Birchbox vs Lookfantastic:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Lookfantastic had more branded searches than Birchbox among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom. Lookfantastic had about 1,600 branded searches, while Birchbox had 1,300. Lookfantastic made up 3.8% of all beauty box searches we track, and Birchbox accounted for 3.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beauty boxes, Lookfantastic appeared in all five answers and Birchbox in none.
Who do people search for more?
Lookfantastic, about 23% more searches than Birchbox
Who does AI mention more?
Lookfantastic, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Lookfantastic, the only one of the two named
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Top beauty boxes in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lookfantastic appeared in all five answers. Birchbox did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Lookfantastic1st
GLOSSYBOX2nd
Boots3rd
Next4th
Cult Beauty5th
Liberty London6th
Latest in Beauty7th
M&S–
Birchbox–
John Lewis–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Lookfantastic5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- GLOSSYBOX4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Boots3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Next2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Latest in Beauty1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Liberty London1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Cult Beauty1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- M&S0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Birchbox0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- John Lewis0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about beauty boxes
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best beauty subscription box in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which beauty box is worth the money?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's a good beauty box to give as a gift?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“beauty box”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“beauty boxes uk”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 28, 2026.
Is Birchbox or Lookfantastic more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Birchbox and Lookfantastic by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten beauty box brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Lookfantastic, Birchbox. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | GLOSSYBOX | Boots | Next | Latest in Beauty | M&S | Lookfantastic | Birchbox | Liberty London | Cult Beauty | John Lewis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.2% | 27.9% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.7% | 32.7% | 11.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.1% | 26.1% | 11.6% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 37% | 20.2% | 9% | 4.9% | 13.5% | 5.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2% | 1.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 44% | 16% | 13.1% | 4.6% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 3.5% | 2.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.9% | 19.7% | 13.1% | 5.8% | 10.7% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.5% | 21.1% | 11.4% | 4.9% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| May 2026 | 24.7% | 16.5% | 9% | 4.8% | 30.2% | 7.3% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.9% | 18% | 9.8% | 5.3% | 14.7% | 6.4% | 2.2% | 2% | 2.3% | 6.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 26.9% | 32.9% | 9.8% | 5.3% | 8% | 8% | 2% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Aug 2026 | 37% | 24.7% | 9% | 7.4% | 5.9% | 7.4% | 2.7% | 2% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.5% | 19.5% | 10.6% | 7% | 5.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.8% | 1.7% |
Lookfantastic sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “lookfantastic beauty box”.
How has the Birchbox and Lookfantastic comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Lookfantastic was ahead of Birchbox in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Birchbox’s share of searches among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom moved from 2.5% to 3.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lookfantastic’s share of searches among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom moved from 6.8% to 3.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 1.6K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom beauty boxes in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Lookfantastic lost share of searches among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom, from 7.4% to 3.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Birchbox in the United Kingdom fell 18.8% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Birchbox’s and Lookfantastic’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.
Birchbox
1 branded search term
- birchbox
Lookfantastic
1 branded search term
- lookfantastic beauty box
Other head-to-heads among beauty boxes
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