It is no secret that TikTok has become a major force in the beauty industry. In 2023, TikTok had over 1.5bn monthly active users and the beauty community, known as #BeautyTok, is among its most vibrant and active.
Today, the platform is where beauty trends begin and get shaped in real time. In recent years, we have witnessed the rapid proliferation of micro-trends from #slugging to #underpainting going as quickly as come.
The short-video platform has helped consumers discover new favourites like Milk Makeup’s Cooling Water Jelly Tint Blush and rediscover classics like Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. The visibility it gives to beauty brands and products has a significant influence of real-world sales with hashtags such as #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt and #getreadywithme.
According to TikTok, one in four users have bought a product they’ve seen on TikTok, and a majority of these were spontaneous purchases. In August, CosmeticsDesign reported that TikTok drove significant beauty product sales in 2023, reaching USD31.7bn. Another piece published in October quoted a Nielsen IQ report, which attributed 85% of TikTok Shop sales in September to products from the health and beauty category.
According to TikTok’s own insights, 35% of Gen Z users and 40% of millennial users have bought a product they saw on the platform.
At the same time, TikTok is increasingly becoming the top resource for beauty consumers to learn about products before making the decision check out their carts. In South East Asia, the top three types of beauty content are product reviews, tutorials, and before and afters, according to TikTok.
Beyond the bottom line, TikTok has reshaped the beauty landscape into becoming a more inclusive platform that encourages everyone to showcase their creativity and express their individuality.
The inclusiveness on the platform has allowed users to find their respective niches where they can learn new tips, share experiences, and celebrate unique perspectives on beauty with likeminded users. According to TikTok, 84% of UK users said the platform has “positively influenced the way they perceive beauty”.
Like YouTube and Instagram before it, TikTok has further democratised beauty. It has been instrumental in amplifying smaller beauty brands, trends, and movements, as the platform’s algorithm prioritises engaging content over brand names and follower count. TikTok has given brands, creators, and communities unprecedented opportunities to flourish and influence the broader, mainstream industry.
Possibly what makes TikTok different from the social media platforms before is its perceived authenticity. Users trust TikTok as they are the ones in control of the community, not brands. This is driving the need for brands to be open, authentic, and transparent with their followers. According to TikTok, 30% of millennials on TikTok look for brands to show their “real side” on the platform.
TikTok’s ticking pressures
The beauty community on TikTok is an exciting one to be a part of. However, for some beauty brands, launching a TikTok presence can feel daunting given its fast-paced nature.
Unlike traditional marketing channels, TikTok demands a more spontaneous approach with less polished content compared to the curated campaigns you see on Instagram.
There is also the trepidation of failing to resonate with the platform’s predominantly Gen Z and millennial audience. This pressure to stay relevant and quickly adapt to viral trends can be overwhelming for brands.
“You have to be fast to pick up on the trends on TikTok. And that means you have to be constantly glued onto TikTok,” said Dorothy Chau, founder of Hong Kong-based traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) inspired beauty brand, Pretti5.
What’s more, TikTok’s algorithm-driven visibility does not guarantee success, even for established brands, making the investment of resources and time feel risky for brand owners.
Joyce Lian, founder of Singaporean niche fragrance label Scent Journer, admitted that the brand was still working on how best to approach TikTok. She told CosmeticsDesign-Asia that the brand’s focus was to develop a brand voice that was consistent throughout its brand marketing. As such, the brand remains cautious about jumping on the latest trend bandwagons.
“Sometimes we just want to jump on trends, but over time, we don’t think it would add any new information for our existing customer. We are still trying to figure out the right balance of educational and entertaining,” said Lian.
Chau resonates with the challenges that Scent Journer faces. Pretti5, which was founded in 2018, launched a TikTok account two months ago as part of its market expansion plans.
Despite having so many ways to stay connected with their consumers 24/7, Chau feels that being able to communicate with Pretti5 customers has become more challenging.
“I feel that communicating with our consumers is getting more and more difficult. Sure, everyone is just a phone away and it feels like it easy to reach out to our target audience. But there’s so much content on TikTok, just a flood of content constantly bombarding us. So how can we stand out among the billions of content? That really is the key question.”
For smaller brands like Scent Journer and Pretti5, there is the additional challenge of managing their resources.
