Cult Beauty vs Space NK:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Space NK had more branded searches than Cult Beauty among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom. Space NK had about 450,000 branded searches, while Cult Beauty had 110,000. Space NK made up 15.1% of all beauty retailer searches we track, and Cult Beauty accounted for 3.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beauty retailers, both Cult Beauty and Space NK appeared in all four answers. Space NK was mentioned before Cult Beauty in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Space NK, about 4 searches for every 1 for Cult Beauty
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Space NK, named ahead of Cult Beauty in 3 of 4 answers
Follow Cult Beauty vs Space NK and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top beauty retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, both Cult Beauty and Space NK showed up in all four answers. Space NK was listed before Cult Beauty in three of them.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Boots1st
Sephora2nd
Space NK3rd
Lookfantastic4th
Cult Beauty5th
Superdrug6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Space NK4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Cult Beauty4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Boots4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Sephora3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Superdrug2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Lookfantastic2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about beauty retailers
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where should I buy skincare and makeup in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best beauty shops in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best online beauty retailer in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“makeup shops”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“beauty retailers”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is Cult Beauty or Space NK more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cult Beauty and Space NK by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six beauty retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Space NK, Cult Beauty. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Superdrug | Sephora | Space NK | Lookfantastic | Cult Beauty | Boots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 52.9% | 16.9% | 13% | 13% | 3.9% | 0.23% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.5% | 20.3% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 5.7% | 0.19% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.5% | 18.1% | 17.1% | 14% | 4.2% | 0.17% |
| Jan 2026 | 48.4% | 18.1% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 4.4% | 0.21% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.8% | 18.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 3.8% | 0.23% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.6% | 17.5% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 4.4% | 0.26% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.4% | 18.5% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 4.6% | 0.28% |
| May 2026 | 57% | 13.8% | 11.5% | 14% | 3.4% | 0.38% |
| Jun 2026 | 54.9% | 16.2% | 11% | 13.5% | 4% | 0.44% |
| Jul 2026 | 56.9% | 16.3% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 3.4% | 0.46% |
| Aug 2026 | 56.6% | 16.7% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 3.4% | 0.46% |
| Sep 2026 | 50.3% | 18.1% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 3.7% | 0.5% |
How has the Cult Beauty and Space NK comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Space NK was ahead of Cult Beauty in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cult Beauty’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 3.9% to 3.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Space NK’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 13% to 15.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom beauty retailers in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Space NK overtook Lookfantastic to rank 3rd among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, with 15.1% of the searches.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Cult Beauty in the United Kingdom fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 110K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cult Beauty’s and Space NK’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.
Cult Beauty
1 branded search term
- cult beauty
Space NK
1 branded search term
- space nk
Other head-to-heads among beauty retailers

Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.