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We analyzed over 31,627 emails from 807 popular beauty & skincare e-commerce brands over three months and compared them with the previous quarter. This playbook highlights key trends in send times, frequency, subject lines, and CTAs to help you optimize your email campaigns.
This report is based on data collected from publicly available email campaigns sent by beauty, cosmetics & skincare ecommerce brands between April and June 2025 to random subscribers. While we strive for accuracy in our analysis, individual results may vary based on specific audience demographics, market conditions, and other factors. The strategies outlined in this report should be tested and adapted to your unique business needs. TargetBay is not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this report unless explicitly stated. All trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective owners.
We analyzed 31,627 emails from 807 beauty and cosmetics brands—4,598 emails from Q1 2025 and 27,029 emails from Q2 2025—to uncover how leading beauty brands approach ecommerce email marketing. This report breaks down email send times, frequency, subject lines, preview texts, deliverability, email types, and CTAs across both quarters. By comparing Q2 with Q1 trends, we reveal what’s working, what’s changing, and how top-performing brands are standing out in crowded inboxes. Whether you’re a brand owner or email marketer, this report will help you fine-tune your strategy with actionable insights backed by real campaign data.
| Metric Studied | Q1 (2025) | Q2 (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Emails Studied | 4598 | 27029 |
| Number of Brands Studied | 163 | 807 |
| Average Emails Sent / Week / brand | 2.17 | 2.58 |
| Email Inbox Rate (%) | 0.28% | 2.45% |
| Promotion Placement Rate (%) | 94.72% | 85.90% |
| SPAM Rate (%) | 5.00% | 11.65% |
| Popular Email Send Time Segment | 3pm - 6pm | 3pm - 6pm |
| Most Common Email Type | Promotional Emails | Promotional Emails |
| Most Common Email CTA | Shop now (628) | Shop now (4151) |
In Q2 2025, most Beauty & Cosmetics brands showed a clear preference for afternoon and early evening email delivery. Across 27,000+ emails analyzed, the most dominant send window was 3pm–6pm, accounting for 27.1% of all sends, followed by 6pm–9pm (15.6%) and 12pm–3pm (15.2%). This shift toward later hours marks a noticeable deviation from Q1, where morning sends like 6am–9am and 12pm–3pm were more prominent.
Several top-performing brands are driving this trend. Annmarie Gianni sent nearly 72% of its campaigns between 12pm–6pm, aiming for engaged afternoon shoppers. Laura Mercier concentrated its sends around 3pm–6pm, with over 163 emails during this slot. Meanwhile, Estee Lauder leaned heavily on the 12pm–3pm and 6pm–9pm brackets, likely targeting post-lunch and evening leisure scrollers. Bluemercury, on the other hand, bucked the trend slightly by favoring 9am–12pm—an early lifestyle brand strategy tapping into mid-morning routines.
Why the shift? Afternoon and evening windows align with when consumers are more relaxed and less distracted—scrolling post-work, checking personal inboxes, or browsing during downtime. These time slots also match mobile behavior, with increased open rates during commute or evening leisure hours.
If you’re in the Beauty space, experiment with email drops between 3pm–9pm. Segment your audience by behavior—target busy professionals in the evenings and lifestyle audiences mid-morning. Monitor open rates to find your brand’s sweet spot and avoid outdated morning-first assumptions.
Brands significantly stepped up their email output in Q2, with an average frequency of 2.58 emails per brand per week, up from 2.17 in Q1. Leading the charge, CO sent over 41 emails per week, followed by Annmarie Gianni (33/week) and Tatcha (27/week). This suggests a strong emphasis on staying top-of-mind through consistent touchpoints.
When it comes to days of the week, the industry collectively leaned into weekends and midweek engagement. Saturday saw the highest email volume, accounting for 25.6% of all sends in Q2, followed by Wednesday (18.4%), and Friday (14.9%). In contrast, Monday and Tuesday were the least preferred, indicating that brands may be avoiding inbox competition at the start of the workweek.
Individual brand strategies reveal even deeper insights:
✔️ Annmarie Gianni heavily favored Saturday, sending over 300 emails on that day alone, aligning with self-care habits over the weekend.
✔️ Tatcha sent most of its campaigns on Friday and Saturday, aiming to influence weekend beauty routines.
