Skincare. Streaming. Olive oil. 

 

These might seem like simple everyday choices but according to our latest report, The New Essentials, they represent something much bigger: a cultural reset in how women define value, wellbeing and satisfaction. 

 

Drawing on insight from 2,670 women across the UK, this study explores what women truly can’t live without in 2025.

 

The report identifies five key areas shaping women’s essentials today and to help brands measure their place within this new mindset, Think Stylist has developed The Essentialism Scale - a proprietary framework inspired by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. 

 

The scale charts a brand’s journey from functional reliability (products that simply work) to life-enhancing love (brands that elevate wellbeing, joy and self-expression). 

 

In a marketplace where attention is fragmented and loyalty is hard-won, emotional relevance has become the ultimate differentiator. The closer a brand sits to women’s sense of wellbeing, the more irreplaceable it becomes. 

 

Discover where your brand sits on The Essentialism Scale:

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