Tariffs Are Trending But Not in the Beauty Aisle
Turns out, beauty lovers aren’t thinking about tariffs the way we thought they would... for now.
When new U.S. tariffs on international goods were announced a few weeks ago, I expected them to shake up the conversation during one of the biggest beauty events of the season: the Sephora Spring Sale.
Think: panic about rising prices, debates on whether to stock up, or hot takes about brands shifting supply chains.
But surprisingly…. they barely came up.
While it feels like tariffs are all we’re hearing about this news cycle, Plot’s showing us that real consumer behavior tells a different story. And in this case, no news IS news.
Our report analyzed over 54,000 TikTok and Instagram comments about the Sephora Sale to understand what people were actually saying about the sale. Out of all those comments, only 28 even mentioned tariffs.
When we dug deeper into the full Sephora Sale report, terms like savings and discount dominated the conversation. Turns out, shoppers were way more focused on snagging a deal than stressing over tariffs.
Instead, what did we find?
Most of the conversation was just joy and excitement around the discounts
Sentiment was overwhelmingly positive (190 positive vs. 69 negative price-related comments)
People were sharing haul videos, trading codes, and recommending what to buy—not worrying about geopolitical policy
One user said:
“I just need some restocks before those stupid tariffs hit 😭”
Another joked:
“My pocketbook needs a break from these Sephora sales, and with tariffs, it’s tough! 😂”
And that was basically it.
It’s a fascinating disconnect. Tariffs are a macroeconomic story but beauty still feels micro, emotional, and personal. For most shoppers, the urgency wasn’t about global trade—it was about grabbing their favorite products before they sell out.
Even the few comments that did mention tariffs tended to frame it more like a nudge: “Buy now before prices go up.” Not panic. Not outrage. Just... a reminder.
So what do we take away from this?
Tariffs haven’t entered the mainstream beauty conversation yet. Not in a real, sticky way.
Price sensitivity is still there, but it’s expressed more as “is this on sale?” than “why is this getting more expensive?”
Shoppers are focused on the now. Cultural moments, product drops, and community recs still outweigh policy talk.
That may change later this year, especially if brands adjust pricing or pass on costs. And in the world of beauty, that says a lot.