Britons embrace AI and splurge on celebrity beauty in 2025, bank data shows

Britons leaned into the artificial intelligence (AI) boom in 2025 and embraced celebrity-founded brands such as Kylie Cosmetics and Rhode, new data shows.

Yearly spending data from digital bank Monzo, which has more than 14 million customers, reveals how beauty continued to shape shopping habits across the UK.

Kylie Jenner’s beauty brand Kylie Cosmetics generated £55,000 in spending from Monzo customers during 2025, while Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand Rhode proved even more popular, raking in £736,000 over the year.

Shoppers also continued to spend heavily on other fast-growing celebrity brands, with Kim Kardashian’s Skims seeing more than £1.8 million in spending. The brand is also preparing to expand into beauty.

The data suggests that while second-hand shopping remains popular - with £210 million spent on resale platforms such as Vinted and Depop, up 13% year on year - consumers are still willing to spend on new, trend-driven beauty and fashion brands.

It also highlights a concerted shift towards AI this year with spending on platforms like OpenAI more than doubling from £8 million in 2024 to £19 million in 2025.

Spending per person surged by 85% compared with the previous year.

OpenAI owns AI chatbot ChatGPT, which offers paid-for plans for people and businesses who want access to more advanced technology.

The service was launched three years ago and helped spark global interest in using generative AI technology for day-to-day tasks.

AJ Coyne, Vice President for Marketing at Monzo, said: “This was a year of cultural moments defining people’s spending habits.

“Whether they were shopping for viral must-have products, embracing ‘90s Britpop nostalgia or living life on two wheels, we’ve seen every trend unfold in real time in the Monzo app.”

The decade-old bank, which is the seventh largest in the UK by customer numbers, launched its “Year in Monzo” feature for customers on Monday.

Similar to the popular Spotify Wrapped campaign, it gives customers of the bank insights into their personal spending habits.