TikTok just passed a major milestone in the UK. Over 30 million monthly users, nearly half the population.
If you’re thinking, “Isn’t that just Gen Z?” – well the maths no longer works.
There are 68.35 million people in Great Britain – TikTok now reaches 30 million of them a month… that’s nearly half the country.
TikTok is no longer a Gen Z platform. It’s a national channel with commercial power.
TikTok is responding in kind:
- Opening a new 135,000 sq ft London HQ
- Growing its UK workforce to 3,000 employees
- Supporting 1.5 million British businesses
- Contributing an additional £1.6 billion to the UK economy
- Powering over 32,000 jobs
And this isn’t just passive consumption. From indie bookstores to cosmetics brands generating £1.5m+ in a single TikTok Shop Live, this platform is quietly becoming the most powerful sales engine in the country.
Decoding the beauty consumer on TikTok: Insights from Spate’s Popularity Index
At this year’s CEW Future of Beauty Summit, one of the most talked-about sessions came from Olivier Zimmer, CEO and Co-Founder of Spate, the New York-based trend intelligence platform that tracks consumer interest across TikTok, Google, and Instagram.
Zimmer’s presentation - ’Decoding the Beauty Consumer: Trends from TikTok & Spate’s Popularity Index’ - offered a data-driven view of the UK beauty landscape, and made one thing abundantly clear: TikTok is beauty culture.
Zimmer revealed that:
- TikTok has 498 billion beauty-related views in the UK alone
- That’s an average of 7,000 views per person in the country
- Hair is the most dominant category, followed by makeup, skincare, and an explosive rise in fragrance
- TikTok Shop is now the UK’s 4th largest beauty retailer
TikTok is now where beauty discovery, demand generation, and purchasing collide – and it’s happening fast.
What’s driving the trends?
The team at Spate blends Google Search with TikTok data to create a Popularity Index – a uniquely powerful lens on where consumer interest originates and what’s accelerating.
Here’s what the data shows:
Hair is surging with +51.9% YoY growth
- Top-of-mind concerns: scalp health, dandruff, hair loss, greasy roots
- Product winners: anti-frizz, ketoconazole shampoo, sea salt sprays
- Breakout category: hair dye (plum, red, magenta) – UK-specific trend
- Device category leaders: Beachwaver and other styling tools
Skincare is getting smarter – and more perennial with +41.2% YoY growth
The big story? Sunscreen is becoming a daily staple, not just a summer add-on with the main drivers being –
- UK-based melanoma awareness, led by creators like @jackhow
- K-beauty SPF innovation, especially stick formats that travel well and apply clean
- Beauty of Joseon is a standout brand, with their 12-shade tinted sunscreen now dominating the UK’s top hashtags
Makeup gets maximalist again – while overall category growth is slower, colour cosmetics are resurging
- Blush, bronzer, and skin tints are outperforming other categories
- Viral looks include: “blush blindness,” Korean glow, Idari makeup (the “drunk blush” aesthetic), and Sabrina Carpenter-inspired 80s layering
- Face makeup is seeing steady +3.2% YoY growth, with strong interest in hybrid routines
Fragrance is booming
- Fragrance is enjoying triple-digit growth, largely thanks to TikTok’s ability to aestheticise routine and create emotional storytelling around scent.
TikTok Shop: From side feature to retail powerhouse
Zimmer confirmed what many of us are now seeing daily: TikTok Shop is already the 4th largest beauty retailer in the UK.
Additional insights:
- 24.3% of TikTok UK beauty views are paid (via creators or ad spend)
- In the US, that figure is closer to 45%, indicating the UK is only at the beginning
- Emerging brands are gaining serious traction:
- Wonderskin: 94.4% of visibility comes from TikTok Shop (via viral lip stain)
- Beauty of Joseon, Beachwaver, and other niche players are leapfrogging traditional visibility barriers
In short: TikTok virality is directly translating into Boots shelf space.
Strategic takeaways for brands
Here’s how to act on what we learned from Oliver
- Treat TikTok as your pre-sale engine – Consumers are primed on TikTok long before they hit retail shelves. Create content that solves problems, answers questions, and builds desire.
- Build around concerns – Hair loss, dry skin, SPF layering, under-eye creasing – TikTok is where these concerns play out. Use content to connect problems to your product.
- Reframe sunscreen as an everyday ritual – Thanks to K-beauty, sunscreen is now non-seasonal in user behaviour. Position SPF as a year-round essential.
- Blend skincare & makeup stories – The most engaging creators are showing layering routines, hybrid formulas, and product combinations. Market your SKUs as buildable, blendable, and flexible.
- Follow colour, not just coverage – From “drunk blush” to 7-step bronzer builds, maximalism is back. Lean into expressive, playful routines. TikTok rewards visual drama.
- Own a niche, and the shelf follows – Brands like Wonderskin didn’t wait for Boots to validate them. Go niche on TikTok. If the audience shows up, retail will follow.
One more thing: Concerns drive content – Olivier also noted that TikTok is a forum for solving beauty challenges. The platform is teeming with conversations around:
- Under-eye circles
- Dry skin and foundation
- Hair growth and scalp health
- Acne & SPF layering tips
These aren’t just problems – they’re content themes. Build your strategy around concerns, not just your product features.
Commentary from Tash Courtenay-Smith, CEW Board Member, Founder and CEO of Tash Partners. You can read more of Tash’s commentaries HERE
