Did you know, the beauty industry is on track to hit a jaw-dropping $758.4 billion by 2025?
And guess what? TikTok is a huge part of that growth. With 60% of its audience being Gen Z, it’s no wonder beauty and skincare brands are thriving on the platform.
Here at House of Marketers, we’re observing how TikTok marketing for beauty brands is driving this rapid growth. In this article, we highlight the top beauty brands’ TikTok campaigns—from viral challenges to unique collaborations. These beauty brands are setting new standards, and we’re excited to share their strategies!
Ready to dive into their secrets? Let’s go!
Brands Winning at TikTok Marketing for Beauty Brands
The Ordinary
The Ordinary has always maintained a clean, minimalistic aesthetic and focuses on educational yet informative content.With a tagline like “sensibly priced, science-proven skincare,” the brand emphasises affordable skincare solutions. Currently, The Ordinary boasts 1.6 million followers and 21.1 million likes on TikTok.
Their most viral moment came when American TikToker Kaelyn White posted a video of herself applying The Ordinary AHA+BHA Peeling Solution. This red face mask, known for its blood-like appearance, quickly started trending on TikTok.
@kaelynwhitee It’s called The Ordinart AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution🩸✨ AsGoodAsTheOG #touchdowncelebration #CleanFreshHype #toonme #foryou #fyp #xyzbca #zqlu
Fenty Beauty
Fenty Beauty founded by Rihanna stepped up its TikTok marketing game in 2020, and since then, it has been making waves on TikTok.
One of the best challenges that got Fenty Beauty a boost in their viewership was ‘The Simba Challenge’. This really excited the audience because they could see the magic happening of their favourite brand.
@fentybeauty The Fenty Beauty interns found a new way to use our STUNNA Lip Paint 😂 #fyp #simbachallenge 🦁
They also use TikTok marketing strategies to collaborate with influencers, give product reviews, and show makeup tutorials.
Additionally, Fenty Beauty introduced the #ShadeMatching Filter on TikTok, which helped users find their perfect foundation shade. This initiative eliminated the guesswork for customers, making the shopping experience more seamless and personalised. The filter quickly became popular, further solidifying Fenty Beauty’s innovative approach to marketing on TikTok (Latterly).
e.l.f Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics’s marketing team sure knows how to make the best of social media and TikTok. e.l.f found its fame on TikTok with a custom eyeslipsface song and they haven’t looked back since then. The brand’s clean and affordable approach, combined with engaging and innovative content, has made it a favourite among younger audiences. But e.l.f cosmetics didn’t stop there; they even started their @elfyeah channel that specifically targeted Gen Z as it delivers a daily dose of content featuring products, influential personalities, and top-notch entertainment so that the audience stays engaged.
Source: Businesswire
“Being the first brand partner in a TikTok Shop Super Brand Day unites a unique trifecta: introducing a new product, debuting an original song, and shining a spotlight on our shop. We wanted to surprise and delight our community who have been with us since our first viral moment on TikTok. It was important for us to make a bold entrance and show up in a disruptive way to this party, and what better way than a new product and another original song for the platform” said Kory Marchisotto, Chief Marketing Officer of e.l.f. Beauty. (Business Wire)
e.l.f.’s influencer strategy also plays a significant role in their success. The brand collaborates with a mix of macro and micro-influencers, including big names like Meredith Duxbury, Ariana Hailey, and Mikayla Nogueira. These partnerships help amplify e.l.f.’s reach and credibility. Notably, e.l.f. offered long-term influencer partner Mikayla Nogueira the opportunity to create a limited edition lip gloss for her wedding, adding a personal touch to their collaborations.
e.l.f. Cosmetics continues to innovate and adapt, leveraging TikTok’s dynamic platform to engage with its audience and drive significant growth. Their ability to blend affordability with engaging content and effective influencer partnerships makes them a standout example in the beauty industry.
P.S. We have talked about e.l.f’s marketing strategy on TikTok in detail in our case study. Take a look!
Estee Lauder
To be successful on social media a brand needs to be clear about who they are at their core. And that is precisely what Estee Lauder’s TikTok showcases. They have an organised and luxurious look on their page that screams professionalism. Visiting their page, customers feel like they are viewing some elegant products that make you feel nothing less than royalty and sophistication –without being intimidating. They have given their audience a platform where Estee Lauder products can be showcased and learned more about authentically.
The Estee Lauder team made ‘get ready with me’ super fun, which turned out to be the perfect way to promote the products and give an insight into how to use them. It’s not just the aesthetics of the products, but the fantastic results they offer.
