Gen Z beauty fans are teens and young adults who find products through creators, trends and social video before they ever visit a store. The brands competing for them include Rare Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Drunk Elephant, Bubble Skincare, Starface and Hum Nutrition, plus oral care disruptors like Burst. Studying their ads shows how they use creator voices, bright visuals and accessible price points, and how they turn a trend into a purchase on platforms where attention lasts seconds.
They learn about products from TikTok and Instagram creators, not from traditional ads or magazines.
Viral formats, sounds and product moments shape what they want next, so speed matters.
They want fun, affordable products but also save for a few prestige favorites, often shopped at Sephora, Ulta or Target.
Inclusion, mental-health advocacy and authenticity influence which brands they support.
Breakouts and routine-building drive purchase, so visible results and simple steps resonate.
They distrust staged perfection and look for honest reviews and real skin.
3CE (3 Concept Eyes) is the makeup brand of Korean fashion label Stylenanda, acquired by L'Oréal in 2018 for approximately $400M. Founded by Nana Yoon, 3CE pioneered the Instagram-pink aesthetic in Korean makeup, offering lip products, eye looks, and base makeup that defined a generation of K-beauty visual identity. Now distributed globally through DTC and Sephora. Also searched as 3CE.
AMUSE is a Korean vegan makeup brand founded by beauty influencer Lee Saem-i. The brand's Dew Tint liquid lip product went viral for its glass-skin dewy finish, driving global discovery. AMUSE is distributed at Sephora and through DTC, with the founder's authentic influencer presence as a core marketing asset.
About-Face is a gender-fluid color cosmetics brand founded by Halsey in 2021. Known for bold editorial aesthetics and an inclusive, non-conformist creative philosophy, the brand launched DTC-first before expanding to Ulta Beauty, targeting Gen Z consumers who reject traditional beauty gender norms.
Althea Korea is a Malaysia-based K-beauty DTC e-commerce platform founded in 2015 by Frank Kang. It ships authentic Korean beauty products to Southeast Asia with localized formulations for its house label, optimized for tropical and Southeast Asian skin types. Also searched as Althea.
BH Cosmetics is a Los Angeles-founded DTC cosmetics brand launched in 2009, specializing in highly pigmented eyeshadow palettes and affordable vegan makeup. The brand pioneered influencer affiliate marketing in beauty, building scale via YouTube tutorial creators and Instagram discount-code partnerships before expanding to Ulta Beauty retail.
BLK Cosmetics is a Philippine DTC beauty brand co-founded in 2018 by actress Anne Curtis and Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez. Targeting Gen Z and millennial Filipinas, BLK is known for its All-Day Wear Cushion and vivid lip collections, sold via DTC, Shopee, and Lazada. Also searched as BLK.
Bubble Skincare was founded in 2020 by Shai Eisenman to bring affordable, quality skincare to Gen Z consumers. Built with community co-creation from teen consumers, the brand expanded rapidly to Walmart, CVS, Target, and Ulta while maintaining a DTC loyalty program that drove 171% revenue-per-customer growth. Also searched as Bubble.
Burst Oral Care is a Los Angeles-based DTC electric toothbrush brand co-founded by Hamish Khayat and Brittany Stewart in 2017. The brand built its GTM strategy around a network of 10,000+ dental hygienist ambassadors who earn commissions and create UGC, delivering professional-tier social proof at scale. Also searched as Burst.
Dasique is a Korean makeup brand known for its seasonal concept eyeshadow palettes, each built around a visually distinctive food or nature theme. The brand has developed a strong international following among K-makeup collectors and beauty content creators, with its palettes frequently featured in global beauty haul and 'first impressions' videos.
DIBS Beauty (Desert Island Beauty Status) is an Austin-based color cosmetics brand founded in 2021 by influencer Courtney Shields, beauty veteran Jeff Lee, and Tula co-founders Ken Landis and Dan Reich. The brand's hero Desert Glow Bronzing Duo became a DTC sell-out, supported by L Catterton investment and Ulta expansion. Also searched as Dibs.
