e.l.f. Cosmetics vs NARS:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, NARS had more branded searches than e.l.f. Cosmetics among blush brands worldwide. NARS had about 301,000 branded searches, while e.l.f. Cosmetics had 165,000. NARS made up 13.1% of all blush brand searches we track, and e.l.f. Cosmetics accounted for 7.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about blush brands, e.l.f. Cosmetics appeared in three of the four answers and NARS in two. e.l.f. Cosmetics was mentioned before NARS in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
NARS, about 82% more searches than e.l.f. Cosmetics
Who does AI mention more?
e.l.f. Cosmetics, mentioned in 3 of 4 answers, NARS in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
e.l.f. Cosmetics, named ahead of NARS in 2 of 3 answers
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Top blush brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, e.l.f. Cosmetics was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. NARS was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. e.l.f. Cosmetics was listed before NARS in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Rare Beauty4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers- e.l.f. Cosmetics3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- NARS2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Saie2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Milani2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Maybelline0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Tarte0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Benefit Cosmetics0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about blush brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which blush brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best blush brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best blush brand for everyday makeup?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“blush brands”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best blush”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is e.l.f. Cosmetics or NARS more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for e.l.f. Cosmetics and NARS by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight blush brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for NARS, e.l.f. Cosmetics. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Maybelline | Rare Beauty | NARS | Tarte | e.l.f. Cosmetics | Saie | Milani | Benefit Cosmetics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.8% | 27% | 12.1% | 12.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 2% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 25.4% | 31% | 17.1% | 11.4% | 5.1% | 6.2% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 29.8% | 29.8% | 13.4% | 11% | 6% | 6% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.7% | 29.7% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 6% | 6% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 33.9% | 27.7% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3% | 1.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 32% | 26.1% | 14.3% | 11.7% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.2% | 27.9% | 12.5% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 2.1% |
| May 2026 | 28.9% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 23.6% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.1% | 20.3% | 13.6% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 33.7% | 27.5% | 12.3% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.5% | 23.7% | 13% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.8% | 24% | 13.1% | 10.7% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 1.8% |
How has the e.l.f. Cosmetics and NARS comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- NARS was ahead of e.l.f. Cosmetics in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, e.l.f. Cosmetics’ share of searches among blush brands worldwide moved from 6.6% to 7.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 201K to 165K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NARS’s share of searches among blush brands worldwide moved from 12.1% to 13.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 301K.
How did search popularity change for blush brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for NARS worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 368K to 301K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for e.l.f. Cosmetics worldwide fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 165K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using e.l.f. Cosmetics’ and NARS’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
e.l.f. Cosmetics
1 branded search term
- e l f cosmetics
NARS
1 branded search term
- nars
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