15 Top Beauty Influencers


Beauty influencers have become increasingly popular over the years, and 2023 is likely to be no exception. Social media has continued to be a dominant force due to its ability to reach millions of people quickly. As a consequence, it is no surprise that beauty influencers are having a major impact on the beauty industry.

This article will look at the top beauty influencers in 2023 and why a beauty brand should consider partnering with a beauty influencer in 2023 to boost their marketing efforts.

What Is a Beauty Influencer?

A beauty influencer is an individual who has established credibility in the beauty industry and has leveraged their online presence to influence others with their insights and opinions on beauty products, trends, and techniques. They play a significant role in the modern consumer’s decision-making process, acting as a bridge between brands and audiences.

Here’s a more detailed look at what defines a beauty influencer:

  • Expertise in Beauty: They usually possess a deep knowledge of beauty products, skincare routines, makeup techniques, and often have training or background in cosmetology.
  • Large Following: Beauty influencers often have a substantial following on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media where they share content, tutorials, reviews, and more.
  • Content Creation: They create engaging and often educational content such as makeup tutorials, product unboxings, beauty hacks, and skincare routines that appeal to their audience.
  • Product Promotion: They collaborate with beauty brands to promote various products, often receiving free products or paid partnerships for their endorsements.
  • Trend Setting: Many beauty influencers are at the forefront of beauty trends, introducing and popularizing new styles, products, and techniques to their audience.
  • Brand Collaboration: They often work closely with beauty brands, either in promoting their products or even creating co-branded products and lines.
  • Trust and Authenticity: Followers often trust the opinions and recommendations of beauty influencers as they see them as authentic experts who share unbiased reviews and tutorials.
  • Community Engagement: They engage with their followers by responding to comments, sharing personal stories, and creating a sense of community around shared beauty interests.
  • Diverse Beauty Perspectives: Beauty influencers often contribute to a more inclusive and diverse representation of beauty by showcasing different skin tones, types, and personal styles.
  • Economic Impact: Through their recommendations and endorsements, beauty influencers can have a significant economic impact on brands and the beauty industry as a whole.
  • Moral and Ethical Influence: Some beauty influencers use their platforms to highlight ethical concerns in the industry such as cruelty-free products, sustainable practices, and more.

In conclusion, beauty influencers are not just individuals sharing makeup tips, but multifaceted personalities who have a significant impact on the beauty industry. They guide trends, provide education, foster community, and can wield considerable influence over their followers’ purchasing decisions.

Why Your Brand Should Consider Partnering with a Beauty Influencer

There are many reasons why partnering with a top beauty influencer could be beneficial for a beauty brand in the long run. Some of the reasons to consider working with a beauty influencer are:

  1. Significant reach: The reach of a beauty influencer is one of the most critical factors in determining their success. Beauty influencers with a large social media following can connect with more people with their messages, making it more likely that brands will have more powerful marketing strategies through strategic partnerships, such as making beauty influencers brand ambassadors or sponsoring product reviews.
  2. High engagement: Engagement is also essential in determining beauty influencers’ success. Many of them have also successfully been able to launch their own brand due to their incredible reach and engagement. Beauty influencers who can engage with their followers and create meaningful relationships are more likely to have a lasting impact on beauty brands by working with them for influencer marketing efforts.
  3. Meaningful brand impact: The overall impact of beauty influencers on the beauty industry is significant, and brands looking to build awareness and increase their presence should take that into consideration. Beauty influencers are able to share their knowledge and expertise with the masses, helping to shape public opinion and driving people to purchase certain beauty products and services if done well.
  4. Incredible skills: Beauty influencers are renowned for their makeup skills, with many of them having a professional background, such as being a makeup artist. Brands partnering with beauty influencers can showcase their unique products in a creative way through amazing makeup tutorial videos, hair tutorials, and other sponsored content.
  5. Credibility: Beauty bloggers are in a unique position where they wield considerable influence due to their professional expertise in makeup and beauty. By partnering with beauty influencers, brands are seen as credible and can use it as a way to build trust with audiences while marketing their products.

beauty influencers

Evaluating Top Beauty Influencers for Effective Collaborations

In the beauty industry, partnering with the right influencers can have a significant impact on your brand’s reach and perception. When choosing beauty influencers for collaborations, consider the following key factors. Each factor is rated on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is less critical and 5 is most critical. Here are the things we considered when compiling the following list.

