Stat: e.l.f Cosmetics is US teenagers' favourite cosmetics brand

US - The semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey by investment banking and institutional securities firm Piper Sandler has revealed teenagers' beauty spending habits across the US.

Interviewing 9,193 teenagers in September 2023, the survey found that teen spending on the ‘core beauty wallet’ (cosmetics, skincare and fragrance) is up 23% year-on-year, averaging at £267 ($324, €306). This increase was predominantly driven by spending on makeup, which averaged £104 ($127, €120), surpassing skincare for the first time since 2020.

E.l.f retains its status as teenagers’ favourite cosmetics brand (29%), followed by Rare Beauty (13%), while CeraVe and The Ordinary rank top for skincare. Beauty buys at speciality retailers also hit an all-time high at 79%, while purchases from mass-market retailers, department stores or drugstores dropped to a new low of 11%.

Selling affordable yet aesthetic makeup with clean credentials and a strong social media presence (including more than 1m TikTok followers), it's little wonder that e.l.f cosmetics is so popular with teenagers. As explored in our How beauty is being refined for Generation Z report, brands must look good, and be good, to appeal to younger cosmetics consumers.