The beauty industry relies heavily on creators to drive sales.
Creators are often able to directly show their audience how a product works, impacting trends and converting their recommendations into sales for brands. Data shows that beauty brands pour more money into influencer marketing than other verticals. A recent report from CreativeX analyzed 1.6 million ads—equivalent to $2 billion worth of ad spend—and found that beauty brands have invested 31% of their total media spend in creator content over the past 18 months. According to the research, beauty brands spent 17.9% more than alcohol brands on influencer marketing. Beauty brands also spent 11% more than consumer health brands, and 10.4% more than CPG brands.
ADWEEK asked three influencer marketing agencies for their recommendations on the rising beauty creators that brands should know about—particularly on TikTok. We picked ten beauty creators to feature that all have less than 4 million followers on TikTok and currently work with beauty brands. None of the creators have their own beauty brands.
The list of creators ranges from those pushing the beauty industry forward by advocating for diversity and inclusion like Golloria George to those who champion plus-size and dark-skin representation like Cynthia Victor. Other influencers like Abbey Yung are known for specialized expertise in areas like haircare. Each is trusted by their audience for their authenticity.
Additionally, influencer marketing platform Captiv8 provided engagement data for each creator. They are listed in order of TikTok follower count.
Destinee Wray
Followers: 3.9 million on TikTok, 274,000 on Instagram , and 504,000 on YouTube
TikTok stats: 6.46% engagement rate, 415,400 estimated impressions per post, and 329,800 average views
Brands worked with: SheaMoisture, Aussie Hair, and Knotless Gang
Destinee Wray first started posting curly haircare tutorials on Instagram in 2020 when she was just sixteen years old.
Soon she expanded to TikTok and built a following of 3.9 million thanks to her approachable and relatable get ready with me (GRWM) videos showcasing her haircare routines—like slicking her hair back for track practice to wash days. For example, in a video posted in June with 2.5 million views, Wray demonstrates the steps she takes to achieve a curly afro. This content and Wray’s warm tone is what makes her stick out to Mae Karwowski, founder and CEO at influencer agency Obviously. Karwowski praised how Wray embraces her natural hair texture and inspires confidence in her audience.
Monet McMichael
Followers: 3.8 million on TikTok, 1.3 million on Instagram, and 446,000 on YouTube
TikTok stats: 14.92% engagement rate, 404,700 estimated impressions per post, and 1.5 million average views
Brands worked with: Dove, Kiehl’s, and L’Oreal Paris
Monet McMichael attracted a following on TikTok of 3.8 million for her chatty GRWM videos. She started posting while she was a nursing student at Rutgers. Since graduating in 2022, she’s parlayed her skills into being a full-time creator.
Andrea Ahern, SVP and head of accounts at Billion Dollar Boy, recommended McMichael because of the trust her audience has for recommendations. A recent popular video from McMichael shows her recreating her go-to 2016 makeup look to a playlist of music from the year. In the video she chats with her audience reflecting on when she first fell in love with social media and makeup. Ahern said that McMichael is highly requested by brands due to her funny and trend-driven content that is tailored to the platform she’s posting on. Ahern recommended that lifestyle, beauty, hair, skincare, nails, home and decor, and pet brands partner with McMichael, additionally noting that McMichael recently bought a house which could be good for brands looking to reach young homeowners.
McMichael was also recommended by Natalie Silverstein, chief innovation officer at Collectively. According to Silverstein, McMichael consistently has high reach, engagement, and the ability to cover a wide variety of verticals like beauty, fashion, fitness, and home. Silverstein added that McMichael is known for driving sales with well-performing sponsored content.
Golloria George
Followers: 3.3 million on TikTok, 1 million on Instagram, and 442,000 on YouTube
TikTok stats: 3.44% engagement rate, 351,400 estimated impressions per post, and 1.1 million average views
Brands worked with: Glow Recipe, Fenty Beauty, and Sephora
Golloria George made a name for herself posting honest makeup reviews and advocating for skin-tone inclusion in beauty products, making her a go-to for brand launches, testing, and reviewing, according to Billion Dollar Boy’s Ahern.
In 2023 she launched her “darkest shade series” where she tests beauty brands’ darkest shade of foundation to encourage companies to make more inclusive shades. For example, she reviewed Rhode’s Pocket Blush last year and found that it left an ashy tone on her skin. Her review had an instant effect: Rhode co-founder Hailey Bieber reached out to her and reformulated the product to be more inclusive.
Billion Dollar Boy’s Ahern said that George is so influential that she can sway the success of a brand’s launch, pointing to her review of the makeup brand Youthforia’s foundation to demonstrate the product’s tone.
When George likes a product or it matches her skin tone, she gives it her seal of approval by saying, “Come to the front!” Brands will market products as “Golloria certified” if she gives it her stamp of approval.
According to Ahern, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands committed to inclusivity and shade diversity should work with George.
Cynthia Victor
Followers: 2 million on TikTok, 504,000 on Instagram, and 8,800 on YouTube
TikTok stats: 13.2% engagement rate, 213,000 estimated impressions per post, and 339,300 average views
Brands worked with: Ulta Beauty, Sol de Janeiro, and Dove
Cynthia Victor is known for vibrant makeup looks, humor, and for championing plus-size and dark-skin representation in the beauty industry.
Victor initially built a following on TikTok posting a series of videos matching her makeup to random household items during lockdown, spinning those videos into a full-time career as a beauty creator. Now, she often posts videos with funky music that shows off her makeup, outfits, and fun personality. She was recently featured in Maybelline’s all-Asian Face The Difference campaign as one of 40 AAPI leaders. She was also featured in a campaign with One Face.
Obviously’s Karwowski recommended Victor for brands looking to celebrate diversity and authenticity because of her confidence and unique voice.