  1. Expertise and Authority in Beauty: The influencer’s knowledge and expertise in beauty topics are crucial for credible endorsements.
    • Importance Scale: 5/5
  2. Audience Demographics and Reach: Assess the size and demographics of the influencer’s audience to ensure alignment with your target customer base.
    • Importance Scale: 5/5
  3. Engagement Rate: High engagement rates (likes, comments, shares) indicate a strong, active relationship with the audience.
    • Importance Scale: 5/5
  4. Content Quality and Aesthetic: The visual appeal and quality of the influencer’s content should resonate with your brand’s image.
    • Importance Scale: 4/5
  5. Authenticity and Trustworthiness: Authentic influencers who genuinely use and believe in the products they promote can influence buying decisions more effectively.
    • Importance Scale: 5/5
  6. Brand Alignment and Values: The influencer’s values and style should align with your brand to ensure a cohesive partnership.
    • Importance Scale: 4/5
  7. Innovation and Creativity: Influencers who bring creativity and uniqueness to their content can offer fresh perspectives and campaign ideas.
    • Importance Scale: 3/5
  8. Professionalism and Previous Collaborations: Review their track record with other brands for professionalism and effectiveness in partnerships.
    • Importance Scale: 4/5
  9. Legal and Ethical Compliance: Adherence to legal standards in advertising and ethical practices is essential, especially in product endorsements.
    • Importance Scale: 5/5
  10. Potential ROI and Impact on Sales: Consider the influencer’s ability to drive sales and provide a good return on investment.
    • Importance Scale: 4/5

Top Beauty Influencers

There are many beauty influencers that have built a considerable following on social media platforms by sharing makeup tips, skincare advice, hair tutorials, and other beauty trends. We’ve highlighted some of the top beauty influencer profiles across different platforms to help you find the right partner for your brand.

1. Safiya Nygaard – 9.8m

top beauty influencers

Safita Nygaard has a successful YouTube channel and Instagram feed, sharing beauty tips, advice, and various beauty tutorial examples for different kinds of products. Her content also includes fashion tips, vintage shopping hauls, and other types of content.

2. Huda Kattan – 2.8m

top beauty influencers

Huda Kattan is a professional makeup artist, beauty blogger, and founder of the wildly successful beauty company Huda Beauty, which has launched a popular eyeshadow palette, lipsticks, and other products. Huda Kattan is an amazing example of a beauty influencer who has been able to run a successful business and carve a name for herself within the highly competitive beauty space.

3. Michelle Phan – 8.7m

top beauty influencers

Michelle Phan is a top beauty influencer with a large following across social media channels, especially YouTube. Michelle Phan is known for her stunning makeup, detailed tutorials, beauty reviews, and other content and has been a beauty influencer for many years.

4. Holly Willoughby – 8.4m

top beauty influencers

Holly Willoughby started as a TV presenter and has since pivoted to become a beauty blogger and shares product reviews, makeup tips, and other beauty content on her Instagram. She is also a brand ambassador for major beauty brands such as Garnier.

5. Tati Westbrook – 8.44m

top beauty influencers

Tati Westbrook is another top beauty influencer and a bona fide beauty guru. Tati’s YouTube channel is filled with fantastic beauty content such as makeup hacks, and beauty hacks, and she is a well-known makeup influencer that has successfully built up her own brand.

6. JaclynHill1 – 5.9M

top beauty influencers

Jaclyn Hill is a professional makeup artist who shares lifestyle videos, makeup tutorials, makeup trends, and other types of content on both YouTube and Instagram. She is another makeup influencer that has successfully launched her own beauty business through her social media presence. She also shares simple beauty routines and other types of beauty vlogs.

7. Jackie Aina – 3.58M

top beauty influencers

Makeup influencers like Jackie Aina have built a following by sharing beauty opinions and shining a light on traditional beauty standards within the beauty industry. Jackie Aina’s content is about empowering women to embrace their natural beauty, and she also shares product reviews as a beauty guru.

8. Laura Lee – 4.61M

top beauty influencers

Laura Lee is one of the top makeup influencers out there and is known for her makeup brand, Laura Lee Los Angeles. Laura Lee started with a beauty blog and has since built up her reputation in the beauty world before entering the cosmetics industry, including partnerships with brands like MAC Cosmetics. She now has her own brand while still maintaining a popular YouTube channel where she regularly shares content.

9. Miss Alex – 883K

top beauty influencers

Miss Alex is a fashion blogger and shares fashion advice, hacks, and insight into the fashion industry. Miss Alex’s content is all about helping others find their personal style while on a budget. Miss Alex also shares other types of beauty and lifestyle content as part of her channel.

10. Kayley Melissa – 1.78M

top beauty influencers

Kayley Melissa has a successful YouTube channel where she shares hair-related content, including tutorials, advice, information, and other types of content. As a beauty vlogger, Kayley Melissa has an incredibly bubbly personality that followers love. Her content is all about helping women style their in interesting ways, and she also shares product reviews.

