Cosmetify has unveiled its Q1 2025 Beauty Index – revealing a dynamic reshuffling at the top of the industry leaderboard.
Huda Beauty has taken the crown as the most popular beauty brand for the quarter, which is based on a data-driven ranking that blends Google search volume, average engagement rates and combined social following.
Huda Beauty’s success, according to Cosmetify, is down to a massive social footprint boasting 67.6 million followers – and an engagement rate of over 1,095%.
The launch of its viral Ube Powder set TikTok alight earlier this year, contributing to a 22% increase in searches compared to the previous year.
Fenty Beauty holds strong in second place, maintaining steady momentum, which Cosmetify says is thanks to its cross-category appeal and robust community engagement.
NYX, a new entry into the Index, claimed third position on the back of TikTok-fuelled buzz around its Buttermilk Blush and Glaze products.
While legacy names like Dior Beauty and Charlotte Tilbury remain inside the top 10, they have been edged out by faster-moving challengers.
Charlotte Tilbury, down four spots to sixth, is still benefitting from its luxe positioning and strategic collabs, but the beauty platform says the brand is struggling to ignite fresh virality in an increasingly attention-fractured landscape.
Sol de Janeiro, the breakout leader of 2024, suffered a significant drop – falling seven spots to eighth – as the brand contends with market saturation and diminishing returns from its once-unstoppable body mist line.
Similarly, e.l.f Cosmetics finds itself in seventh despite high engagement, a result of slowing search trends and consumer fatigue around dupe culture.
This quarter also highlights the rise of indie brands that punch above their weight in engagement.
Rhode, the minimalist skin care brand from Hailey Bieber, lands at ninth with a 1,630% engagement rate and a 50% surge in searches, which the forecaster suggests may be an early sign that its pivot into make-up may be paying off.
Patrick Ta, boosted by the success of its Major Headlines Blush Duos, climbs nine places to secure the tenth spot.
The index also brought light to the fact that several former popular beauty brands are feeling the squeeze.
Drunk Elephant plummeted ten places, with a 70% decline in searches and Glossier and Bubble skin care also dropped in visibility, as consumer attention veers toward newer, cleaner minimalist brands or established prestige names with a fresh story.
As the beauty industry eyes the summer season, several brands are poised for a resurgence.
Sol de Janeiro, known for its sun-soaked scents, typically sees a seasonal sales bump and may reclaim ground.
Rhode continues to create noise with its expansion to Sephora, while fragrance-focused labels like Kayali are benefiting from the category’s ongoing viral moment – Kayali searches are up a striking 123%.
Meanwhile, artistry-led brands such as Danessa Myricks and TikTok players like P. Louise and K18 are quietly gaining traction, pointing to a future where speed, storytelling and platform fluency are as critical as product innovation.
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