“It’s about balancing time. Having the founder speaking in front of the camera and engaging with the audience about how the product is being developed is something the customer will be really interested in. But such content would probably take a week of planning, filming, and editing. Then there’s the uncertainty of whether the algorithm will push it out to the right audience,” said Lian.
‘Timing is everything’
TikTok is often described as being an unpredictable platform where success feels like a game of chance.
“TikTok can feel unpredictable and very random. You would think that if a video does well, you can replicate it. But even if you follow some sort of formula the second video might not get you that same results,” said Chau.
The algorithm also prioritises engagement and virality, making outcomes less controllable, but it is not exactly a complete digital wild card.
“I guess it’s fair to say that you can’t always predict what’s going to be the next trend. But its not unpredictable in a sense that you can see what is trending and you can place bets. As fast as things go, even on TikTok, it doesn’t happen in a matter of hours, but in a matter of days,” said Mario Braz de Matos, co-founder of Flying Fish Lab, a digital branding agency headquartered in Singapore.
“There’s lots of platforms that can provide you with insights on hashtags and what’s trending, so it’s not completely unpredictable, it just requires flexibility and spontaneity. Flexibility and authenticity are rewarded on TikTok. Timing is everything in this world, and it’s not easy to operate in such an environment.”
He acknowledged the challenges faced by brands such as Scent Journer and Pretti5 are currently facing on their TikTok journey.
“The challenge with TikTok is that it’s so organic and it’s so dynamic. And that does mean that you need to have a lot of assets in terms of people and the ability to jump in quickly with both feet. That requires resources that may not the same as Facebook or Instagram or YouTube or where you can plan, do in advance, and you can stage stuff and just go. If you’re trying to be planned and polished, yes, TikTok can be hard.”
To capitalise on the opportunities that TikTok presents, Braz de Matos emphasised that a brand’s social media team must be proactive and empowered to make decisions.
“When relevance and speed is what it’s about, you need a very empowered and responsive social media team. When its trending, you got to jump on it so you might be able to unlock an opportunity for your brand.”
He referenced a viral moment when a power outage caused a blackout during the 2013 Super Bowl. In response, the famous cookie brand Oreo quickly tweeted a simple but clever ad featuring an image of a cookie with the caption: “You can still dunk in the dark.”
“You can’t plan for moments like this. These things are so spontaneous, you don’t have time for your time to call you on a Saturday night for approval. An empowered social media team that understands your brand really well is what creates the opportunities for your brand to jump in when they see those dynamics developing and you will be rewarded for jumping in at the right time.”
To jump or not to jump?
As we have already established, TikTok is a highly prolific trend breeding ground. The platform’s viral trends seem to take over the world in an instant and are gone just as quickly. Just a few months ago, brands from every industry were trying to cash in on the viral phrase “very demure, very mindful”.
Brands make feel that it would be a waste to let a viral moment slip by and risk making them seem out of touch culturally. However, a brand should not let staying current be at the expense of brand identity. For instance, Lian told us that Scent Journer almost jumped on the trend but decided against it after further assessment on whether it aligned with its brand identity.
“If it makes absolutely no sense for you to contribute, don’t jump in. It has to be naturally relevant to your brand values so that it can feel authentic to your audience. Focus on trends that showcase your brand, your product, your capabilities,” said Braz de Matos.
He highlighted Lifebuoy’s recent campaign to encourage handwashing by leveraging the Internet’s favourite baby hippo, Moo Deng. The brand collaborated with the baby pygmy hippopotamus for its ‘H for Handwashing’ movement with the ‘Confessions of Moo Deng’ video to encourage hand hygiene.
“This is an interesting, light-hearted, adorable way to take that message to the next level, while at the same time contributing something to the whole Moo Deng Internet craze,” said Braz de Matos.
Let it go to grow
On TikTok, brand owners often feel like they can lose control of their brands as users take the narrative into their own hands, creating content and shaping the brand narrative. This shift is not necessarily a bad thing, but a prime opportunity to co-create a more meaningful brand identity that audiences relate to.
Lian pointed out that some of the most popular luxury fragrance brands grow their presence on TikTok organically through their fans.
“We have noticed that for higher-end niche fragrance brands like Diptyque and Le Labo, they mainly let consumers create content for them. The content featuring these brands are not created by the brand account itself. In fact, I think some of them don’t even have TikTok accounts or they hardly create any content.”
“Here’s the fundamental truth and why TikTok is just turning things on its head… Brands only exist in the mind of the consumers,” said Braz de Matos.
