Below is the February 2023 edition of our Beauty Leaderboard Newsletter where we provide monthly data-backed insights on rising beauty trends, in-depth analyses of successful brand/influencer collaborations, and benchmarked rankings of global beauty brands.
Traackr Beauty Brand Leaderboard Ranking Insights
US Brand Spotlight: Tarte Cosmetics / Glow Recipe + Influencer Trips
At the start of 2023, beauty influencers have been the topic of much discussion across social media.
A big contributor to all this buzz? Tarte Cosmetics trip to Dubai. In January the brand invited 50 popular beauty and lifestyle influencers (along with a guest) to join them in Dubai to celebrate the launch of their new foundation. As the creators posted travel vlogs showing them traveling business class and living it up in private Ritz Carlton villas stocked with gifts, critics across social media emerged. Much of this criticism revolved around the large price tag this trip must have had for Tarte, and whether this kind of activation is an efficient use of budget for brands.
While it’s too early to tell whether the trip will have a lasting impact on Tarte’s sales or brand reputation, it certainly had an immediate and significant boost to their share of voice across social media.
Content mentioning Tarte Cosmetics, Jan 15 thru Feb 15, 2023 vs. Jan 15 thru Feb 15, 2022
- +17% mentions
- +453% engagements
- +374% video views
- +270% VIT
Tarte also reached the top ten on our January leaderboard (ranking 6th), which is something they weren’t able to do in any month in 2022. The top performing posts from the trip came from Monet McMichael and Alix Earle. Both were TikToks featuring 4 of the girls from the trip hanging out — Monet McMichael (@monetmcmichael), Alix Earle (@alixearle), Aisha Mian (@itsaishamian), and Azra Mian (@azramian).
And mere days after returning home, Alix Earle and Monet McMichael along with Mikalya Nogueira (@mikaylanogueira), Stephanie Valentine (@glamzilla), Clark Peoples (@claaaarke), and Xandra Pohl (@xandrapohl) packed their bags once again to join Glow Recipe for a weekend getaway in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the Amangani Resort to promote the brand’s Plum Plump Hyaluronic Moisturizer. The goal was to put this moisturizer to the test against Wyoming’s harsh winter conditions.
Somewhat surprisingly, from Feb 1 (a few days prior to the trip) thru Feb 15, 2023, Glow has actually seen a slight decrease in total mentions compared to the same period in 2022.
However, engagements and video views increased significantly proving that influencer trips can be impactful in different ways, depending on how it's executed and what audience the brand is targeting. GRWM TikToks from Mikayla Nogueira and Alix Earle were the top posts from the trip, earning 8.4M and 4.1M video views.
Content mentioning Glow Recipe, Feb 1 thru Feb 15, 2023 vs. Feb 1 thru Feb 15, 2022
- -17% mentions
- +608% engagements
- +503% video views
- +316% VIT
Given the high amount of consumer attention these recent trips from Tarte and Glow Recipe have garnered, it will be interesting to see if more beauty brands will host similar luxurious, extravagant influencer trips throughout 2023.
UK Brand Spotlight: MAC Cosmetics + HYPER REAL Skincare Launch
MAC Cosmetics got off to a strong start in 2023, increasing VIT by 100% and jumping 7 spots from the previous month to take the number 2 spot on the UK leaderboard. Much of the success was due to the launch of the Hyper Real High Performance skincare line, the brand’s first foray into skincare. To promote the UK launch, the brand partnered with a handful of popular mega (1M+ followers) and macro tier (250k+ followers) TikTok influencers like Laila Paul (@lailapaul7), Zak Health (@zakheath), Alice T (@alxcext), and Bex Campbell (@bexcxmpbell).
The ad content from each influencer followed a similar structure, with each video lasting about 15 seconds and featuring the influencer applying the Serumizer Skin balancing Hydration Serum and then using the 001 Serum + Moisturizer Brush to massage the product into the skin.
MAC’s attempt to expand into skincare isn’t surprising given the skinification trend we’ve seen across the beauty industry in recent years. As more consumers are seeking performance and ingredient-driven products that promote long-lasting health, we’ve seen the boundaries between skincare and makeup become less rigid. This is made especially prominent by popular ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides being included in makeup product formulations.
Tip: Planning an upcoming product campaign but unsure how much you should offer to pay influencers you’d like to work with? Check out our recent article which will guide you through how to negotiate with influencers in a way that leaves both parties happy.
FR Brand Spotlight: K18 + Salon Hair Care
K18 jumped an incredible 147 spots in the rankings to land at number 31 on the FR monthly leaderboard. It saw month-over-month increases of 787% in VIT, 872% in engagements, and 638% in video views.
K18’s January performance is a showcase example for how a professional hair care brand can use both platforms to concurrently prioritize their valuable community of ambassador hair stylists while also expanding their share of voice amongst a broader audience (particularly outside of the professional hair care services space and amongst younger consumers).
In January, K18 saw 63% of their VIT come from Instagram and 37% from TikTok. On Instagram, most of the top posts came from hair care professionals like Eric Maurice (@ericmaurice57), Romain Berg (@romain.berg_), Joris Ganier (@joris_ganier), and Mathieu Chris (@mathieuchris). While on TikTok, the top posts often came from beauty/lifestyle influencers like Nastassia (@nastblog) and Kamelia (@curlykams) along with hair stylists who frequently post on TikTok like Romain Berg and Stef Le (@steflecoiffeur).
While developing a strong brand reputation amongst both hair professionals and regular beauty consumers is difficult, brands like K18 and Olaplex have reaped the rewards for successfully doing just this and their willingness to take risks and jump quickly on emerging platforms and trends has played a significant role in their success.
Tip: Looking for specific examples to take inspiration from for your upcoming sponsored campaigns? Check out 6 recent top performing sponsored posts that we highlight here.
If you want to see how your beauty brand ranks, check out our monthly leaderboard here.