MAC Cosmetics, Sol de Janeiro and Drunk Elephant are this year’s best-performing beauty brands, according to Lookfantastic’s 2023 Beauty Trends Report.
The online retailer has analysed its customers' buying behaviour, as well as Google and social media search data, to reveal the most popular beauty brands and products of 2023.
MAC Cosmetics has been crowned the ‘biggest beauty brand of the year’, with 214,477 shoppers having searched for its products on the online retailer’s website.
The make-up giant has also been searched four million times on TikTok and more than six million times on Google over the year, found the report.
The launch of MAC’s tinted moisturiser Strobe Dewy Skin Tint has been cited as a key driver behind growth.
214,477 shoppers have searched for MAC on Lookfantastic
“This product broke the internet, with the item selling out repeatedly,” said Lookfantastic Beauty Editor Sheeva Fallahi.
MAC also launched its first liquid foundation in more than a decade in August, promising “expensive skin” in a bottle.
CeraVe has been named the second most popular beauty brand, with more than 130,000 searches for the dermatologist-developed skin care range on Lookfantastic.
Skin care brand La Roche-Posay, meanwhile, came in third place with 52,618 Lookfantastic site searches and 2.74 million Google searches.
“Both of these brands have proven extremely popular among beauty fans thanks to their stellar reputation in the dermatological space,” said Fallahi.
“While still sitting at a very accessible price point.”
Drunk Elephant has soared in popularity this year
Beauty’s breakout stars
Drunk Elephant has been crowned the ‘biggest exploding brand’, with a 480% increase in Lookfantastic site searches since 2022.
TikTok influencer Alix Earle using its D-Bronzi bronzing drops in one of her ‘get ready with me’ (GRWM) videos this year has been cited as one reason behind the boom.
Another ‘exploding’ brand is Gen Z make-up and skin care range Glow Hub, which has experienced a 647% increase in Google searches this year, found the report.
Sol de Janeiro's Bum Bum Cream has taken the title of ‘most popular beauty product’, which “went viral online,” said Fallahi.
The body care brand has achieved 130,792 on-site searches and 664,000 TikTok searches since 2022.
Lookfantastic has reported 130,792 site searches for Sol de Janeiro in 2023
This is a search increase of 308% on the video sharing social media platform.
The Ordinary's Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution and Colour Wow's Dream Coat came in second and third place respectively.
Lookfantastic has reported an 128% increase in searches overall for Colour Wow since 2022.
“Color Wow is now up there with some of the most in-demand hair care products globally,” added Fallahi.
2024 beauty trends
Lookfantastic has also predicted what it thinks will be the biggest beauty buzzwords and trends in 2024.
The beauty retail giant believes 2023’s K-Beauty ‘glass skin’ micro-trend – complexions that look crystal clear – will evolve next year into unexpected spaces.
“It will likely make its way into hair care,” said Lookfantastic MD Keely Gough.
“As more consumers seek the desired result of glossy or glass-effect locks achieved from oil and serum hair care formulations.”
It also predicts that 2024 will mark the end of Barbie pink’s reign as red comes to the fore.
“We have seen red take over the fashion world on the runways and it is definitely not stopping there,” commented Gough.
“Red is set to be the go-to colour, symbolising empowerment and self-expression.
“Whether you are adding a dash of red to your daily routine or going all-in with a striking look.”