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The holiday season is without a doubt the busiest time of the year for beauty brands. Everyone needs a gift, and beauty products make the perfect one. The orders reach their peak in November and December. But once January arrives, sales typically drop off. That is, unless you have a strategy in place to keep the momentum going.

Holiday shoppers are valuable, and with the right approach, they can easily become long-term clients. But how do you transform a first-time holiday buyer into a customer who keeps coming back? Let’s unpack this.

Why Holiday Buyers Are Harder to Retain

Let’s see how holiday shoppers differ from typical year-round customers. They are often:

Gift-buyers (buying things for other people, not for themselves)
Discount-driven purchasers
Short-term buyers who are not (yet) emotionally connected to the brand

First-time holiday buyers often behave like bargain-hunters. Good deals, bundles, discounts – they’ll buy even if they barely know your brand. And that’s your chance to make things happen long term. Engage them after the sale, make them feel seen, and suddenly you’re not just a one-time stop, they’re actually coming back for more.

How To Turn Holiday Buyers Into Loyal Customers

We have prepared a 5-step-strategy to help your beauty brand make the right first impression.

Here’s how you can turn holiday shoppers into loyal customers who keep coming back.

Step 1: Make Their First Experience Memorable

Retention starts early. And one of the key moments is the unboxing experience. Even if it’s their first purchase and it’s just a gift, how your product looks and feels can impact their impression of your brand and whether they want to purchase again.

Elevate your holiday packaging

Include a branded card explaining the product benefits, tell something more about your brand.
Add a small “thank you” sample so they can try more of your products.

Provide a new-customer reward

“Enjoy 15% off your first self-care purchase after the holidays”
“Use this code to get a free gift with your next purchase”

This encourages the first-time buyer to think about the next purchase, to plan on coming back to your brand in advance.

Step 2: Build a Post-Holiday Follow-Up Sequence

First-time buyers are your brand’s potential future loyal customers, so make sure to treat them that way.

Be active. Be engaging. Be convincing.

Here’s a purposeful sequence you can use for inspiration this January to February.

Email 1: Welcome email

Introduce your brand in more detail. Highlight your story and main values.
Add a small reminder about the “new customer” reward for their next order.

Email 2: Beauty routine and bundles

Show how the product fits into their daily wellness or beauty routine.
Offer bundle recommendations to showcase which products go together with the one they already purchased.

Look into Selfnamed bundle offers and see which products go together the best.

*Explore Selfnamed’s* *Collection Boxes*

Email 3: Loyal customer experience

Share the reviews of your existing loyal customers.
Showcase the before/after effect of your products – photos, social media posts included.

Step 3: Create Retention-Driven Offers for January–February

The hustle doesn’t stop after the holidays! It's very important to plan your marketing campaigns for Q1, right when beauty brands usually face a slow down.

1. New Year, New Routine Bundles

Bundle your products in a discounted routine kit. For example, serum + eye-cream + day cream = the perfect skincare kit with a great price.

2. Valentine’s Day Campaign

Highlight the need of self-care. Gift-givers might now want to treat themselves with something special, so think of an offer for Valentine’s Day.

3. Winter Must-Haves

Our skin needs extra love during the winter season. Dryness, irritation, dullness – these are all seasonal concerns that need attention.

4. Reorder + Reward Promo

Let’s be honest, we all love a free gift with a purchase. You can offer a freebie for any January or February purchase. That’s definitely something customers will want to come back for.

Selfnamed’s catalog makes all of this easy. You can create sets and bundles and add new products without any worry. Browse the product library for some inspiration.

Step 4: Use Loyalty Programs to Keep Customers Coming Back

A loyalty program is one of the simplest yet effective retention tools. Research shows that more than half of shoppers worldwide see loyalty programs as an important reason to stay connected to their favorite brands. Even more, about 40% say a well-designed loyalty program actually increases their likelihood of staying loyal in the long run.

Elements of an effective beauty loyalty program:

Points for every purchase

Customers can earn points for each purchase and then trade them for a discount or a free product.

Birthday rewards

Everybody loves being celebrated on their special day. A birthday discount will add that special touch.

Exclusive access

Your loyal customers will be the first ones to know about new product launches, first ones to access sales. Exclusive access to deals make consumers feel more special and like a part of a community.

Loyalty programs and emails work wonders together. Every email should highlight the value of joining the loyalty program.

Step 5: Launch Limited-Time Post-Holiday Products

Nothing fuels retention like something new and exclusive!

Your new customer has tried your product or the free sample that came with the purchase, and now they are curious about what’s next. Use that to launch something new and exciting at the beginning of the new year.

What you can execute with Selfnamed

Something new, seasonal and just in time for some peaceful moments after the holiday season craziness.

“Winter Must-Haves” set for dry skin with Deep Moisture Collection Box
“Valentine’s Day Glow” set with Hydra-Glow Collection Box
“Me-Time” set with a Wildflower Soy Wax Candle and Patchouli & Amber Vanilla hand & body wash

The perfect “Valentine’s Day Glow” set.

How Selfnamed Helps Beauty Brands Retain Customers

Selfnamed’s customizable skincare products make it easy to:

Restock quickly
Order in low minimum quantities
Create bundles effortlessly
Launch seasonal product updates

This gives you the ability to:

Launch during and after the holidays
Offer loyalty-exclusive products
Encourage repeat purchases all year long

Selfnamed makes it simple to restock your products quickly, so your customers can keep enjoying what they love. And you keep them coming back.

Marketing Messaging to Use After the Holidays

If you’re looking for messaging hooks to use in January–February after the holidays are over, here are some tips and tricks that will turn a holiday buyer into a repeat customer:

“Loved your holiday gift? Now meet the rest of the routine.”

Perfect for introducing bundle options.

“New year, new skincare routine.”

New year resolution time is great for routine upgrades or multi-step sets.

“Your skin is tired of winter? Skincare must-haves to the rescue!”

Talk about your best hydrating products for dry skin.

“Reorder means reward.”

Pairs with your loyalty program incentives.

Final Thoughts

Holiday customers create a powerful opportunity for your beauty brand (not just for year-end revenue, but also for long-term growth). By delivering a memorable first experience, building a strategic post-holiday email sequence, offering retention-focused Q1 promotions, launching fresh products, and using a strong loyalty program, you can turn seasonal shoppers into long-term loyal customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start by giving your customers a memorable first experience – beautiful packaging, personal note, a gift, or a product sample. Follow up with value-driven, educational emails that help them understand the brand better, get real results from what they ordered.
When you add personalized recommendations, you turn a seasonal shopper into someone who comes back because they feel understood and supported by your brand. Like a part of a community.
Use the post-holiday period to transform short-term traffic into long-term growth. Review what worked, understand who your new buyers are, and re-engage with tips and tricks about routines, products and deals. This is also the perfect moment to introduce loyalty programs, new products and bundles.
Retention works best when customers see value quickly, and you can help with that. Share easy usage tips, offer personalized product suggestions, make your new customers feel supported and seen through great customer care. Samples, loyalty points, routine-based content – these might seem like small steps, but they are actually very important and show customers that your brand is committed to long-term relationships, not just the first order.
Loyalty grows through trust and consistent results. Most customers return within 30–60 days if they love the product, and stronger loyalty typically forms within 3–6 months. With a thoughtful experience and great products that deliver results, brands can build lasting relationships much faster.

How Beauty Brands Can Turn New Buyers Into Loyal Customers