Nov 14, 2025
5 MIN READ
Case Studies
Case Studies
Rare Beauty Influencer Marketing: The Secret Behind Its Viral Success
Rare Beauty Influencer Marketing: The Secret Behind Its Viral Success
Rare Beauty Influencer Marketing: The Secret Behind Its Viral Success
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Content Marketer @impulze.ai
Sections
Blog in Short ⏱️
Blog in Short ⏱️
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
Launched by Selena Gomez in 2020, Rare Beauty scaled to $350M in revenue by leading with emotion, inclusion, and storytelling instead of celebrity hype.
Here’s what made Rare Beauty’s influencer strategy go viral:
Authenticity first: Selena shared unfiltered, real moments that built trust and connection.
Community-led growth: Fans used hashtags like #RareBeauty and #RareRoutine, turning customers into creators.
Creator collaborations: Influencers across TikTok and Instagram showcased genuine routines, not ads.
Purpose-driven messaging: Every campaign is tied back to mental health awareness and self-acceptance.
We’ve seen countless celebrities step into the beauty world — Rihanna with Fenty Beauty, Kylie Jenner with Kylie Cosmetics, Hailey Bieber with Rhode, and Lady Gaga with Haus Labs. Each came with its own hype, aesthetic, and viral campaigns.
But when Selena Gomez launched Rare Beauty during COVID, it stood out. The world was tired, anxious, and rethinking what “feeling good” really meant. Rare Beauty spoke right into that moment.
Within two years, Rare Beauty was among the top beauty brands, with its revenue reaching $350 million in 2023! The secret lies in many things, including influencer marketing.
Why Rare Beauty Became So Famous?
So, how did Rare Beauty go from a pandemic launch to a $350 million powerhouse in just two years? Let’s break it down.
1. The Selena Gomez Link
Most celebrity brands start with fame. Rare Beauty started with honesty. When Selena launched the brand, she said she wanted people to feel good about themselves, not to look like someone else.
She talked openly about struggling with insecurities and how makeup should be about self-expression, not perfection.
And because people had already seen that vulnerability — through her interviews, her documentary My Mind & Me, and her mental health advocacy — Rare Beauty instantly felt real. It wasn’t just another celebrity venture; it was Selena continuing a conversation she’d already been having with millions who trusted her.
2. Products That Feel Like You
The products matched the promise. Lightweight formulas. Inclusive shades. Packaging that anyone could use even those with limited mobility.
Rare Beauty didn’t tell people to hide their flaws; it encouraged them to show up as they are. From the viral Soft Pinch Blush to the Positive Light Foundation, every product felt like it was made for real skin, real routines, real people.
In her Vogue interview, Selena summed it up perfectly: “We want Rare Beauty to be a safe space for everyone to embrace what makes them unique. We work to make real changes in the beauty industry by using makeup to break down unrealistic standards of perfection, promote self-love, and address mental health struggles.”
And that’s exactly what people felt. You could see it in every unfiltered review, every “get ready with me” video, every viral photo where texture wasn’t blurred out but celebrated.
3. A Brand That Talks About Mental Health
When Selena started Rare Beauty, she was already speaking openly about therapy, medication, and her own mental health struggles. So, when she created the brand, it naturally reflected that side of her.
The Rare Impact Fund became a big part of that story. A percentage of every sale goes toward mental health organizations that help young people access the support they need, and this initiative became a core identity of Rare Beauty, something that again made it the talk of the town.
Even in its campaigns and community conversations, Rare Beauty keeps a tone that is gentle, encouraging, and human. They talk about burnout, social media pressure, and kindness the same way they talk about blush and foundation
4. A Community, Not Just Customers
Rare Beauty treated people like a part of something bigger. Scroll through their Instagram or TikTok comments, and you’ll notice it right away: real conversations, creators hyping each other up, fans sharing personal stories about confidence and self-love.
The brand partnered with creators who genuinely loved the products and gave them space to express that love in their own way. Most of their content doesn’t even look like ads!.
What really helped was how Rare Beauty highlighted its community. The team regularly features user-generated content — reposting everyday makeup looks, tagging creators, and encouraging people to use hashtags like #RareBeauty and #RareRoutine. That simple act of visibility made people feel seen.
And when people feel seen, they stay. That’s how Rare Beauty turned customers into a community — one built on appreciation, not algorithms.
5. Conscious Partnerships That Made Noise
Just like the influencers they collaborated with were conscious decisions, Rare Beauty also put a lot of thought into brand partnerships. From day one, Sephora gave Rare Beauty prime shelf space and front-page visibility online.
