Ask shoppers about their beauty routine today, and you might be surprised: yes, skin care and fragrances, but also cold plunges, snail-mucin serums, and K-beauty products purchased via livestream. And soon, more consumers may start turning to AI agents to suss out products and make purchases. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Partners Alexis Wolfer and Sara Hudson speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about McKinsey’s latest State of Beauty research—including what brands need to consider to win over both humans and algorithms.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

To watch the full-length version of this interview, please visit The McKinsey Podcast’s YouTube channel.

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Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.