Dot & Key is a Kolkata-founded DTC skincare brand established in 2018 by siblings Suyash and Anisha Saraf. Best known for its Watermelon Sunscreen that became a social media phenomenon, the brand built a strong identity around hydration-led skincare with colourful, fruit-inspired packaging. Also searched as Dot.
Drunk Elephant is a clean-compatible skincare brand founded in 2012 by Tiffany Masterson. Built on a 'Suspicious 6' villain-ingredient philosophy, it cultivated a loyal Reddit and TikTok community before Shiseido acquired it for $845M in 2019. Products are sold at Sephora, DTC, and international retail. Also searched as Drunk.
e.l.f. Cosmetics is an Oakland-based mass-market color cosmetics brand founded by Joey Shamah and Scott Vincent Borba in 2004. The brand pioneered TikTok brand marketing with the viral 'Eyes Lips Face' song in 2019 and has since acquired Rhode Beauty, positioning itself as a DTC-native beauty platform. Also searched as E.l.f..
ESQA Cosmetics is an Indonesian makeup and beauty brand selling color cosmetics such as lip products, eyeshadow, and complexion products aimed at younger consumers. It sells through ecommerce and retail channels in Southeast Asia, advertising across Meta placements.
Elizavecca is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2011 by Kim Hee Jun, a Korean Oriental Medicine practitioner. Known for its pig mascot, wine-bottle-shaped products, and the viral Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask, the brand combines ingredient-driven formulas with boldly whimsical packaging that generates strong organic social sharing.
Ellana Cosmetics is a Philippine mineral makeup brand selling foundation, powder, and other color cosmetics formulated with mineral-based ingredients. It sells through ecommerce and retail channels, advertising across Meta placements.
Embryolisse is a Paris-based dermatologist-formulated skincare brand founded in 1950 by Dr Jean-Louis Jacquet. Its Lait-Crème Concentré moisturiser became famous as the backstage secret of Parisian makeup artists and went viral globally before viral marketing existed. The brand distributes through pharmacies, DTC, and beauty retailers worldwide.
Emina Cosmetics is a Jakarta-based beauty brand launched in 2015 by PT Paragon Technology and Innovation — the group behind Wardah and Make Over. Designed as a 'beauty bestie' for Indonesian teens, Emina offers pastel-packaged, gentle-formula cosmetics and skincare at pocket-friendly prices, distributed widely across e-commerce and offline retail.
Eva NYC is a Brooklyn-based clean hair care brand founded in 2012, now owned by Bansk Group alongside amika. Known for the Therapy Session Deep Conditioning Hair Mask that generated $6M in Target sales driven by TikTok virality, Eva NYC is the masstige hair care brand with a strong UGC-driven paid media strategy. Also searched as Eva.
Fenty Beauty was founded by Rihanna with LVMH in 2017, launching with 40 foundation shades and generating $100M in sales within 40 days. The brand's inclusivity-first positioning triggered the 'Fenty Effect' across the beauty industry and established a new standard for shade range diversity. It's sold at Sephora, Boots, Harvey Nichols, and DTC. Also searched as Fenty.
Florence by Mills is a Gen Z-focused beauty brand founded by actress Millie Bobby Brown in August 2019. Known for affordable skincare and clean color cosmetics, the brand combines fun, expressive visuals with an anti-perfectionism ethos. It expanded to retail giants including Ulta and Target and surpassed $200M in brand value, with Millie acquiring majority ownership in 2024. Also searched as Florence.
Foxtale is a Mumbai-based DTC skincare brand founded in December 2021 by former VC investor Romita Mazumdar and co-founder Surianarayanan Sridharan. Built on primary consumer research with 3,000+ women, it offers performance-first formulations designed for Indian skin and has raised $56.8M in Series C funding.
