The World’s Two Biggest Beauty Brands Didn't Even Exist Ten Years Ago

Influence in the beauty community is no longer determined solely by sales. Thanks to the rise of social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, a beauty brand can potentially reach millions, and based on some recent number crunching via Cosmetify, it appears that two brands are at the top when it comes to influence.

Although storied beauty brands including M.A.C. Cosmetics, Maybelline, and e.l.f. will always have a place in the makeup industry, Cosmetify reports that the top two most influential beauty brands, according to its calculations, are Huda Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics. Both are relatively new, having been founded only within the last decade.

As part of its tabulation method, Cosmetify examined the social media reach of each company, and included the number of YouTube subscribers, Instagram followers, and TikTok followers in its count. Based on its findings, Huda Beauty has more than 53 million combined social media followers. Kylie Cosmetics comes in second with 26 million followers, while M.A.C., Anastasia Beverly Hills, and NYX round out the top five.

Other featured names include Fenty Beauty, which is estimated as the eighth most influential brand with 11 million followers, while ColourPop ranks as number 13.

According to Cosmetify, follower counts were tabulated on August 19, 2020. Focused on the top 100 most influential brands, the longer list also featured Glow Recipe (99), Glossier (41), Ouai (84), and Juvia's Place (51).