15 ‘CHALLENGER’ BEAUTY BRANDS KILLING IT ON TIKTOK A N D W H A T W E C A N L E A R N F R O M T H E M R E P O R T 2 NO OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM HAS SHAKEN UP THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY QUITE LIKE TIKTOK.

Gone are the days of highly edited, photoshopped images (the likes of which we used to see all over magazines and Instagram). Instead, what we have now is ‘real beauty’ in all its imperfect glory.

This is largely driven by Gen Z audiences - for whom ‘authenticity’ is everything. According to Y Pulse, 62 percent of Gen Zs say brands over-edit their photos, and 70 per cent say they prefer when content from brands isn’t perfect (Vogue Insider, 2021).

Younger generations want to see models with skin problems, they want diversity, they want fun, relatable content that reminds them of their friends - and most importantly they want a brand that knows what it stands for and lives up to it.

62% 70%

OVER-EDITED PHOTOS PREFER IMPERFECTIONS 3

TikTok with its ‘real’, chaotic energy is the perfect fit for this new era of the beauty industry where user generated content is ‘king’ and supermodels take a backseat to everyday creators.

Do they care about the environment? Do they support LGBTQ+ rights? Are they sad, joyful, experimental? Are they part of a particular subculture?

For Gen Z in particular, beauty and makeup is all about expressing themselves and their feelings in the moment. It’s less about the actual products, and more about what they say about HEARTS ON TIKTOK IN JULY 2021 ALONE: the person using them. Do they #MAKEUP: 156M #BEAUTY: 38M care about the environment? Do #SKINCARE: 25M they support LGBTQ+ rights? Are they sad, joyful, experimental? Are they part of a particular subculture? 4

This cultural shift has paved the way for exciting challenger brands to emerge. From the likes of Glossier who were one of the original trendsetters of more relatable content and social media-led campaigns, to completely new brands that are already breaking down barriers on TikTok (without huge budgets).

How can beauty brands punch above their weight on TikTok?

Of course, the likes of MAC, L’Oreal and are doing some great things on TikTok; from creating their own original ‘sounds’ to starting viral hashtags. But what if you don’t have the sort of budget these brands enjoy? How do you still make a splash on TikTok and punch above your weight on the platform? 5

IN THIS GUIDE...

At Fanbytes, we have a specialised Beauty and Fashion pod - a team of experts who really know their stuff when it comes to connecting with Gen Z audiences on social.

Here, we’ve spotlighted 15 beauty brands that are making waves on TikTok and taking on the much more established industry heavyweights.

We’ve drawn on our own experiences driving account growth and huge engagement levels for some of the world’s most exciting up-and-coming beauty brands, and have also tapped into Bytesights, our custom-built data tool that’s directly connected with TikTok.

We’ve also shared our top tips for driving the same kind of success. Whether you’re a challenger brand looking to reach the next level, or an established big player that’s needing to become more innovative on TikTok, these tips have got you covered.

CRITERIA WE’VE LOOKED AT:

TIKTOK NATIVE TRENDS AND ENGAGEMENT INFLUENCERS BRANDING CONTENT SUBCULTURES

What kind of numbers How creative and How are they Is it distinct? Have they How are they tapping are they seeing across made-for-TikTok is it? collaborating with got a clearly defined into wider TikTok followers, views and creators across the strategy when it comes trends and likes? platform? to their TikTok content? communities?

AND >> 6

WHAT IS THEIR TIKTOK PERSONA?

TikTok is all about human connection, and this includes brands. In our recent event, 100 Days to Engage Gen Z, we chatted with panelists from Depop, Ugly Drinks and Imagen Insights about the importance of truly knowing what it is your brand embodies.

Essentially, if your brand were a person, what kind of content would they be posting? What would they be engaging with and sharing? And which creators would they be following?

To each of our brands, we’ve assigned a persona. And if you’re reading this and you don’t know what your brand’s would be? That’s a great place to start. 7

THE LIST 8 1. THE TRENDSETTER

Followers: 323.1K Likes: 8.5M Star Product: Flawless Finish #elfcosmetics views: 228.4M

2021 numbers on #elfcosmetics 4.2M Likes ● 12.1% Engagement Rate Elf Cosmetics were one of the first beauty brands to really crack TikTok. They saw the opportunity and jumped on it, enabling them to build a huge Gen Z fanbase in the process.

Noting how central music is to the platform, they developed an original song called Eyes Lips Face, which immediately went viral, hitting 1 billion views in just 6 days. The popularity of the song even encouraged them to release a full length version and music video of the song.

Since then they’ve gone on to create a TikTok ‘reality show’ and develop a rendition of Eyes Lips Face for Covid-19 awareness. Their account content features a good mix of reviews (often getting creators to do comparisons between one of their affordable Elf products and a high-end alternative), and jumping on TikTok trends like the recent ‘What is your pet thinking about?’ filter.

