The top 10 beauty influencers that brands need to watch in 2023

Worldwide, the Beauty industry generates $100 billion a year, and Beauty influencers may have a lot to do with the increasing numbers in revenue. Beauty brands have benefited from influencers using their products to create content on Instagram, YouTube, and now TikTok. Seeing as beauty content is primarily showcased through social channels, this has allowed beauty brands to leverage social commerce, especially with Millennial and Gen Z shoppers.

We have curated a list of the top 10 Beauty influencers, from makeup and skincare to fragrance, for brands to keep a lookout for in 2023. Beyond current numbers, it’s important to highlight influencers we predict will achieve more success and visibility in the upcoming year.

Note: Emplifi is not affiliated with any of the influencers listed below.

1. Shawtysin

Cynthia Victor, also known by her social media personality Shawtysin, is a Sri Lankan Tamil beauty influencer originally from Quebec City, Canada, with over 1 million TikTok followers. Starting her TikTok in 2020, Shawtysin creates all sorts of videos, from skincare to makeup to #GRWM (Get Ready With Me). Her fun and humorous personality has grabbed the attention of many, as she offers advice about self-love and confidence in her video content.

2. Sean Garrette

Sean Garrette is a New York-based Dior skin care specialist and content creator. He graduated from esthetician school in 2018 and has since established himself as a trusted enthusiast within the Skincare industry, building an Instagram community of over 91k Instagram followers. In 2020, Garrette became the global ambassador for Rihanna's Fenty Skin care launch. Not only is he a product specialist, testing all types of skincare products, but he simultaneously educates his audience on the importance of maintaining a daily skincare routine.

3. Renee Chow

Renee Chow is an educational beauty influencer and blogger creating content under the name Gothamista. Chow started a career in product development, working closely with chemists, which allowed her to break down the scientific aspects of skincare to her audience. Over time, her YouTube channel grew to 688K  subscribers and over 200k followers on Instagram. Chow continues to create videos with skincare reviews, tips, and treatments, really making an impact on the Skincare and Beauty industry.

4. Mariale Marrero

Mariale Marrero is an internet personality best known for her beauty and fashion content. Growing up in Venezuela, Marrero only saw English-speaking YouTubers using products unavailable in Venezuela, so she started her own YouTube channel. After growing her Spanish YouTube account to 15 million subscribers, Marrero created an English channel to practice her English. Now based in the US, Marrero has paved the way for many Spanish-speaking influencers looking to break into the American market. She has collaborated with brands such as Too Faced, Loreal, and ColourPop, and also works with skincare products, developing a long-established partnership with Murad Skincare.

5. Patricia Bright

Patricia Bright, based in the UK, first started on YouTube in 2010, maintaining slow but steady growth. Now leading a community with over 2 million followers on both Instagram and YouTube, Bright has completely immersed herself in the Beauty influencer world, working with big Beauty brands like L’Oréal and Lancome. Before becoming a content creator, Bright worked in investment banking, which has intrigued her audience as she is not only offering beauty advice, but educating her audience on finances and how to manage their money.

6. Monet McMichael

Monet McMichael is a social media personality who took the Beauty world by storm last year on TikTok with over 2.3 million followers. McMichael is known for her bubbly personality in her makeup and #GRWM videos. Also entering the Fashion world, McMonet McMichael launched her very own Amazon collection this year, filled with pieces ranging in size and season.

7. Danielle Marcan

Twenty-one-year-old Danielle Marcan was originally born in Romania and moved to the UK to study advertising and digital marketing. Being a younger woman in this space, Danielle actually grew up in the influencer age, watching makeup tutorials in her early teenage years. Marcan created her Instagram profile in 2019, started uploading her favorite looks, and now has 1.7 million followers on the app and 3.5 million on TikTok. Marcan's vast growth in the past few years has received support from brands such as SKKN, Fenty, and Sephora.

8. Abby Roberts

One of the biggest British Beauty influencers, Abby Roberts leads a TikTok community with almost 17 million followers. Specializing in makeup, Roberts dabbles in both beauty and special effects makeup work. Not only is she ahead of the curve when it comes to viral beauty moments, but she is also a Gen Z trendsetter. Her huge following and popularity have landed her collaborations with Morphe and Colourpop.

9. Kay Yarms

Kay Yarms is a South African beauty influencer, as well as a lover of all things make-up and sharing tips and tricks with her audience. Her love for beauty began while she was still at Wits, an all-girl school where she was exposed to makeup, hair, and beauty. When Yarms got into makeup, she discovered how talented she really was, so she watched YouTube tutorials until she started her very own channel in 2017. Yams currently has400K Instagram followers and 255K YouTube subscribers. In 2022, Yarms was named the new Head Makeup Artist for Scarlet Hill Beauty, a noteworthy South African makeup brand. As Yarms continues to grow in the beauty industry, her goal is to open an academy to teach makeup and beauty, as it is her passion.

10. Jeremy Fragrance

Daniel Schuetz is an international fragrance influencer who goes by the name Jeremy Fragrance. Though there isn't a huge fragrance influencing space, Schuetz’s TikTok account is followed by 6.4 million people. In 2018, Schuetz went on to launch his own online brand called “Fragrance One.” His eccentric and exciting energy has made him the No. 1 fragrance icon he is today.

The takeaway

There is a growing importance for brands to ramp up their influencer marketing and work with social media influencers in order to connect with their audience and influence purchasing decisions. 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, and that’s why choosing the right influencer for your brand is essential to your success. As a brand, you must consider who can relate to your audience and break into new audiences to flourish in this competitive space. 

At Emplifi, you can access the largest influencer database, allowing AI to do the heavy lifting. Save hours of valuable time and find influencers with smart recommendations based on your specific audience personas and easy-to-understand scorecards so you can choose the best influencers at a glance.