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The Top 10 brands that make her feel good
- beanodigital
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
What do you do when you feel like the world is against you? Find something that makes you feel good.
As soon as March rolls around brands are quick to share female-led IWD messages, events and even the odd discount code. But which are the brands that truly make her feel good?
For the past two years around IWD, we’ve run our own Feel Good Brand Index. The list is formed by a combination of spontaneous mentions from the five million women who engage with us each month and observations from our Stylist journalists. This list is then ranked by 1800 millennial and Gen Z women from our Think Stylist panel, creating our final list.
The Top Twenty Feel Good Brands for Gen Z and Millennial women in 2025
1. M&S
2. Boots
3. Dove
4. John Lewis
5. Lush
6. Holland & Barrett
7. Neal’s Yard
8. Oliver Bonas
9. The Ordinary
10. L’Occitane
11. Sweaty Betty
12. Nivea
13. Charlotte Tilbury
14. Rituals
15. Headspace
16. Aveda
17. Maltesers
18. Chanel
19. Lucy & Yak
20. e.l.f.
M&S has topped the list consistently for the last two years, making it the definitive Feel Good brand. Over the last year it’s seen a boom in Gen Z appreciation, dominating TikTok high street fashion hauls and new in food hall taste tests creating sell out products – has anyone managed to get their hands on the Custard Crème easter egg? But it’s not just the younger cohort who are embracing the brand, dubbed “the new Topshop for millennials” a collaboration with millennial poster girl Sienna Miller and luxury knitwear designer Bella Freud means it ranks highly with those born before 1996 too. But being trendy isn’t enough to secure the top of the Feel Good Brand Index. There’s a comforting nostalgia associated with M&S with many women growing up with it that likely feeds into this ranking, alongside a stability that comes with a brand that can always be found on the high street.
The role of the high street is an interesting one. In our recent F Word spending report we found that in-person shopping was important to Gen Z and millennial women. In fact, the only categories that she preferred shopping online for were holidays and electricals. When she had time, heading to a physical store was overwhelmingly preferred vs online for clothes (48% vs 27%), beauty (44% vs 23%) and interiors (50% vs 11%).
Self-care = feel good is also evident. 11 in 2025 and 12 in 2024 of the Top Twenty are beauty brands, providing a pampering moment. Perhaps reflecting her economic climate, Dove and The Ordinary have both climbed four places this year, providing a cost-effective Feel Good moment. But equally these are two brands who have embraced their audience and had her back. Between the two brand dips, Dove marked 20 years of being her ally with its Real Beauty campaign by calling out AI and celebrated women over 60, providing much more than just pampering. Boots used its Christmas campaign to highlight women’s contribution to the festive season, using Mrs Claus as the ultimate influencer. Also reflecting her mindset, Holland & Barrett entered the Top 10 this year, up two places from 2024. With a purpose of making “health and wellness a way of life”, the retailer speaks to a key need for this cohort of women who truly see health = wealth.
Another big purpose-led riser is Lush, jumping five places from 10 to 5. Despite having no social media presence for three years now, Lush is clearly still making an impact. In the last year it has leant further into its ally purpose, partnering with charity EachOther to educate on human rights and spotlight UK issues. With Gen Z and millennial women feeling it is the world vs them, its unsurprising a brand stepping up and solving problems is making her feel good.
In a world where she needs allies more than ever and her discretionary spend is reduced, making her feel good is an essential role brands can play. So, to ensure you always know what she is thinking, sign up to our monthly newsletter to get our latest insights direct to your inbox.