G9Skin is the youth-focused makeup and skincare brand from Enprani, a Korean cosmetics company. The brand's White In Whipping Cream cleanser became a viral product for its unique whipped texture, driving global K-beauty curiosity and international DTC orders through YesStyle and Amazon.
Glitter was founded in Sweden in 1992 and is part of the Bergendahl & Son group. The brand is the market leader in affordable fashion jewellery and accessories across the Nordic region, operating approximately 150 stores in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark, supported by a growing e-commerce and DTC channel. Glitter serves a broad female audience with affordable, on-trend jewellery, hair accessories, and beauty tools. The brand's retail footprint and digital commerce give it extensive reach across the Nordic consumer base, making it the most accessible entry point for fashion accessories in Scandinavia.
Half Magic Beauty was founded in 2022 by Donni Davy, the makeup artist behind HBO's Euphoria. The brand translates the show's iconic editorial looks into shoppable DTC products, targeting consumers who want to recreate Euphoria aesthetics with products from the artist who created them. Available at Sephora and Ulta. Also searched as Half Magic.
Heme is a Taiwanese colour cosmetics brand founded in the 1990s, offering accessible foundation, blush, eyeshadow, and lip products at budget-friendly prices. The brand maintains a strong presence in Taiwanese drugstores and department stores and runs seasonal social media campaigns targeting young women seeking quality makeup without imported-brand price tags.
Hey Sugar! is an ecommerce brand selling consumer products online, advertising across Meta placements to reach shoppers.
HiSmile is a Gold Coast oral care brand founded by Nik Mirkovic and Alex Tomic in 2014. The brand scaled to $100M+ revenue through a celebrity influencer seeding strategy (Logan Paul, KSI, Conor McGregor) and heavy Meta performance advertising, expanding from teeth whitening into a full subscription oral care range.
Hold Live is a Korean makeup brand known for the Wear Live Fixing Spray, widely used by K-pop idol makeup artists for long-wear performance on stage. The brand markets its professional backstage credentials to consumer audiences seeking the same setting and longevity results as idol performances. Also searched as Hold.
HUM Nutrition (humnutrition.com) is a US beauty supplement brand founded in 2012 by Walter Faulstroh and Chris Coleridge in Los Angeles. It sells skin gummies, collagen, and nutrition supplements via Sephora retail and DTC, using a nutritionist-matched quiz to personalize subscription recommendations. Also searched as HUM.
Implora is an Indonesian cosmetics and personal care brand selling makeup and beauty products through e-commerce and retail across Indonesia. The brand targets budget-conscious beauty consumers with a broad product range. It advertises on Meta to reach its target market.
Item Beauty is a clean, cruelty-free cosmetics brand co-founded by TikTok star Addison Rae and her mother Sheri Nicole in August 2020, launching directly into Sephora. Positioned around 'clean-ish' beauty — fun, low-key, and fuss-free — it was one of the first creator-native brands to validate the TikTok-to-Sephora pipeline. The brand runs strong influencer seeding supplemented by Meta performance ads. Also searched as Item.
Jungsaemmool is a Korean professional makeup brand founded in 2015 by celebrity makeup artist Jung Saem Mool, known for her work with top Korean celebrities since the early 1990s. The brand pioneered accessible 'natural beauty' and glass skin aesthetics, earning Red Dot, iF Design, and Allure Best of Beauty awards. Distributed through Ulta, Amazon, and official DTC storefronts globally.
Kinship is an LA-based Gen Z skincare brand founded in 2019 by Alison Haljun and Christin Powell. A certified B Corp with clean formulations and strong sustainability commitments, it targets younger buyers seeking effective skincare aligned with their values, sold at Sephora and Ulta.
Kitsch is an American beauty and lifestyle brand offering hair accessories, haircare, and self-care products known for its scrunchies and satin pillowcases. It sells through its own DTC website and major retailers including Target and Ulta. Kitsch advertises on Meta placements to drive ecommerce sales.