At Estee Lauder they know that it is essential to keep the audience interested in the products for which they did extensive market research and came up with different trends like ASMR style promotional use of Advanced Night Repair Serum. They smartly used TikTok marketing to calm the audience with ASMR style for a night cream because people usually relax with the help of ASMR.
OLAY
Olay is one of those brands that has an approachable and unique social media presence. They ensure that they use TikTok to post fun and engaging content that doesn’t just promote the products but also gives the viewers a good laugh and a fun time interacting with them. Plus, you never know what they will use in their campaigns, so it’s always a good surprise. Just one example of this is when they did the sunscreen promo with the influencer @dylanmulvany. And if you know Dylan, you will also see that he is famous for his quirky and enjoyable content.
@dylanmulvaney Put on sunscreen but make it Broadway. SPF is a must in my day and I’m using @olay !! Link in Bio #olayeveryday #olaypartner
Olay positions its products as highly effective and affordable alternatives to luxury brands, offering similar results at a lower cost. However, they understand that to convince consumers, they need to build trust. Olay achieves this by challenging influencers to change their skincare routines and switch to Olay products, showcasing real results in a fun and light-hearted manner. This strategy not only highlights the effectiveness of their products but also strengthens their credibility and engagement with the audience.
Too Faced
how to grab attention and drive sales. Targeting vibrant, beauty-loving Gen Z women in the UK, Too Faced wanted to raise awareness and boost sales of their popular lip gloss.
To achieve this, Too Faced launched a Brand Takeover ad on TikTok. This ad appeared as a full-screen video when users opened the app, instantly capturing attention with a burst of bright colours, dynamic motion, and hologram effects. The ad creatively used TikTok’s vertical split screen to show the before-and-after effects of the Lip Injection Extreme, highlighting the product’s transformative power in a fun, engaging way.
The results were outstanding. In just one day, the Brand Takeover ad garnered 7.6 million impressions and 2.54 million unique views. It drove 1.3 million clicks to the product page, with an impressive 18.38% click-through rate, far exceeding the UK market benchmark. This campaign showcases how Too Faced’s fun and flashy approach resonated with Gen Z, effectively driving both awareness and sales.
@alirosegray Testing the Too Faced Lip Injection Extreame 🤍 #lipplumper #lipinjections #beautyreview #meccabeauty #meccabeautyloop
That being said, as of 2024, Too Faced has 172,300 fans and more than 1.5 million likes and that is all thanks to their unique marketing campaigns.
Huda Beauty
Last but not least, Huda Beauty is one of the most famous brands on TikTok. The brand has more than 9.6 million followers.
@hudabeauty #hudabeautyeasybake #hudabeauty #tiktoksalon #makeuphack @Huda @Huda Beauty
The brand has gained a massive following and international recognition in just a few years because of the innovative marketing tactics they use.
Huda Beauty leverages influencers to market their products. The brand also keeps experimenting with different strategies like engaging with the clients to build awareness and targeting the diversity of the audience. This beauty brand has worked with a range of influencers, including celebrities and beauty bloggers, to promote the products. Her brand has an exclusive program called the Huda Beauty Squad, where a selected few influencers receive products and access to special brand events.
This brings us to the end!
The beauty industry’s success on TikTok is no accident. Brands like The Ordinary, Fenty Beauty, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, Olay, Too Faced, and Huda Beauty have demonstrated just how powerful and effective TikTok marketing for beauty brands can be. By engaging with their audience through fun, informative, and innovative content, these brands have set new standards in the industry.
From viral challenges to creative collaborations, these brands have mastered the art of captivating Gen Z and beyond. What’s the common thread among these successful campaigns? It’s their ability to understand and connect with their audience. They don’t just push products; they tell stories, create experiences, and build communities.
Now it’s your turn. Take inspiration from these top beauty brands and apply their strategies to your own TikTok marketing efforts. Whether it’s through influencer partnerships, viral challenges, or creative product demonstrations, there’s a world of opportunities waiting for you on TikTok.
Ready to take your brand to the next level? Contact House of Marketers today for expert guidance and innovative strategies. Our team specialises in creating impactful influencer partnerships and engaging social media content that resonate with your target audience. Let’s work together to elevate your brand and achieve your marketing goals.
Contact Us for a free consultation today and let’s make your brand the next big thing!
House of Marketers (HOM) is a leading TikTok Marketing Agency. Our global agency was built by early TikTok Employees & TikTok Partners, which gives us the insider knowledge to help leading brands, like Redbull, Playtika, Badoo, and HelloFresh win on TikTok. Want us to convert more of Gen Z and Millennials with TikTok? Get in touch with our friendly team, here.