Kolsquare Unveils Dominant Beauty Brands on TikTok in the UK

Maybelline, L’Oréal, and Nyx Cosmetics lead the list of beauty brands most mentioned by UK influencers on TikTok.

Kolsquare, Europe’s premier platform for data-driven influencer marketing, analysed 480 beauty brands across 19,935 TikTok profiles with 5,000+ followers to reveal the most accurate UK beauty brand ranking on TikTok. Maybelline topped the list with an Earned Media Value (EMV) of £6.7m.

The Kolsquare analysis examined brands in skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare from January to December 2023, calculating the EMV, a metric used to measure the impact of influencer marketing on social media. The UK top 10 EMV ranking is as follows:

  • Maybelline – £6.7m
  • L’Oréal – £6.6m
  • Nyx Cosmetics – £5.3m
  • Garnier – £5.1m
  • Superdrug – £4m
  • MadebyMitchell – £3.89m
  • Mac Cosmetics – £3.82m
  • Plouise MakeUp Academy – £3.4m
  • GHD – £3.2m
  • Rimmel London – £2.8m

Quentin Bordage, CEO and Founder of Kolsquare, says: “In an era where engagement rates and conversions define success, our ranking highlights the strategic brilliance and adaptability of leading beauty brands. Our data-driven approach reveals surprising insights into the UK’s top beauty brands, from major players to dynamic challengers. This comprehensive analysis reflects the impact of their strategies and sets a benchmark of excellence for other industries. We’re excited to provide regular updates and expand our analysis, offering invaluable insights for brands aiming to refine and elevate their digital strategies.”

Maybelline engaged with 543 Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), securing 1,415 posts and achieving an engagement rate of 3.98%, while L’Oréal collaborated with 536 KOLs and Nyx Cosmetics with 408.

UK brands spend more on influencer marketing than anywhere else in Europe, with the figure expected to reach £930m this year.

EMV estimates the amount that would have been spent on a traditional media campaign with the same impact. In influencer marketing, it encompasses actions such as comments, clicks, shares, plays, or likes on influencer content. In data-driven influencer marketing, EMV is the preferred metric used by marketers to justify the ROI of their campaigns.

“Three years ago, influencer marketing was on the periphery. Now, creators are not just creating the content, they’re helping shape the strategy as we’re seeing more integrated approaches where the campaign starts with the influencer before moving out to other marketing disciplines,” says Influencer Marketing Trade Body director general Scott Guthrie.

Kolsquare conducted the same analysis in France, Italy, Germany and Spain, revealing striking differences in the popularity and strategy of different brands. You can download the top 100 TIKTok beauty ranking report HERE.

Kolsquare has also collated a ranking table for beauty brands on Instagram, available HERE.