“No matter how protective you are about your brand, it’s in the heads of other people. It’s not actually yours to control. And what TikTok does is giving people the ability to voice how they see your brand – and that is scary. That sense of losing control is what I think is very challenging for brand owners. But really, it was never in your control to begin with.”
Braz de Matos elaborated that TikTok thrives on authenticity and relatability, allowing consumers to showcase how they genuinely perceive and interact with a brand.
This user-driven storytelling can increase the relatability, make it more approachable, and foster deeper engagement. By embracing this dynamic, brand owners can gain valuable insights into their audience’s preferences and build stronger connections.
“You can only shape the perception of your brand and TikTok allows people to bring it to life. If this is how you see your brand, then this is how you going to manifest it. And that’s what I think is quite challenging for brands,” said Braz de Matos.
Education is crucial in beauty because it empowers consumers to make informed decisions. For instance, understanding ingredients, application methods, and potential benefits helps consumers choose what best suits their needs.
TikTok has increasingly become an important educational platform, allowing brand the opportunity to share knowledge in an entertaining way. The platform has seen beauty brands and influencers to break down complex topics, demonstrate techniques, and showcase product benefits in an easily digestible way.
Scent Journer prioritises educational content on TikTok, sharing insights into perfumery, its ingredients, and giving consumer a peek behind the curtain at product development.
“Right now, it’s more important for Scent Journer to create content that is education as compared to entertaining,” said Lian.
Chau also highlighted education as a priority for Pretti5’s TikTok account to highlighting the benefits of the TCM ingredients and techniques it uses such as peony roots and guasha massages. The brand has been experimenting with short videos and image carousels to determine the most effective method of presenting its information.
“It’s about creating edu-tainment – education content that is also entertaining – because its not easy to get people to stop swiping. It involves a lot of creativity and at the same time you have to be authentic in how you tell your story”
The challenge of developing education content for TikTok lies in conveying complex information in a short, engaging format while ensuring accuracy and maintaining audience interest, all within the platform’s fast-paced, trend-driven environment.
“I think it is challenging because science at its peak is very technical and our brand is technical at its heart,” said Tom Reynolds, vice president of marketing at ORA Group, the company behind Modern Molecules, a cosmeceutical skin care brand.
While simplifying complex information is important, Reynolds highlights the dangers of oversimplifying science. For instance, he pointed out a common demonstration using apples to prove the antioxidant properties of a product.
“You have two halves of an apple, one with product, another without to showcase the antioxidant properties. Now, that looks great for TikTok, but in reality, its not that simple. Such methods lead to a lot of misinformation and misaligned expectations.”
He highlighted that today’s beauty consumer is more educated about skin care that ever and oversimplifying concepts can backfire.
“Consumers now are more educated than they were before, so you can engage with them on a much more informed level. I compare the market research with my own early days with L’Oreal when there wasn’t much awareness. Today, the consumer not only knows what retinol is, they also know how it works and what a basic regime should look like with it. So you can really communicate a lot more with them in a short amount of time”
Reynolds strongly believes that brands, especially those that claim to be rooted in science must offer robust clinical evidence for their consumers. On its TikTok account, Modern Molecules posts the clinical results of its third-party testing. It also shares before and after results from its own clinical trails and of real users.
“On TikTok, what we do is let our results do the talking. We show testimonials, before and afters, and we’ve uploaded carousel content where we can go into a lot of detail on each slide about our clinical trials,” said Reynolds.
It is generally accepted that content must be short and sweet to thrive on TikTok. After all, attention spans are getting shorter, right? However, Reynolds believes that consumers are willing to take the time to digest more information.
“Timeframe and attention span are getting shorter and shorter, but I think with this need for information that exists with consumers now in skin care, there is desire for long-form, well-written content,” he said.
“We’ve seen this in our health brands, but also with modern molecules. What’s really landing well and has got the longest engagement, for example, are our emails that are the long, 1,000-word plus written explanations about the technology or ingredients or the trials, versus some of the shorter ones we’ve done. I think there is a strong want from consumers to learn more, because they already have that foundation.”
TikTok offers brands an unparalleled opportunity to build authentic relationships while delivering effective educational content. However, the challenge lies in the platform’s rapid pace and ever-changing trends. Brands with empowered, agile social media teams that can quickly identify and capitalise on the right trends will be rewarded with meaningful consumer engagement.
