A recent report from WeArisma, a leading influencer and social intelligence platform, has unveiled the top-performing beauty brands in the world of social media influencers. The Beauty State of Influence Report highlights the significant role that “authentic influential voices” play in shaping the marketing strategies of beauty brands. According to WeArisma, some brands have effectively harnessed this power, reaping tremendous benefits.

Sephora and L’Oréal Lead in Makeup
Sephora and L’Oréal have emerged as the leaders in the makeup sector, successfully overcoming a general decline in engagement with makeup-related content. This was achieved through strategic activations, particularly during the Olympics. These immersive on-the-ground experiences boosted their social media presence and solidified their dominance in the beauty space.

Garnier Dominates Skincare

In the skincare category, Garnier has become a favorite among “skinfluencers,” with influencer-generated content driving the highest earned media value (EMV), engagement, impressions, and mentions. The brand’s successful use of social media to connect with consumers continues to resonate across various demographics.

Fragrance Brands Leverage Celebrity Power

In the fragrance sector, luxury brands like Dior and Jo Malone are tapping into star power to generate high engagement levels. Dior’s campaigns with Rihanna and Jo Malone’s collaborations with Tom Hardy and Olivia Culpo have been particularly successful, bringing massive attention and influence to the brands. These partnerships have proven to be highly effective in boosting the brands’ visibility on social media.

Ripple Impact: Influencer Content Outperforms Brand-Owned Content

WeArisma’s proprietary “Ripple Impact” metric reveals that influencer-generated content significantly outperforms brand-owned content. In fact, across makeup, skincare, and fragrance categories, Ripple Impact has resulted in up to 19 times more EMV, 26 times more impressions, 83 times more engagement, and 73 times more content compared to content from brands’ official accounts.

Makeup Struggles to Keep Up with Skincare and Fragrance

Despite the success of brands like Sephora and L’Oréal, the makeup industry overall has faced challenges, with a 10% year-on-year decline in mentions. However, Sephora and L’Oréal have defied this trend, seeing impressive increases in engagement—27.3% and 35.1% respectively—thanks to strategic influencer campaigns. Sephora’s ‘Hot on Social’ edit has continued to drive TikTok buzz, and product launches have contributed to the brand’s $1.9 billion EMV.

Understanding Consumer Needs Amid Economic Uncertainty

As the cost of living rises and economic uncertainty grows, WeArisma emphasizes the importance of brands connecting with their Gen Z audience through authentic campaigns. Makeup brands that appeal to this demographic, particularly through budget-friendly alternatives or “dupes,” have garnered strong support from influencers who help build trust in more affordable products.

L’Oréal’s Skincare Brands Lead the Charge

L’Oréal’s skincare brands, particularly Garnier, continue to dominate the space, securing top spots in EMV, engagement, impressions, and mentions. Garnier’s ability to resonate with skinfluencers and a broad audience has played a key role in its continued success. The report also highlights Vichy and La Roche-Posay, two other L’Oréal brands, which stand out in terms of virality and impactful content strategies. La Roche-Posay’s partnership with the US Open and informative content strategy has been particularly effective.

Fragrance: Luxury Brands and New-Gen Powerhouses

WeArisma notes that top-performing fragrance brands rely on “star-driven campaigns” to capture the social media spotlight. Traditional luxury fragrance brands like Dior, Prada, and Mugler have mastered this approach, generating high amounts of EMV and engagement. However, newer brands are also making significant waves in the fragrance space.

Dior and Jo Malone Shine in the Fragrance Sector

Dior takes the lead in overall influencer impact, while Jo Malone excels in engagement. Jo Malone’s collaboration with Tom Hardy and Olivia Culpo has helped the brand generate 4.7 times more EMV, 3.1 times more impressions, and 3.8 times more engagement than its brand-owned content, further cementing its place in the competitive fragrance market.

In conclusion, the WeArisma report underscores the growing importance of influencer partnerships and authenticity in the beauty industry. By tapping into the power of influencers, beauty brands across makeup, skincare, and fragrance are achieving remarkable success on social media.