e.l.f. Cosmetics vs Rare Beauty:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Rare Beauty had more branded searches than e.l.f. Cosmetics among blush brands worldwide. Rare Beauty had about 550,000 branded searches, while e.l.f. Cosmetics had 165,000. Rare Beauty made up 24% 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, Rare Beauty appeared in all four answers and e.l.f. Cosmetics in three. Rare Beauty was mentioned before e.l.f. Cosmetics in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Rare Beauty, about 3 searches for every 1 for e.l.f. Cosmetics
Who does AI mention more?
Rare Beauty, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Rare Beauty, named ahead of e.l.f. Cosmetics in every answer
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Top blush brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Rare Beauty appeared in all four answers. e.l.f. Cosmetics was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Rare Beauty was listed before e.l.f. Cosmetics in every answer.
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 Rare Beauty more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for e.l.f. Cosmetics and Rare Beauty 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 Rare Beauty, 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 Rare Beauty comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Rare Beauty 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, Rare Beauty’s share of searches among blush brands worldwide moved from 27% to 24%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 550K.
How did search popularity change for blush brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Rare Beauty worldwide fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 823K to 550K 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 Rare Beauty’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
Rare Beauty
1 branded search term
- rare beauty
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