Tribe Dynamics shared an at-a-glance report of the top makeup and skin care brands on social media for the second quarter, revealing their Earned Media Value (EMV), a prescribed metric that quantifies the estimated value of publicity gained through digital earned media and its respective engagement levels. Tribe’s holistic approach assigns a specific dollar value to each piece of content, based on the publishing channel’s perceived value of digital word-of-mouth to brands within the industry. EMV serves as a tool for benchmarking across marketing activities and across brands. Here, the key takeaways from the report.
Makeup
Top Cosmetics Brands
1. Anastasia Beverly Hills – $159,091,211
2. MAC – $97,952,914
3. Benefit – $97,189,359
4. Urban Decay – $94,445,622
5. Tarte – $93,537,310
6. Too Faced – $78,278,205
7. NYX – $76,502,661
8. ColourPop – $69,987,727
9. Huda Beauty – $66,844,068
10. Morphe – $65,948,029
Key highlights:
- Anastasia Beverly Hills continued to dominate rankings, adding the Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palette to its repertoire of high-quality, smash-hit offerings.
- Urban Decay’s consistent EMV growth was bolstered by the launch of its 100-shade Vice Lipstick collection, which the brand gifted to numerous edgy, on-brand influencers.
- Huda Beauty, founded by beauty blogger Huda Kattan, broke into lip contouring with the release of its Lip Contour Matte Pencils. The pencils were repped by top-tier influencers like NikkieTutorials.
Skin Care
Top Skin Care Brands
1. Farsali – $9,563,361.84
2. Clinique – $7,118,736.56
3. Lush – $7,055,284.69
4. Tatcha – $5,251,402.17
5. EOS – $5,207,253.21
6. Kiehl’s – $4,703,085.80
7. Loving Tan – $4,517,849.99
8 Glossier – $4,249,509.77
9. Caudalie – $4,182,471.14
10. The Body Shop – $3,947,269.94
Key highlights:
- Farsali’s EMV was boosted by influencer discount codes promoting the Rose Gold Elixir. The brand was founded by blogger Farah Dhukai and her husband in 2014.
- Glossier products are quickly achieving “holy grail” status — the wittily named Balm Dotcom skin salve generated over $700K EMV in Q2.
- Caudalie provided refreshments and respite at Coachella, where it gifted music-loving influencers with hydrating Vinosource products.
Overall Key Insights:
Bringing Followers & Influencers Together: In Q2, brands brought influencers and their loyal followers together in more ways than one. Benefit made the most of its ambassadors’ diverse networks, holding meet-and-greets for influencers and followers across the country to celebrate the launch of the brand’s brow line. Grav3yardgirl partnered with Tarte to create a collaboration that was as much inspired by her “swamp family” of fans as it was by her quirky, unpredictable personality.
Prioritizing Influencer Agency: In Q2, brands honored the valuable role that influencers play by increasing their opportunities to make a difference through makeup artistry. Maybelline energized ambassadors to create content through the Make It Happen campaign, while Benefit worked closely with select influencers to execute a series of events that, in the words of beauty vlogger PatrickStarrr, made his “dreams come true.” For both brands, these actions led to emotionally engaged, empowered influencers and stronger brand families.
Influencer Collaborations as Genuine Friendships: Although Q2’s Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Glow collection seemed to bear all the hallmarks of a successful influencer collaboration, the brand received criticism due to perceived missteps in quality assurance. Becca defended Jaclyn in the face of controversy, and it was this genuine care and respect for the influencer that further endeared the brand to their followers. Ultimately, the most successful collaborations are those in which brands strive for real friendship and understanding with the influencers whom they engage.
For other Tribe reports, click here.
