The

Cosmetify

Index

Q1 2025

Each quarter, Cosmetify analyses the top beauty brands by tracking their social following, engagement and number of Google searches.

Our Beauty Index blends cultural capital with cold, hard data to reveal which brands are leading the conversation across TikTok, Instagram, and beyond. We’ve collated data from the past 3 months to reveal which brands remain on top, the names shaking up the industry, as well as those falling down the ranks. Sol De Janeiro took the crown for hottest brand previously, coming in at first place on our 2024 Index, thanks to their viral body mists and fragrance-forward branding and launches. La Roche Posay dominated search volume, whilst Huda Beauty remained the undefeated social media following champion.

In the Q1 2025 leaderboard, we put a microscope on the industry to uncover the latest in beauty trends, analytics and developments as we close the first quarter of 2025—and cast an eye to the future of this year’s beauty.

Rank	Brand	Combined Followers	Avg. engagement rate	Q1 searches	Year-on- year change in searches	Change vs. 2024	Overall score /10

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The Winners of Q1

The first quarter of 2025 sees a bit of a shake-up: it’s not just the viral brands dominating the beauty world. Consistency, community and cultural capital play a big role in a brand’s ability to steal the scene. Sitting at the top is Huda Beauty, the staple makeup brand fronted by makeup mogul Huda herself, with an unparalleled mix of legacy influence, cult-product virality and an unmatched collective follower scale of over 67 million.

While Fenty Beauty came in at second place, its steady engagement and cross-category, cross-platform presence remain a masterclass in brand durability. Meanwhile, NYX snuck into third place with a strong combo of TikTok virality and affordable accessibility; Rare Beauty held strong with resonating branding and the kind of creator-led content (featuring favourite products like the Bouncy Blush) that won’t quit – even as year-on-year searches dipped. Classic brands like Dior and Charlotte Tilbury stay relevant, carried by big collabs and aesthetic consistency, despite being beaten by faster-moving players.

Newer, nicher, more independent brands like Rhode, Patrick Ta and Sol de Janeiro proved that a relatively smaller following can be offset by impressive engagement. In Q1 2025, the true winners are those who have a good story, speed and scale.

Movers & Shakers

This quarter sees some exciting new additions to the top 50, alongside a few familiar faces rising through the ranks. Let’s take a look at the industry’s star players right now.

Making its first-ever appearance on the index, Huda Beauty has wasted no time in claiming the coveted number one spot. The brand’s stellar engagement across Instagram and TikTok, combined with a huge spike in searches for Q1 - helped by the viral launch of its ‘Ube Powder’ at the start of the year - has firmly secured its place at the top. New to the Index, NYX lands third with its buzz-worthy Buttermilk Blush and Glaze, while Hourglass grabs attention with its cult-favourite Vanish Airbrush Concealer.

Among the brands proving their staying power is Patrick Ta, climbing 9 spots this quarter to secure the final spot in the top 10, powered by all of the hype of their Major Headlines Blush Duos. Made by Mitchell has shot up 11 places to 26th, with their personal appearance earlier this year sparking plenty of attention.

The Beauty Brands Losing Popularity

As the beauty space crowned some new icons this quarter, a few once-reigning names slipped quietly out of frame. Charlotte Tilbury, a long-time darling of both red carpets and makeup bags, dropped down to 7th place. The staple brand – like Dior Beauty – still has its prestige positioning and loyal core users, but is struggling to ignite fresh, engaged momentum in a TikTok-driven landscape. Sol de Janeiro, last index’s golden child, fell 8 spots over the winter season, as oversaturation, overexposure and perhaps also product fatigue dimmed the once-viral body mist glow.

ELF Cosmetics is still an accessible, Gen Z favourite that is also profiting from the growing popularity of “dupe” products – however, with slowing search interest and market overfamiliarity. Meanwhile, the likes of Glossier and Bubble Skincare are all losing ground as the zeitgeist continues to shift in favour of heritage brands or new, “clean” minimalists like Rhode. Even brands like Drunk Elephant, which once thrived on aspirational skincare aesthetics in a way similar to Laneige and Tatcha, now seem caught between influencer-era legacy and TikTok’s attention economy. This is in contrast to brands that are, increasingly TikTok literate – with the top engagement and following – including P. Louise, NYX Cosmetics, K18 and Monday Haircare.

Q2 Predictions

After a standout quarter in the Q1 2025 Cosmetify Index, all eyes are on the brands set to climb even higher next quarter. Sol de Janeiro looks primed for a comeback as we head into summer, a season when the brand’s tropical scents and body care essentials typically thrive. Rhode is another brand to watch, continuing to build momentum with its minimalist skincare approach and recent expansion into makeup, with a 50% rise in searches this quarter. Kayali is also on the rise, with fragrance having a viral moment and searches for the brand soaring by 123%, while Danessa Myricks continues to quietly climb, driven by growing TikTok buzz and artistry-led launches.

But while some brands are rising, others could be at risk of losing momentum. Drunk Elephant saw one of the biggest drops this quarter, down 10 places with searches falling by 70%. Bubble Skincare and Cosrx also saw notable drops, suggesting the Gen Z skincare hype may be settling as consumers look for the next big thing.