With 72% of global Gen Zers expecting AI-powered personalisation in beauty experiences (Revieve, 2025), fragrance brands are spearheading a shift from AI-powered convenience to individually responsive experiences. We unpack some of the best: an olfactive AI art museum partnership and a personalised poetry pop-up.

Harnessing the boom in women’s sports fandom (see Key Stats), beauty brands are launching activations around tentpole sporting moments to serve fans and athletes (recognising beauty routines as part of game-day mental preparation). Key directions include addressing tournament-specific beauty needs, haircare activations championing Formula One’s (F1) growing fan base of Black women, and match-day hair braiding translating rugby’s locker-room plaiting ritual for fans.

With 46% of Americans saying that beauty products bring joy into their lives (BeautyMatter, 2025), colour cosmetics brands have an opportunity to reintroduce playful make-up experimentation as a counter to social media-spurred beauty perfectionism. We spotlight an adult colouring book-inspired pop-up as a standout example.

In the UK alone, 46% of consumers want more immersive and entertainment-driven retail experiences (CEW, 2026). Harnessing this appetite, brands are expanding pop-ups into theatrical, multi-stage, experiential journeys, blurring the boundaries between retail, hospitality, fandom and entertainment. We spotlight thrilling examples, from hotel-inspired multi-room brand universes to funhouse-esque tour-timed pop-ups.

Other brands are harnessing the overlap between food and beauty – tapping into shared associations with sensory pleasure, nourishment and ingredient provenance – via food-themed pop-up shops and activations. The best include sweet-themed spatial design channelling ‘little treat culture’, local greengrocers reimagined as pastel-hued beauty markets, and café culture-inspired skincare activations.