Feature - Fashion & Beauty

Redefining beauty play

As children gain increasing interest in the fashion, makeup and skincare industries, toy manufacturers are innovating products that allow them to experience a taste of the adult world in a fun and safe manner, all while preserving the element of play. Gabriela Jiménez García speaks with leading suppliers to explore the latest trends fuelling this emerging category.

In a world where social media is dominating, it comes as no surprise that children are increasingly enthralled by the glamour of the fashion, beauty and self-care industries. A recent YouGov poll showed that 46% of 6-11-year-olds have an active social media account, regardless of the age restriction, and an early introduction to social media means that Gen Alpha is more likely to be image-conscious than older generations. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are flooded with content featuring the alluring lives of influencers who invite their followers to keep up with their beauty routines and tips. Content, from ‘Get Ready With Me’ and Outfits & Styling videos to step-by-step skincare tutorials that showcase products in colourful and attractive packaging, has motivated the younger generation to experiment with their identities and follow the beauty routines of the content creators they view online.

As a result of children's fascination with beauty and skincare, retailers in the beauty space are noticing a younger age group seeking out trending cosmetics and asking for luxury items. This phenomenon has led to #SephoraKids – a popular term used to describe children who are influenced by social media to buy adult fragrance, skincare and beauty products. However, concerns abound regarding the suitability of such products for youngsters.

Toy manufacturers are addressing this by finding a balance between offering real cosmetics that are dermatologically approved for young skin and maintaining the playful nature of toys. Many companies have launched new and innovative beauty lines that feature bright and fun packaging inspired by popular adult skincare brands, while also incorporating well-known licences and fashionable doll characters to attract young audiences.

GP UK is one of the toy suppliers staying ahead of beauty trends by offering makeup products that allow kids to experience a taste of the grown-up world. Country manager, Edward Catchpole, tells Toy World that the rising trend of tweens and teens consuming beauty content online and wanting to experiment with their looks presents a great opportunity to introduce real, high-quality and affordable cosmetics in cute and collectible packaging. “The professional makeup industry is, in essence, luxury packaged goods,” he says. “Meanwhile, the toy industry is great at driving collector fads and innovative toys; combining the two together to have a kid-friendly makeup product with highly attractive packaging that doubles up as a collectible is a great way to connect with the target demographic and exceed the needs and expectations of the consumer.”

Having recently announced the launch of the Very Bella x Hello Kitty makeup collection in the UK, which includes various cute Hello Kitty figurines that convert into lip balms, GP UK is confident that this new range of makeup products will be a popular choice amongst tweens and teens alike.

Pamela Justice, head of Marketing at MGA Entertainment, agrees that the rise of social media and influencers has significantly shaped the interest of young children, with digital platforms like Roblox seamlessly integrating beauty and skincare trends into their experiences. She believes that, to keep this demographic engaged with the toy industry, it’s essential to evolve alongside cultural shifts. “While traditional toys, particularly fashion dolls, remain popular, kids may not always be as vocal about their interest. However, the love of collecting and self-expression is still strong,” she tells us. “By incorporating elements of fashion and beauty into traditional toy categories, we can keep them relevant, exciting and aligned with current trends. This fusion not only maintains engagement but also ensures that the category continues to evolve in a way that resonates.”

MGA Entertainment boasts several brands that combine cosmetic appeal with dolls and collectibles to stay ahead of fashion and beauty trends. The Yummiland brand, which launched in the UK market in August of last year, has already achieved huge success amongst kids and kidults alike, quickly becoming a leader in the kid-safe cosmetics trend. Beyond dolls, Yummiland gives beauty-curious kids an opportunity to make their own DIY cosmetics, enabling them to experience what using makeup feels like in a safe and engaging way. New to the range are the Num Noms Body Scent Rollers, which allow children to mix fragrances with a base to create their own scents.

The company’s Miniverse Make It Mini Collectibles range is also expanding with the launch of MGA’S Miniverse Make It Mini Makeup. This new collection provides beauty lovers with yet another opportunity to create real working, mini beauty products that they can use for pretend play or display.

