Beauty that’s good enough to eat

Without any fault of my own, my beauty regime now reads like a food menu. Brands are using appetising names—glazed doughnuts, honey, jelly, gummy bears—to sell products that appeal to Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s craving for novelty. Skincare and make-up are being repackaged to suit a social media-driven world. As a beauty enthusiast who spends (read wastes) far too much time online, my feed is filled with beauty trends that have got an edible rebrand to make everything look ‘almost good enough to eat’.

First came glazed doughnut skin (thanks to Hailey Bieber), followed by latte girl make-up, cinnamon cookie butter hair, and blueberry milk nails. The inevitable debate started: Why the sudden obsession with food-themed beauty? The answer is simple—nostalgia is trending. Food’s smell, taste, texture, and look evoke memories and emotions, making it a perfect mood board for brands seeking a multi-sensory connection with consumers.

Today, products are designed to be photographed and shared online rather than just sitting on store shelves. But these food- inspired trends aren’t just about aesthetics; they also engage the senses, connecting people through culture and memory. Diipa Büller-Khosla, Founder, Inde ̄ Wild, embraces the nostalgia of Ayurveda in her brand’s identity. “We prioritise authenticity by honouring Ayurvedic principles and integrating sensorial science into our formulas,” she says. “Our dewy lip tints—Glazed Jalebi and Wedding Rose—blend texture, fragrance, and colour to create relatable and memorable experiences.” While overdone food nostalgia can feel gimmicky, Inde ̄ Wild’s thoughtful approach has earned immense popularity in under a year.

Food-inspired beauty brings joy and indulgence to self-care. Beyond driving sales, it reminds us that beauty can be fun and approachable. With Hyphen, Co-founder and Chief Customer Officer Kriti Sanon aims to make skincare feel like a treat rather than a chore. “From food-themed product shoots (for Sun Milk) to gourmand-inspired lip balm flavours (vanilla), sensory appeal has significantly boosted engagement rates,” she explains. “Our tinted lip balms, infused with peach and vanilla, are designed to evoke nostalgia and emotional connection. For our mineral sunscreen campaign, Breakfast of Champions, we used cereal and milk imagery to convey nourishment and care.”

The beauty industry’s embrace of food marketing isn’t a passing fad. Megha Asher, COO and Co-founder, Juicy Chemistry, views it as fundamental to natural beauty. “By tapping into cultural and sensorial memories, we create an emotional connection beyond mere product functionality,” she says. “We want to transport customers back to a simpler, more carefree time, rooted in nature, tradition, and self-expression.”

Beauty and food have been intertwined for decades. The difference now? Big brands, content creators, and influencers are actively marketing and monetising the trend. Everything sells better with a cute name and a nostalgic touch. For instance, take digital content creators Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores Ireland, whose beauty line, Summer Fridays, is built around the ‘Summer Friday feeling’—a nod to holiday vibes. Their limited-edition Hot Cocoa Lip Butter Balm combines shea and murumuru seed butter with a hint of chocolate, leaving lips glossy and sweet-smelling. Similarly, Sol de Janeiro has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to the Cheirosa (Portuguese for ‘delicious-smelling’) fragrance frenzy. Loved by teens and twenty-somethings, the brand infuses Brazilian warmth into a sensorial collection of bodycare products that offer a fragrant escape from reality. Meanwhile, Gisou, with its honey-infused legacy, exemplifies a brand steeped in tradition, sustainability, and authenticity. Founded by Dutch content creator Negin Mirsalehi, whose family has a beekeeping heritage, the viral haircare brand thrives on powerful storytelling. The result? A buttery yellow truck filled with flowers, branded beehives, and the sweet smell of success.

Strategic collaborations have also amplified food-inspired beauty. In Hailey Bieber’s glazed playground, her partnership with Krispy Kreme for the Strawberry Glaze campaign helped Rhode’s limited-edition strawberry-flavoured peptide lip treatment go viral. Her skill for monetising beauty trends extends beyond ‘glazed doughnut skin’—her tinted peptide lip treatments in espresso, ribbon, toast, and raspberry jelly sold out within seconds. Another clever move? Her Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie at Erewhon, blending (pun intended) wellness with beauty in a way that just feels so right. In the past year, beauty brands have leaned into food aesthetics to fill a void. We all want to look and feel like a supermodel, and if that means responding to the moment, however evocative (or contentious) it may seem, then so be it. Who needs a regular tinted lip balm when you can slather on Inde ̄ Wild’s dewy lip treatment in Glazed Jalebi, or buy a boring cheek stain when you can unleash holy hell in Rhode’s Spicy Marg pocket blush? It’s simple, easy, and playful—all things beauty should be. 

All images: Courtesy the brands

This piece originally appeared in the January-February print edition of Harper's Bazaar India

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