Later on too, they did meaningful collabs like the Tajín lip set. It was inspired by Selena’s Mexican heritage.
Then came Gracie Abrams’ limited-edition lip oil, tied to Selena’s tour, and other small but smart partnerships that made Rare Beauty feel alive in pop culture. Even their mental health collaborations — like partnering with BetterHelp to offer free therapy resources — showed that the brand cared about more than sales.
Every move had purpose. Nothing felt like a quick grab for attention. Whether it was a retail placement, a cultural collab, or a cause-driven initiative, it always tied back to what Rare Beauty stood for: intention, authenticity, and connection.
The Influencer Strategy of Rare Beauty: Community > Celebrities
Rare Beauty’s influencer marketing approach feels more like a movement than a plan. Instead of chasing big celebrity endorsements, the brand focuses on real connections and genuine stories. The goal is simple: make everyone feel included and confident in their own skin.
Selena Gomez as the Brand’s Heart
Selena Gomez doesn’t just represent Rare Beauty; she lives it. With over 420 million Instagram followers and nearly 60 million on TikTok, her voice carries far. But what stands out is how personal her content feels. She often posts unfiltered makeup moments, shares her mental health journey, or simply plays around with new products.
One of her viral videos, where her fiancé helps her with makeup, showed a side of her audience loves — fun, spontaneous, and perfectly imperfect.
It captured exactly what Rare Beauty stands for: self-acceptance and joy in the everyday.
Collaborating with Every Kind of Creator
Rare Beauty works with a diverse group of influencers — from megastars to relatable micro-creators — who truly represent different corners of the internet.
Whitney Simmons (3M TikTok followers) brings her fitness-inspired beauty routines.
Benny Blanco (6M TikTok followers) adds humor and personality with his playful product videos.
Kelli Anne Sewell (166K TikTok followers) shares thoughtful tutorials and honest reviews.
Daus Mendoza (5.5M TikTok followers) and Adi (793K TikTok followers) connect with Gen Z through creativity and storytelling.
Jennifer Aniston (44.6M Instagram followers) adds a touch of timeless glamour to the mix.
Building a Community Through UGC
Rare Beauty’s strength lies in how it involves its community. Fans constantly post their own looks and routines using #RareRoutine and #RareBeauty, turning their makeup moments into a collective story. The brand often reshapes these posts on its social channels, celebrating real people and their creativity.
This kind of visibility makes users feel like part of the family. For instance, when a small creator’s look gets reposted by Rare Beauty, they often gain followers overnight, creating a ripple effect of excitement and loyalty.
What Wellness and Beauty Brands Can Learn from Rare Beauty
Now that we’ve broken down Rare Beauty’s success, let’s see what lessons wellness and beauty brands can take forward.
Have a Face People Connect With
Selena Gomez gives Rare Beauty its voice and heart. Her personal posts, tutorials, and open talks about confidence make the brand feel real. Even non-celebrity founders can create this connection by showing up online, sharing their story, and being part of the community instead of hiding behind a logo.
Build an Ambassador Network That Feels Real
Rare Beauty’s mix of influencers and team members — from Sarah Wolak to Global Stylist Cynthia Di Meo — makes its content more human. Each person adds authenticity and trust. Other brands can follow this by building long-term creator partnerships and encouraging employees to be genuine brand storytellers.
Make Creativity Part of the Feed
Rare Beauty keeps its social feed fresh with playful elements like word searches, quotes, and themed posts that spark interaction. This creative mix helps the brand stand out from typical product photos. For others, simple ideas like polls, visual guides, or mood boards can instantly make content more engaging.
Talk With Customers, Not At Them
On TikTok, Rare Beauty replies to fan comments through short videos, tagging users and answering real questions. When a fan asked how to use the Soft Pinch Blush, the brand turned it into a viral tutorial. That kind of direct interaction shows followers they’re heard — and builds trust no ad can buy.
Conclusion
So that’s a wrap on Rare Beauty’s influencer success story. If you’re building your own influencer campaigns and want to find the right creators, track results, or plan smarter, we’ve got you covered.
You can create a free account on Impulze.ai or book a quick demo, and our team will help you design the perfect influencer marketing strategy for your brand. Let’s begin!
We’ve seen countless celebrities step into the beauty world — Rihanna with Fenty Beauty, Kylie Jenner with Kylie Cosmetics, Hailey Bieber with Rhode, and Lady Gaga with Haus Labs. Each came with its own hype, aesthetic, and viral campaigns.
But when Selena Gomez launched Rare Beauty during COVID, it stood out. The world was tired, anxious, and rethinking what “feeling good” really meant. Rare Beauty spoke right into that moment.
