If the viral beauty brands on TikTok are any indication, social media has the power to move products, change lives, and highlight the formulas that truly work. In fact, just one short video has the potential to stir a frenzy over an otherwise under-the-radar product or brand, leading it to sell out entirely. (Case in point: literally anything Charlotte Tilbury.)
What’s more, the Gen Z–oriented app has also afforded users the opportunity to discover new, emerging products that they may not have otherwise come across. Thanks to the good old FYP, an increasing number of (mostly) smaller, up-and-coming beauty brands are quickly gaining traction and becoming popular almost overnight.
The TikTok hype is totally real: Just check out #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt—which has over 11 billion views, by the way—and prepare to head down the rabbit hole. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up the top viral beauty brands on TikTok, as well as our favorite buzzed-about products from each, so you can get the goods without being sucked into another hour-long scroll session.
Rare Beauty
Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty was met with massive success following its September 2020 launch, and the brand has since built an impressive presence on TikTok. Part of its popularity stems from the countless creators, including Nogueira and MakeupByMonicaa, who have waxed poetic about the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush; thousands of consumers have also taken to TikTok to gush about how pigmented the blush is—including yours truly.
Youthforia
Youthforia was founded right before the start of the pandemic. Since then the brand has blown up on TikTok thanks to its small but mighty collection of innovative products that, according to founder Fiona Cho Chan, are safe to sleep in without causing irritation or breakouts. Chan remains the face of the brand’s marketing and TikTok videos, where she discusses the science behind the products’ formulas, her inspiration for starting the brand, and helpful tutorials.
Today, Youthforia’s product lineup includes the brand’s trademark BYO Blush (which gives an “effortless sun-kissed look,” according to one Glamour writer), the new Pregame Primer, and the Dewy Gloss, which lends the perfect wash of color.
Makeup by Mario
While Mario Dedivanovic (better known as @MakeupByMario) now serves as a sought-after makeup artist to stars like Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Priyanka Chopra, he actually had humble beginnings as a fragrance consultant at Sephora.
After years of success as a celebrity makeup artist, Dedivanovic debuted his highly anticipated namesake makeup line in October 2020. Several products, including the pigment-packed Master Metals Eyeshadow Palette and the super-hydrating MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum, have received the viral TikTok treatment. Oh, and its Ultra Suede Lip Sculpting Pencil won a 2022 Glamour Beauty Award for Best Lip Pencil—one Glamour writer described it as being “almost as good as filler.” Sold.
InnBeauty Project
Founded in 2019 by beauty industry vets Alisa Metzger and Jen Shane, InnBeauty Project has recently made waves on TikTok for its beloved Glaze Lip Oil and Extra Glaze Lip Oil, which took the beauty community by storm with its juicy yet nonsticky formulas.
The brand, which is also known for its affordable prices and vegan, cruelty-free formulations, features a slew of skin-care and makeup products too—such as the now viral Face Glaze primer-highlighter hybrid, Pimple Paste, and the Green Machine 7 Min Goo Mask, which leaves skin glowing in just seven minutes thanks to a blend of AHAs and BHAs.
Jones Road Beauty
With the launch of Jones Road Beauty in 2020—and the expiration of Bobbi Brown’s noncompete clause following the sale of her O.G. company to Estée Lauder—Brown is officially back. The Jones Road Beauty team wasted no time in promoting the products on TikTok via helpful tutorials and expert tips and tricks featuring the makeup artist herself.
You can’t miss the beloved Miracle Balm, which bills itself as a do-it-all, multipurpose balm for your eyes, lips, and cheeks. The result? A subtle glow and the perfect hint of color.
Merit Beauty
Merit Beauty prides itself on its minimalist approach to beauty. With this in mind, you can expect a curated lineup of multipurpose products ideal for daily use. These include the popular Flush Balm Cream Blush and the versatile The Minimalist, which works as a concealer or foundation, depending on your application. But don’t just take it from us: Big-time beauty creator @Glamzilla deemed Merit “the new Glossier” in her TikTok review of the brand.
Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte Tilbury had a successful career as a celebrity makeup artist to clients like Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Penelope Cruz prior to launching her namesake beauty brand in 2016. In the years since, the brand has become a favorite among editors, makeup artists, and newbies alike.
Her Flawless Filter has taken TikTok by storm, as did her Beauty Highlighter Wand in Pinkgasm, which was out of stock for months. So it’s no surprise that the brand’s latest launch, Beautiful Skin Foundation, has also garnered rave reviews—and plenty of TikTok buzz to boot.
The Ordinary
You’ve likely come across The Ordinary on #SkinTok (that’s skin-care TikTok, FYI) at least once by now. This innovative brand is known for its wide array of wallet-friendly high-quality skin-care staples—most of which are well under $15—which makes building your skin-care routine easy, fun, and most importantly, affordable.
Among the best-known is the AHA/BHA Peeling Solution, which has racked up millions of views on the app—and is a Glamour editor favorite thanks to its unique blend of exfoliating acids to leave skin feeling smoother and looking more radiant.
Saie
Saie Beauty founder and CEO Laney Crowell spent years in the beauty industry, and even ran her own clean-beauty blog, before launching Saie in 2019. Today the brand has a devoted TikTok following. Several products, including the Glowy Super Gel (which the brand describes as a primer or “lightweight luminizer”), Slip Tint tinted sunscreen, Sun Melt Natural Cream Bronzer, and Dew Blush, have also hit it big. New and just in? The brand’s Hydrabeam concealer, which you’ll probably see take off in the next few weeks.
Glow Recipe
Glow Recipe is a K-beauty-inspired skin-care brand founded by Korean Americans Christine Chang and Sarah Lee. Most Glow Recipe products feature some sort of fruit—take the TikTok-viral Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, for example. Spiked with watermelon, this lightweight serum offers a radiant finish that thousands of creators, including @Glamzilla, can’t stop raving about.
This past March the brand teamed up with makeup artist and content creator @MikaylaNogueira to launch the Glow Essentials by Mikayla Kit, which includes the brand’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer, and the Avocado Ceramide Redness Relief Serum.
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Dieux Skin
Cosmetic chemist Joyce de Lemos, beauty expert Charlotte Palermino, and social media extraordinaire Marta Freedman pooled their vast skin-care knowledge to create Dieux Skin, which utilizes science-backed, quality ingredients to create actually effective products.
Among our favorites is the Forever Eye Mask, made with medical-grade silicone; not surprisingly, the reusable eye masks sold out for a hot minute after blowing up on TikTok—and are consistently going in and out of stock.
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