Sep 28, 2026

The Goal Was Never More Makeup

Earlier this year, we asked 1,502 women a question we hadn’t asked properly before:

How do you actually want to feel when you’ve done your makeup?

We had a fair idea what might come back.

Beautiful. Glamorous. Polished. Put together.

The kinds of words the beauty industry has used for decades. But that wasn’t what women told us.

What they actually said

The most common answer, by far, was:

Confident.

For 149 women, that was the entire answer. Just one word.

After that came:

Natural.
Fresh.
Like myself.
Not cakey.

And, more often than we expected, some version of:

Like I’m not wearing makeup at all.

“Glamorous” was chosen by only a very small percentage of respondents.

What women kept describing instead was makeup that helped them feel like themselves.

Just a little more even. A little fresher. A little more confident.

One woman said:

“I like makeup to enhance what I have rather than change how I look.”

Another described wanting to feel like:

“The next level of me. Still looking like myself but hiding imperfections and not looking tired.”

And that really stayed with us.

Because the goal was never to look like someone else

For a long time, beauty has often been framed around transformation.

More coverage.
More correction.
More steps.
More product.

But when we listened to what women actually wanted, the message was almost the opposite.

They didn’t want to look dramatically different. They wanted to look like themselves.

They wanted makeup that felt light, comfortable and believable.

The kind of makeup where someone might think: You look well.

Not: That’s a lot of makeup.

Then we asked about skin

And that’s where the conversation became even more interesting.

When women talked about how they wanted to feel in their skin, confidence came up again. But this time, it often had nothing to do with makeup.

Women told us they wanted to feel comfortable leaving the house without it.

They wanted to feel confident first thing in the morning. At home. At work. Around their partners. On the days when they didn’t feel like doing a full face.

One woman told us: “I’d love to feel confident leaving the house without makeup.”

Another said she wanted to feel more confident in her skin without feeling like she needed to hide it. That matters.

Because for a beauty brand, there’s something quite powerful about hearing that the end goal isn’t necessarily more product.

Sometimes it’s less.

Why we’re completely fine with that

Because we don’t think makeup and skincare are competing goals. They’re connected.

Makeup can help you feel more put together on the mornings you want it.

It can add colour, even out the look of your complexion, enhance the features you already have and make getting ready feel good.

But it doesn’t need to become a mask. And it doesn’t need to be the thing you rely on to feel like yourself.

When we looked at the language women used across our research, skin came up again and again.

Not because everyone wanted perfect skin. But because they wanted to feel comfortable in it.

That is a very different goal. And it’s one we care about deeply.

More skin. Less covering.

The beauty industry can make it feel like you need a lot.

A primer.
A foundation.
A concealer.
A powder.
A contour.
A bronzer.
A blush.
A highlight.
A setting spray.

Then another product to fix the product underneath it.

But most women we speak to don’t want a longer routine.

They want a better one.

One that feels manageable.

One that works in real life.

One that lets their skin still look like skin.

That means lighter textures.

Fewer unnecessary steps.

Coverage where you want it, rather than everywhere by default. And products that fit into your life rather than taking it over.

No-makeup makeup isn’t really about looking bare

The phrase “no-makeup makeup” gets used a lot.

But what women told us suggests it’s not really about pretending you’re wearing nothing.

It’s about recognisability.

You still look like you. Your freckles can still show. Your skin can still have movement. Your face still looks like your face.

The makeup is there to support how you want to feel, not completely change what you see in the mirror.

That is the kind of confidence we’re interested in.

It also changes how we think about skincare

Skincare doesn’t need to become another complicated category filled with pressure.

You don’t need a 12-step routine to take your skin seriously.

For a lot of people, a few products used consistently make far more sense than a bathroom cabinet full of things they don’t know how to use.

That’s why we keep coming back to simplicity.

Understanding what your skin actually needs. Choosing products intentionally. And building a routine you can realistically stick to.

If that means three products instead of nine, that’s a good thing.

Our Skin Quiz is designed to help simplify that process, not add more noise to it.

What this means for Lust

It means we keep asking a slightly different question.

Not: How can we sell you more?

But: What do you actually need to feel good when you look in the mirror?

Sometimes that might be your favourite foundation.

Sometimes it’s a three-step skincare routine.

Sometimes it’s a little blush and lip colour.

And sometimes it’s nothing at all. That’s okay.

The best outcome isn’t necessarily a makeup bag overflowing with products. It’s feeling like the person looking back at you is still you.

The line we keep coming back to

One woman in our research put it beautifully:

“I think we should not chase youthfulness, we should chase beauty at any age.”

Another said:

“I get to use something that accentuates me, not hides me.”

That feels much closer to the point.

Not more makeup. Not more pressure. Not more steps for the sake of it.

Just products that help you feel more comfortable, more confident and more like yourself.