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.

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

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

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 <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey Partners <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/alexis-wolfer">Alexis Wolfer</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/sara-hudson">Sara Hudson</a> speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about McKinsey&rsquo;s latest <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/state-of-beauty">State of Beauty</a> research&mdash;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&rsquo;s YouTube channel.
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: <a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

The McKinsey Podcast, our new flagship podcast series, takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

The McKinsey Podcast features conversations with experts from global management-consulting firm McKinsey & Company, focusing on the issues that matter most in business and management.

The McKinsey Podcast

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey &amp; Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.