2. STARFACE THE JOKER

Followers: 900.4K Likes: 19.8M Star Product: Pimple Patches #starface views: 146.7M

2021 numbers on #starface 1.9M Likes ● 16.9% Engagement Rate Starface probably epitomises the classic Gen Z beauty brand on TikTok. They’ve successfully turned what is, on the face of it, a pretty un-glamorous product (pimple stickers and spot treatments), into a fashion statement.

Of course, they’re helped with the bright, colourful packaging favoured by Gen Z, but they also lean heavily into content that’s really fun and humorous; perfect for TikTok. Most importantly though they don’t shy away from showing real skin, acne and all. We all hate those skincare ads where the model has been airbrushed within an inch of her life, but Starface encourage their fans to wear their pimples with pride (as well as how much the product has helped). 9 3. GLOW RECIPE THE MINDFULNESS QUEEN

Followers: 142.3K Likes: 1.7M Star Product: Watermelon Glow Skin Duo #glowrecipe views: 57.6M

2021 numbers on #glowrecipe 1.5M Views ● 11.7% Engagement Rate

With its Instagram-favoured pastel colour scheme and packaging, Glow Recipe is another brand that seems perfectly aimed towards Gen Z and millennials. Their whole aesthetic is very relaxing and calming with beach scenes and soothing original sounds (they also regularly tap into the #selfcaretiktok hashtag).

And as a K-beauty brand, they’ve worked with a number of Korean beauty and skincare creators such as @hkjennylee and recently tapped into the ‘Glass Skin’ trend; the concept of making your skin appear luminous and glossy like a ‘pane of glass’.

4. JOAH BEAUTY THE BIG SISTER

Followers: 37.4K Likes: 166.1K Star Product: Joah Lash Duo #joahbeauty views: 10.1M

2021 numbers on #Joahbeauty 400K Likes ● 10.7% Engagement Rate

JOAH Beauty feels like the cool older sister everyone wants to get makeup tips from. They capitalise on this by putting creators and MUAs at the heart of their content; nearly every video features one showcasing the products and giving useful tips to their audiences.

They also ran a campaign which tapped into TikTok users’ love of building human connection through challenges and shared communities. Partnering with relatable, trusted creators, they had them show off the new Joah mascara and encourage their fans to try it with the hashtag #jointhelastmovement. 10 5. MILK MAKEUP THE COOL GIRL

Followers: 554.4K Likes: 8.5M Star Product: Matte Bronzer #milkmakeup views: 113.9M

2021 numbers on #milkmakeup 1.5M Views ● 11.7% Engagement Rate

Milk have been smashing their TikTok strategy this year and always seem to be on top of the biggest trends on the platform. It seems like every single one of their products has gone viral at one point!

And while they maintain the ‘cool girl’ image, partnering with amazing and diverse creators and often showing products against cool city backgrounds, the best thing about Milk is that they’re able to participate in funny TikTok trends too - like the hilarious Versailles Run filter.

They’ve also experimented a lot with music - creating many of their own original sounds and always featuring the latest songs going viral like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP.

6. THE ORDINARY THE VOICE OF AUTHORITY

Followers: 291.4K Likes: 1.7M Star Product: Niacinanide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum

2021 numbers on #theordinary 1.8M Likes ● 6.7% Engagement Rate

The Ordinary’s brand is all about expertise and science when it comes to skincare (as well as their commitments to sustainability and cruelty-free beauty). Their products went viral on TikTok after American TikTok-er Kaelyn White posted a video of her using one of their famous serums, and since then the brand has massively grown its Gen Z fanbase.

Their TikTok content really plays on the ‘scientific’ angle, positioning them as the authority on skincare. Through collaborating with dermatologists and skincare specialist creators, they really go into detail about the ingredients in their products and exactly what they do for skin. They even recently posted a TikTok tour of their ‘Mini Lab’, showing a miniature version of a laboratory ‘making’ Ordinary Skincare products - showing the scientific process but in a fun and engaging way. 11 7. EYLURE THE ENTERTAINER

Followers: 992 Likes: 2.5K Star Product: Line & Lash Adhesive Liner #eylure (& #eylurelashes) views: 10.7M

2021 numbers on #eylure 682K Likes ● 14.3% Engagement Rate

Eylure have experimented with new formats and TikTok features such as original sounds. Last month, they ran a campaign using their own original song that featured a Drag Queen Artist. They also worked with TikTok creators to encourage their fans to use the song as a background to their own videos.

As well as this, they’ve tapped into other trends and cultural moments such as #ASMRtok and Love Island. They also did a number of activations around Pride Month with amazing MUA creators like @theplasticboy showing their own Pride looks.