✔️ Victoria Beckham Beauty preferred Wednesday and Sunday, possibly to catch early-week planners and relaxed weekend readers.
✔️ Sigma Beauty split its strategy between Friday and Sunday, targeting pre-weekend sales and Sunday scroll sessions.
Test weekend sends if you’re in Beauty & Cosmetics. Consumers are more relaxed, engaged, and likely to convert. Use Wednesday to midweek drops to tease upcoming launches or restocks. Avoid early-week overload unless it’s urgent or exclusive.
Average inbox rate
Promotions Placement Rate
Average Spam Rate
Email deliverability showed modest improvement in Q2 2025, with inbox placement rising to 2.4%, nearly a 9x increase from Q1’s mere 0.28%. While still low overall, this indicates that more brands are making strategic moves to improve inbox performance.
That said, 85.9% of emails still landed in the Promotions tab in Q2—down from 94.7% in Q1. Meanwhile, Spam placement rose from 5.0% in Q1 to 11.6% in Q2, a concerning spike suggesting that brands may be ramping up volume without strengthening authentication and sender reputation.
| Beauty Industry Email Deliverability Rate Comparison | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Email Deliverability | Q1 (%) | Q2 (%) | % Change (Q2 vs Q1) |
| Inbox Rate | 0.28% | 2.45% | 2.17% |
| Promotions Rate | 94.72% | 85.9% | -9.3% |
| Spam Rate | 5% | 11.65% | 6.65% |
Some standout brands with the highest inbox rates in Q2 include:
✔️ DrBrighten – 100% inbox placement
✔️ 54Thrones – 56.4%
✔️ AcquaDeluxe – 50%
✔️ Beautyologie – 38.5%
✔️ BirchBabe – 33.9%
These brands likely benefited from clean email lists, verified domains, high engagement signals, and personalized content that avoided spammy triggers.
High spam rates can severely harm sender reputation and lower overall open rates, while landing in Promotions—though not always negative—often reduces visibility compared to the primary inbox.
Brands must focus on email list hygiene, domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement optimization (like segmentation and A/B testing). Avoid using aggressive sales language or large images-only emails. Aim for a healthy mix of value-driven content and personalized campaigns to boost inbox placement.
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Analyzing over 27,000 email subject lines across Q2 2025 reveals a clear preference for high-engagement tactics. The most common strategy was the use of emojis, found in 87.3% of subject lines—just slightly down from 90.9% in Q1. Brands like Glossier, Tatcha, and Sigma Beauty frequently used emojis to create visual appeal and emotional cues.
Mentions of discounts (e.g., “20% off”, “Save today”) appeared in 26.4% of Q2 subject lines—down from 29.9% in Q1, indicating a slight pullback in aggressive promotion tactics. Personalized language like “your” or “just for you” featured in 24.4% of subject lines, also down from 28.1%, while product-centric subjects such as “New launch” or “Back in stock” declined from 11.4% to 8.1%. The use of FOMO/urgency triggers (“Hurry”, “Last chance”) held steady at around 13% across both quarters.
Overall, Q2 subject lines were slightly less aggressive and more balanced, possibly due to increased sending volume and deliverability considerations.
| Brand | Best Beauty Email Subject Lines |
|---|---|
| aveda | Join A+ today—free shipping is waiting! 🛍️ |
| apresnail | ⭐Your Exclusive Flash Sale Starts NOW! |
| apresnail | Your Weekend Perk: FREE Shipping!🛍️ |
| sigmabeauty | FREE $50 just for you! 🎁 |
| fentybeauty | Your exclusive plug for 30% off sitewide 🛍️ |
| kyliecosmetics | Free gift, just for you 🎁 |
| sigmabeauty | FLASH SALE 🚨 30% OFF SITEWIDE! |
| fentybeauty | You're missing 30% off right now |
| sigmabeauty | 🚨 Up to 75% OFF! Plus, FREE Brush Care! |
| firstaidbeauty | Today Only! Buy One, Get One FREE |
| sigmabeauty | Your $50 Gift is Waiting 🎁 |
| firstaidbeauty | Last Call: Free Minis With Any Purchase |
| sigmabeauty | Limited Edition Brush Set – 50% OFF! |
| firstaidbeauty | This ends TONIGHT! |
| kyliecosmetics | Time is running out… 🕒 |
| sigmabeauty | Free Gift. Yours Today. 💝 |
| firstaidbeauty | Free Minis With Any Purchase Ends Soon |
| firstaidbeauty | Hurry! These Free Minis End TONIGHT! |
| firstaidbeauty | This Is Your Final Reminder! |
| firstaidbeauty | Your Last Chance at Free Minis! |
Out of 27,000+ emails in Q2, 3,149 (11.6%) landed in spam, compared to 23,880 (88.4%) that landed in inbox or promotions. Subject line analysis shows no extreme differences in keyword usage between spam and non-spam emails—suggesting that other factors like domain reputation and sending frequency play a bigger role in Q2’s spam issues.
