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 makeup brands in the United Kingdom. Rare Beauty had about 27,100 branded searches, while e.l.f. Cosmetics had 22,500. Rare Beauty made up 4.3% of all makeup brand searches we track, and e.l.f. Cosmetics accounted for 3.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about makeup brands, e.l.f. Cosmetics and Rare Beauty each appeared in three of the five answers. e.l.f. Cosmetics and Rare Beauty were each mentioned first in two of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Rare Beauty, about 20% more searches than e.l.f. Cosmetics
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
Follow e.l.f. Cosmetics vs Rare Beauty 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 makeup brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, e.l.f. Cosmetics was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Rare Beauty was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. e.l.f. Cosmetics and Rare Beauty were each listed first in two of the four 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.
Maybelline4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Charlotte Tilbury3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
MAC3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Rare Beauty3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
e.l.f. Cosmetics3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
NARS3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Fenty Beauty2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
NYX Professional Makeup2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Huda Beauty1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Urban Decay1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about makeup brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which makeup brands are best in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best makeup brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the best foundation?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“makeup”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“makeup brands”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 26, 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 16 makeup brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
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 | Charlotte Tilbury | MAC | Huda Beauty | Fenty Beauty | Maybelline | Rare Beauty | Sculpted by Aimee | e.l.f. Cosmetics | Bobbi Brown | NARS | NYX Professional Makeup | No7 | Iconic London | Too Faced | Urban Decay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.3% | 6.2% | 10.6% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 52.6% | 4.1% | 19.4% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 3.9% | 1.4% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.68% | 1.7% | 0.95% | 0.78% |
| Dec 2025 | 59.3% | 4.9% | 7.9% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 4.4% | 1.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 0.89% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.87% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.8% | 6.1% | 12.9% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.5% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 46% | 6.6% | 11.3% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 49.6% | 6.8% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3% | 3.1% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.8% | 7.7% | 9.2% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 44.7% | 7.5% | 9% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 4% | 4% | 3.3% | 1.4% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 49% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.88% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 48.5% | 7.8% | 8% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 42.6% | 8.4% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.5% | 8% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
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 makeup brands in the United Kingdom held steady at 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 30.3K to 22.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rare Beauty’s share of searches among makeup brands in the United Kingdom moved from 5.8% to 4.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 27.1K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom makeup brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Fenty Beauty overtook Rare Beauty to rank 4th among makeup brands in the United Kingdom, with 5.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Rare Beauty lost share of searches among makeup brands in the United Kingdom, from 5.7% to 4.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for e.l.f. Cosmetics in the United Kingdom fell 25.7% over 12 measured months, from 30.3K to 22.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 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
2 branded search terms
- elf cosmetics
- elf makeup
Rare Beauty
1 branded search term
- rare beauty
Other head-to-heads among makeup brands
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.