Laka is a Korean vegan makeup brand launched in 2019, known for its Soul Looker collection of eyeshadows, lip products, and blush. The brand competes in the growing vegan K-makeup segment, sold through Olive Young, Amazon, and DTC globally, targeting the conscious beauty consumer.
Lilybyred is a Korean makeup brand created by At Cosmetics, positioning itself for the 'beauty minimalist' consumer with concentrated small-format products and muted packaging. The Mood Liar Velvet Tint is its signature product, generating a dedicated following among K-makeup enthusiasts who value quality over quantity.
M.O.I Cosmetics is a Vietnamese DTC cosmetics brand founded in 2016 by superstar singer and model Hồ Ngọc Hà. The brand is known for bold colour cosmetics — particularly lip products — and positions itself as a premium Vietnamese alternative to imported K-beauty and Western cosmetics. M.O.I's celebrity founder gives it organic media reach and aspirational appeal with Vietnamese consumers. Also searched as M.O.I.
MCoBeauty is an Australian affordable luxury makeup brand founded by Shelley Sullivan in 2019, evolving from ModelCo's legacy. Known for viral 'dupe culture' positioning on TikTok, the brand scaled rapidly across Australia and New Zealand before expanding to the US through exclusive Kroger distribution.
Madame Gie is an Indonesian cosmetics brand selling affordable makeup products including eyeshadows, lip products, and complexion items. It sells through e-commerce and retail across Indonesia. The brand advertises on Meta to reach budget-conscious beauty consumers.
Merci Handy was founded in 2014 in Paris by Louis Marty and Roland Jais-Nielsen. Starting with colourful hand sanitizers debuted at Colette, the brand expanded to hand creams, face mists, and nail care. It built 330K TikTok followers without paid advertising by being radically honest and culturally fluent for Gen Z. Also searched as Merci.
Milk Makeup is a New York-based makeup and skincare hybrid brand co-founded by Mazdack Rassi and team in 2016. Born from the Milk Studios creative community, the brand popularized stick-format makeup-skincare hybrids and cannabis-derived ingredients, distributed through Sephora and Ulta. Also searched as Milk.
Moonshot is a luxury K-makeup brand owned by YG Entertainment, the label home to BLACKPINK. The brand leverages K-pop IP, particularly through BLACKPINK collaboration products, to drive global fandom-commerce. Its campaigns combine luxury beauty positioning with idol endorsement authenticity rarely available to independent brands.
Morphe is a Los Angeles cosmetics brand founded in 2008. Known for pioneering the influencer discount-code DTC model and blockbuster collabs with James Charles and Jaclyn Hill, Morphe operates DTC via morphe.com alongside Ulta. Also searched as Morphe.
MyGlamm is a Mumbai-based beauty brand founded in 2015 by Darpan Sanghvi, later joined by Priyanka Gill (founder of POPxo) and Naiyya Saggi. The brand pioneered India's content-to-commerce model by acquiring POPxo's large millennial women's audience as an owned media and product launch platform, operating under the Good Glamm Group umbrella.
NYX Professional Makeup was founded in 1999 by Toni Ko and acquired by L'Oréal in 2014 for approximately $500M. Known for professional-quality affordable cosmetics and a strong MUA following, NYX operates DTC via nyxcosmetics.com. Also searched as NYX.
Nature Republic is a Korean affordable natural skincare and makeup brand founded in 2009, globally recognized for its Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel — one of K-beauty's most iconic and most-imitated products. With EXO as long-running brand ambassadors and extensive street-front stores across Asia, the brand built global reach on one hero product. Also searched as Nature.
Nudestix is a Toronto-based minimal makeup brand co-founded by Jenny Frankel and her daughters Taylor and Ally Frankel in 2014. The brand sells multi-use makeup crayons designed for a fast, no-makeup-makeup look, distributed through Sephora and Ulta.
