Beyond Social Media Trends: How Social Media is Influencing Beauty and Fashion Trends in Kenya
Lately, social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram have been playing a major role in shaping growing trends in beauty and fashion in Kenya. When you scroll through these apps, you may encounter trending challenges in skincare routines, makeup hacks, or even body aesthetics, making them spaces where trends are introduced, celebrated, and used to shape how people look and express themselves.
A lot of young people in Kenya are turning to digital platforms for fashion inspiration, beauty advice, and even lifestyle ideas. Unlike in the past, when people looked to fashion for inspiration from celebrity magazines and television shows, the transformation now happens with content creators and influencers who create videos and trends, which mostly create hype, influencing viewers to participate in such videos.
However, the growing sensation on these platforms is also reshaping perceptions of beauty, influencing consumer spending, and creating new opportunities within the fashion and beauty industry in the country.
For instance, social media has popularized particular body aesthetics across online platforms, with one of the most well-known being the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) trend, which has become part of the conversations around beauty and body image in Kenya. While some women view such cosmetic procedures as a personal choice and self-expression, it also raises concerns about the pressure to conform to digitally promoted beauty standards and the general health of individuals undergoing such transformations.
Additionally, repeated exposure to such “perfect images” can create unrealistic expectations, especially when filters, edited images, and cosmetic enhancements are presented as natural appearances. Such trends can also play a role in individual dissatisfaction and insecurities when it comes to their appearances.
On the other hand, skincare routines and makeup transformations have become common forms of online content, mostly inspired by content creators, and they also impact consumer preferences with trending inspirations. This is because a product recommended by certain influencers mostly attracts a large amount of attention from the audience, tempting them to make purchases, which creates great opportunities for local brands without relying on traditional advertising.
Despite the fact that influencers create publicity for some of the skincare products, the challenge comes in when some of these products have not been approved by professionals or have unclear ingredients and possible side effects. Additionally, not every product works the same for everyone; each skin type has a suitable skincare recommendation.
Fashion is also not left behind, with local fashion finding its space online. Recently, some of the Kenyan clothing brands have been at the forefront of publicizing their outfits and their designs, while others even host runways for local models and designs. Some of the popular locally made clothing includes the ones made with traditional fabrics, African- inspired designs, and crochet outfits.
Further, as the digital spaces continue to influence on lifestyle, the question is are Kenyans using social media to their individuality or they are allowing popular individual’s trends to define themselves and how they should appear. Some of the trends could be inspiring and create opportunities for individuals, while others could make them feel insecure about their own lifestyles, body images, and even appearance.
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