ILIA vs Merit:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Merit had more branded searches than ILIA among clean makeup brands worldwide. Merit had about 110,000 branded searches, while ILIA had 22,200. Merit made up 10.8% of all clean makeup brand searches we track, and ILIA accounted for 2.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about clean makeup brands, ILIA and Merit each appeared in four of the five answers. ILIA was mentioned before Merit in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Merit, about 5 searches for every 1 for ILIA
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
ILIA, named ahead of Merit in 3 of 4 answers
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Top clean makeup brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, ILIA and Merit were each mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. ILIA was listed before Merit in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- ILIA1st
- Merit2nd
Saie3rd
Tower 284th
RMS Beauty5th
Kosas6th
Well People7th
bareMinerals8th
Jones Road–
Westman Atelier–- +2 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Merit4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- ILIA4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Saie3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Kosas3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- RMS Beauty3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Well People3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Tower 282 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- bareMinerals2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Jones Road0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Westman Atelier0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about clean makeup brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which clean makeup brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best clean makeup brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best clean makeup for sensitive skin?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“clean makeup”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“non toxic makeup”
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 25, 2026.
Is ILIA or Merit more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for ILIA and Merit by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 clean makeup brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Merit, ILIA. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Jones Road | Saie | Tower 28 | Westman Atelier | bareMinerals | Merit | Kosas | RMS Beauty | ILIA | Ere Perez | Well People | Kjaer Weis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 13.6% | 16.7% | 13.6% | 9.2% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 9.2% | 5% | 3.4% | 1.2% | 0.45% | 0.45% |
| Dec 2025 | 14.2% | 17.3% | 14.2% | 9.5% | 14.2% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.46% | 0.46% |
| Jan 2026 | 15.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 11.6% | 14.2% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 0.69% | 0.46% |
| Mar 2026 | 14.7% | 12% | 14.7% | 12% | 14.7% | 12% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.59% | 0.48% |
| Apr 2026 | 15.5% | 12.7% | 15.5% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.51% |
| May 2026 | 16.1% | 13.2% | 16.1% | 10.7% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 1.2% | 0.53% | 0.53% |
| Jun 2026 | 14.3% | 14.3% | 17.5% | 9.6% | 14.3% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 0.57% | 0.47% |
| Jul 2026 | 14.6% | 14.6% | 17.8% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 9.8% | 8% | 6.5% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.58% | 0.58% |
| Aug 2026 | 14.1% | 14.1% | 17.2% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 0.56% | 0.46% |
| Sep 2026 | 17.4% | 11.6% | 17.4% | 14.3% | 11.6% | 9.6% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.46% | 0.46% |
| Oct 2026 | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 13.3% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.53% | 0.43% |
How has branded search for ILIA and Merit changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Merit was ahead of ILIA in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, ILIA’s share of searches among clean makeup brands worldwide moved from 3.4% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 22.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Merit’s share of searches among clean makeup brands worldwide moved from 13.6% to 10.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 201K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for clean makeup brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Merit gained share of searches among clean makeup brands worldwide, from 9.6% to 10.8%.
In October 2026, ILIA lost share of searches among clean makeup brands worldwide, from 2.9% to 2.2%.
How are ILIA’s and Merit’s branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using ILIA’s and Merit’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.
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