Cosmetics & make-up brands

Cosmetics & make-up brand rankings in the U.S.

L'Oréal and Revlon are the brands consumers in the U.S. are most aware of when it comes to cosmetics and make-up. e.l.f. claims first place in usage share. Avon and COVERGIRL are catching up in terms of brand awareness. However, M.A.C. has the most loyal customers.
Make-up trends keep on changing, but you should always stick to your own style. Cosmetics & make-up brands have started to change their advertising towards a more self-fulfilling approach that covers enhancing one’s natural features as well as high-level make-up artistry. You do you. Or to put it in the words of James Blunt: “You're beautiful, it's true”.

Insights

L’Oréal is the most recognized cosmetics & make-up brand
With 32%, e.l.f. has the highest usage share
M.A.C. has the most loyal customers

Brand awareness

U.S. consumers know L'Oréal

The most recognized make-up and cosmetics brands in the United States are L'Oréal, Revlon, Avon, and COVERGIRL. Judging by brand logo and name, the majority of consumers in our survey knew them. Unsurprisingly, these brands by established cosmetics companies could score the highest brand awareness scores. Underdogs in our ranking are relatively new make-up and cosmetics brands such as ColorPop Cosmetics, and Selena Gomez’s cosmetic line – Rare Beauty.

Brand usage

Covergirl makes many U.S. consumers “Easy, Breezy, Beautiful”

One of the most important brand KPIs for cosmetics and make-up products is the usage share among consumers who know them. It shows how effective the brands’ conversion from awareness to actual sales is. In the U.S., e.l.f., COVERGIRL, and ColourPop claim the top spots for brand usage in the category cosmetics & make-up. Rather viral brands that are nonetheless rarely used by our respondents are Kyle Cosmetics, Morphe, and Urban Decay. Its relatively high price can't entirely explain the ranking, considering that other costly high-end brands like Fenty Beauty and M.A.C. are in the middle of the pack.

Brand loyalty

M.A.C. keeps customers engaged

Long-lasting makeup for long-lasting consumers. That could be M.A.C.'s claim, given the brand loyalty of their customers. Brand loyalty is measured by how likely it is that consumers would use the respective brand's products again in the future. Avon and Revlon follow closely behind M.A.C. in this regard. In general, all makeup and cosmetics brands on our list can convince more than half of their users to opt for them all over again. At the other end of the ranking, we see brands with more room for growth in terms of customer loyalty, and one of them is benefit.

Published October 4, 2023

Brand KPI deep dive