Trends, tutorials and toes are big in eyebrow beauty
Defined, fluffy, natural, bleached, or laminated—whatever the consumer favorite, brow beauty trends are rapidly evolving. As lockdowns lift and people focus on makeup creativity, brow trends are shifting to reflect popular styles, designs, colors and techniques.
Recent data on social media engagement reveals the current trends that brow fans love, the brands and social platforms dominating the brow scene, and the strategic shifts that need to take place to keep up with changing demands.
After carrying out research on the latest eyebrow insights, Pulsar reveals the leading brow-based conversations on Twitter between 16th July to 18th August 2021. The gathered data was captured from searches across a variety of platforms, including Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook as well as Reviews.
The brow conversation on social
MAC was the most discussed brow brand with 15,100 mentions, Pulsar’s research shows. Anastasia Beverley Hills was second with 4,180 nods, followed by Benefit at 2,010, Lime Crime at 1,980 and Milk at 1,890.
‘Natural’ led as the most-used descriptor when referring to brows with 28,000 mentions. However, ‘edges out full’ came a close second with 27,000, while ‘soft’ came in third at 12,000.
Across visual social media platforms, Instagram and Pinterest, #browsonfleek was the most popular hashtag with 22,700 mentions. The second most mentioned hashtag for eyebrows and brows was #browsonpoint at 21,200, followed by microblading with 19,700 mentions.
Interacting with tutorials
“Brow tutorial videos play a big part in popularizing both ambitious styles and the ‘Skindie’ brands,” said Alex Bryson, Content Lead at Pulsar Platform.
When it comes to how-to demonstration, the word ‘tutorial’ is mentioned approximately 13 times more than ‘hack’. In how-to videos by brands, brows or eyebrows are mentioned a total of 25,100 times over the research period.
Interestingly, toes are also one of the most-mentioned keywords, behind makeup, hair and look. In addition, the popularity of ‘toes’ in relation to how-tos “results from the times beauty routines that incorporate both brows and toes are mentioned”, Pulsar reveals.
Skindie brands, which play a significant role in influencing the popularity of eyebrow trends, are those that capture an engaged and loyal fan base. Their independence, individuality and aspirational qualities showcase their passion and creativity, drawing in legions of beauty aficionados.
Ultimately, Skindie brands have influence in their specific beauty segment. Their brand campaigns, initiatives, products and service roll-outs receive a strong response from their devoted target audience.
Detailing the appeal of Skindie brands, Bryson explains: “As well as driving awareness, they also make new styles appear attainable to anyone who doesn’t have a professional makeup team in tow.” Adopting this approach makes them relatable and accessible to mainstream mass makeup consumers.
The leading social media platform for brow beauty
YouTube has long been regarded as the leading social media channel for beauty influencers. However, the emergence of relative newbie TikTok has created an explosive beauty scene. But now there is also one social media platform that is standing tall above the rest when it comes to leading eyebrow trends.
“We are all familiar with YouTube beauty influencers, and there is a burgeoning scene on TikTok, but social data suggests Pinterest is playing a central role here too,” reveals Bryson.
“The fact that so much of this conversation is native to Pinterest has prompted brands to concentrate efforts on the platform,” reveals Bryson. L’Oreal, for instance, produces its own series of tutorials on the platform.
“It is also interesting to see how different brands over-index on certain platforms, and the opportunities this provides to brands lagging behind their Skindie cousins,” outlines Bryson. Detailing how Maybelline and Fenty, for instance, are both “overrepresented on Reddit”, Bryson asks/considers: “Does this present a possibility for both to increase online engagement?’.”
Brow beauty is constantly evolving, and the social platforms that form such a vital part of their strategy need to analyze, tweak and reimagine their features to keep up with brands’ needs and consumer expectations.
Social collaboration/partnerships
“Pinterest also plays host to TikTok embeds, videos that have been screen recorded on TikTok and posted elsewhere,” Bryson shares.
Cross-platform collaborations may well help to lift the reputation and reach of platforms showcasing social content as a single platform. “It is an indicator to social teams and brands that the content you post on one account will end up on different platforms, particularly those organized by interest such as Pinterest and Reddit,” adds Bryson.
In the near future, Pulsar expects TikTok content, both elsewhere and on TikTok itself, to play an increasingly important role within this conversation.