Still, brands should avoid excessive discount language, overusing emojis, or generic urgency without value, which could be spam triggers when combined with poor sender reputation.
To stay out of spam, avoid overused sales buzzwords, maintain a balanced send frequency, and segment campaigns thoughtfully. Consider A/B testing subject lines to find the sweet spot between promotional appeal and inbox placement.
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In Q2, brands leaned into clearer, cleaner, and less aggressive preview text strategies to support their subject lines. Out of 27,000+ emails analyzed, only 0.69% had preview text that simply mirrored the subject line—up slightly from 0.44% in Q1, suggesting better use of this real estate to complement rather than repeat.
The most prominent Q2 tactic was offering extra value, used in 12.6% of preview texts—down significantly from 21.7% in Q1. Phrases like “free samples,” “exclusive gifts,” or “bonus with purchase” were especially common in campaigns from Aveda, Annmarie Gianni, and Laura Mercier. However, this drop could indicate a shift toward subtler enticements rather than loud promo pushes.
| Preview Text Strategy | Usage in Q2 2025 |
|---|---|
| Mirrors Subject Line | 0.69% |
| Adds Urgency | 8.25% |
| Offers Extra Value | 12.57% |
| Calls to Action | 8.92% |
| Uses Emoji | 1.71% |
Urgency-based phrases like “ends soon” or “last chance” showed up in 8.2% of Q2 previews, down from 11.1% in Q1. Similarly, calls to action (“Shop now,” “Discover more”) declined from 10.6% to 8.9%, showing a growing preference for less directive language.
Interestingly, emoji usage rose slightly to 1.7% (up from 1.2%), with brands like Tatcha and Glossier using emojis in preview lines to maintain visual engagement and brand personality.
Q2 preview text strategies were more minimal and complementary, subtly reinforcing subject lines without hurting deliverability. Brands should continue using preview space for personalized value, clarity, and light urgency while avoiding repetition or spammy tone.
In Q2, Discount emails made up the largest chunk of campaigns at 37.1%, down from 41.3% in Q1. Brands like Annmarie Gianni and Aveda frequently used subject lines like “Save 20% this weekend” or “Free gift with your order”—tapping into urgency and value. However, the drop suggests a slight pullback from aggressive discounting to preserve brand perception and profit margins.
Personalized emails accounted for 23.2% of Q2 sends, up slightly from 21.9% in Q1. These emails often used preview text like “Just for you” or “Your skincare routine simplified”, with brands like Tatcha and Glossier leading the charge in audience segmentation and behavioral targeting.
Discount
Promotional
Personalized
Others
Interestingly, “Other Engagement” emails jumped from 22.7% in Q1 to 29.2% in Q2. This category includes relationship-building, seasonal content, event promotions, educational series, and reminders. Subject lines like “Celebrate Earth Month with us” or “How to layer your skincare” were common—particularly from brands like Estee Lauder and Laura Mercier, who are nurturing longer-term loyalty.
The emails classified under “Other Engagement” is a catch-all that includes:
Promotional emails dropped to just 10.5% in Q2 (down from 14.1%), showing a shift away from repetitive product pushes toward more meaningful engagement.
The “Other Engagement” category is becoming a powerful tool in this space. It comprises helpful content, celebration-based messaging, educational tips, and soft CTAs that build trust and retention—without triggering spam filters or overloading subscribers
In Q2, CTAs saw a noticeable shift in tone and intent. Out of all emails with a CTA, the most dominant category was still “Other” (56.1%)—these included vague or brand-specific actions not tied to typical verbs, such as “Experience the difference” or “Glow with us.” However, this marked a decline from 61.8% in Q1, showing that brands are moving toward clearer, more action-driven language.
