The Most Viral Beauty Moments (So Far) of 2023

For its 2023 Beauty Issue, The Hollywood Reporter asked every artist on its 2023 Glam Squads list what their preferred social media network is to promote their work — and nearly every person named Instagram as their No. 1 platform, followed by TikTok. “Instagram serves as my portfolio,” says groomer Amy Komorowski. Adds makeup artist Jenna Nicole, “Instagram is the most authentic way for me to share my work and connect with clients, brands and a community of people that are interested in makeup.”

It’s also simply a giant when it comes to numbers, as more than 2 billion active users a month share around 2 billion reels daily through DMs. (The platform’s parent company Meta is also a sponsor of THR’s Oct. 25 Beauty Dinner honoring the top glam squads in Hollywood.)

Eva Chen — vp fashion partnerships at Meta, who also is a former beauty editor and has 2.5 million Instagram followers of her own — says that beauty content pops on the platform for a variety of reasons. Often, it’s behind-the-scenes videos and photos documenting the creation of celebrity looks that go viral, moments that “have the authenticity that users really crave,” she says. Some moments are so big, “they become immersive cultural experiences where you are really participating in the trend,” says Chen, noting summer 2023’s “Barbie pandemonium.”

Other big beauty moments in 2023 on IG included Doja Cat’s red crystals look in Paris in January, Jennifer Coolidge’s ad for e.l.f. Cosmetics, Beyoncé’s concert looks, Taylor Swift’s red lip, Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala hair and Pamela Anderson’s no-makeup look at Paris Fashion Week in September. “Sofia Richie’s wedding makeup routine was immensely popular. Hailey Bieber does an amazing job documenting her day whether it’s through nails or the lip product she’s using [from her brand Rhode],” continues Chen. “It’s so inspiring to see creators who are leveraging this really organic, joyful conversation of what they are doing in terms of glam.” The platform runs best-practices sessions tailored to glam squads.

Chen, who notes that beauty is also popular because of its accessible price points compared with high-end fashion, adds, “One of the most amazing things that I hear is that it allows them to understand professional paths they didn’t know existed, to understand what it takes to make it in the industry.”

A version of this story first appeared in the Oct. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.