Within two years, Rare Beauty was among the top beauty brands, with its revenue reaching $350 million in 2023! The secret lies in many things, including influencer marketing.
Why Rare Beauty Became So Famous?
So, how did Rare Beauty go from a pandemic launch to a $350 million powerhouse in just two years? Let’s break it down.
1. The Selena Gomez Link
Most celebrity brands start with fame. Rare Beauty started with honesty. When Selena launched the brand, she said she wanted people to feel good about themselves, not to look like someone else.
She talked openly about struggling with insecurities and how makeup should be about self-expression, not perfection.
And because people had already seen that vulnerability — through her interviews, her documentary My Mind & Me, and her mental health advocacy — Rare Beauty instantly felt real. It wasn’t just another celebrity venture; it was Selena continuing a conversation she’d already been having with millions who trusted her.
2. Products That Feel Like You
The products matched the promise. Lightweight formulas. Inclusive shades. Packaging that anyone could use even those with limited mobility.
Rare Beauty didn’t tell people to hide their flaws; it encouraged them to show up as they are. From the viral Soft Pinch Blush to the Positive Light Foundation, every product felt like it was made for real skin, real routines, real people.
In her Vogue interview, Selena summed it up perfectly: “We want Rare Beauty to be a safe space for everyone to embrace what makes them unique. We work to make real changes in the beauty industry by using makeup to break down unrealistic standards of perfection, promote self-love, and address mental health struggles.”
And that’s exactly what people felt. You could see it in every unfiltered review, every “get ready with me” video, every viral photo where texture wasn’t blurred out but celebrated.
3. A Brand That Talks About Mental Health
When Selena started Rare Beauty, she was already speaking openly about therapy, medication, and her own mental health struggles. So, when she created the brand, it naturally reflected that side of her.
The Rare Impact Fund became a big part of that story. A percentage of every sale goes toward mental health organizations that help young people access the support they need, and this initiative became a core identity of Rare Beauty, something that again made it the talk of the town.
Even in its campaigns and community conversations, Rare Beauty keeps a tone that is gentle, encouraging, and human. They talk about burnout, social media pressure, and kindness the same way they talk about blush and foundation
4. A Community, Not Just Customers
Rare Beauty treated people like a part of something bigger. Scroll through their Instagram or TikTok comments, and you’ll notice it right away: real conversations, creators hyping each other up, fans sharing personal stories about confidence and self-love.
The brand partnered with creators who genuinely loved the products and gave them space to express that love in their own way. Most of their content doesn’t even look like ads!.
What really helped was how Rare Beauty highlighted its community. The team regularly features user-generated content — reposting everyday makeup looks, tagging creators, and encouraging people to use hashtags like #RareBeauty and #RareRoutine. That simple act of visibility made people feel seen.
And when people feel seen, they stay. That’s how Rare Beauty turned customers into a community — one built on appreciation, not algorithms.
5. Conscious Partnerships That Made Noise
Just like the influencers they collaborated with were conscious decisions, Rare Beauty also put a lot of thought into brand partnerships. From day one, Sephora gave Rare Beauty prime shelf space and front-page visibility online.
Later on too, they did meaningful collabs like the Tajín lip set. It was inspired by Selena’s Mexican heritage.
Then came Gracie Abrams’ limited-edition lip oil, tied to Selena’s tour, and other small but smart partnerships that made Rare Beauty feel alive in pop culture. Even their mental health collaborations — like partnering with BetterHelp to offer free therapy resources — showed that the brand cared about more than sales.
Every move had purpose. Nothing felt like a quick grab for attention. Whether it was a retail placement, a cultural collab, or a cause-driven initiative, it always tied back to what Rare Beauty stood for: intention, authenticity, and connection.
The Influencer Strategy of Rare Beauty: Community > Celebrities
Rare Beauty’s influencer marketing approach feels more like a movement than a plan. Instead of chasing big celebrity endorsements, the brand focuses on real connections and genuine stories. The goal is simple: make everyone feel included and confident in their own skin.
Selena Gomez as the Brand’s Heart
Selena Gomez doesn’t just represent Rare Beauty; she lives it. With over 420 million Instagram followers and nearly 60 million on TikTok, her voice carries far. But what stands out is how personal her content feels. She often posts unfiltered makeup moments, shares her mental health journey, or simply plays around with new products.
One of her viral videos, where her fiancé helps her with makeup, showed a side of her audience loves — fun, spontaneous, and perfectly imperfect.
