Pheromones, Bee Venom, and Tattoo Cover-Ups: Market Defense's Prime Big Deal Days 2025 Report Reveals Beauty's Most Unexpected Trends

New report uncovers how tariff fears, TikTok trends, and economic uncertainty drove cautious shoppers to Amazon, while searches for pheromone perfumes surge 217% and bee venom "botox" searches jump 288%

SEATTLE, Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Defense, the premier partner for beauty brands on the global marketplaces of Amazon, Walmart, and Mercado Libre, has released its Beauty Dealmakers: Prime Big Deal Days October 2025 Beauty Report, revealing how economic pressure and viral trends collided during Amazon's two-day fall shopping event (October 7-8, 2025). Download the full report here.

While shoppers spent 33% less per household compared to July's Prime Day ($104.69, down from approximately $156 in July), they came armed with strategy, and Amazon met them with conversion-focused deals rather than brand discovery. The result? A tale of two shoppers: cautious but committed, hunting for value while chasing TikTok-fueled beauty obsessions.

The Trends That Dominated the Scroll and the Cart
This wasn't your typical Prime event. The top beauty searches read like a TikTok fever dream:

• Arabian perfumes popped: Arabian fragrances captured 4 of the top 10 fragrance slots, with Lattafa leading at 12.4% share of sales. Searches for "pheromone cologne for men" surged 217% year-over-year, while "pheromones perfumes for women" climbed 47% year-over-year.
• Bee venom became the new "botox": Amazon searches for "bee venom cream wrinkles" jumped 256%, and "botox bee venom" soared 288%, as shoppers buzzed about at-home alternatives to in-office treatments.
• Tattoo cover-up makeup claimed the #1: "Tattoo cover up makeup waterproof" dominated makeup searches with a 643% year-over-year spike, fueled by TikTok's viral makeup tutorials.
• Gray hair, no shame: Searches for "gray hair products" rose 253% year-over-year, with "gray hair coverage" up 123%, proof that consumers are embracing their silver while seeking at-home solutions.

Economy-Driven Shoppers: Selective, Not Silent
Nearly half (48%) of Prime Big Deal Days shoppers said tariffs impacted their purchase decisions, while 29% admitted being more cautious due to the economic climate. Average household spend dropped 33% compared to July ($104.69, down from approximately $156), and 44% of orders were under $20—up 37% from summer Prime Day.
But cautious doesn't mean inactive. Despite federal government shutdowns and inflation concerns, 84% of shoppers plan to return to Amazon for holiday purchases over the next three months. Only 23% used the event for early holiday shopping (compared to nearly 45% last year), signaling that consumers are waiting for the right deal, not just any deal.

"Even as economic concerns grow, consumers are still planning to celebrate, and beauty will be part of the basket," said Vanessa Kuykendall, Chief Engagement Officer at Market Defense. "While 92% of shoppers intend to celebrate the holidays, 80% expect prices to be higher, and nearly a third say they'll buy fewer items this year. With rising grocery costs squeezing discretionary budgets, customers will be more selective and strategic in their gift-giving and self-care splurges. For beauty brands, that means value perception is everything: shoppers will be weighing price, efficacy, and social proof more carefully than ever."

The Brands That Won Big
Amazon's algorithm favored familiar faces and conversion-ready deals. CeraVe maintained its skincare dominance with 13.5% share of sales, while medicube followed at 10.2%. Nutrafol crushed the haircare category with 23.2% share of sales, and Maybelline led makeup at 13.1%. In fragrance, Lattafa's Arabian scents claimed the top spot at 12.4%, proving that TikTok-viral trends translate to Amazon sales.

