Brands
Nykaa beauty rewind 2025: What India tried, trusted and took home
MUMBAI: If beauty had a personality in 2025, it would be curious, confident and refreshingly honest. According to Nykaa’s beauty rewind 2025, Indian consumers flirted freely with trends, tested them fast and stayed only with what truly worked.
This was not the year of blind brand loyalty. It was the year of smart swiping. Products went viral, routines evolved in real time and reviews became the final judge. Ingredients were checked like exam answers, reels shaped shopping carts and repeat buys were reserved for formulas that delivered results, not promises.
Backed by insights from over 45 million shoppers across 19,000 plus pincodes, Nykaa’s year-end rewind captures more than sales data. It offers a snapshot of how India actually lived in beauty in 2025.
Big numbers, bigger obsessions
Some categories did not just trend, they dominated. Lipsticks flew off shelves at the rate of 1,750 an hour, proving that a good pout never goes out of style. Kajals sold in such volume that, stacked end to end, they could build hundreds of Burj Khalifas, confirming that sharp eyes are no passing phase.
Foundation sales could have covered 250 football fields, with everything from high-coverage favourites to skin-first tints finding takers. Blush had its own moment too, with enough sold to keep Jaipur pink for decades.
Quiet classics had their day as well. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser became Nykaa’s most-reviewed product of all time with over 1.3 lakh ratings, showing that consistency still wins applause. Dot and Key emerged as the most searched brand, with its face moisturiser clocking a 63 percent surge in searches, driven by a growing love for barrier-focused skincare.
And then there was commitment. One shopper from Nagpur placed the highest-value order of the year at four lakh rupees, buying 91 products in one confident checkout. No browsing. No hesitation.
Skin first, always
If there was one defining theme of 2025, it was barrier health. Glow was welcome, but only as a by-product of strong skin. Cleansers found new homes at the rate of 19 a minute, while moisturisers sold even faster, making hydration the most reliable step in Indian routines.
Serums stepped into the spotlight as the power players. Vitamin C, niacinamide and peptides became household terms, with shoppers reading labels like instruction manuals and choosing formulas with intention.
K-beauty grows up
K-beauty completed its shift from novelty to necessity this year. Products like Beauty of Joseon sunscreen and Cosrx Snail Mucin were not just tried, they were trusted and repurchased. Lips followed suit, with nourishing balms and glosses replacing heavy mattes, turning lip care into a daily act of self-care.
Scents, showers and smart makeup
Fragrance lovers stopped searching for a single signature scent and started building wardrobes instead. Five perfumes sold every minute, from luxury icons to cosy vanilla blends.
Makeup itself grew quieter and cleverer. Skin tints, tinted serums and multitasking formulas ruled, while liquid lipsticks proved that long wear and comfort can coexist. Cult classics such as Maybelline Instant Age Rewind reminded everyone that legacy still matters.
Bath, body and haircare became rituals rather than routines. Body care kits surged, rosemary-based hair products crossed the one crore mark and scalp care officially entered the spotlight.
Delivered at the speed of now
Nykaa Now turned urgency into its own category. From six-minute deliveries across cities to last-minute travel saves, instant beauty became a reality rather than a promise. Whether it was one serum or an entire vanity overhaul, speed met scale throughout the year.
The bigger picture
Beauty in 2025 was softer, smarter and more intentional. Indian consumers explored freely, switched without guilt and built routines that evolved with them. Trends mattered, but trust mattered more.
In a year where curiosity met credibility and discovery moved fast, Nykaa remained at the centre of it all, turning everyday choices into a clear picture of how India really does beauty now.
Brands
Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
