The beauty industry thrives on creativity, innovation, and—let’s be honest—a whole lot of cross-border magic. From bold pigments and skincare-safe ingredients to luxe packaging and precision tools, every beauty product you use is a global effort.
But in 2025, as tariffs on cosmetics continue to evolve, the beauty supply chain is feeling the pressure—and so are indie beauty brands like GoPlay Cosmetics.
If you’re a beauty lover in the U.S., or even other countries, here’s what these changes could mean for your next custom lipstick, and how we’re working hard to keep the GoPlay experience seamless, affordable, and fabulous.
Wait—What Are Tariffs, and Why Do They Matter for My Lipstick?
Tariffs are taxes imposed by governments on goods that cross borders. They’re meant to protect domestic industries, but they also increase the cost of imported items—especially in industries like beauty where components often come from multiple countries.
In the US, recent trade policy changes have introduced new and higher tariffs on cosmetics and personal care products. And while the headlines might seem far away from your beauty bag, the impact is real—from raw material costs to how fast we can ship your orders.
For instance, on April 5, 2025, the U.S. introduced a 10% baseline tariff on nearly all imports, including cosmetics, under what was called the “Liberation Day” policy. Imports from countries like Singapore (where GoPlay Cosmetics is based) are subject only to this 10% base rate—no additional reciprocal tariffs apply. So while other indie brands who ship from China may see a major impact on their U.S. inbound shipments, we GoPlay customers enjoy the lowest tax tier.
4 Ways Tariffs Are Impacting the Beauty Industry in 2025
1. Rising Costs of Ingredients and Packaging
The beauty world runs on high-quality, skin-safe ingredients and specialized packaging. When tariffs are added to these imports, prices rise across the board—especially for indie brands that refuse to cut corners on safety or performance.
Brands like ours, which prioritize vegan, clean, and high‑quality formulations, absorb much of the cost—but as tariffs increase, small price adjustments may become necessary.
2. Supply Chain Delays and Shifts
To minimize tariff exposure, many brands (us included!) are shifting part of their production and assembly closer to key customer regions. At GoPlay, our products are assembled in Singapore. We are also starting to warehouse and fulfil more orders directly from our US warehouse, ensuring faster delivery for many American customers.
Still, global rerouting can lead to slower restocks for niche shades or limited-edition collections.
3. Price Pressures vs. Brand Values
While some larger brands might cut costs with cheaper materials, we know that’s not what GoPlayers signed up for. Instead, we’re:
• Streamlining shipping and fulfillment
• Sourcing smartly from alternate regions
• Investing in building products that are modular, with a customisable format like the LIPSKIT, which reduce inventory risks and offer you more value per dollar
4. Impact on Availability and Variety
The dynamically changing nature of tariffs also means that restocking of certain products might see some delays, due to tariff-related supply-chain inefficiencies. So if you see something you like and it's low on stock, it's best if you get it before we sell out to avoid long wait times for restock.
How GoPlay Cosmetics Is Navigating the Tariff Terrain
We’re not here to panic. We’re here to adapt—and thrive.
Here’s how we’re responding:
Smarter Sourcing:
We’ve diversified our supplier relationships to avoid over-reliance on any one tariff-prone region. This helps us keep prices stable and product quality high.
Global Yet Local Fulfillment:
By assembling in Singapore and shipping globally—including from our U.S. warehouse —we’re working around the volatility and keeping delivery times quick and tariff impacts low.
Custom Beauty = Flexible Beauty:
Our flagship product, the GoPlay LIPSKIT, empowers you to create your perfect custom lipstick shades at home using just five primary colors. This adaptability means fewer pre-made SKUs, less waste, and more options for you—regardless of what’s happening in global trade.
For Our U.S. Customers (and friends worldwide)
If you’re shopping from the United States, the impact of US tariffs on GoPlay Cosmetics may show up in small ways—like a minor price increase or slight delay on certain SKUs. We’ll always be transparent about it.
That said, our priority is still YOU:
• 90% of our US orders ship quickly from Singapore or from the U.S. depending on the products. (we're in the process to move all SKUs to the U.S. warehouse)
• Your products are “Made in Singapore” so they might only levy upto 10% duties
• And we’re constantly working behind the scenes to keep your experience smooth and joyful
Shoppers in other parts of the world may also see minor variations in shipping speeds or product availability as we adjust for changing import policies. But rest assured—we’ve got you covered.
The Bottom Line?
Tariffs on cosmetics may be unpredictable, but your GoPlay experience doesn’t have to be.
We’re keeping beauty fun, customizable, and accessible—even in a shifting economic landscape. Because no matter what’s happening in global trade, you deserve lipstick that feels as good as it looks.
Stay tuned, stay bold, and stay gorgeous.
Love,
Team GoPlay
P.S. Want to stay ahead of product drops, custom shade tutorials, and global shipping updates?