Simple commerce CTAs like “Shop now”, “Get yours”, or “Buy today” surged to 21.3% in Q2, up from 11.2% in Q1. This growth suggests a stronger push for frictionless conversions, especially by brands like Laura Mercier and Bluemercury.
Urgency-based CTAs declined from 22.9% in Q1 to 18.7% in Q2. Phrases like “Shop now before it’s gone” or “Ends tonight” were still used—especially in campaigns from Sigma Beauty and Annmarie Gianni—but the drop indicates more measured use of urgency to avoid spam triggers.
Personalized CTAs (e.g., “Claim your gift”, “See your match”) slightly dipped from 2.2% to 1.7%, while Discount-driven CTAs remained rare at just 1.1%, signaling that value-based messaging is handled more in subject/preview text than CTA buttons.
Brands are prioritizing clear, commerce-focused CTAs over emotional or aggressive prompts, improving clarity without hurting deliverability. Keep CTAs straightforward, action-based, and supportive of the email’s primary goal.
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In Q2 2025, Inbox placement improved significantly in Q2, with 2.45% of emails landing in the primary inbox—up from just 0.28% in Q1. This signals a stronger focus on deliverability and sender reputation across the beauty industry, as brands like Fenty Beauty, Aveda, and Glossier fine-tune their sending practices to break out of the Promotions tab.
Inbox Placement Improved: In Q2, 2.45% of emails landed in the primary inbox, compared to just 0.28% in Q1. Promotions folder placement slightly dropped from 94.72% (Q1) to 85.9% (Q2)—a positive sign of better deliverability among brands like Fenty Beauty and Glossier.
Send Volume Spikes on Key Days: April 19, May 28, and April 20 saw the highest email volumes—likely aligned with seasonal launches and Mother’s Day. Q1’s peak was in Feb, suggesting Valentine’s Day pushes.
Discounts & Offers Still Dominate Subject Lines: The top Q2 keywords were “off,” “your,” and “free.” In Q1, similar terms like “off,” “free,” and “25%” appeared frequently—indicating consistent reliance on promotional language.
Preview Text Strategy Grew More Sophisticated: Q2 saw more brands adding urgency and value in preview text. “Offers Extra Value” (12.57%) and “Adds Urgency” (8.25%) were popular strategies.
From Q1 to Q2, beauty brands sent more emails, saw improved inbox placement, and adopted better content strategies. The sharp rise in volume and better optimization reflect an industry maturing quickly in its email marketing game.
Schedule campaigns during this window to align with when users are more relaxed and checking personal inboxes.
➤ Plan big announcements or promotions midweek and weekend for optimal visibility.
➤ Integrate content like skincare guides or seasonal routines to build loyalty without discount fatigue.
➤ Add value subtly in preview texts without repeating the subject. Emojis can help—but use them sparingly.
➤ Clean inactive contacts regularly and segment your lists to send more personalized content.
➤ Avoid vague or overhyped CTA language that could trigger filters.
➤ They support inbox placement and brand affinity.
Begin by analyzing your current email metrics against the benchmarks in this report. Identify gaps in your strategy and prioritize areas for improvement based on potential impact.
Create a structured testing plan to experiment with different send times, subject line formulas, and CTA strategies. Document results and iterate based on performance data.
Implement more granular audience segmentation based on purchase behavior, engagement level, and product preferences to deliver more relevant content to each subscriber.
With over 60% of beauty & skincare products marketing emails opened on mobile devices, ensure your templates are fully responsive and CTAs are easily “tappable” on smaller screens.
Thousands of templates in one place.
The Beauty & Cosmetics industry continues to push the envelope in email marketing, with brands adapting fast to evolving consumer behavior and inbox competition. Q2 2025 showed a shift toward smarter sending—afternoon schedules, weekend drops, and a clear balance between promotional and engagement-driven content. While inbox placement improved, the rise in spam rates reminds us how critical deliverability optimization is in scaling campaigns.
The most successful brands this quarter didn’t just rely on discounts—they blended storytelling, personalization, and strategic CTAs to build stronger subscriber relationships and improve open rates.
As the competition intensifies, staying ahead means understanding not just what works—but why. We hope this analysis offers a clear roadmap to refine your strategy.
Looking to turn insights into action? Our team at TargetBay is here to help you elevate your email performance and keep your brand one step ahead.
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