8. KAJA BEAUTY THE PRINCESS

Followers: 1.7M Likes: 22.8M Star Product: Blendable Blush Cheek Stamp #kajabeauty Views = 168.8M

2021 numbers on #kajabeauty 2.4M Likes ● 15.9% Engagement Rate

Dino Ha, CEO of MBX, the owners of Kaja Beauty, said he believes their success on TikTok comes from their focus on K-beauty and focusing on telling the story of their products rather than trying to copy funny dances and challenges like many others are doing (Glossy, 2020).

Many of their videos feature clips of people opening and playing with the products’ pretty pink packaging against floral backgrounds. The sounds also tie into this ‘girly girl’ aesthetic, with songs from chick flick classics like Legally Blonde. 12 9. URBAN SKIN RX THE ADVOCATE

Followers: 14.3K Likes: 110.7K Star Product: Even Tone Cleansing Bar #urbanskinrx Views: 15.7M

2021 numbers on #urbanskinrx 56.3K Likes ● 4.4% Engagement Rate

After their Even Tone Cleansing Bar went viral on TikTok, Urban Skin Rx’s founder, Rachel Roff, knew they had to get on the platform (Vogue, 2020). Since then, their sales have grown by over 100% year-on-year.

Urban Skin Rx’s mission is to bring more inclusivity to the skincare industry, and especially provide more education and awareness around ‘melanin rich skin’. To get their message out there, they’ve partnered with a number of TikTok micro influencers and a lot of their content features tips and information about different skin conditions. They’ve also tapped into the ASMR craze on TikTok!

10. TARTE COSMETICS THE TEACHER

Followers: 753.7K Likes: 11.8M Star Product: Shape Tape #tartecosmetics Views = 64.4M

2021 numbers on #tartecosmetics 187K Likes ● 10.1% Engagement Rate

Tarte absolutely puts MUAs and creators at the centre of its content. With clear, distinctive branding, their TikToks are all about hacks, how to’s, tips and tutorials.

It’s the perfect destination for beauty lovers and people that really want to learn how to improve their makeup skills! 13 11.MORPHE THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

Followers: 1.2M Likes: 12.2M Star Product: Eyeshadow Palettes #morpheofficial Views: 66.5M

2021 numbers on #morpheofficial 1.5M Likes ● 11.5% Engagement Rate

As a ‘beauty brand created for the creators’, it’s no surprise that Morphe are nailing their TikTok strategy. Since the beginning they’ve understood the power of influencer marketing and user generated content, and have collaborated with nearly all the top MUA YouTubers, from Jaclyn Hill to James Charles.

TikTok has been no different, and in 2020 they announced two of the biggest creators on the planet, Charli and Dixie D’Ameilio as the faces of their new Gen Z sub-brand, Morphe 2. The two sisters managed to rack up an incredible 51 million TikTok views between them across the three campaign launch videos.

12. NYX COSMETICS THE FREE SPIRIT

Followers: 201.8K Likes: 2.5M Star Product: Soft Matte Lip Cream #nyxcosmetics views = 337.0m

2021 numbers on #nyxcosmetics 15.2M Likes ● 13.5% Engagement Rate

NYX Cosmetics describe themselves as a ‘fierce community of independent spirits, we believe in unstoppable self-expression’. Their campaigns on TikTok have continued to encourage this freedom of expression in their fans, in particular for their 2020 #ButterGlossPop launch.

For this, they created an original song and invited followers to ‘pop your gloss’ by trying multiple shades while singing or dancing (the campaign achieved over 10 billion views and 2 million user generated videos) (Glossy, 2020).

Their TikTok account now is full of bright, colourful makeup looks and they experiment with different video formats. Most importantly, they put creators front and centre and really allow them to show off their personality. 14 13.BARRY M THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

Followers: 15.0K Likes: 310.5K Star Product: That’s Swell XXXL #barrymcosmetics Views: 2.2M

2021 numbers on #barrymcosmetics 79.5K Likes ● 10.1% Engagement Rate

The family-run British beauty brand is reaching new audiences on TikTok, especially after its lip plumper went viral. Now they’re tapping into their relatable, girl-next-door vibe with Gen Z British creator-led content.

Their recent videos also feature some of TikTok’s trending songs from the past few months - such as Destiny’s Child’s Bills Bills Bills, Alice Merton’s No Roots, and Justin Bieber’s Peaches.

14. REVOLUTION THE DIVA

Followers: 392.8K Likes: 9.0M Star Product: 5D Lash Mascara #makeuprevolution Views = 258.4M

2021 numbers on #makeuprevolution 4.1M Likes ● 13.7% Engagement Rate

Revolution created one of the catchiest original sounds of the year with #CreatorRevolution (seriously you won’t be able to get the ‘Ready, Set, Spray’ hook out of your head).

