Beauty’s social media power is changing pace.
Exclusive data from influencer marketing platform Lefty offers a snapshot of where the industry currently stands. Beauty’s earned media value (EMV) on Instagram dropped 28 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year, from $1.18 billion to $847.6 million. This is across both beauty brand and influencer accounts, as well as categories. Haircare EMV was down 48 per cent, skincare was down 36 per cent, makeup 19 per cent and fragrance 12 per cent in the quarter ended March 2025.
So what’s going on? Social media and influencers have long been powerful engines for beauty’s growth. Instagram has played a central role in shaping the culture of GRWM videos, product reviews and sponsored content. Meanwhile, TikTok continues to fuel breakout product trends and creator-led brand discovery.
Q1 is often a transitional period, says Annika Baer, marketing manager at Lefty. “It [Q1] tends to represent a cool-down period, with brands scaling back budgets and influencers posting less frequently after the high Q4 [$1 billion] season,” she explains. This year, however, the slowdown feels more pronounced. For Q1, Lefty data suggests that influencer activations may have declined or brands were investing more selectively; it was a relatively muted quarter for standout content, with no major viral beauty moments.
Rather than signalling a decline, these numbers may reflect a broader recalibration. Here’s what brands should know about the social media outlook, by category.
Fragrance
Despite significant first-quarter growth last year ($76 million in EMV), the fragrance category slowed to $66 million in Q1 2025, which Lefty attributes to a drop in fragrance launches — a familiar industry pattern, as launches typically land in Q2 and Q3.
There are bright spots. Brand-driven partnerships with male influencers continue to be a strategic win: male actors held the top two spots among the top 10 fragrance influencers — Kim Soo-hyun (@soohyun_k216) and Michele Morrone (@michelemorrone). Jo Malone London generated $4.5 million in EMV (up 61 per cent from Q1 2024), led by its February partnership with South Korean actor Soo-hyun for its Wood Sage and Sea Salt scent, which alone amassed an EMV of $1.8 million. The brand’s continued expansion into the male fragrance market has included campaigns with NFL athletes and actor Tom Hardy to build its appeal with male shoppers. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, the brand generated $2.2 million in EMV — half of its Q1 total.
Similarly, Dolce Gabbana saw an 829 per cent EMV increase (to $1.9 million) following its global campaign with Italian actor and singer Morrone for its Devotion Eau de Parfum for Men launch. Outside of targeting male fragrance consumers, male influencers are becoming the sweet spot for brands, resonating across genders, says Baer. Lefty expects the trend to continue.
Beyond paid partnerships, Hermès fragrances saw substantial growth through organic content. The brand generated $2.8 million in EMV (up 802 per cent from Q1 2024). Experts point to rising consumer interest in Hermès’s beauty line, driven by its broader fashion success. “As its fashion business has become more compelling to consumers, its fragrance offering has followed,” Baer notes.
Elsewhere, brands are striking gold with mega-influencers like K-pop stars and actors from Asia-Pacific. Per the data, stars from the region have both global appeal and passionate fan bases, offering significant visibility to those partnering with them. “The region also offers a stable investment landscape with strong capital spend,” says Baer.
Other high earners in fragrance, according to Lefty’s report, include Byredo and Prada Beauty. Byredo’s EMV performance was driven by a Chinese New Year campaign, collaborating with Chinese artist Wei Yijuan on a behind-the-scenes documentary series chronicling her creation of a motif for the brand’s Desert Dawn fragrance. Store openings in Tokyo and Seoul also contributed to visibility, including partnerships with Japanese actress Ayaka Miyoshi, South Korean actors Lee Dong-wook and Kim Seok-woo, and K-pop group Meovv. Prada Beauty saw a 250 per cent EMV increase compared with Q1 2024, thanks to its ambassador debut in January with K-pop group Enhypen, contributing to its $5.7 million total.
Makeup
Cosmetics faced challenges this quarter, with only three of the top 10 makeup brands (Huda Beauty, L’Oréal and Nyx Cosmetics) showing EMV growth.
Rare Beauty retained the top spot, but dipped 6 per cent to $78.2 million in EMV. Lefty attributes this to founder Selena Gomez’s posting cadence (down to four posts from seven in the quarter). “The EMV of celebrity brands often hinges on founders actively promoting their lines. It’s make or break,” says Baer. Conversely, R.e.m Beauty, founded by Ariana Grande, saw 76 per cent growth (reaching $24.6 million in EMV), as Grande posted more frequently and showed off product launches, following the conclusion of the Wicked press tour.
What else is working? For brands, creative, immersive experiences and strategic celebrity partnerships can drive significant EMV, especially when paired with highly engaged beauty influencers.
Notable campaigns in the quarter include Huda Beauty’s Ube Birthday Cake collection, featuring a physical activation, ‘Ube Land’ in Dubai. The launch (including the pop-up and influencer activation) generated $5.54 million and $8.31 million in EMV through content shared by creators like Gabrielle Alexis (@gabxxrielle) and Hodan Yusuf (@hodan.ysf). Mac Cosmetics’s partnership with music artist Chappell Roan at Paris Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2025 (plus her Grammy appearance) delivered $4.62 million in EMV across six posts, with a 12 per cent average engagement rate.