Category Highlights:

• Skincare: Eight of the top ten Beauty & Personal Care products were skincare. eos dominated with its Vanilla Cashmere Body Lotion, despite not ranking last year, fueled by 450k weekly TikTok views of #eosvanillacashmere. Amazon searches for "stem cell serum" surged 345%, and "microneedling serum" jumped 508%.
• Haircare: Solutions-focused products won. Three of the top ten branded searches focused on hair growth and dandruff. Nutrafol secured the top three haircare products year-to-date by share of sales. Texturizing powder sales are gaining, driven by Gen Z men and 11 million weekly views on TikTok
• Makeup: Eyes had it: six of the top ten makeup items were eye products, including three mascaras. Neutrogena makeup remover wipes held two spots on the list, powered by searches for "Makeup Wipes," up 812% on Amazon. "Laura Geller makeup for older women" was the leading Makeup branded search, riding the viral #MakeupForOlderWomen trend.
• Fragrance: Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 held on their #1 fragrance product spot from July's Prime Day, while searches for "pheromone perfumes for women" now top 1 million a month on Amazon. Men's cologne is trending with 60K+ TikTok posts, and 37% of the audience engaging is aged 18-24.

Social Platforms: Beauty's Search Engine
Hashtags like #koreanskincare (1.9B views) and #skincareroutine (1.6B views) prove that TikTok has become beauty's primary discovery platform, and Amazon is often where shoppers complete the purchase.

"TikTok Shop now ranks as a top 10 U.S. beauty retailer," Kuykendall added. "The Doctor is in: 'dermatology' and 'dermatologist' videos have hit 2.1 billion YouTube views, showing how medical credibility meets modern platforms. If you're a doctor-led brand, you're already halfway there. Lean into social and you just might become the influencer yourself."

What Brands Need to Know for Q4
Amazon's personalization strategy intensified during Prime Big Deal Days, with homepage messaging like "Deal on your past purchase" and "Keep Shopping" dominating the experience. For brands, this means alignment is everything.

"Brands that win during Amazon's major deal events aren't just running discounts, but instead they're aligning their ad targeting, creative, and product mix with the same personalization logic Amazon uses," said Dave Karlsven, SVP, Client Marketing & Data Science at Market Defense. "The more your Sponsored Ads, Retargeting Ads and Storefront reinforce those individualized shopper journeys, the more visibility and purchases you'll get."

Amy Rudgard, SVP, Client Delivery at Market Defense, added: "As these tentpole events become more competitive with rising CPCs, brands will need to be more creative with a solid plan post-event to keep momentum going, retarget audiences and take advantage of when others pull back."

Karan Raturi, Chief Operating Officer at Market Defense, noted: "Tentpole moments are when brands have the most to gain, and the most to lose. Maintaining profitability during these peaks isn't just about managing spend; it's about investing in acquiring the right type of new customers, protecting margin, and driving lifetime value well beyond the event."

The Bottom Line
"Now that Nielsen IQ is reporting that online accounts for 53% of all U.S. beauty sales, you can't rely on in-store storytelling to do the heavy lifting," Kuykendall said.

"Fragrance that lasts through a workout, a serum that doubles as primer… those are the details that convert. Influencers can spark interest, but it's your PDP that has to close the deal."
The full Beauty Dealmakers: Prime Big Deal Days October 2025 Beauty Report from Market Defense is available now: https://marketdefense.com/october-prime-big-deal-days-2025-beauty-reports/

For more information about Market Defense and its suite of services, visit https://marketdefense.com/

About Market Defense
Market Defense represents award-winning beauty brands on Amazon, Walmart, and Mercado Libre, including Dr. Dennis Gross, a WWD Greatest of All Time Skin Care brand, Vogue Beauty Award winner Grown Alchemist, and Allure Best of Beauty winners BeautyStat, Alpyn Beauty, and Jillian Dempsey. Market Defense reported 76% 2022-2024 YoY growth across its Amazon portfolio. The company provides a full suite of services, including Account Management, Brand Protection and Legal, Logistics and Operations, Advertising, and Creative.

Media Contact:
Vanessa Kuykendall
[email protected]

SOURCE Market Defense LLC