Makeup Launches, Viral Products and Colour Trends — 2026-09-19

Top developments

LIPS Monthly Trend Award: Lips Take Top 3 Spots

In a significant shift for the Japanese beauty market, the September 2026 LIPS Monthly Trend Award saw lip products occupy the top three positions across the entire cosmetics category. Jill Stuart’s Blooming Chiffon secured the number one spot, marking a rare dominance by a single category over base makeup and eyeshadows, which typically share the lead. This data point from AppBrew’s platform highlights a growing consumer preference for color-focused purchases in the autumn season.

Fall 2026 Trends: Anti-Blush and Stained Glass Lips

Cosmopolitan’s latest trend report identifies "anti-blush" and "stained glass" lips as the defining looks of Fall 2026. The "anti-blush" movement focuses on sculptural definition rather than traditional cheek color, while "stained glass" lips emphasize high-shine, translucent finishes. These trends coincide with a rise in "ghost lashes" and casual blue eyeshadow, moving away from the heavy contouring of previous years.

Ulta Beauty’s Strategic Pivot to K-Beauty and Wellness

As Ulta Beauty’s 21 Days of Beauty sale wraps up this week, Morgan Stanley analysts note a strategic shift in how the retailer discovers and tests new brands. The retailer is expanding its assortment into K-beauty and wellness categories to win back shoppers who have migrated to other platforms. This move aligns with broader industry data showing steady growth in mass-market color cosmetics, with blush and bronzer posting solid gains in recent quarters.

Fenty Beauty Launches New Foundation Generation

Fenty Beauty has launched its new-generation foundation, available at Sephora starting September 4, 2026. This launch follows the discontinuation of its iconic Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation, signaling a refresh of the brand’s core base makeup offerings. The new formula aims to maintain the brand’s shade range reputation while updating texture and finish for current consumer preferences.

Local view

In Japan, the beauty media landscape is buzzing about the "blur application" (blurred matte) trend for autumn lips, as highlighted by Maquia and VOCE. These outlets are promoting matte and satin lip textures that offer a soft-focus effect, contrasting with the glossy "stained glass" trend seen in Western media. The LIPS platform’s data confirms that Japanese consumers are actively seeking these specific matte-satin hybrids, with Jill Stuart’s product leading the charge.

Context & numbers

• Japanese Rankings: For the first time in several months, the top three items in the LIPS Monthly Trend Award (September 2026) were all lip products, breaking the usual pattern where base makeup or eyeshadows dominate.
• US Market Growth: Circana data indicates that blush and bronzer sales have posted solid gains, contributing to steady growth in the US beauty market. Mass market color cosmetics sales grew 1.9% to $14.7 billion in the past year.
• Ulta Sale Event: Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty sale ran from August 28 to September 17, 2026, featuring daily deals on brands like MAC, Amika, and Cécred, driving significant traffic during the final week.

On the radar

• K-Beauty Competition: The Korean daily Gukmin Ilbo reports that "Damu" is challenging Olive Young’s dominance in the H&B retail space, driven by foreign tourists seeking K-beauty products. This could reshape distribution channels for Korean cosmetic brands.
• Advent Calendar Launches: Beauty advent calendars for the 2026 holiday season have already begun launching at Sephora, Anthropologie, and Lush, indicating early retail preparation for Q4.