It captured exactly what Rare Beauty stands for: self-acceptance and joy in the everyday.
Collaborating with Every Kind of Creator
Rare Beauty works with a diverse group of influencers — from megastars to relatable micro-creators — who truly represent different corners of the internet.
Whitney Simmons (3M TikTok followers) brings her fitness-inspired beauty routines.
Benny Blanco (6M TikTok followers) adds humor and personality with his playful product videos.
Kelli Anne Sewell (166K TikTok followers) shares thoughtful tutorials and honest reviews.
Daus Mendoza (5.5M TikTok followers) and Adi (793K TikTok followers) connect with Gen Z through creativity and storytelling.
Jennifer Aniston (44.6M Instagram followers) adds a touch of timeless glamour to the mix.
Building a Community Through UGC
Rare Beauty’s strength lies in how it involves its community. Fans constantly post their own looks and routines using #RareRoutine and #RareBeauty, turning their makeup moments into a collective story. The brand often reshapes these posts on its social channels, celebrating real people and their creativity.
This kind of visibility makes users feel like part of the family. For instance, when a small creator’s look gets reposted by Rare Beauty, they often gain followers overnight, creating a ripple effect of excitement and loyalty.
What Wellness and Beauty Brands Can Learn from Rare Beauty
Now that we’ve broken down Rare Beauty’s success, let’s see what lessons wellness and beauty brands can take forward.
Have a Face People Connect With
Selena Gomez gives Rare Beauty its voice and heart. Her personal posts, tutorials, and open talks about confidence make the brand feel real. Even non-celebrity founders can create this connection by showing up online, sharing their story, and being part of the community instead of hiding behind a logo.
Build an Ambassador Network That Feels Real
Rare Beauty’s mix of influencers and team members — from Sarah Wolak to Global Stylist Cynthia Di Meo — makes its content more human. Each person adds authenticity and trust. Other brands can follow this by building long-term creator partnerships and encouraging employees to be genuine brand storytellers.
Make Creativity Part of the Feed
Rare Beauty keeps its social feed fresh with playful elements like word searches, quotes, and themed posts that spark interaction. This creative mix helps the brand stand out from typical product photos. For others, simple ideas like polls, visual guides, or mood boards can instantly make content more engaging.
Talk With Customers, Not At Them
On TikTok, Rare Beauty replies to fan comments through short videos, tagging users and answering real questions. When a fan asked how to use the Soft Pinch Blush, the brand turned it into a viral tutorial. That kind of direct interaction shows followers they’re heard — and builds trust no ad can buy.
Conclusion
So that’s a wrap on Rare Beauty’s influencer success story. If you’re building your own influencer campaigns and want to find the right creators, track results, or plan smarter, we’ve got you covered.
You can create a free account on Impulze.ai or book a quick demo, and our team will help you design the perfect influencer marketing strategy for your brand. Let’s begin!
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Rare Beauty’s influencer marketing strategy so effective?
What makes Rare Beauty’s influencer marketing strategy so effective?
What makes Rare Beauty’s influencer marketing strategy so effective?
Is Selena Gomez the owner of Rare Beauty?
Is Selena Gomez the owner of Rare Beauty?
Is Selena Gomez the owner of Rare Beauty?
How does Selena Gomez contribute to Rare Beauty’s marketing success?
How does Selena Gomez contribute to Rare Beauty’s marketing success?
How does Selena Gomez contribute to Rare Beauty’s marketing success?
How does Rare Beauty work with influencers on TikTok and Instagram?
How does Rare Beauty work with influencers on TikTok and Instagram?
How does Rare Beauty work with influencers on TikTok and Instagram?
What can wellness and beauty brands learn from Rare Beauty’s community strategy?
What can wellness and beauty brands learn from Rare Beauty’s community strategy?
What can wellness and beauty brands learn from Rare Beauty’s community strategy?
How does Rare Beauty use user-generated content (UGC) in its marketing?
How does Rare Beauty use user-generated content (UGC) in its marketing?
How does Rare Beauty use user-generated content (UGC) in its marketing?
How can smaller beauty brands replicate Rare Beauty’s influencer success?
How can smaller beauty brands replicate Rare Beauty’s influencer success?
How can smaller beauty brands replicate Rare Beauty’s influencer success?
Author Bio
Author Bio
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh
Rashmi Singh is a writer and strategist with more than 7 years of experience. When not writing, she is either spending time with her friends or planning her next trip. You can learn more about her here.
Rashmi Singh is a writer and strategist with more than 7 years of experience. When not writing, she is either spending time with her friends or planning her next trip. You can learn more about her here.
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May be Later