3.10.2023
Make up and cosmetics are big news on TikTok, with over 267 billion views of the #makeup hashtag on the platform alone. Since the platform started to explode during the pandemic, it’s driven countless trends in cosmetics and beauty, catapulting beauty brands forward and selling out products around the world.
The Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand is one example of a cosmetics product driven by TikTok. It went viral following an interview with singer Madison Beer where she named the product as one of her beauty essentials. This led to a tonne of TikTokkers replicating her look, the product selling out and a waiting list of over 40,000 customers.
We collected TikTok data from a pool of beauty-focused influencers between 1st July 2021 and 31st May 2022 to see who’s leading the way when it comes to cosmetics on TikTok.
Here’s a snapshot of the insights we discovered on the top cosmetics products and brands on TikTok:
Make-Up Revolution had the most mentions
Over 100 cosmetics brands were seen during the time frame, but it was budget beauty brand Make-Up Revolution that came top of the mentions. The Make-Up Revolution 5D Lash Pow Mascara also appeared in the top 10 of products with the most mentions on TikTok.
Fenty Beauty, NARS, Charlotte Tilbury and Maybelline New York were next on the list of the cosmetics brands with the most mentions.
Charlotte Tilbury is top of the products
The cosmetics product with the most mentions during the period was Charlotte Tilbury’s Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation. TikTok influencers shared their first impressions and thoughts, driving excitement and interest in the natural-finish foundation ahead of the launch in 2022.
Charlotte Tilbury has gained serious traction on TikTok over the last couple of years, with sell-out and cult products from the brand gaining in popularity. Brand founder Charlotte Tilbury regularly appears on the brands TikTok, sharing tips, answering questions and even doing makeovers using Charlotte Tilbury products.
MAC Macstack Mascara and Maybelline New York Colossal Curl Bounce Mascara were next on the list of products with the most mentions on TikTok.
Brand loyalty is lower than in other categories
Unlike other beauty categories, such as skincare, the cosmetics category has far fewer historic hero brands and more new challenger brands. This shows that newness is a key driver in cosmetics with consumers seeking innovation and uniqueness.
When it comes to most mentioned products, brands like Fenty Beauty, Anastacia Beverley Hills, Huda Beauty, Maybelline New York and NYX Professional Beauty show up repeatedly in the top 100 cosmetic products by TikTok mentions.
Brands with female founders are thriving on TikTok
A number of female-led cosmetics brands are doing well when it comes to mentions on TikTok. Fenty Beauty, Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, Vieve, Anastacia Beverley Hills and Huda Beauty all appear in the top mentioned brands and products on TikTok.
These founders are celebrities, make up artists and social media stars but they all find themselves becoming beauty influencers, bringing effective products that look beautiful to their fans. TikTok is a brilliant facilitator for their success.
Face products lead the way
Face products - including products like foundation, blusher and powder - are the most popular on TikTok with 47% of all mentioned. Eye makeup products - such as eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and brow enhancers - are the second most popular sub-category with 35% of mentions.
90% of the top ten mentioned cosmetics products on TikTok are face or eye products, with just one lip product appearing in the top ten. Lip products made up 14% of mentions on TikTok, which fits with the most popular products.
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