The Untapped Plus Size Beauty Consumer

The beauty industry has long overlooked one of its most powerful demographics, one of its plus-size beauty consumers. Despite making up 67% of our womenplus-size women remain unserved by mainstream beauty brands.

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According to CDCOver 68% of US women wear size 14 or more. This figure is not only consistent, but has grown over the past decade. But when I scan most beauty retailers’ shelves or scroll through Instagram ads, I think the average consumer is a sample size 4 with no belly, back fat, jiggle, or texture. What’s wrong? Plus size women know they are ignored. And they’re beyond that. Unlike modern and comprehensive brands Fenty Beauty And even rapper Kendrick Lamar, who featured plus-size joy in his music video, many beauty brands still haven’t kept up to plus-size beauty consumers, one of the most loyal brand markets with top spending.

Report for 2023 CoreSight Research,65% of plus size women feel that they are overlooked by both beauty and fashion brands. But here’s a twist. That’s not stopping them from spending. Not only are these women shopping, they often spend more purchases than their straight-sized counterparts, choosing brands that speak to their living reality, provide solutions to real skin, and reflect their bodies in their campaigns.

Money, power, existence

There is a perpetual stereotype that consumers of plus-size beauty are hidden, lacking confidence, or in some way indifferent to beauty. It’s not only outdated, it’s offensive. Today’s plus-size consumers are lawyers, stylists, creative directors, founders, influencers, doctors and editors. They travel, attend meetings, sit on panels and appear in award shows and events. And they don’t appear on naked faces. They are beating, shiny and moist.

And so are they purchase. From body oils that relieve sweat from underbooves to bronzers that pop out on any curve, this demographic is driving growth in categories such as body care, complexion products, and scents. According to McKinsey & Company, the US beauty market exceeded $100 billion in 2023, with women over size 14 making a significant contribution to that number, particularly through online shopping.

Additionally, the Tiktok and Instagram-driven beauty boom have pulled back the curtains about who is really affecting the purchase.

Real body, real needs

This consumer does not seek sympathy or permission. She wants product. And any product acknowledges where and how she lives in her body. Think of anti-chuff sticks, moisture-rich body serum, full coverage foundation shades that do not oxidize to deeper skin tones, and applicators that work for richer hands and longer nails. Think of campaign images that reflect the curves of your bikini None Cut off their belly. I don’t think there is a mascara ad that doesn’t pretend to be fat girls.

Many plus-size women describe summer as an exhausting obstacle course. Check to see if your outfit doesn’t sweat, your makeup won’t melt, and if your arms and thighs are socially acceptable for the day. Lack of approval from mainstream beauty brands can be alienated, as well as just frustrating.

And while the brand continues to rock bags, small indie and female-led companies fill the gap. Megababe, Lume, The Honey Pot, and even Beekman 1802 connect with plus-size buyers by addressing issues like sweating in the boobs, skin friction, pH balance, and belly creases. None shame. These brands are building loyalty because they solve real problems.

Cultural change is here

What’s happening now is not just a trend, it’s a shift. Plus-sized women no longer ask to be invited to a beauty conversation. They host them. They build brands, review products, shape standards, and occupy the space they always deserve. The story moves from “How to Look Slim” to “How to Feel Your Damn Self.”

Beauty is not about shrinking to fit a narrow ideal. That should never have been the case. And finally, this bold, stylish, educated, economically powerful group of women is calling for it, creating a new space where they are at the heart of. If you are a beauty brand reading this and haven’t prioritized this audience yet, here’s your awakening call: Plus size women aren’t waiting for you. They are already spending on your campaign, your comprehensive sizing, or your hard-working “body positivity” posts and pride themselves on New Year’s posts. If you don’t start offering them real, they will continue to receive the money elsewhere and order their followers to do the same.