Abbey Yung
Followers: 1.8 million on TikTok, 746,000 on Instagram, and 705,000 on YouTube
TikTok stats: 3.38% engagement rate, 202,300 estimated impressions per post, and 1.1 million average views
Brands worked with: OGX Beauty, Vaseline, and Nioxin
Abbey Yung is known for videos that help achieve her silky, smooth hair—a collection of videos aptly called the “Abbey Yung” method.
The “Abbey Yung” method is an eight-step process that involves using more than eight haircare products. In the video explaining her method—she also has videos for each step where she suggests a litany of products—she walks through every step, giving her audience options for their approach to each one.
She’s also a certified trichologist and posts in-depth product reviews and recommendations with a scientific approach. She focuses on the ingredients in different haircare products and is knowledgeable about the effects of those ingredients. For example, in a non-sponsored post she dove into why people shouldn’t use L’Oreal’s Elvive Dream Lengths line of products for hair growth because it contains no ingredients that encourage hair growth. Instead, she recommended her viewers use the line of products to protect hair from breakage.
Collectively’s Silverstein recommended Yung’s expertise and honest reviews of products for marketers. Silverstein said that when Yung recommends a product, consumers truly pay attention.
Aylen Park
Followers: 1.5 million on TikTok, 1.3 million on Instagram, and 1.38 million on YouTube (1.38M)
TikTok stats: 9.94% engagement rate, 159,800 estimated impressions per post, and 339,400 average views
Brands worked with: L’Oréal, Dior, and Nivea
Aylen Park gained popularity on TikTok from posting beauty videos with her mom, Sonia Lee. The duo does each other’s makeup, shares their beauty routines, participates in trends, and tests out the latest in Korean beauty. For example, in one video Park cuts and curls her mom’s hair to match her own. In the video they chitchat, switching between speaking English, Spanish, and Korean. In another video Park demonstrates how to achieve a makeup look inspired by the K-Pop group Blackpink.
It’s this warm, authentic connection to an audience and Park’s multicultural identity that led Obviously’s Karwowski to recommend Park for this list.
Wendy Ly
Followers: 1.2 million on TikTok, 739,000 on Instagram, and 3.5 million on YouTube
TikTok stats: 10.18% engagement rate, 127,800 estimated impressions per post, and 162,300 average views
Brands worked with: Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and Kiehl’s
Wendy Ly’s skincare Instagram started as a DIY summer internship and transformed into a robust cross-platform community. Her fans are dubbed “Skindys,” and her account is based around having tried a plethora of products and brands.
She posts transparent product reviews to build trust with her audience, while also showing off her sense of humor with unique editing. Ly has a non-sponsored series where she spotlights what makes her favorite beauty and skincare brands unique. For example, she made a video about Supergoop talking about how the brand’s SPF products go beyond sunscreen to also include things like body mist and foundation.
Obviously’s Karwowski recommended Ly because she makes beauty feel fun, accessible, and genuine. She also has a dedicated audience that comes back for her series of videos.
Emily Ha
Followers: 1.2 million on TikTok, 1.3 million on Instagram, and 1.3 million on YouTube
TikTok stats: 10.98% engagement rate, 202,200 estimated impressions per post, and 1.6 million average views
Brands worked with: Ulta, Sephora, and Kiehl’s
Emily Ha is a seventeen-year-old high schooler who posts a mix of singing along to music, shopping hauls, and GRWMs that capture relatable teenage life. In one recent example, Ha posted a GRWM while getting ready for her driver’s test. Ha also weaves popular trends into her TikTok content. Ha launched a podcast with her two sisters called the HAHA podcast.
Obviously’s Karwowski recommended Ha because of her unique and consistent following across platforms that plays up her relatability and fun-loving personality.
Gillian Kasko
Followers: 1.1 million on TikTok, and 267,000 on Instagram
TikTok stats: 6.64% engagement rate, 117,200 estimated impressions per post, and 119,200 average views
Brands worked with: Salt & Stone, Tory Burch, and Youth to the People
Gillian Kasko is a NYC-based beauty creator who posts conversational videos about beauty products in her car. More recently she’s dipped her toes into the world of toy unboxing, which has brought in an entirely new audience to her videos. Billion Dollar Boy’s Ahern pointed to her ability to collaborate with a range of high-end and drugstore beauty and self-care brands. Her content also connects with a range of audiences, according to Ahern. Kasko posts more traditional beauty content—like a series of videos on how to achieve heatless curls—but also worked with Trident gum on a video showing how she would spend a solo day in New York City.
Kasko is part of the Ulta Beauty Collective, the retailer’s creator program.
Ahern recommended that brands focused on tutorial, tip-style content, and product reviews work with Kasko. She added that a brand doesn’t have to be beauty-focused for an effective partnership—Kasko’s Instagram content is more lifestyle focused.
Roger Ma
Followers: 719,000 on TikTok, 106,000 on Instagram, and 404,000 on YouTube
TikTok stats: 8.09% engagement rate, 76,600 estimated impressions per post, and 254,800 average views
Brands worked with: Glossier, Thayers, and La Roche-Posay
Roger Ma’s page features all things skincare.
He breaks down sunscreen, face mists, moisturizers and other basic skincare for straight men. His content often specifically uses a UV camera to show the nitty gritty of how different products sit on the skin. In one example, a video using a UV camera showed how much sunscreen was left on his skin at the end of the day that needed to be washed off.
Ma’s videos also tackle other body topics like bleaching eyebrows and haircare. Obviously’s Karwowski recommends Ma for his easy-to-follow, step-by-step tutorials and authenticity. Specifically, she recommends beauty brands looking for content about results-driven products to work with Ma.
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