The third quarter was a bright spot for the prestige beauty industry.

Sales of U.S. prestige beauty products rose 6% to $2.4 billion for the time period ended September 30. Makeup saw the biggest gains with a 10% spike to $1 billion, followed by fragrance with a 4% increase to $543 million, and skin care, which rose 2% to $840 million. Sales of eye, lip and face products drove makeup’s double-digit gain, said The NPD Group, Inc. In scent, sales of juices continue to rise with nearly a 5% gain. Facial masks are the primary driver of skin care growth, according to NPD, with a significant double-digit increase compared to the same time period last year.

“The trends that have developed throughout 2014 remain clear during the third quarter – fragrance is having a great run heading into the holiday season, and makeup is widening the gap between itself and skin care,” said Karen Grant, Vice President and Global Industry Analyst, The NPD Group, Inc.

“While each of the categories experienced growth, recognizing the industry shifts that have occurred will allow retailers and manufacturers to better understand what their consumers are looking for, which is especially critical as we enter the holiday shopping season.”