauty?
A: Many creators in their 40s and 50s are educating peers on updated techniques, recommending products that work on mature skin, and offering candid reviews. Their role is especially important because they model application methods that prevent common pitfalls like creasing and cakiness.

Q: Are there price tiers that typically work best for mature-beauty products?
A: Effective products exist across price ranges. Gen X consumers are often willing to pay more for demonstrable efficacy, but pricing must align with ingredient transparency and real performance. Brands that scale proven ingredients into accessible offerings will reach a broader audience.

Q: How can retailers better serve the 40-plus customer?
A: Train staff on age-specific application and product selection, offer clear in-store signage and online education by concern, provide generous sample and return policies, and present curated assortments that highlight clinically supported benefits.

This moment in beauty is less about nostalgia and more about recognition—recognition of purchasing power, of distinct needs, and of an audience that wants products and messaging that respect experience. The industry’s response will determine whether this is a fleeting marketing pivot or a durable expansion of what beauty looks like for everyone as they age.