Popular makeup brands see big revenue every year. Around $677 billion was spent on makeup in 2025. With makeup being one of the biggest economic markets, which brands topped the competition?
Celebrity brands
Social media apps like Tiktok have showcased makeup brands founded by celebrities. Actress and singer Selena Gomez owns Rare Beauty, which is known for their liquid blushes. Likewise, American model Hailey Bieber founded Rhode in 2022 which is known for their lip treatments. The company was recently sold to e.l.f cosmetics in 2025.
Ariana Grande, American singer and actress, owns r.e.m beauty. With the release of ‘Wicked: For Good’ in November 2025, r.e.m beauty has collabed with ‘Wicked’ to bring fun products inspired by the movie. This is because Ariana Grande starred as Glinda in both ‘Wicked’ and ‘Wicked: For Good’.
Similarly to the previous brands, singer and actress Rihanna owns Fenty Beauty. The company is named after Rihanna’s father and herself. Fenty Beauty spans across makeup, skincare, hair and fragrance. Notably, the brand is popular for their liquid foundation that covers 52 shades.
These brands noticeably made their way into 2025’s billboard. Rhode’s lip balms stayed floating around online. While Rare Beauty’s liquid blushes stayed popular, the company also released their own fragrance. The r.e.m beauty x ‘Wicked’ collab gained traction during the release of ‘Wicked: For Good’.
Cheap vs Expensive
2025 saw a mix of both high-end and drugstore makeup. From Maybelline New York to Dior, makeup enthusiasts online love both sides. The cheaper drugstore brands tend to give good results for a small price. The more expensive brands give excellent results but for a higher price.
Popular drugstore brands include e.l.f Cosmetics, Maybelline, NYX, Covergirl, Essence and more. e.l.f Cosmetics, which stands for Eyes, Lips, Face, found itself through trends online. Their Power Grip Primer gained traction in 2023 and stayed popular into 2024 and 2025. Likewise, their Halo Glow Liquid Filter and Lip Oils circulated social media. One can find these brands in places like Walgreens and CVS along with your typical general store like Target and Walmart.
Similarly, expensive brands also entered the top trends of 2025. Dior went viral for their lip oils in 2020. In 2025, Dior remade the oil which included new finishes like sparkly and glaze. Charlotte Tilbury is known for their glam makeup collection, Pillow Talk. Although released in 2013, Pillow Talk Lipstick and Lip liner, their popularity has stayed high as steady in 2025.
Opinions
In certain cases, specific products determine our favorite brands. “My favorite makeup is probably benefit cosmetics because that’s the brand that makes my favorite eye brow gel.” Jenna Sorce, a student at Colonia High School states. Benefit Cosmetics made around $1.4 billion in 2025. Their most popular product is the Benetint lip & cheek stain.
Makeup collections among most people can include a variety of brands. “I like Laneige and Charlotte Tilbury. I use all different brands.” Alexa Beck, a senior at Colonia High school states. The average American can spend anywhere close to $1,754 a year according to lendingtree. That number can rise or fall depending on how expensive the brands are.
