Influencers Have Reinvented the Beauty Industry
The beauty industry looks nothing like it did a decade ago. Valued at over 530 billion dollars, the beauty industry has makeup and cosmetic products of all sorts flying off the shelves, something they are expected to do so at increasing speed. If we have anything to thank, it’s the internet. From influencer marketing to the onset of celebrity makeup brands, the beauty world is changing, arguably for the better.
In a world where things are sold online, consumers can hold sellers more accountable than ever. In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses how influencer marketing and an online marketing now defines what we put on our bodies.
Beauty Is Moving From In-Store Sales To The Online World
Today, the beauty industry is valued at over 532 billion dollars and it’s not hard to see why. Beauty isn’t what it used to be, and variety can be found everywhere. No longer is makeup as cut and dry as a stick of lipstick, face powder, and a tube of mascara.
If you want to dive into the beauty scene, you better buckle up and get ready to look beyond the walls of the drugstore and the main floors of Nordstrom’s and Macy’s. Nowadays, makeup retailers like Sephora and Ulta dominate beauty sales worldwide, offering a shocking degree of variety and diversity in their products and increasingly trafficking more and more sales to their online portals.
However, beauty is changing in more ways than one, including the very meaning of the word. Makeup is no longer viewed as a tool to simply make you “look more beautiful”. This age-old and, frankly, archaic idea could not be dying faster. Today, Gen Z has proven time and time again that makeup and beauty products are not just vehicles for enhancing your features, but tools for artistic expression.
In recent months, makeup trends have dominated social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Just in the year 2020, hundreds of viral trends such as two-toned brows, faux freckles, fox liner, and butterfly makeup have circulated online across big name channels in the industry. Beauty “Gurus,” such as James Charles and Ahliyah Michelle can be seen crafting extravagant works of art alongside hundreds of thousands of amateur at home artists following suit.
Inspiration is everywhere. It has become a challenge to scroll through the “For You” page on TikTok without finding a masterful video depicting an artist painting their eyelids with colors of the sunset or transforming their face into a fictional character with special effects makeup. While beauty products still range from neutrals to neons, the human face is now regarded more and more so as a canvas.
Influencer Marketing Dominates The Beauty World
Just as beauty takes many forms, today more than ever, beauty sells. This rapid increase in value has the internet to thank. According to a study by Rakuten, the beauty industry sits pretty at number one when it comes to influencer marketing. The rise of social media influencers and vloggers proclaiming their “favorite shampoos” and posting YouTube tutorials on their “everyday makeup looks” continues to change how audiences are introduced to new products and engage with brands.
Many cosmetic companies are scrapping old forms of advertising and marketing altogether, transitioning the bulk of their budgets to focus on influencer marketing and product placement. This makes sense. It is human nature to turn to those that we idolize and respect for advice. Companies are all the more aware of this. When Keaton Milburn, an acclaimed social media vlogger, posts about a blush she just “can’t live without,” her 175,000 followers listen.
Take Addison Rae, TikTok’s most recent dance legend as an example. Sporting a whopping 57 million followers on TikTok and over 26 million followers on Instagram, Rae has become one of many creators to launch a recent makeup line of her own.
In weeks past, if one were to scroll through Rae’s TikTok profile they would see an array of playful videos of the dancer following along to viral dance trends. Now, however, viewers can find professionally produced advertisements sprinkled throughout Rae’s feed. Some depict her excitedly announcing the onset of her new company, others show her dancing while applying her own brand of mascara. The mascara is Rae’s self-proclaimed favorite of the collection and is undoubtably inspired by Rae’s trademark lashes, the envy of the TikTok community.
Rae’s line, Item Beauty, launched on August 11th and represents influencer marketing at its finest; it's clear that Rae and her team know exactly who they cater to. With the bulk of Rae’s following stemming from her massive TikTok presence, it is safe to say that Rae’s audience consists primarily of younger women and teens.
What Rae says goes. This demographic is reflected in the price point of every one of Item Beauty’s products. Each piece of makeup ranges from 11 to 22 dollars, nothing more. This line of makeup products is specifically catered to Rae’s younger fanbase. It speaks volumes towards the ways in which the beauty industry continues to change and accommodate new consumers.
While price point is one standout indicator of a seller’s target buyer, so remains the overall brand message. Today, beauty products are a brunch conversation as the idea of “clean beauty” soars as a global trend.
Consumers are becoming more and more aware of what exactly they are putting on their skin and continue to be interested in the ingredients a brand uses and a companies’ overall ideology. Rae’s Item Beauty, is perfectly on trend, sporting cruelty-free and vegan products that emphasize essential oils as main ingredients.
Celebrities Are Catching On, Too
Influencer marketing works, and celebrities of all sorts are catching on. Over the past few years, female celebrities have released lines of beauty products. The infamous launch of Kylie Jenner’s “LipKits” seemed to start it all. In May of 2019, Jenner found herself sitting atop the Forbes Billionaires list for the success of her makeup brand Kylie Cosmetics. Jenner is transparent when discussing her success stating “it’s the power of social media.” Ever since Jenner established her booming makeup empire, celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Jessica Alba and Tracee Ellis Ross have all hopped on the beauty train.
Today however, one specific line of celebrity beauty products continues to stand out: Fenty Beauty. Launched by pop sensation Rihanna in September of 2017, Fenty Beauty entered the makeup scene with the distinct goal of representation. Upon its launch, Fenty Beauty did what no other cosmetic company had ever done before and introduced a breathtaking range of 40 foundation shades. This immediate display of inclusivity and thoughtfulness made other establish brands look stone age in comparison. It’s difficult to believe that competitors released shade ranges with as few as four darker toned foundations.
Influencers And Celebrities Are The Key To Success In The Beauty world
It is clear that the internet has played a massive role in changing the way things are sold. While it’s no surprise that the online world has made global commerce as easy as pressing a handful of buttons, online marketing has become more than ad-space and click-through YouTube promos.
Today, the beauty and cosmetic industry appeals to a broader audience each day. With makeup becoming more accessible to both younger and older demographics, the only way to keep up is to change the way that beauty is sold. In today’s climate, more and more of everyday life takes place online. From TikTok dances to celebrity campaigns, consumers respond to what they are surrounded by. In order to keep up, it is necessary that brands recognize the power and potential that influencer and celebrity marketing hold, especially in terms of the ever evolving beauty industry.
Read More On The World Of Influencer Marketing
Want to learn more about Influencer Marketing? Be sure to check out other blogs that Hollywood Branded has written about influencers!
- How Travel Influencers Can Continue Working Without Backlash
- First Brand Partnerships With Instagram Reels
- Why Brands Should Partner With Gamers In The Wake Of The Pandemic
- Celebrity Influencers Don't Write Their Own Social Media Posts
- College Greek Life In Social Influencer Marketing
Think you've got what it takes to be an influencer? Learn all there is to know about influencer marketing through Hollywood Branded's very own Influencer Marketing School!
