The Great Beauty Blur
Beauty, Health & Wellness Futures
Online Event - 13 November
Join us to explore a transformative moment in beauty, where social, technological and cultural forces are reshaping ideals, expression and identity.
2:30pm–3:30pm GMT
AI Imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK
Beauty has become monotonous, influenced by powerful algorithms that entrench long-standing ideals. Its future depends on embracing complexity, friction and cultural depth to spark genuine connection and consumer curiosity.
Social, technological and cultural forces are reshaping how we define and experience beauty. Algorithms and social media amplify narrow standards, turning appearance into digital currency and intensifying identity pressures, while health trends, biohacking and data-driven self-improvement turn everyday routines into markers of privilege, even as freedoms shrink and marginalised groups face disproportionate constraints.
Amid this tension, a new wave of beauty is emerging. Anti-fluency aesthetics disrupt monotony, interpretive approaches invite personal expression, and heritage-led narratives and diasporic remixes reclaim authenticity. Hybrid, stackable styles blend tradition with digital life, creating a contemporary beauty that prioritises emotion, context and diversity.
For brands, engaging with this conversation is key to breaking free from the algorithm and fostering innovation and authentic connection in a competitive market.
‘The events of the past decade have shown us that society is facing a deepening identity crisis, where appearance is increasingly weaponised by politics, media and technology. Beauty styles now signal ideology, entrench hierarchies and narrow diversity. The Great Beauty Blur shows why it’s crucial for brands and culture-makers to understand and challenge these trends before they shape the long-term future of human expression.’
Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director and beauty lead, The Future Laboratory
Register attendance
Join us on 13 November for an overview of our latest beauty, health and wellness sector insights, presented by the team behind the macrotrend.
The event will take place online from 2:30pm to 3:30pm GMT. There will also be a live Q&A session hosted by our experts and opportunities to network with other attendees.
Sign up here
This event grants you access to:
: The hour-long session, featuring an overview of our macrotrend, The Great Beauty Blur
: A Q&A with our experts who will unpack the strategic implications of the macrotrend for your business
: The on-demand recording to watch at your convenience
If you are an LS:N Global member you can RSVP here.
Get access by becoming a member of LS:N Global
With access to LS:N Global you can better understand the evolving beauty, health and wellness sector with continual access to our sector and topic research, which is updated regularly.
If you are an LS:N Global member you can RSVP here.
Click below to book a demo and discuss membership options with a member of our team.
Speakers
Alice Crossley
senior foresight analyst
Alice joined The Future Laboratory in 2023 as a foresight analyst before being promoted to senior foresight analyst in 2024. As a culture-obsessed creative, she has written extensively about beauty, lifestyle and internet culture for publications including Dazed, i-D, The Face, GQ and Service95.
Olivia Houghton
insights and engagements director
BHW focus: Olivia joined The Future Laboratory as a junior researcher in early 2018. Now, as insights and engagement director, she is a lead researcher in the team, using her expertise in foresight analysis and client engagement to bridge insights across LS:N Global and strategic teams. Contributing regularly to publications including Vogue and the Financial Times, as well as to industry events such as the Global Wellness Summit and Cosmetics Business Live, Olivia is known as The Future Laboratory’s go-to expert for consumer trends in beauty, health and wellness.
Anita Bhagwandas
Beauty consultant and author of Ugly
Anita Bhagwandas, award-winning beauty journalist and author of Ugly, has held senior roles at Women’s Health, Marie Claire, Stylist and Glamour. Now freelance, she writes for The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveller and her Substack, The Powder Room, while speaking and broadcasting widely.
Bunny Kinney
Global executive creative director of Dazed Studio
Bunny Kinney, former creative director of Nowness (2017–2025) and founding editor of Dazed Beauty (2018), has led creative direction at i-D and Vice Media. A commercial video and fashion-beauty director, he has worked with Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Estée Lauder, earning a Silver Lion at Cannes and a Media Week 30 Under 30 accolade.
Ellen Atlanta
Brand consultant and author of Pixel Flesh
Ellen Atlanta is the author of Pixel Flesh: Womanhood in the Digital Age, a brand consultant specialising in Gen Z and Millennial culture, and a columnist for Dazed. With her focus on female empowerment, Ellen became a founding member of both The Stack World and Communia in 2019, creating better digital spaces for women and marginalised genders.
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