How Makeup Marketing Has Changed: Partnering with Influencers

Makeup marketing has become a  massive part of today’s pop culture, and it’s all because of our favorite Influencers. You know who I’m talking about—think of a beauty influencer you follow on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc, and you will know that answer. 

Today, beauty brands have been featuring real people using their products on social media rather than using “unrealistic” models in TV commercials and magazine ads.

This change in beauty standards has created many ways for us to find out the newest makeup products, makeup challenges/trends, and newest skin care through the creativity of both influencers and content creators. 

What is Makeup Marketing?

So, what is makeup marketing exactly? 

According to 8 Best Beauty Marketing Strategies to Sell More by Omnisend.com, makeup marketing “involves showcasing the benefits and unique selling points of your product line to attract more leads and convert them into customers.”

Basically, it’s how brands promote their products, like makeup and skincare, to get people interested in buying them.

In the past, makeup marketing was done mostly through magazines, TV ads, or even hiring a well-known celebrity to showcase products. 

How are brands convincing us to buy their products now? Through collaborations with influencers.

Brands have been working with influencers on social platforms to promote their products and create/post beauty tips, reviews, and makeup tutorials to excite their followers about new products. 

Why do we need Influencers in Makeup Marketing?

What is an influencer and why are they important to brands? 

Aspire defines an influencer as “someone who has the ability to influence the opinions and behaviors of others…through the clothes they wear, the opinions they hold, or the expertise they have on a certain topic.” 

Basically, they are the beauty experts of makeup marketing. Instead of just seeing products in commercials or magazines, people now look to influencers on social platforms. Influencity states that influencers “expose your brand to a wider audience and increase your visibility on social media.”

In the beauty world, you will see influencers like Danielle Marcan (3.4M), Daus Mendoza (5.2M), Golloria (2.7M), Jeffree Star (6.9M), Amaya Colon (1.4M), or Meredith Duxbury (18.6M) to name a few, sharing their daily lives, makeup tutorials, product reviews, favorites and dislikes on social media.

Influencers from top to bottom: Danielle Marcan, Daus Mendoza, Golloria, Jeffree Star, Amaya Colon, and Meredith Duxbury. 

Because they have a big following, they have a lot of power in choosing what’s popular, which is why beauty brands partner with them to promote their products.

As a result, most beauty brands sell more products because influencers seem more relatable than celebrities.

People trust their opinions and ultimately are convinced, through authenticity, to buy the next big thing from their favorite beauty brands. 

Below are some examples of influencers expressing their opinions of beauty products:

Skin tint review
Blush review
Foundation review

This type of makeup marketing feels more personal because it is coming from someone they follow and trust. 

How Makeup Marketing Has Shifted

With influencers playing such a big role in a brand's success, makeup marketing has shifted away from traditional ads to more influencer partnerships on social media. This is because brands know that influencers have a HUGE impact on what people buy!

When your trusted influencer tries out a new product and shares their honest thoughts, you decide right there and then whether to run/sprint to the store to buy it. This is why influencers are so important in makeup marketing today.

According to Aspire, 61% of people trust influencer recommendations compared to 38% of people who trust brand messaging. This shows that influencers hold most of the power in shaping the opinions and behaviors of their followers toward brands. 

This is why brands are partnering with influencers to promote their beauty launches. This leads to building stronger customer relationships and growing trust and consistency, which in turn helps brands achieve their marketing goals. It’s not about having perfect, polished ads anymore. 

Forbes shares, “Now, people want to go online and get an at-your-fingertips experience. They want to ask an influencer questions and get personal responses.”

This shift has pushed people to follow and seek information about beauty products before purchasing them from beauty influencers first. 

Why People Trust Influencers

One of the biggest reasons influencers are so successful in makeup marketing is that they are authentic and transparent. People trust influencers in makeup marketing because they seem more genuine than traditional ads. 

Territory-Influence notes that “Traditional advertising methods are increasingly met with skepticism, and consumers now seek recommendations from individuals they trust.” 

Influencers provide trust and credibility. 

They create makeup tutorials, share product reviews, or make GRWM videos that feel personal and relatable. This makes them seem more authentic because they show the product in action, not just talking about it. 

Their following sees them as regular, relatable people who genuinely love or hate the products they are sharing and using, which ultimately leads to them feeling more real and genuine.

They aren’t just trying to sell you something. They’re sharing their real opinions that just so happens to convince you to buy. 

In makeup marketing, influencers are crucial to helping brands reach people more meaningfully. Influencity says this is because “they are viewed as experts in their field.” This leads brands to enhance reach and credibility.  

Examples of this: 

• Jeffree Star’s makeup reviews are iconic for showing his following if the product he tries on is #jeffreestarapproved. [Skin Tint Review]
• Danielle Marcan highlights her love for makeup with fun '90s-style makeup. [The 90s Red Lip]
• Daus Mendoza reviews products in an eccentrically real way to show if the product he shares is “worth your little gold coins” or not. [Elf Cosmetics]
• Golloria tests and reviews beauty products on her skin tone to determine if brands include all skin tones. [Haus Labs Review]
• Meredith Duxbury incorporates pops of color into fun makeup looks and creative edits to popular TikTok sounds. [Baby Blues]
• Amaya Colon went viral for creating the non-makeup makeup look using concealer as a foundation. [Hourglass Makeup]

How Influencers Set Trends in Makeup Marketing

According to socialsellinator.com “social influencers are more than just marketing tools. They are content creators, trendsetters, and most importantly, trusted voices for your audience.”

Influencers aren’t just promoting products anymore; they also set your favorite trends you see today. A single post from your favorite influencer can start a new beauty trend. 

You’ve probably heard of some of them: clean girl makeup, fall makeup, coquette makeup, latte makeup, IG baddie makeup, sunset blush, etc.

Viral makeup challenges, like these ^^^^ on TikTok and Instagram often lead to products selling out quickly. Influencers have the power to make beauty trends go viral, which is something traditional ads can’t do as quickly.

This helps beauty brands because when influencers talk about products, people are likelier to buy them and try the trend quickly. As a result, influencers are driving what’s cool and popular in makeup marketing, shaping the way products are advertised and sold. 

The Future of Makeup Marketing

So, what does the future of makeup marketing look like? Now, we are not fortune tellers, but based on stats, it will probably keep its focus on influencers and social media. 

Influencers will continue to play their role in sharing new products because people trust their opinions and love seeing real reviews and tutorials.

Social platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube will probably be the main places where beauty brands will advertise and connect with their followers. 

Overall, makeup marketing will continue to grow by keeping up with the trends and collaborating with influencers, which will result in building a strong brand that customers can trust. 

✍️ Written by Bethany Spencer