Nykaa is India's leading beauty and lifestyle e-commerce platform, founded in 2012 by Falguni Nayar, a former investment banker and MD at Kotak Mahindra Capital. Listed on Indian stock exchanges since 2021, Nykaa operates as a marketplace for 4,000+ brands while also producing its own Nykaa-label cosmetics, creating a unique vertically integrated beauty retail model.
Painted is a Los Angeles-based vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics brand launched in August 2023 by beauty YouTuber and makeup artist James Charles. The brand's hero product — Create Paints, a multi-use cream-to-matte formula available in 10 vivid shades at $15 each — was developed over four years with an emphasis on professional-quality performance at an accessible price point. The launch generated significant media attention when it was revealed that Beyoncé's makeup artist used the black shade 'Ink' on the singer's Renaissance tour. Painted sells exclusively DTC through painted.co and targets makeup artists, enthusiasts, and Charles's existing YouTube and Instagram community.
Perfect Diary (完美日记) was founded in 2017 by Huang Jinfeng in Guangzhou. It became China's first DTC cosmetics unicorn, famous for high-quality eyeshadow palettes at mass-market prices. The brand pioneered WeChat private-traffic communities and KOL/KOC influencer marketing on Xiaohongshu, driving explosive growth. Its parent company Yatsen Global (YSG) is listed on the NYSE.
Peripera is the youth-focused makeup brand from Coreana Cosmetics, known for its Ink Mood Glowy Tint and K-pop-inspired packaging. The brand has built a strong global following through K-pop beauty culture association, Sephora distribution, and accessible pricing that appeals to teenage and young adult K-beauty fans.
Pilgrim is a Mumbai-based DTC skincare brand founded in 2019 that sources globally-inspired ingredients (Korean Jeju water, Spanish rosehip) to formulate products suited for Indian skin. It has grown rapidly on Nykaa, Amazon, and its own site through heavy influencer and Meta performance marketing.
Pink Parlour PH is a Philippine beauty and personal care ecommerce brand selling grooming and wellness products, advertising across Meta placements to reach consumers in the region.
Pleasing is a London-based gender-neutral beauty and lifestyle brand launched by Harry Styles in November 2021. The brand debuted with a collection of nail polishes and skincare products that sold out within hours of launch, driven by Styles's status as a global fashion icon and the cross-genre cultural relevance he commands. Pleasing has expanded into fragrance and wellness products, always maintaining a deliberate gender-neutral positioning and a high-fashion aesthetic informed by Styles's Gucci partnerships and sartorial identity. The brand targets beauty consumers who identify with fluid, non-binary beauty expression and seek products from founders with genuine fashion credibility.
Point of View Beauty (POV Beauty) is a skin-prep brand launched in March 2025 by TikTok creator Mikayla Nogueira and industry veteran Ani Hadijinian, backed by Imaginary Ventures. Nogueira — known for her authentic makeup tutorials and 50M+ combined social following — co-founded the brand to bridge clinical skincare and makeup application with five skin-prep products. The brand generated $1 million in sales in its first seven minutes, driven entirely by Nogueira's engaged TikTok community. POV Beauty is currently DTC-only with a planned Ulta Beauty retail rollout, targeting makeup-application-focused consumers who invest in skin prep as the foundation of their beauty routine. Also searched as Point of View.
Quem Disse, Berenice? ('Who said, Berenice?') is Grupo Boticário's Gen-Z-targeting color cosmetics brand, launched in 2012. Known for irreverently named products, affordable pricing, and vibrant social media presence, the brand targets Brazilian Gen-Z women through franchise stores, DTC e-commerce, and aggressive social commerce campaigns. Also searched as Quem.
