Let’s dig into the relative performance of Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL) and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q2 personal care earnings season.

While personal care products may seem more discretionary than food, consumers tend to maintain or even boost their spending on the category during tough times. This phenomenon is known as "the lipstick effect" by economists, which states that consumers still want some semblance of affordable luxuries like beauty and wellness when the economy is sputtering. Consumer tastes are constantly changing, and personal care companies are currently responding to the public’s increased desire for ethically produced goods by featuring natural ingredients in their products.

The 9 personal care stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.5% above.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8.1% since the latest earnings results.

Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL)

Named after its founder, who was an entrepreneurial woman from New York with a passion for skincare, Estée Lauder (NYSE: EL) is a one-stop beauty shop with products in skincare, fragrance, makeup, sun protection, and men’s grooming.

Estée Lauder reported revenues of $3.64 billion, up 6.8% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 10.9% since reporting and currently trades at $93.42.

Is now the time to buy Estée Lauder? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF)

Short for "eyes, lips, face", e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is a developer of high-quality beauty products at accessible price points.

e.l.f. Beauty reported revenues of $479.4 million, up 35.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 11%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

e.l.f. Beauty achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat, fastest revenue growth, and highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 11.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $96.45.

Is now the time to buy e.l.f. Beauty? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Nature's Sunshine (NASDAQ: NATR)

Started on a kitchen table in Utah, Nature’s Sunshine (NASDAQ: NATR) manufactures and sells nutritional and personal care products.

Nature's Sunshine reported revenues of $117 million, up 1.9% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 5.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Nature's Sunshine delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. As expected, the stock is down 36% since the results and currently trades at $13.02.

Read our full analysis of Nature's Sunshine’s results here.

Medifast (NYSE: MED)

Known for its Optavia program that combines portion-controlled meal replacements with coaching, Medifast (NYSE: MED) has a broad product portfolio of bars, snacks, drinks, and desserts for those looking to lose weight or consume healthier foods.

Medifast reported revenues of $76.38 million, down 27.6% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 5.1%. It was a stunning quarter as it also produced EPS guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Medifast delivered the highest guidance raise but had the slowest revenue growth in the group. The stock is up 20.5% since reporting and currently trades at $11.73.

Read our full, actionable report on Medifast here, it’s free.

Coty (NYSE: COTY)

With a portfolio boasting many household brands, Coty (NYSE: COTY) is a beauty products powerhouse spanning cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare.

Coty reported revenues of $1.27 billion, up 1.3% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 5.7%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is down 19.5% since reporting and currently trades at $2.44.

Read our full, actionable report on Coty here, it’s free.

Market Update

Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership.

Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products.

By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.