Bright packaging and aesthetics play a huge role, with MGA already seeing success after introducing colourful and striking packaging to its Yummiland brand. “It just proves that fun, vibrant and interactive elements resonate strongly,” adds Pamela. “As a result, we’re actively incorporating these trends into our upcoming launches, ensuring our products not only align with what excites this demographic, but also provide an engaging and creative play experience.”

Moose Toys is introducing new innovative product lines that bring together the worlds of Health & Beauty and compound play, targeting children who are captivated by the skincare industry. The Gui Gui range of slime, which debuted at this year’s Toy Fair New York, has quickly become one of the most anticipated toys of the year and even received a Judge’s Choice award from the Australian Toy Association at the 2025 Industry Awards Ceremony. Unlike ordinary slime products, which often feature plain and simple packaging, what makes this new range of slime stand out is the bold and beautiful jars it comes packaged in, which resemble that of luxury adult skincare brands that have gone viral on TikTok. Gui Gui, launching this month, also mimics the textures, scents and colours popular in beauty products and parlays them into an age-appropriate, multi-sensory experience designed to delight young skincare fans.

Zimpli Kids’ Marketing manager, Obi Enyi, tells Toy World that bath products that fizz, change colour and feature a variety of fragrances are also becoming a staple in the beauty-inspired toy space and are something retailers should look out for. “There’s so much potential in creating products that let kids feel like they’re part of the beauty world, without the real skincare commitment,” she says. “Bath bombs, fun soaps and pampering sets are a great way to introduce self-care in a way that’s safe, playful and exciting. The mix of collectability, scent experiences and bright colours keeps things fresh and engaging.” Some of the key launches highlighted by the company include the Care Bears Baff Bomz and the Fruity Surprise Baff Bomz, both offering a sensory experience and a surprise aspect for extra appeal.

MGA’s Pamela Justice also notes that the Fashion and Beauty category has seen an increasing demand for products that encourage customisation. “Young consumers love the ability to create and personalise their own looks, making products uniquely theirs,” she says. The company has responded to this demand by launching the brand-new Rainbow High Creative Crystals range, which includes a doll and a DIY crystal accessory kit that enables children to create crystal fashion pieces for themselves and their dolls.

Multiple other suppliers have also introduced new fashion ranges that promote self-expression and personalisation by allowing children to create and customise their own accessories, including bags and jewellery. Following the popularity of the best-selling arts and crafts Lockitz brand, John Adams is introducing two new additions to the range this autumn that enable children to create personalised bag charms and necklaces. The company is also launching the Blopens X-Tra Unicorn Styl’Bag, which lets users create airbrush designs on an adorable Unicorn-themed tote bag. Paladone’s WeCool Toys brand is expanding with the launch of Jelly Bands, a new collection of mix-and-match fashion accessories that have generated significant interest following a highly successful debut at Toy Fair New York 2025.

Character Options’ incredibly popular Sticki Rolls range continues to grow with the launch of an all-new second series coming out this autumn winter that brings 1,200 new stickers to discover and collect. The brand is also launching the Sticki Rolls Sticki Rolluxe, which comes with 500 stickers featuring 10 Kawaii-themed designs that kids can use to customise and personalise their favourite accessories.

Anna May, managing director at The Carat Shop, has pointed out the opportunity for licensed products in the Fashion and Jewellery sector, as shown by the company’s move into the licensed Football Club jewellery and accessory space. “We aimed to bridge the gap between some of the biggest football clubs in the world, and the licensed jewellery and accessories space,” explains Anna. “We are excited to have launched collections for Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham FC back in March.” The company has also recently introduced a Wicked jewellery collection, based on the successful movie, which is anticipated to be ‘popular’ amongst fans who are eagerly awaiting the release of part two of the musical blockbuster later this year.

Over the next few pages of product-focused editorial, Toy World explores some of the ranges mentioned in this article, as well as other new products entering the Fashion and Beauty category this year.