Consumers’ beauty routines are closely tied to how they want to show up in the world — as a form of self-expression, confidence and control. And beauty purchase decisions rarely begin in the aisle. They start earlier, shaped by a mindset, made during moments when consumers feel calm and receptive rather than distracted or overstimulated.
For many beauty and personal care consumers, streaming has become part of their unwinding ritual. Eighty-nine percent of Tubi streamers said they’re at their most relaxed while streaming, and 85% said they would rather have a night of streaming and self-care than a night out, according to a recent study from Tubi and The Harris Poll.
When beauty ads appear during those relaxed moments, they are less likely to feel intrusive and more likely to capture meaningful attention, according to Sharon Silverstein, svp of U.S. vertical sales at Tubi.
“When someone is streaming, they’re home, maybe with a face mask on, unwinding after a long day. That’s the mindset beauty brands get to walk into,” Silverstein said. “You’re not interrupting someone stressed at a desk or scrolling anxiously on their phone — you’re reaching them in their happiest. And when people are relaxed, they’re receptive, they’re not skipping ads with the same urgency as other platforms.”
Streaming increases new beauty discovery and builds brand trust
In those moments of attention and ease, consumers are also more open to learning about new brands. That’s helped streaming evolve from a channel for product awareness into one for active product discovery.
Sixty-two percent of Tubi streamers said they get inspiration for items to try from streaming ads, while nearly one-quarter discover new beauty and personal care brands directly through streaming. More than half of Tubi streamers recall seeing a personal care ad while streaming.
“Streaming is becoming the new beauty aisle,” Silverstein explained. “People aren’t going into it thinking, ‘I need to find a new serum.’ But the right ad, in the right moment, plants that seed.”
If streaming enables product discovery, ad context shapes how beauty brands are received. Ads that naturally align with programming tend to feel less intrusive and more additive to the overall experience.
Two-thirds of Tubi streamers said they want ads that connect to the genre they are watching, while 84% prefer when new brands feel like a natural discovery, not a targeted pitch. This dynamic is critical because ad relevance strengthens product credibility from the start and lays a foundation for long-term brand trust, according to Silverstein.
“In beauty, trust is everything. The consumer is literally putting your product on their face, their skin, their hair. They have to believe in you,” Silverstein said. “Trust accelerates purchase. So when a beauty brand shows up in this streaming environment, they’re borrowing the trust equity of the platform.”
Brand trust is magnified in streaming environments, which offer a more controlled, premium environment and rank as the second-most trusted source of advertising after a brand’s own website, according to the Tubi and The Harris Poll study.
The contrast becomes even sharper when compared to other digital channels. Tubi users said they trust streaming ads 20% more than social media ads, according to the study. Nearly three-quarters of Tubi streamers (74%) said they like brands that advertise during free streaming because the brands support programming content.
“Social media is so cluttered with beauty influencers, sponsored posts and ads stacked on ads. It’s nearly impossible for a brand to cut through,” Silverstein said. “Our ad environment isn’t cluttered, which means beauty brands can actually connect to an audience that’s notoriously hard to reach.”
How a leading beauty retailer leveraged streaming to drive traffic and sales
During the 2025 holiday season, a leading beauty retailer aimed to stand out amid a saturated ad landscape and attract new audiences. The retailer needed a brand-safe, fandom-fueled environment that encouraged product discovery and delivered intentional, high-impact audience connections.
To support its goals of driving incremental sales and increasing in-store traffic, the beauty retailer used Tubi Premium Video rotational ads, a Carousel on the home screen, and a Thematic Takeover of beauty-related movies and TV shows to reach targeted audiences with tailored messaging. These ad formats allow marketers to align campaigns with specific themes, genres and moments in time.
Together, the ad formats drove strong results. The beauty retailer’s awareness lift among key audiences was six times the benchmark, according to a fourth-quarter 2025 study from Tubi and Upwave. In-store visit lift was 1.3 times the InMarket retail benchmark, while sales lift reached three times the benchmark, according to a fourth-quarter 2025 study from Tubi and InMarket.
This leading beauty retailer was not alone in effectively leveraging streaming to drive sales. Tubi and The Harris Poll’s study found that once a beauty brand earns credibility in streaming, it is more likely to become embedded in consumers’ routines, shaping repeat purchase behavior. Ninety-one percent of Tubi viewers said they purchase more quickly from brands they have used long term, according to the study.
“If someone’s watching a feel-good rom-com, a skincare ad about your evening routine fits perfectly. If they’re watching a fitness documentary, a personal care brand about performance or recovery belongs there,” Silverstein said. “The beauty category has such a natural link to content themes like self-care, confidence, transformation and wellness.”
Streaming redefines the beauty brand conversation to expand reach
Streaming is actively reshaping how beauty consumers discover, discuss and recommend beauty and personal care brands. That’s particularly true among younger audiences who are active streamers.
Seventy-seven percent of Gen Z said they talk about brands they love, while more than half said they are open to trying new personal care products they’ve heard about through word of mouth, according to the study from Tubi and The Harris Poll. Twenty-nine percent of Tubi viewers said they made a purchase from a beauty brand after seeing an ad on streaming.
By linking moments of consumer relaxation with brand discovery and trust, streaming provides the long-term loyalty and business impact that channels like social media can’t, according to Silverstein.
“Streaming is the self-care ritual now,” Silverstein said. “Streaming offers a premium, trusted, lean-back environment that social can’t replicate. The brands that shift investment now will own that mindset space before their competitors wake up to it. This is the moment.”
Sponsored by Tubi