11. Nyane Lebajoam, 1.5m

top beauty influencers

Nyane Lebajoam is one of the top makeup influencers and known for her unique look and amazing style. Nyane Lebajoam has gained a significant following by sharing her travels and other adventures via her vlogs, blogs, and other beauty-related content.

More Top Influencers Who Partner with Beauty Brands

The beauty industry has seen incredible growth over the last few years, especially as more beauty influencers have entered the fore through their content and business. Many beauty gurus are on YouTube and Instagram and can reach a broad audience across different platforms.

We’ll look at some other beauty influencers that should be on your radar due to their social media presence and large following.

12. Em Ford, 1.04M

top beauty influencers

Em Ford is a beauty blogger known for promoting skin positivity. She has gained popularity over the years for sharing makeup tips and tutorials for acne, product reviews, and other beauty content.

13. Rose Gallagher, 76k

top beauty influencers

Rose Gallagher is a British makeup artist who creates content that helps women master makeup. Her content is all about sharing makeup techniques, tutorials, and other content related to beauty and skin. She also shares makeup advice for skin conditions such as rosacea.

14. Nam Vo, 398k

 

top beauty influencers

Nam Vo is a professional makeup artist and one of the top makeup influencers out there. She is famous for her dewy skin makeup looks, which has been dubbed the Nam Vo Glow, and she has partnered with big cosmetic brands such as Marc Jacobs Beauty. Her content includes tutorials to achieve the ‘dewy dumpling’ highlighter look that she originated.

15. James Charles, 23.9m

top beauty influencers

James Charles is a makeup artist and one of the top beauty influencers out there. James Charles has amassed a massive following. He is known for his unique and distinctive makeup looks, experimental tutorials, product reviews, and educational content around beauty and makeup.

No.NameFollowersDescription
1Safiya Nygaard9.8mSuccessful YouTube channel and Instagram feed sharing beauty tips, advice, and tutorials, including fashion tips, vintage shopping hauls, etc.
2Huda Kattan2.8mProfessional makeup artist, beauty blogger, and founder of Huda Beauty, known for popular products like eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks.
3Michelle Phan8.74mTop influencer known for stunning makeup, detailed tutorials, beauty reviews on YouTube, and other platforms.
4Holly Willoughby8.4mFormer TV presenter turned beauty blogger sharing product reviews, makeup tips on Instagram, and brand ambassador for Garnier.
5Tati Westbrook8.44mTop beauty influencer with content such as makeup hacks, beauty hacks, and owner of her brand.
6JaclynHill15.9mProfessional makeup artist sharing lifestyle videos, tutorials, makeup trends, and owner of her beauty business.
7Jackie Aina3.58mInfluencer focusing on empowering women, embracing natural beauty, and shining a light on traditional beauty standards.
8Laura Lee4.61mTop makeup influencer, known for her makeup brand Laura Lee Los Angeles, partnerships with brands like MAC Cosmetics, and popular YouTube channel.
9Miss Alex883kFashion blogger sharing fashion advice, hacks, and insights into the fashion industry on a budget.
10Kayley Melissa1.78mBeauty vlogger focusing on hair-related content including tutorials, advice, styling tips, and product reviews.
11Nyane Lebajoam1.5mMakeup influencer known for her unique look, style, travels, vlogs, and other beauty-related content.
12Em Ford1.04mBeauty blogger promoting skin positivity, known for makeup tips and tutorials for acne, product reviews, etc.
13Rose Gallagher76kBritish makeup artist focusing on makeup techniques, tutorials, and advice for skin conditions such as rosacea.
14Nam Vo398kProfessional makeup artist famous for her 'dewy dumpling' highlighter look, partnering with brands like Marc Jacobs Beauty.
15James Charles23.9mOne of the top beauty influencers known for unique makeup looks, experimental tutorials, product reviews, and educational content around beauty and makeup.

Can a Self Taught Makeup Artist Become a Beauty Influencer?

Yes, a self-taught makeup artist can become a beauty influencer. Many beauty influencers started out that way and have successfully built businesses and brands based on their signature looks. Self-taught makeup artists can become beauty influencers by sharing content such as beauty and makeup tutorials.

How Much Money Do Beauty Influencers Make?

The amount of money beauty influencers will depend on their partnerships, social media content, and any business ventures they undertake. The average beauty influencer makes anywhere from $10,000 a year up to $200,000 a year and more.

What Is the Best Platform for Beauty Influencers?

The best platform for beauty influencers is YouTube. Many beauty gurus have started by creating digital content, such as makeup videos, on platforms like YouTube and gained a significant following, mainly through tutorial videos.

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Image: Envato Elements

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Myra Nizami Myra is a a staff writer for Small Business Trends as well as freelance writer and researcher based in London, UK. Myra has been writing for businesses across a variety of sectors and industries since 2013.

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