• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, Yesterday

While the beauty business may be cooling, NYX Professional Makeup’s new campaign shows why budget brands are heating up. The L’Oréal-owned company tapped Paris Hilton and Saweetie, celebrating beauty “baddies” who remind fans that great makeup doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag.

At the heart of the campaign? A simple question: “What do Paris Hilton, Saweetie, and millions of beauty lovers have in common?” The answer: NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss, a $6 staple fans call their badly kept secret. Ads are tagged “If You NYX [Professional Makeup] You Know” and also spotlight the brand’s new Smushy Matte Lip Balm as the latest must-have.

The effort comes as consumers get choosier about beauty purchases. A new McKinsey report highlights that the $450 billion global beauty industry—which grew at 7% annually between 2022 and 2024—is slowing, pushing brands to rethink growth strategies. The firm notes that “consumers are value-conscious, skeptical of hype, and laser-focused on whether products deliver.”

Circana adds that mass-market beauty sales gained 3% in dollar sales in the first quarter of 2025, outpacing prestige beauty for the first time in years, although that gain came mostly from price increases. Unit sales in mass beauty actually slipped 1%.

That makes NYX’s message timely. Budget players like NYX and rivals such as E.L.F. stand a better chance of winning over shoppers hungry for value. And while celebrity hype might feel forced for other brands, NYX leans into its identity as a fan-favorite, affordable option.

The campaign rolls out short videos with Paris and Saweetie across global social and digital channels, billboards, and retail takeovers. A related social media push invites international “baddies”—the nickname for NYX’s fan base—to share their IYNYK moments, featuring other brand bestsellers like Face Glue Gripping Primer, Setting Spray, and Fat Oil Lip Drip.

“We were inspired by the fact that baddies from every background genuinely love and use our brand,” says Denee Pearson, global brand president, in the announcement. “You can always find a NYX Professional Makeup product even in the most expensive handbag! We wanted to share that message in a fun and unexpected way, and what better baddies could illustrate this than the original influencer, Paris Hilton, and the ultimate icy It Girl, Saweetie? They prove what our fans already know: why choose when you can have it all?”