Influencer marketing has become a key pillar in the beauty industry. According to influencer marketing platform Traackr, over 50% of consumers state they are likely to be swayed to purchase a product because it was recommended by an influencer/creator they follow. This growing consumer interest has sparked a response from brands, with eMarketer reporting that advertisers increased spend on influencer marketing by 14.7% in 2024—amounting to roughly $5.89 billion.
Traackr believes the uptick in investment for influencer marketing indicates a shift in attitude towards the marketing method, which it predicts will begin to unfold in early 2025. “Despite being compared as a discipline that is outpacing social ad spend, influencer marketing as a ‘standalone channel’ will soon be a thing of the past,” reads the 2025 Influencer Marketing IMPACT Report. “In fact, many brands are now integrating their influencer marketing programs further into the marketing mix.”
The report highlights that creators and their content have the ability to be at the center of brand marketing, impacting paid media, but also advocacy, owned content, and e-commerce channels. Additionally, Traackr explains that investments in influencer programs are only likely to increase, stating that beauty brands have been seeing a good return on investment (ROI) from their influencer marketing, with beauty creators' audience engagement significantly increasing year over year. “As creators step up into their power as key partners in the full marketing mix, it's more important now than ever for marketers to nail their investment,” Traackr writes.
Yearly, Traackr rounds up the best beauty brands using influencer marketing ranked by the Brand Vitality Score (VIT), a metric that evaluates brand visibility, engagement, and trust through influencer content across a combination of social media platforms. 2024’s findings were as follows:
Top 10 US Beauty Brands by VIT 2024
Traackr’s top 10 brands of the year align closely with Cosmetify’s 2024 Index best brands of 2024, which featured several overlapping names such as e.l.f and Charlotte Tilbury—solidifying these brands as key players in the industry that are popping up on everyone's radar. It is interesting to see that Sephora dominates the list, proving that retailers who represent a range of brands can utilize influencer marketing to their advantage just as well as individual brands can. In 2024, Sephora utilized infleuncer marketing in innovative ways, including campaigns in collaboration with athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Top 10 US Makeup and Cosmetics Brands by VIT 2024
Notably, a large chunk of the best-performing beauty and cosmetics brands are those with a celebrity figurehead at the forefront such as Rihanna for Fenty Beauty, Kylie Jenner for Kylie Cosmetics, and Selena Gomez for Rare Beauty, suggesting that sometimes a popular founder is the best type of influencer a business can have.
Top 10 US Skincare Brands by VIT 2024
CeraVe continues to dominate the skincare space, which Traackr attributes to its ability to connect well with audiences through the use of comedy. In an analysis of CeraVe’s sponsored creator collaborations from 2024, Traackr found that many of the top-performing pieces have a funny or humorous angle to them. Examples noted include “hard launching” CeraVe as a product of choice, to declaring CeraVe as a “drama free” cleanser, and describing CeraVe as a product fit for protecting all of New York, where each creator puts their own funny creative spin on the same message—“CeraVe is a no-frills, dependable brand.”
Top 10 US Hair Care Brands by VIT 2024
L’Oréal Paris reigns supreme for the top haircare brands, having featured on every list in Traackr’s report suggesting regardless of category (skincare, cosmetics, etc.) the brand is omnipresent in the industry, with a particular strength for influencer marketing. Additionally, across the haircare category, it seems there is an even chance for success whether it’s a veteran name in the industry such as Redken—who recently announced singer Sabrina Carpenter as its first-ever brand ambassador—and Kerastase, or a more recent player like Amika and Cécred.
Ultimately, the 2024 influencer marketing landscape underscores a growing significance of creators at the center of brand strategies. With brands seeing increased ROI and engagement through influencer collaborations, the marketing move is evolving from a standalone strategy to a core component across advertising. As we look to 2025, the emphasis of influencer marketing will encourage brands to leverage creator power to drive engagement and commerce. For beauty business, it is clear that success in the industry will come to those who efficiently harness the creativity, authenticity, and reach of influencers.
