LTK Outranks Every Beauty Brand in Share of Voice on YouTube’s Biggest Discovery Format, GRWM Index Finds

Why It Matters

The results prove that creator‑led affiliate commerce now dictates visibility in a key beauty‑media channel, forcing brands and retailers to rethink media spend and partnership strategies.

Key Takeaways

• LTK captured 5.0% GRWM share of voice, beating all cosmetics brands.
• Sephora rose to 2.7% share, tripling views from previous quarter.
• Huda Beauty fell to sixth, losing 68% of its GRWM views.
• Unpaid creator mentions make up ~90% of brand appearances in GRWM.
• CoverGirl and Essence tripled GRWM presence without any paid promotion.

Pulse Analysis

The “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) format has become a cornerstone of the creator economy, with long‑form YouTube videos now serving as a primary discovery channel for beauty products. Because creators embed LTK’s shoppable links in video descriptions rather than on‑screen placements, the affiliate model drives authentic product recommendations and captures real purchase intent. LTK’s 5.0% share of voice demonstrates how a backend shopping platform can dominate visibility without traditional advertising, reshaping the economics of influencer marketing.

For beauty brands, the index signals a seismic shift. Prestige players like Huda Beauty and Rare Beauty saw their GRWM presence collapse, while retailers such as Sephora surged by more than threefold, leveraging their broad SKU assortments to become the default on‑camera reference. Budget brands CoverGirl and Essence also rode organic creator enthusiasm to triple their exposure. The data underscores that brands must embed themselves in creator workflows, prioritize authentic product seeding, and consider retailer partnerships that align with the creator‑driven purchase funnel.

Looking ahead, competition among shopping‑app platforms is intensifying, with challengers like ShopMy rapidly expanding their footprint. Moreover, the GRWM format is spilling beyond makeup into lifestyle categories such as bedding and luxury fashion, widening the audience for affiliate‑driven commerce. Brands that ignore the affiliate‑centric dynamics risk losing relevance, while those that invest in creator relationships, data‑rich affiliate tools, and cross‑category content can capture a growing share of voice in this evolving media landscape.