According to new research from Traackr, the leading performance-driven influencer marketing platform, the beauty sector is experiencing a significant increase in engagement. Traackr’s State of Influence: Beauty report, which includes insights from Pinterest, highlights the top beauty brands, creators, and trends making waves on social media.
Engagement on the Rise
Traackr’s analysis of content from over 155,000 beauty creators reveals a substantial increase in engagement across various beauty categories in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Skincare content, in particular, saw a notable surge with a 44% increase in engagement, a 49% rise in video views, and a 46% boost in Brand Vitality Score (VIT), Traackr’s proprietary metric for measuring influencer marketing performance. Beauty brands are increasingly leveraging sponsored content to amplify their reach, resulting in higher engagement rates than organic mentions.
“Beauty marketers are getting savvier about extending the impact of their creator partnerships, putting paid media behind boosting posts to supercharge reach and engagements,” said Pierre-Loïc Assayag, CEO and co-founder of Traackr. “Although the number of active influencers in beauty is leveling out, all tiers of creators – from nanoinfluencers to VIP celebrities – are driving more impact and VIT for beauty brands. This improved performance of beauty content demonstrates that marketers are optimizing their influencer programs and treating creator partnerships as a strategic media buy.”
Top Beauty Brands and Trends
The report also highlights the top 10 beauty brands across four categories by VIT in the U.S., U.K., and France, along with emerging beauty trends on Pinterest in 2024. Key insights include:
- Beauty Powerhouses Maintain Top Rankings: In the U.S., the top five beauty brands—Sephora, Rare Beauty, L’Oréal, Kylie Cosmetics, and Fenty Beauty—continue to dominate. Notably, SKKN climbed 30 spots to the No. 7 overall brand, thanks to a 213% increase in VIT following its makeup line relaunch in January 2024.
- Instagram Leads the Pack: Instagram has become the leading platform for beauty content, driving the highest increases in engagements, video views, and VIT scores compared to TikTok and YouTube. Despite a decrease in active influencers in the first half of 2024, Instagram content saw 68% more video views and a 36% higher VIT, showcasing its effectiveness in engaging beauty audiences.
- Viral Beauty Trends: Gen Z continues to influence beauty trends, with searches for “ath-beauty,” shades of aqua, and summer glam on the rise. Pinterest data shows significant increases in searches for track hair (+200%), lacrosse hairstyles (+35%), and dance makeup (+40%). Aqua-inspired looks are also trending, with bright blue nails and blue aesthetic grunge searches up by 35% and 40%, respectively.
“Beauty reflects broader societal trends and interests,” said Rachel Goodman, head of beauty and luxury partnerships at Pinterest. “Pinterest is the go-to place for discovering key beauty trends, encouraging self-expression and new aesthetics. The most popular beauty searches on Pinterest mirror the cultural zeitgeist. From a rising interest in women’s sports to a stronger focus on eco-consciousness, beauty trends are being shaped on our platform.”
The Future of Beauty Influencer Marketing
Traackr’s State of Influence: Beauty report underscores the evolving landscape of beauty influencer marketing. As brands continue to refine their strategies and leverage data-driven insights, the potential for growth and engagement in the beauty sector remains robust.
For the full report, visit Traackr’s Beauty Influencer Marketing Trends.