Quarantine has influenced many discoveries and uncovered new trends as at home life has taken over. One of the largest changes in the beauty industry has been the decline of interest in makeup products and the huge increase in everything skincare.
Our recently released State of Influence 2020: #unprecedented report took a look at more than 41,000 global influencers who produce content in lifestyle categories such as beauty, fashion and food. Among the most stand-out findings was the enormous traction that the “skinfluencer” movement had gained. The total number of skincare content mentions increased by 197% between H1 2019 and H1 2020. Even influencers who typically are focused on makeup have turned to skincare products in recent months, as this content is of greater interest to their followers.
Drawing on the same sample of influencers used for the report, I've identified six top skinfluencers who were able to reinvent themselves or remain relevant to their audience even during the crisis. Here are some profiles to keep an eye on:
TikTok
This ultimate lockdown platform has seen tremendous growth this year. Between the first half of 2019 and the second half of 2020, the number of active paid influencers increased by 368%, the number of sponsored content rose by 95% and the number of engagements went up by 298%.
Here are two skinfluencers who have successfully taken over the new platform:
@Nikkililly
Nicole Lilly Christou is a mega influencer, activist, British TV presenter, and a successful TikTok influencer. Between January and August 2020, she obtained 38.8 million views on her videos. In addition, over the same period by posting only 7 videos mentioning skincare, she generated 3.78M engagements (all very positive) and a 33.6% engagement rate.
@Nikkililly was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), resulting in visible veins on her face – a condition that doesn't stop her from sharing videos in which she shines a light on her beauty routines. As she herself puts it, "i look different but i’m the same as u.” The vlogger is aware that she may look different, but she doesn't let that stand in her way. Quite the opposite, in fact. Her approach is paying off, and we love women who embrace who they are and make their differences their strength!
@Kylethomas
Kyle Thomas is an influencer who became popular after testing the waters on TikTok. He is now one of the United Kingdom's most popular content creators. Kyle is especially known for sharing informative videos and fun insights into his work rescuing animals, from dogs to hedgehogs and even meerkats.
Kyle is an adorable kid whose passion is saving animals: a winning formula. But rescuing furry friends isn't his only hobby; he’s also concerned about his skin and doesn’t hesitate to share his tips. Is he genuinely interested, or does he just realise this type of content is trending? The jury is still out on that one. Either way, he is seeing impressive results, generating 5.37M interactions, 32.M video views and 304M potential reach by publishing just 23 videos in which he mentions skincare. Not too shabby!
@asyalliee
Asyalliee Ahmad is a Malaysian beauty guru known for her YouTube channel, where she uploads videos of her hauls, product reviews and make-up tutorials. She is also one of the most engaging skin influencers on Instagram. In fact, in 2020 she has generated more than 606,000 engagements as well as 4.14M video views.
In addition to being highly influential on Instagram, Asyalliee is also the director of Loveliee, a halal beauty brand whose motto is "Beauty begins with skincare."
@Jakejamie
Jake Jamie aka The Beauty Boy is a 28-year old British influencer. He’s also the founder of the #MakeupIsGenderless campaign, which has gone viral and has been supported by many world famous celebrities and makeup artists such as Charlotte Tilbury. He already has several major collaborations with cosmetic brands.
Like many beauty (and particularly make-up) influencers, skincare is hugely important to him, and in 2020 he published 260 pieces of content referring to it. These generated over 1.4M interactions, 8.26M video views, and 207M potential reach with a 4.45% engagement rate. After watching only one of his product test videos, I immediately found myself on the brand's website. He's incredibly convincing and above all very funny!
YouTube
@Naty Gloss
Natalia is a Spanish influencer with two entirely separate profiles, she is both a beauty and fitness influencer. Her YouTube profiles are brimming with tips on feeling good about yourself and nurturing beauty both inside and out.
This year, she spent more time talking about skincare, and shared recipes for her home-made face masks. With just five videos, she managed to generate over 2.46M video views. She is without a doubt the queen of mascarillas!
@YanissaXoxo
Yanissa is a down-to-earth French influencer with a predominantly female audience. She shares her beauty tips on her Youtube channel, with a special focus on acne prevention and treatment. The skin problem affects many adolescent and adult women, and as a result of posting about it in her videos, she has netted herself over 119k interactions with an 4.47% engagement rate, and more than 1.5M video views.
In July, she announced her intention to stop publishing content on her YouTube channel. But don't panic! You can catch her over on Instagram, where she shares lifestyle and beauty tips, as well as thoughts on issues that matter to her, such as the Black Lives Matter movement.
2020 has been a year full of uncertainty and new discoveries for consumers, influencers and brands. Data is something brands can rely on to improve their influencer marketing strategies, and identifying the perfect advocates for their brands. Feel free to get in touch if you'd like to learn more about the profiles of your next ambassadors, organic or not. Most importantly of all, don't forget to download your copy of the latest State of Influence 2020: #Unprecedented report.