Viral beauty brands rise fast but fade faster, finds Spate

Spate has found that virality-driven beauty brands, fueled primarily by TikTok, rapidly capture market share across personal care categories — but sustaining that momentum proves difficult.

Viral brands like Medicube, Sacheu Beauty, Wavytalk, and Lattafa challenge legacy players by converting social media buzz into sales on platforms like Amazon. As a result, Amazon’s share of viral brand shoppers has grown from under 70% in 2023 to over 75% in 2025, according to the report.

However, the report stresses that virality alone does not guarantee long-term success. Many brands see a sharp rise in sales from virality, but then plateau.

Spate highlights Cosrx and Unbrush as examples, warning that viral momentum can fade as fast as it rises without building loyalty, expanding into new subcategories, or diversifying into omnichannel retail.

Recent moves by TikTok-viral brands Hair Syrup and P.Louise show how beauty brands can surge on social buzz. One is expanding into new European markets, and the other broke sales records on TikTok Shop.

Disrupting categories

Spate’s report spotlights brands that gained ground from social media virality. Medicube’s dermatologist-backed skin care devices saw over 1,000% year-on-year growth in TikTok views, reaching 10.6 billion. Meanwhile, Anua climbed to 9.3 billion views with a 213.9% increase.

Sacheu Beauty’s peel-off lip liner stain has pushed the brand into the same league as NYX and E.L.F. on Amazon’s lip category. Meanwhile, Arabian perfume brand Lattafa saw a 253.5% rise in TikTok engagement for its fragrances.

In the hair care category, Wavytalk reached 27.3 billion views (a 224.9% increase year-on-year). 

Professional hair care brand Karseell grew to 77.2 billion (+73.7%) and, according to Spate, has “steadily grown its share and outperformed legacy brands like Olaplex and Moroccanoil, both of which have lost ground.”

These figures indicate how quickly viral brands can disrupt established players across categories. TikTok drives visibility and fuels measurable shifts in market share. The statistics suggest that virality has moved beyond fleeting hype to become a serious competitive force in beauty.

TikTok has become a launchpad for fast-rising beauty brands.Faded interest

Spate spotlights Cosrx as a brand that has lost momentum. In 2024, it was a “leader” in Amazon’s facial serums category after its snail mucin-based products gained virality. 

However, by mid-2024, the brand’s market share began to decline and continued tapering into 2025. The report suggests that this shows the limits of relying on a viral ingredient or “one-hit wonder.”

Cosrx lost traction as interest shifted toward newer, science-driven, and routine-building serums from brands like Medicube and Anua.

The report says that maintaining momentum requires new launches and continuous innovation. For Cosrx, which has introduced new products this year, this could be an opportunity to regain share if the launches align with shifting consumer interests.

Meanwhile, Unbrush, launched in late 2023, surged to the top of Amazon’s hair brush category after going viral on the social media platform TikTok. The brand briefly disrupted Wet Brush’s dominance.

However, by spring 2024, its share started slipping, and TikTok interest and sales continued declining into mid-2025.

The report highlights Unbrush as an example of a brand that failed to sustain initial buzz, showing how difficult it is to convert short-term virality into long-term relevance.

Hair Syrup scales in Scandinavia

British hair care brand Hair Syrup garnered online attention for its cold-pressed oils and vibrant social media presence. After building momentum since its 2020 launch, the brand is now taking steps to extend beyond TikTok.

It has partnered exclusively with Swedish retailer Lyko to launch in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. Five of its bestselling 100 ml oils are available online, with store rollouts planned for later this year.

Karseell is gaining ground in hair care, taking share from Olaplex and Moroccanoil.Founder Lucie Macleod started Hair Syrup in 2020 and has built it into a £5 million (US$6.7 million) business. She calls the expansion a “significant strategic step” to reach highly engaged beauty consumers in new markets.

With over 500,000 social media followers and a strong position in UK retailers such as Boots, Hair Syrup’s expansion mirrors the Spate report’s finding that virality must be leveraged into broader retail strategies to sustain growth.

Breaking TikTok Shop records

P.Louise, another viral British beauty brand, has announced it generated US$2.7 million in 14 hours during a live shopping event on TikTok Shop, breaking the platform’s record.

Over 31,000 orders were placed, with festive advent calendars driving 17% of sales. By curating bundles and exclusives, the brand raised its average order value to US$80, up from US$20 in 2024.

Founder Paige Williams says the event was about “creating moments and memories” ahead of the festive holidays.

Meanwhile, TikTok Shop UK’s head, Jan Wilk, describes the event’s success as proof of the platform’s power to democratize beauty.

With its first permanent flagship opening soon in Manchester, UK, P.Louise is joining the list of viral brands moving beyond online success to strengthen brand longevity.

“The next phase of [business] growth will belong to those who can turn fleeting trends into lasting relationships through consistent product innovation and omnichannel strategies,” Spate’s report concludes.