R.E.M. Beauty is a Los Angeles-based color cosmetics brand launched by Ariana Grande in November 2021. Named after her single 'R.E.M.,' the brand features a space-age aesthetic with extraterrestrial packaging and intergalactic color palettes. Multiple products sold out on launch day, driven by Grande's massive global fanbase and the visual distinctiveness of the brand's UFO-inspired campaign imagery. R.E.M. Beauty expanded into Ulta Beauty retail and has broadened its range to include fragrance-adjacent products. The brand targets Grande's core demographic — beauty consumers 18–30 who value bold color and distinctive aesthetics — with a mix of fan-driven organic demand and performance marketing. Also searched as R.E.M..
Rare Beauty was founded by Selena Gomez in 2020 with a mission to destigmatize mental health. The brand donates 1% of sales to the Rare Impact Fund and launched Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, which became one of Sephora's fastest-ever-selling makeup products, generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue. Also searched as Rare.
Refy Beauty is a London-based beauty brand co-founded in November 2020 by model and influencer Jess Hunt and entrepreneur Jenna Meek. The brand launched with a single Brow Sculpt gel designed to replicate the brow lamination salon look at home, which went viral on TikTok and Instagram and sold out repeatedly in its first months. Refy's aesthetic — soft, editorial, 'your face but better' — resonated with a generation of consumers moving away from heavily contoured makeup toward natural-enhancement beauty. The brand has since expanded into lip, face, and body products while maintaining a disciplined product line and the same minimalist visual language that drove its initial viral success. Also searched as Refy.
Rhode is a Los Angeles-based skincare brand co-founded by Hailey Bieber in 2022. Built around the 'glazed donut skin' aesthetic, the brand created viral product moments (Pocket Blush, Peptide Lip Tint) that drove massive TikTok commerce before being acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for $1 billion in 2025.
Rhode Skin was launched on June 15, 2022 by Hailey Bieber with Lauren and Michael D. Ratner. The brand launched with three products: Peptide Glazing Fluid, Barrier Restore Cream, and Peptide Lip Treatment — the last priced at $16 and destined to become one of the most viral beauty products in social media history. The 'glazed donut skin' aesthetic Bieber popularised on TikTok — dewy, luminous, barely-there — became a global beauty trend that functioned as a continuous organic brand campaign. Rhode sold 1 million Peptide Lip Treatments by August 2023. Revenue reached $212 million in the 12 months to March 2025, with Rhode becoming the number one skincare brand by Earned Media Value in 2024. e.l.f. Beauty acquired the brand in May 2025 for up to $1 billion ($800M upfront plus $200M earnout). Also searched as Rhode.
Romand is one of South Korea's most globally recognized affordable K-makeup brands, best known for the Juicy Lasting Tint lip range. With distribution at Sephora globally and millions of social media followers, Romand has become a gateway brand for international consumers entering the K-makeup category.
Rose All Day Cosmetics is a Philippine beauty brand selling color cosmetics, including lip and face products, through ecommerce and retail channels. It advertises across Meta placements to reach beauty consumers in Southeast Asia.
Rouje is a Paris-based womenswear brand founded in 2016 by model and influencer Jeanne Damas. The brand channels 1970s Parisian femininity through wrap dresses, printed fabrics, and accessories, with Damas herself as the permanent face and muse. Strong DTC and boutique presence driven by founder-led Instagram content.
Selfless by Hyram is a social-impact skincare brand founded in 2021 by TikTok skincare educator Hyram Yarbro in collaboration with The Inkey List. Launched at Sephora, the brand pairs affordable, ingredient-forward skincare formulas with a cause-linked product model — each SKU supports a specific social or environmental initiative. Hyram's credibility as a trusted skincare educator with over 7 million TikTok followers gave the brand immediate consumer trust at launch, eliminating the cold-start problem most indie beauty brands face. The brand targets the same affordable, ingredient-curious skincare consumer Hyram educated on his channels, offering familiar actives at accessible price points. Also searched as Selfless.
Skintific is an Indonesian skincare brand selling actives-based facial care products including serums, sunscreens, and moisturizers. It sells primarily through e-commerce platforms across Southeast Asia. The brand advertises across Meta placements to reach skincare shoppers.
