The UK Instagram Influencers to Add Shimmer to Your Campaigns

Influencer marketing and the beauty industry are quite literally a match made in heaven. 

Upon its introduction, the beauty industry took to influencer marketing harmoniously, securing its position as one of the top industries to benefit from it. Today, there are even beauty brands – like Glossier – that solely rely on influencer marketing to promote their products and achieve business goals. 

Their seamless integration is enhanced through content such as wear tests, reviews, first impressions, get-ready-with-me’s (GRWMs) etc. 

Not only are brands benefitting, but so are beauty influencers. As of August 2022, over 1000 beauty influencers were operating on Instagram alone, with the average number of followers being 431,310. Looking to reach out to some of the top UK Instagram influencers in the beauty industry? While you can consider recruiting the help of an Instagram marketing agency to do the heavy lifting, you can also go solo and read on to find out which beauty influencers we believe are best for boosting your campaigns and achieving your business goals.

Top 30 UK Instagram influencers in the beauty industry

1. Danielle Marcan

Followers: 1.7M

Danielle, 21, is one of Instagram’s most famous beauty influencers. Her status within the beauty community sees her continuously partnering with beauty giants such as Charlotte Tilbury, L’Oreal and Maybelline. On her page you will mostly find makeup tutorials with an occasional sprinkling of sponsored content throughout.

2. Thuy Lee

Followers: 2M

Thuy (pronounced Twee) is a London-based beauty influencer and a veteran to the industry. Her charm and animated personality shines brightly through everything she uploads and her high-quality content makes her a perfect match for brands such as Harrods Beauty and NYX Cosmetics.

3. Cher Webb

Followers: 484K

Cher is a professional makeup artist and contributing beauty editor for Liberty London, making her more than qualified to share her favourite products with the internet. Her content is mostly made up of product reviews (sponsored or not) and GRWMs where she shows us how to use 4 products in 4 minutes for a full face of makeup.

4. Katie Jane-Hughes

Followers: 860K

Deemed a celebrity in the beauty industry, Katie Jane-Hughes paints the faces of supermodels like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Ashley Graham, as well as her own face on her Instagram page. She shares her expertise with her followers on the platform and creates some iconic, editorial looks that everyone can follow!

5. Alicia Land

Followers: 204K

Based in Bromsgrove, England, Alicia is a makeup and skincare influencer who posts makeup tutorials and updated skincare routines to her page. From colourful eyeshadow looks to sponsored GRWMs, Alicia’s page is bursting with high-quality, fun content!

6. Kaiser Coby

Followers: 338K

Our list of UK Instagram influencers in the beauty industry isn’t complete without none other than makeup educator and skincare lover, Kaiser. Her in-depth tutorials are great for beginners wanting to learn the fundamentals of makeup and her expertise in makeup and skincare make her more than qualified to recommend products and techniques to new visitors to her page.

7. Sophie

Followers: 448K

You might know Sophie, AKA sophdoeslife, from her YouTube channel that has 1.4M subscribers, but did you know that her Instagram profile is bursting with high-quality content too? Expect to find lots of colourful and creative makeup tutorials and brand collaborations with the likes of Revolution and Skinny Dip, as well as an abundance of well-suited sponsored content.

8. Emma Johnson

Followers: 92.9K

Otherwise known as emmasrectangle, this UK Instagram influencer is best known for her colourful makeup looks and photography skills. Alongside beauty, you can find travel, fashion and health content, drawing in a well-rounded audience which brands could tap into to promote their products.

9. Ellie Jarrett

Followers: 202K

Ellie, 24, is a UK-based makeup lover and beauty influencer. As a former MUA, she has always had a passion for all things beauty; including skincare and haircare. Her kind and calm nature is exuded through her content and makes her the perfect match for the kind of brands she partners with.

10. William Grande 

Followers: 15.8K

William, aka snatchedbywill, is one of the leading UK Instagram influencers for men in makeup. His large following on TikTok has slowly but surely trickled over to his Instagram account and earned him over 15K followers as well as a spot at many major brand events, including MAC Cosmetics and London Fashion Week shows.

11.  Grace Llewelyn-Leach

Followers: 13.2K

Grace, better known as gracesfaces, Grace has accumulated fame across both Instagram and TikTok amassing a total of 446k followers across both. Expect flawless makeup looks and even more flawless skincare routines and tips when visiting her profile. After working with brands such as Elemis and The Beauty Crop, expect to see Grace appearing at major beauty events in the near future!

12. Lucas Rodgers

Followers: 28.1K

As a member of the Blogger Agent team, Lucas has organically made a name for himself within the beauty community. His colourful and creative looks have earned him the title of brand ambassador for Nova Beauty, and secured him multiple brand deals with the likes of Juvia’s Place and Boots UK.

13. Eleanor Wood

Followers: 22.8K

Wigan-based beauty influencer Eleanor is the breath of fresh air the beauty community needed! Her ‘clean-girl-makeup’ looks – often with a pop of colour – are enough to inspire makeup lovers of all abilities to recreate her work. Her high-quality content has landed her brand deals with the likes of ELF Cosmetics and ISO Clean.

14. Rebekah Eller

Followers: 126K

Rebekah is a self-confessed makeup enthusiast whose makeup reviews and tutorials have organically amassed a following of over 293K across Instagram and TikTok.

