If you’ve noticed a steady uptick in beauty-related content flooding your FYP, you did not imagine it. According to new research released by Gen Z research and strategy firm, dcdx, beauty now officially dominates all other categories in the world of user-generated content (UGC) and engagement. Outpacing even travel and fashion, beauty content is exploding all over the internet. And with Gen Alpha entering the chat, brands are working to secure our loyalty in an increasingly competitive market. The top ten most popular beauty brands of the summer had the most organic user-generated content, with Sephora, Charlotte Tilbury and Rare Beauty topping the list. Keep scrolling for the complete list.
The Top 10 Most Popular Beauty Brands of the Summer
Analyzing factors like the amount and consistency of brand engagement, dcdx determined the most popular beauty brands of the summer. Giving these brands scores out of 100, they determined which brands were the most magnetic on social media, commanding the most engagement consistently. And you might be surprised by the results.
- Sephora – 85.24
- Charlotte Tilbury – 82.24
- Rare Beauty – 79.78
- Dior – 78.96
- Maybelline – 75.46
- e.l.f. Cosmetics – 75.44
- NARS – 75.34
- Rhode – 75.18
- Benefit – 72.26
- ColourPop – 72.08
Crowded with high scores, the top ten most popular beauty brands of the summer were present all across social media. Content directly about beauty, like GRWM’s, brand events and tutorials made up about 63 percent of these brand’s appearances. This means about a third of brand mentions came from random inclusions and lifestyle videos, showing how far beauty brands can extend their reach.
Notably, as we zoom out to look at the top 50 beauty brands of the summer, it’s clear that many high performers are new, youth-focused viral brands. On the other hand, legacy brands tend to trail behind. That said, dcdx research indicates that nearly all beauty brands experienced growth in user engagement over the past year.
“While many of the brands included have improved significantly since last year, legacy brands seem to be struggling to keep up to the speed of the industry and the rate of cultural change in 2024,” the report explains. “From Old Spice & Manscaped to Neutrogena & Cetaphil, these brands tend to target broader or more male-centric target audiences, receiving less engagement than more niche and/or female-centric audiences as evidenced by the industry’s top brands.”