Spoiled Child is a New York-based AI-personalized skincare and hair care brand launched by Oddity Inc. in 2022. Built on the same quiz-driven DTC funnel as Il Makiage, the brand generated $48M in first-year revenue through heavy Meta and TikTok paid media investment. Also searched as Spoiled.
Starface was founded in 2019 by Julie Schott and Brian Bordainick in New York. The brand's bright yellow star-shaped hydrocolloid patches turned acne treatment into a visible fashion statement, destigmatizing blemishes for Gen Z and driving viral TikTok adoption. Available at Target, Ulta, CVS, and DTC.
Stylenanda is a Seoul digital-native fashion and beauty brand founded in 2004 by Kim So-hee. It launched the 3 Concept Eyes (3CE) makeup line, which became globally coveted. L'Oréal acquired the brand in 2018 for a reported ~$400M, one of the largest K-beauty acquisitions.
Subtl Beauty is an Australian female-founded DTC travel makeup brand known for its stackable 'Stak' system — customisable, TSA-approved makeup cylinders that click together like a pill organiser. The brand went viral on TikTok for its satisfying unboxing and build-your-stack content, converting millions of views into direct DTC sales. Also searched as Subtl.
Sugar Cosmetics is an Indian colour cosmetics brand founded in 2015 by Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee in Mumbai. Built on the insight that international makeup formulas fail in India's tropical humidity, Sugar develops long-wear, high-pigment products engineered for Indian skin tones and climate. The brand has grown to over 45,000 retail touchpoints alongside its DTC channel. Also searched as Sugar.
Summer Fridays is an LA-based skincare brand founded in 2018 by lifestyle influencers Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores Ireland. Launched with a single product — the Jet Lag Mask — it became a Sephora bestseller and a blueprint for influencer-to-brand transitions. Also searched as Summer.
Sunnies Studios is the Philippines' most influential homegrown beauty and lifestyle brand, founded in 2013 by Bea Soriano-Dee, Eric Dee, Georgina Wilson, Jess Wilson, and Martine Cajucom-Ho. The brand launched with eyewear and expanded into beauty (Sunnies Face, debuted 2018) and cafes (Sunnies Cafe), creating a multi-vertical lifestyle brand known for its highly aesthetic product design and aspirational but accessible pricing for Filipino consumers. Also searched as Sunnies.
Urban Decay is a cruelty-free cosmetics brand founded in 1996 and acquired by L'Oréal in 2012. Known for the iconic Naked palette franchise and rebellious brand identity, it sells DTC via urbandecay.com alongside Sephora and Ulta.
Vacation Inc is a Miami-based sunscreen brand launched in April 2021 as a spin-off of the music streaming service Poolside FM. The brand built an entire retrofuturist 1980s resort universe around SPF products — complete with a fictional backstory, vintage-inspired packaging, and a brand voice that reads like a lost travel magazine from 1983. The launch generated $50,000 in first-day sales with no paid advertising, driven entirely by editorial press and the viral novelty of its aesthetic. By 2025, Vacation had grown to an estimated $80 million brand, entering Ulta Beauty and expanding its product line while maintaining the distinctive creative identity that made it famous.
Vaseline is a US heritage skincare brand founded in 1870 and owned by Unilever. Known for original petroleum jelly, it has expanded into body lotions and lip care under the 'Vaseline Healing Project' brand purpose, with massive organic growth from the skin 'slugging' trend on TikTok. Also searched as Vaseline.
Vecua Honey is a Japanese skincare and hand care brand operated by BCL (Beauty Creative Lab), introduced around 2011 after BCL's merger with StylingLife Group. The Wonder Honey product range uses Japanese honey and natural botanicals in hand creams, lip care, and fragrance body products. The brand is particularly popular as a Japan travel souvenir and gift item. Also searched as Vecua.