15. Molly Jacks

Followers: 56.8K

Molly is a UK-based makeup artist who uses her platform to teach others how to do makeup. Her content ranges anywhere from soft glam to colourful graphic liner and is all taught in her online makeup course which anyone of any ability can do.

16. Holly Dunn

Followers: 20.9K

If colourful makeup looks take your fancy, then Holly’s profile is for you. Her detailed cut creases married with bold colour choices make for mesmerising artistry. She provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for recreating these looks and for those who are still hesitant to dabble in the rainbow, her natural glam is just as easy to follow.

17. Alice Dickson 

Followers: 23.3K

Alice is an Edinburgh-based makeup artist and beauty influencer; specialising in makeup, skincare and haircare. While she is mostly known for her full glam makeup tutorials, you can also find sponsored product reviews on her page. Her expertise as a makeup artist makes her a perfect collaborative partner for many brands.

18. Jamie Genevieve 

Followers: 1.4M

As one of the leading UK Instagram influencers in the beauty industry, our next artist needs no introduction. As the founder and CEO of Vieve – and class member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 2023 list – Jamie has contributed to and reshaped the beauty industry immensely. Expect to find timeless makeup looks and a whole lot of glamour on her page!

19. Rachel Leary

Followers: 298K

Manchester-based beauty influencer Rachel is known for her flawless glam and GRWMs. Her high-quality beauty content has earned her almost 300k followers on Instagram alone – not to mention the 677k on YouTube – and has brought about brand deals and collaborations, particularly with Revolution.

20. Gary Thompson

Followers: 272K

Gary, better known as ‘theplasticboy’, is a UK-based beauty and fashion content creator. His glam looks and head-turning outfits have earnt him a large and loyal audience whose support has landed Gary multiple brand deals and a successful product collaboration with Revolution.

21. Danny Defreitas 

Followers: 223K

Danny is one of the UK’s leading men in makeup, dissolving stereotypes and proving that makeup is inclusive to all. His high-quality, aesthetically-pleasing content makes him a go-to for brand collaborations and sponsorships and his makeup looks serve as inspiration for the next generation of young aspiring makeup artists.

22. CC Clarke 

Followers: 2.1M

You might be familiar with CC Clarke – or with her lips – from her iconic lip tutorials she regularly posted on her Instagram account. CC has been named the most influential online beauty influencer by The Sunday Times in the past and has organically built her 2M-strong following. As a mum of two, long gone are the days of regularly uploaded makeup tutorials, but what you can now expect is content of the highest quality as well as new music!

23. Tammi Clarke

Followers: 348K

Though unrelated to CC Clarke above, Tammi is still an exceptional talent within the UK beauty industry. You can expect to find multiple product reviews and first impressions videos on her page, as well as recreations of celebrity makeup looks and videos listing her favourite makeup and skincare products. Having been in the game for longer than most, Tammi knows what the industry needs, leading to her creation of MakeupByTammi Cosmetics.

24. Hannah London

Followers: 92.6K

Hannah is a UK-based beauty influencer whose flawless base routine is known by many. She has previously partnered with the likes of Juvia’s Place and Kiko Milano and her content quality and ideas make her the perfect candidate for any other brands looking for a collaboration.

25. Ellis Atlantis

Followers: 554K 

Winner of the BBC’s Glow Up and all-round makeup magician, Ellis is one of the leading UK Instagram influencers within the beauty industry. Specialising in drag makeup, you can expect to find an insurmountable amount of colour and jewels on their page alongside iconic makeup looks and stunning photography. Ellis regularly partners with Juvia’s Place and Look Fantastic.

26. James Mac

Followers: 282K

James is another Glow Up star that we cannot resist adding to our list. His editorial, boundary-pushing looks are show stopping and remind us that makeup is art.

27. Sophie Floyd

Followers: 365K

If simplistic grunge is your preferred aesthetic, then Sophie is your girl. Not only is her feed structured and neat, but so are the makeup looks she displays on her page. For those looking to perfect their graphic liner skills or a smokey eye then don’t hesitate to give her a follow! 

28. Belle Hassan

Followers: 937K

Belle rose to Instagram fame after her Love Island debut and has since gone on to prove herself to be a powerhouse within the beauty community. Her Instagram is filled with colourful makeup tutorials and glam.

29. Anchal 

Followers: 116K

Anchal specialises in beauty and brown-girl-chats. Alongside her career as a beauty influencer, Anchal is also the author and podcast host of ‘whatwouldtheauntiessay’. On her profile, expect to find countless glam makeup tutorials as well as product reviews and sponsored content in collaboration with the likes of L’Oreal and YSL Beauty.

30. Kaushal

Followers: 990K

Kaushal is another perfect representative for the South Asian beauty community. Her everyday-glam tutorials and product reviews are a way for beginners to practice easing into the beauty industry and do a great job of promoting ‘loving the skin you’re in’.

FAQs

Where can I find UK Instagram influencers?

If you are partnered with an Instagram marketing agency, like Socially Powerful, outsourcing influencers is typically taken care of. However, if you cannot afford this luxury, then finding influencers directly through Instagram itself using hashtags and the “show similar accounts” function is your best bet. 

Who is the most popular UK Instagram influencer in the beauty industry?

CC Clarke is one of the UK’s most popular beauty influencers on Instagram, with 2.1M followers.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blog.

@ Socially Powerful