From Korean serums to French creams: How these Indian cities are driving India’s premium beauty boom

A few years ago, buying Korean skincare serums, French pharmacy creams or luxury perfumes often meant visiting a mall in Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru. Now, shoppers in cities like Guwahati, Dehradun and Patiala are filling their online carts with the same premium beauty products and driving a major shift in India’s beauty market.

Amazon India says more than half of the demand for premium beauty products on its platform now comes from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, highlighting how beauty shopping habits are rapidly changing beyond metros. Its premium beauty segment has grown 50% year on year, driven by consumers in smaller towns increasingly spending on high end skincare, international makeup brands and Middle Eastern fragrances online.

As demand rises, Amazon plans to add more than 100 premium beauty brands to its platform in 2026.

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These include Dolce & Gabbana, Laura Mercier, Elemis, Urban Decay, Aveda, La Roche Posay, Biodance, Eucerin, Paula’s Choice and Anessa.

Customers are showing increasing interest in Japanese, Australian and French beauty brands, along with Middle Eastern perfume labels.

“India's beauty industry is seeing a clear shift from availability-led shopping to more intentional, discovery-led consumption, driven by growing awareness of global beauty trends,” Siddharth Bhagat, Director, Beauty, Amazon India, said.

“On Amazon, premium beauty is growing 50% YoY, with demand for K beauty and French pharmacy nearly doubling year over year. We're seeing more than 50% of this demand come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities such as Thrissur, Dehradun, Patiala, Guwahati and Kolhapur,” he added.

Demand for K beauty and French pharmacy skincare products has nearly doubled year on year on its platform.

Products linked to “glass skin” routines, barrier repair creams and clinical skincare are becoming increasingly popular among Indian consumers, especially younger shoppers discovering global trends through social media.

French pharmacy brands including CeraVe, Avène, Ducray, Embryolisse and Uriage are seeing strong growth on the platform.

Middle Eastern fragrance brands such as Rasasi, Ahmed Al Maghribi, Arabiyat and Lattafa have meanwhile grown nearly three times year on year, driven by rising demand for long lasting oud and attar perfumes.

 D2C haircare brands have grown over 2.5 times, reflecting a wider shift towards premium and routine based beauty spending.

The boom is not limited to women’s beauty products, the premium men’s grooming segment has also grown over 2.5 times year on year.

Products such as body groomers, all in one grooming kits and multi groomers are seeing strong demand as more men adopt detailed grooming routines.

Amazon said nearly half of all beauty orders across India’s top 100 cities are now delivered the same day or the next day, making premium products more accessible in smaller towns.

The company is also using AI powered tools such as Rufus, Virtual Try On and SkinCare Advisor to help customers discover products suited to their skin type and preferences.