VIOLETTE_FR was founded in 2021 by award-winning French makeup artist Violette Serrat with $2.75M in seed funding. Hero products include Boum-Boum Milk facial mist and Bisou Balm sheer lipsticks. Following Series A and B rounds, the brand expanded into Sephora, Liberty London, and Le Bon Marché.
Vult is a Brazilian mass-market makeup brand under Grupo Boticário, launched to serve the high-volume color cosmetics segment. Offering foundations, lipsticks, palettes, and more, Vult positions itself as the go-to affordable option for Brazilian consumers who want trend-forward looks.
Wakemake is a Korean Gen-Z focused makeup brand known for soft blur lip tints and dewy blush formulas that align with the 'K-makeup glow' aesthetic dominating social media. The brand markets primarily through TikTok and Instagram with Gen-Z creator partnerships and Olive Young distribution.
Wet n Wild is a Los Angeles-based cosmetics brand owned by Markwins International, offering bold, affordable makeup since 1979. The brand experienced a major Gen Z revival through TikTok virality, with products regularly going viral for delivering premium-quality pigment and finish at drugstore prices of $1–$10. Also searched as Wet.
dUCk Cosmetics is the beauty arm of Malaysia's dUCk Group, launched in 2017. Known for halal-certified makeup with limited-edition collectible packaging, it has become a cult brand among Malaysian beauty consumers who prize both the aesthetics and the religious compliance of its products. Also searched as dUCk.
mCaffeine is an Indian personal care brand selling caffeine-infused skincare and body care products, founded in 2016 and positioned around a quirky, youth-oriented brand identity. The brand sells direct-to-consumer online and through retail, advertising extensively via Meta placements.
Gen Z beauty shoppers scroll fast and trust people over brands. The strongest ads feel native to the feed: a creator applying a product, a real before and after, a quick routine. Open with the result or the problem in the first second, then show the product working. Captions should carry the message because many watch muted. Authenticity beats gloss. Starface built a recognizable identity around a visible, playful product, and Bubble Skincare speaks to teens in an approachable tone. Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty tie their products to values such as inclusion and mental-health awareness, which gives their ads a reason to exist beyond the product. Keep the path to purchase short and mention where products are sold if retail matters, since many in this group buy at Target, Ulta or Sephora. Avoid claims that sound clinical or exaggerated, and avoid talking down to a young audience. If you use creators, let them speak in their own words rather than reading a script.
The sample brands show a clear spread. Drunk Elephant and Hum Nutrition use ingredient and routine education for shoppers who research products. Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty lean on founder-led stories and shade or ease-of-use messaging. Bubble Skincare and Starface lead with price access, color and personality. When you study their ads, note the first three seconds, the on-screen text, the creator style and whether the product is shown in use or in a flat lay. Track which offers appear, such as bundles, sets or retail availability, and how often new creative rotates. Rapid rotation usually signals heavy testing. Also check whether the ads speak to a single concern or a full routine. The pattern you find tells you what depth of message this audience tolerates in a short format.
Rare Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Drunk Elephant, Bubble Skincare, Starface, Hum Nutrition and Burst Oral Care all appear in this group. They span makeup, skincare, supplements and oral care, with a shared focus on social-first, youth-friendly marketing. Ads that stay active for a long time are worth studying first, because advertisers tend to stop ads that do not work.
They typically use creator-style video that opens with a result or problem, shows the product in use and relies on on-screen text for muted viewing. Many reuse the same format with different creators to find which one resonates. Treat what you find as a starting point for your own tests rather than a template to copy.
They see creators as peers who show real skin and honest reactions, while brand ads can feel staged. Beauty advertisers respond by using creator voices or mimicking creator formatting in their own ads. Check how messaging shifts across platforms and seasons to understand the full strategy.
Search the brands in AdLibrary, then look at how long each ad has been active and how often the same format repeats. Ads that run for a long time are good candidates for study. Comparing several of these brands side by side in AdLibrary shows which messages repeat and which angles are still open.
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