Downward angle icon An icon in the shape of a downward angle. In 2024, it’s going to cost you to look sexy. iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI As the cost of maintaining current beauty standards rises, the beauty industry will boom in 2024. TikTok trends and big-ticket items are driving up consumer spending on beauty and wellness. Here’s how much 3 people will spend to look sexy.
Dominated by pricey skincare and facial injectables, the beauty industry is booming in 2024, and keeping up with today’s hot standards will only get more expensive.
It seems like a new beauty trend or wellness recipe pops up on TikTok every day. Whether it’s the “hot girl walk” or snail mucus-based skin care products, people care deeply about maintaining their appearance.
But $100 serums, cleansers, gym memberships, and TikTok-suggested beauty treatments can add up over time.
In fact, the industry is so saturated with new “must-have” products that de-influence (creating content about products you don’t recommend) is here to stay, to stop people from spending their money on over-hyped brands.
And yet, Gen Z, millennials and beyond are investing in their own charm.
Cosmetics and beauty was the fastest-growing retail segment in the US in 2023, generating more than $94 billion in sales, according to data collected by Emarketer, a sister company of Business Insider.
BI spoke to two current models and one TikTok user (and reviewed receipts) to get an idea of what monthly expenses would generally be considered attractive in 2024.
Adora Mehara finds ways to save money on her beauty routine and spend it on nutrition. Courtesy of Adora Mehara
Adora Mehara, 23, a New York-based writer and model, says she likes to keep it simple when it comes to her beauty routine: She doesn’t wear much makeup and has never had an injection.
“For a New York model, I’d say my routine is on the expensive side.”
Instead, Mehala’s crown jewel is the snail mucus cleanser, which you can order on Amazon for under $20. It’s by COSRX, the same brand that makes the best-selling serum that helped Amazon have record-breaking holiday sales.
She estimated it costs about $100 to restock her skin care products every two to three months.
As a model, Mehara must keep her hair and nails well-groomed, and for those beauty treatments, she either does it herself or uses an app called Neon Coat, which connects companies and brands with professional models and offers partnership opportunities.
This allows customers to get manicures and pedicures that would normally cost $100 per session for just $40.
“For me, a big part of my healthy habits is the food I eat,” she says.
Her monthly budget primarily goes towards buying organic foods to help her feel and look her best as a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome, which can cause inflammation and insulin resistance that Mehara says a healthy diet can help reduce.
So, she spends about $500 per month on weekly trips to the grocery store.
Between groceries, a $35 gym membership, yoga classes and beauty products, Mehara estimates she spends about $1,000 a month on looking sexy.
Alyssa Linders tests out pricey beauty treatments to find out what works. Courtesy of Alyssa Linders
Millennial model Alyssa Linders has spent years perfecting her beauty routine.
Linders told BI that after going through a more natural phase – regular visits to the hair salon, getting tans and manicures – she came to embrace her natural beauty.
“When I turned 30, I remember for a while feeling very insecure about how I looked in photos and thinking that I needed to really work on looking like the best version of myself,” she said.
To find what works best for her, she’s tried a variety of treatments, including Botox treatments that can cost thousands of dollars per visit from a top New York City doctor. But Linders plans to stop getting facial injections in 2023 to focus on more sustainable, less invasive ways to look and feel beautiful.
The method Linders found worked best for her was a daily facial massage, which she learned about online from a woman named Anastasia Beautyfasia. To learn the method, Linders signed up for classes that cost $300 to start with and $50 per month afterwards.
“It has transformed my face much more quickly and dramatically than any other cosmetic surgery I have tried,” Linders says.
She spends $100 a month on gym memberships (which normally cost $250 without a model discount), about $100 on makeup, and drinks only Evian water, which costs about $30 a case.
Her biggest splurge, which occurs about once every three months, is a radiofrequency treatment to stimulate the production of new skin cells, which costs a discounted $1,000 a session.
Like Mehara, she pays close attention to nutrition and prioritizes foods that are good for gut health and skin.
Sean Owens, known on social media as Blonde Chili, spends about $1,200 a month on maintenance. Courtesy of Sean Owens
Sean Owens is a 28-year-old part-time content creator from Houston whose TikTok videos are primarily aimed at helping his more than 80,000 followers feel more confident.
His content includes clothes trying-on videos, daily affirmations and Pilates workouts, which Owens said align with his daily routine.
“I feel like if I don’t take care of myself, I can’t be my best self as a person,” Owens said.
When it comes to health, skin care is Owens’ top priority: She spends $200 to $300 a month replenishing her products at Sephora, and every four to six weeks she visits an aesthetician for a consultation or a $130 facial.
When it comes to fitness, Owens says she likes to shop around for workout classes that work for her. She was a member of multiple Pilates studios, which at one point cost her about $400 a month in membership fees, but now she saves money by working out at home.
Hair is another expense that varies from month to month: His products cost about $250 in total, but he’ll sometimes spend $400 on a protective hairstyle that lasts two months.
Owens estimates that if you follow all the routines consistently, you could potentially spend $1,200 on your look over the course of a month.
“Life is so short, I would hate to say I could be here tomorrow and not enjoy some of the things that make me happy,” Owens said.
Owens knows the economy is “really bad right now,” but thinks the monthly maintenance fees are worth it.
“You’ll get your money back,” he said.