On the creator front, smaller and mid-size beauty influencers dominated the makeup space. Baer recommends brands focus on this tier due to their organic posting habits and loyal communities. For example, Meg Murphy (@megssfx), who has 55,600 followers, generated $19.9 million in EMV with a 22.8 per cent average engagement rate. Meanwhile, Joo Jimin (@jooshica), with 1.8 million followers, brought in $12.7 million in EMV at a 7.81 per cent engagement rate — proving impact doesn’t always align with audience size.
Skincare
Skincare is seeing engagement slip, with EMV down $121 million in the quarter, though the category’s winning strategy remains: partner with engaged, smaller influencers. Lefty expects this to continue throughout the year.
There are changes in consumer engagement patterns, particularly the dominance of K-beauty on social media. “Korean skincare is trending, and as a result, established brands like Caudalie, Lancôme and Ole Henriksen are losing traction,” says Baer. She credits the EMV wins of Byoma and Tula to their alignment with the K-beauty space — accessible price points, vibrant packaging and younger consumer appeal.
Another notable shift is the growing divide between luxury and accessible skincare. For brands, this signals the need to clarify positioning and target creators accordingly.
Male skincare creators are an emerging force. They frequently pair paid partnerships with organic content, driving higher engagement. For example, Kiehl’s generated $2.93 million in EMV from male influencers in Q1 2025. Creators like Eduardo Pérez (@eduvrdoperez), Benton McClintock (@bentonmcclintock) and Shea Durazzo (@sheadurazzo) accounted for $570,000, a third of the brand’s total. Humorous and educational skincare tutorials perform best in this segment, according to Baer.
Haircare
Many top haircare brands saw EMV declines due to a lack of launches and influencer campaigns. However, mid-size players like Bondi Boost (up 57 per cent to $1.2 million) and Davines (up 43 per cent to $389,174) are driving growth. “They’re investing more in social strategy, leading to more influencer partnerships and organic content,” says Baer.
Despite fewer posts this quarter, Wella achieved greater visibility, with $11.5 million in EMV — up 18 per cent from Q1 2024. Its biggest win came from a carnival-themed campaign in Brazil, where the brand partnered with e-commerce platform Belezana to host a hair makeover event. The campaign generated $3.27 million in EMV across 26 posts, with actor Giovanna Grigio (@gigirigio) contributing $1.16 million through a hair transformation walk-through.
The top performing haircare influencers? Professional stylists. Eight of the top 10 by EMV were hairstylists who organically posted tutorials, hair reveals and before-and-after videos using branded products. While stylists may post more frequently due to the nature of their jobs, the EMV they generate presents a clear opportunity for brands.
Rethinking influencer plays
How brands use influencers could help them to course correct this year.
Fragrance brands are beginning to adopt luxury fashion’s influencing playbook, leaning into celebrities, actors and stars as their creator leads, with macro-to-nano fragrance influencers struggling to cut through the noise.
Skincare, haircare and makeup are thriving by partnering with smaller creators. “Fragrance is expensive, and you can’t see its benefits through a screen, so brands need to sell a vibe and an aesthetic. Celebrities, pop stars and mega-influencers still dominate that need, and the category is succeeding in that respect,” says Baer.
For all three categories, the smaller and more engaged the influencer and community, the better. “There are so many beauty influencers on social media that it may not be as effective to partner with mega-influencers when smaller creators are driving more impact, with a heavier lean on organic content output versus paid work,” Baer adds, noting that beauty brands are benefitting from influencer promotion without having to invest as heavily.
What’s next?
For brands, the first-quarter slowdown underscores a key takeaway: strategic restraint doesn’t have to mean disengagement. Instead, it’s a reminder to lean into authenticity, invest in long-term creator relationships and experiment with platform-specific storytelling. With influencer fatigue rising and audiences seeking more than just product placement, the brands winning in Q1 are those prioritising immersive activations, cultural relevance and creators with tight-knit communities. These strategies will be critical in building momentum as the year progresses.
Still, Lefty is confident the Q1 dip isn’t necessarily indicative of the year ahead, given the sector has yet to see major launches, campaigns, or viral moments hit the grid. But Baer isn’t ignorant of the growing macro headwinds, including the on-again, off-again trade war and looming TikTok ban, both of which could impact brand spending and influencer partnerships in the months ahead. “Tariffs could impact launch timelines and pricing, especially extended to cosmetics and packaging components, and this will have a knock-on effect, delaying campaigns due to longer product rollouts or reformulations,” she says.
As a result, brands should increase reliance on national influencer markets — the US, the EU and Asia-Pacific — and prioritise locally driven campaigns, such as ‘Made in France’ for clean beauty in the EU or ‘Clean at Sephora’ in the US.
Meanwhile, a TikTok ban could push more creators to Instagram, intensifying competition. “As creators shift platforms, visibility may become harder to secure,” Baer says. This makes creator engagement and organic community-building more important than ever. Brands may shift budgets towards creators who can demonstrate measurable impact — sales, not just reach.
“Budgets may flow towards creators who can deliver sales or measurable engagement, rather than pure visibility,” Baer concludes.
Lefty analyses the impressions and engagement generated by Instagram in-feed posts. Brands were included based on market establishment, ongoing influencer marketing campaigns and social following. Influencers in this report were identified by attributed content to a brand based on mentions. EMV is calculated as $1 per like.
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