What Women’s Essentials Reveal About How We’re Living Now

By Susan Riley, Head of Think Stylist 

What’s essential to you? Beyond the obvious – food, heat, friends and that ever-present phone charger – what are the things you’d hate to live without?  

For me, it’s Cadbury’s Hot Chocolate, my Skin + Me subscription, Papier diaries, Estrid razors and Maldon Sea Salt. Small things, perhaps, but each one adds something essential to how I feel, function or flourish.  That’s the thing about essentials – they’re never just practical, they’re personal.  And right now, those “non-negotiables” are changing fast.  

 In our new Think Stylist report, The New Essentials, we spoke to 2,670 women across the UK to explore what they truly can’t live without and why.  

The results paint a picture of a generation redefining value

When it comes to their personal non-negotiables, skincare tops the list, with 64% of women calling it their No 1 essential. The skin is our body’s largest organ, which means this No 1 must-have is not about vanity but wellbeing, self-care and ritualisation.  

Generations X, Y, and Z also ranked moisturiser as their most important product, a sign that hydration and longevity are key priorities for younger age groups.  

Next come streaming subscriptions (59%), led by Netflix, and premium food staples such as olive oil, coffee and chocolate (50%). These are comfort-driven choices which prioritise the concept of everyday luxuries, turning the routine into something restorative.  

Health and wellbeing are now also viewed as the ultimate status symbols and this shift changes everything for brands. Our data shows that 69% of women say their essentials support their mental and physical health, with only 12% saying they value time-saving the most. The message? Women are done chasing convenience. The new aspiration is care.  

What this means for brands 

Women’s essentials tell a larger story about mindset: a move away from accumulation toward intentional living. The everyday choices women make – what they eat, stream, apply and buy – are now acts of self-definition.  

At Think Stylist, we've mapped this shift through what we call The Essentialism Scale: a framework that tracks how deeply a brand connects with women’s sense of wellbeing and identity.  At the bottom are brands that simply work, while at the top are those that enhance life itself, the ones women turn to for comfort, confidence and calm.  

Essentialism in 2025 isn’t about minimalism, it’s about meaningful abundance. It’s about choosing fewer, better things that bring joy and stability in a world that often feels unpredictable.   

For brands, that’s the opportunity: to move beyond function and start serving women’s emotional priorities. To create products and messages that feel like a genuine contribution to their wellbeing, not just another item on their to-do list.  Because when something becomes truly essential, it’s not just bought – it’s believed in.  

To find out what's truly essential to women in 2025, subscribe to our monthly Muse newsletter and receive The New Essentials report directly to your inbox.