The song complemented a massive TikTok competition in which Revolution encouraged users to share their makeup skills and looks, with the winner receiving $100,000, their own product line with the brand, and a place on the TikTok Creator Marketplace.

With judges including the amazing MUA @AbbyRoberts (16.6m followers), the whole campaign was a masterclass in TikTok advertising. We can’t wait to see what they do next! 15 15.GLOSSIER THE ULTIMATE GEN Z GIRL

Followers: 121.7K Likes: 2.6M Star Product: Cloud Paint Blushes #glossier Views: 408.9M

2021 numbers on #glossier 4.8M Likes ● 17.5% Engagement Rate

It just wouldn’t be a list about challenger Gen Z beauty brands without Glossier... Since launching in 2014, they’ve achieved cult-status through their ‘skincare first’ products, Gen Z-designed packaging, and commitment to influencer and content-led marketing.

Their TikTok content continues the tradition, with the right balance of influencer collaborations, humorous videos (putting faces on their Balm Dotcom lip balms Ryan-air style), product reveals and demonstrations, and viral trends/dances.

One thing that sets them apart is their continued dedication to engaging with their audiences. They repost funny videos from their fans and regularly reply to comments with their signature quick-witted Glossier voice. This is key to building genuine human connection on the platform!

T H E L I S T

1. ELF COSMETICS 6. THE ORDINARY 11. MORPHE THE TRENDSETTER THE AUTHORITY THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY @elfyeah @theordinary @morpheofficial

2. STARFACE 7. EYLURE 12. NYX COSMETICS THE JOKER THE ENTERTAINER THE FREE SPIRIT @starface @eylureofficial @nyxcosmetics

3. GLOW RECIPE 8. KAJA BEAUTY 13. BARRY M THE MINDFULNESS QUEEN THE PRINCESS THE GIRL NEXT DOOR @glowrecipe @kajabeauty @barrymcosmetics

4. JOAH BEAUTY 9. URBAN SKIN RX 14. REVOLUTION THE BIG SISTER THE ADVOCATE THE DIVA @joahbeauty @urbanskinrx @makeuprevolution

5. MILK MAKEUP 10. TARTE COSMETICS 15. GLOSSIER THE COOL GIRL THE TEACHER THE ULTIMATE GEN Z GIRL @milkmakeup @tartecosmetics @glossier PAGE 156 WHAT ARE THE TAKEOUTS FROM THIS LIST? Across the board, we can see a few common threads between these 15 brands and their TikTok strategies. So if you want to reach a Gen Z audience, make sure you:

1.PUT THEM AT THE HEART 2.WORK WITH RELEVANT OF YOUR CONTENT CREATORS All these brands heavily feature people in their They will know what their audience wants to see TikTok content. And rather than models or more than you do, so listen to their ideas and celebrities, most show popular creators or give them freedom. Finding the right creators is genuine fans using their products, making the the hard part, so it’s worth partnering with experts content much more relatable and authentic. in this area.

3.EXPERIMENT 4.EMBRACE 5.INTERACTION WITH SOUNDS HUMOUR IS KEY TikTok was a platform built on Whether you’re a luxury or Remember TikTok is built music and it’s so key to have budget beauty brand, the TikTok around human connection. So your ear to the ground content that consistently make sure you’re commenting constantly when it comes to performs the best are ones with and engaging with profiles and which sounds are trending or an element of humour. This content that make sense to bubbling up so that you can might be uncharted territory for your brand. Also think about jump on it. At Fanbytes, we some brands, and it will be how you can create or use our custom-built TikTok interesting to see what legacy participate in viral trends, tool to keep clients informed brands like Dior, Chanel and hashtags and challenges - but as to which songs or artists can do here, but brands again, making sure you they should be aware of, and like Glossier and Milk have consider what is and isn’t right creating original songs are a shown that you can still retain for your ‘brand's personality’. great way of driving brand your ‘cool’ reputation while awareness. embracing silly filters and trends. 17

Who we are

Fanbytes is a leading social media and influencer marketing agency. We specialise in engaging Gen Z on their native platforms of TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

With particular expertise in TikTok (we built Europe’s first TikTok creator house!), we’ve worked with the likes of JOAH Beauty, Eylure, Amie and to help them unlock Gen Z audiences and grow their TikTok engagement.

Get in touch with us if you’d like to have a chat around how you can:

Grow your brand’s TikTok account through organic and paid campaigns Identify and partner with the right TikTok creators Tap into trending sounds, challenges and hashtags to unlock massive engagement Use data to truly understand how and where your brand should be talking Develop and showcase your brand’s personality on TikTok

Get in touch with us at www.fanbytes.com.

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTERS: Weekly TikTok Trends - Every Tuesday Weekly Gen Z Insights - Every Wednesday Fashion and Beauty Forecast - Monthly