Makeup Brands That Work With Micro Influencers

A micro influencer is a content creator with a following typically ranging from 10k to 100K. 

These niche focused creators thrive on areas like beauty, travel, fashion, or fitness, and according to Impulze, dominate the creator landscape because they achieve higher engagement rates, 6% on Instagram and 17.96% on TikTok, and charge as little as $100 per post, making them a go-to for budget friendly campaigns.

As the beauty industry continues to expand, brands from Sephora to Gisou are leveraging the power of micro influencer collaborations to tap into engaged audiences and provide monetization and exposure opportunities in return.

In this article, we’ll explore 10 makeup brands open to collaborating with smaller creators, how to pitch interested brands, and 3 successful micro influencer makeup campaign examples to inspire your next impactful partnership.

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How Micro Influencers Stand Out in the Makeup Industry

From travel to beauty and makeup, creators nowadays are not demanded to carry huge audiences behind their back to access brand campaigns. 

Let’s go through 4 key benefits creators like you can provide makeup brand partners:

• Authenticity and Trust: With 70% of consumers trusting micro influencer recommendations more than celebrity ones, according to Performance Marketing World, audiences clearly devote their trust to creators they find more relatable.  
• Engagement Rate: When it comes to engagement, micro influencer rates run between 7% - 20%, given their followers are deeply invested in their content, which is higher than macro or mega influencer rates.
• Niche Focus: From maximalist home makeovers to mom budgeting tips, exploring hyper-niches make micro influencers highly valuable for brands when targeting a very specific, already interested community.
• UGC Potential: According to Favoured, 92% of consumers trust user-generated content more than traditional advertising. This makes brands value micro influencer UGC skills, given their recommendations are incredibly trusted and can influence purchasing decisions.

Key Takeaways: Micro influencers stand out by building trust and relatability, with 70% of consumers trusting their recommendations over celebrities’. Their 7% to 20% engagement rates and niche focus also make them powerful partners for brands seeking to increase ROI with authentic content creation. 

Discover 10 brands that work with nano influencers, including SKIMS and Cinique, to learn how small creators can build meaningful partnerships and grow their influence.

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10 Makeup Brands That Work With Micro Influencers

1. Glossier
2. Rare Beauty
3. Sephora
4. Colour Pop
5. Milk Makeup
6. Gisou
7. Tarte Cosmetics
8. MAC Cosmetics
9. Fenty Beauty
10. Kosas

Glossier

• About The Brand: Glossier is a beauty brand known for its minimalist skincare and makeup products, emphasizing real-life efficacy and thoughtful design.
• What They Look For: Glossier typically collaborates with micro-influencers through gifting, affiliate programs, user-generated content, and PR lists. They look for creators with minimalist and natural aesthetics and value authenticity and close community engagement.
• Collaboration Example: Glossier partners with micro influencers like @beyoncejanvier to showcase new products or collections like the newest Lip Glaze shades with eye-catching reel and post try-ons. 
• Affiliate Program: Glossier offers up to 10% in commission rates for all affiliates, with a 7 day cookie duration. Explore our complete breakdown of the Glossier affiliate program comparing pros, cons, and more.

Rare Beauty

• About The Brand: Founded by Selena Gomez, Rare Beauty promotes self-expression and inclusivity through its makeup line.
• What They Look For: Rare Beauty engages with micro-influencers primarily through gifting, paid partnerships, and PR lists. They seek natural, positive, and relatable creators, and value mental health awareness, positivity, and transparency.
• Collaboration Example: Rare Beauty partners with micro influencers like @gabbymendess to promote their products authentically through relatable Instagram reels.

Sephora

• About The Brand: Sephora is a multinational retailer offering a wide range of beauty products from various brands.
• What They Look For: Sephora collaborates with micro-influencers via paid partnerships, PR lists, and affiliate programs. They are drawn to creators who reflect diverse backgrounds and showcase authentic beauty content.
• Collaboration Example: Sephora teams up with creators like @juliej.nyc to share unboxings and tutorials featuring trending products like the Dieuxskin ethereal cleansing oil. 
• Affiliate Program: Sephora provides up to 10% commission and a 24-hour cookie window for affiliates. Check our guide on the Sephora affiliate program for tips on maximizing earnings.

Explore our top 10 influencer-founded beauty brands, including SimiHaze Beauty and Ceremonia, to discover how creators are shaping the industry with their own makeup lines.

ColourPop

• About The Brand: ColourPop is known for its affordable and trendy makeup products, often collaborating with influencers and pop culture brands.
• What They Look For: ColourPop works with micro-influencers through gifting, affiliate programs, and PR list access. They look for creators who showcase vibrant and playful makeup looks, and value accessibility and creativity.
• Collaboration Example: ColourPop collaborates with micro influencers like @breyonnafaye to showcase colorful launches like the Into Hue Shadow palette through creative swatches and try-on content. 

Milk Makeup

• About The Brand: Milk Makeup offers clean, vegan, and cruelty-free beauty products with a focus on self-expression.
• What They Look For: Milk Makeup partners with micro-influencers using gifting and paid collaborations. They look for bold, experimental creators and prioritize inclusivity and creative expression.
• Collaboration Example: Milk Makeup partners with influencers like @xeniamossss to promote their clean beauty staples with aesthetic reels and bold, expressive looks.

Gisou

• About The Brand: Gisou is a haircare brand founded by influencer Negin Mirsalehi, known for its honey-infused products.
• What They Look For: From macro influencers like @kianadbeauty to micro influencers like @Mayafidel, Gisou partners with all types of creators through their PR list who align with the brand’s aesthetic. 
• Collaboration Example: Gisou collaborates with various micro and macro influencers to feature star products, like their signature honey-infused hair oils, in luxurious tutorials and morning routines.

Tarte Cosmetics

• About The Brand: Tarte Cosmetics offers high-performance, natural products and is known for its eco-friendly initiatives.
• What They Look For: Tarte collaborates with micro-influencers through gifting, affiliate programs, and PR lists. They look for eco-conscious creators with a focus on natural beauty, and value sustainability and inclusivity.
• Collaboration Example: Tarte has sent varied PR packages to influencers, including high-end gifts like Hermès bracelets to spark viral discussions amongst relevant audiences.
• Affiliate Program: Tarte’s affiliate program offers up to 8% commission rates with a 7-day cookie duration. Explore the Tarte Cosmetics affiliate program in-depth review and see how it compares to brands like Fenty Beauty or Urban Decay.

MAC Cosmetics

• About The Brand: MAC Cosmetics is a professional makeup brand known for its wide range of colors and high-quality formulations.
• What They Look For: MAC typically collaborates with micro-influencers through affiliate programs, favoring professional creators who post diverse makeup looks, and value diversity and artistic expression.
• Collaboration Example: MAC Cosmetics works with creators like @j0celynmiller to spotlight limited-edition collections and viral limp combo tutorials through engaging Instagram reels.
• Affiliate Program: MAC offers affiliates a 10% commission rate and 7-day cookie length. Dive into our comprehensive analysis of the MAC Cosmetics affiliate program and discover key benefits.

Fenty Beauty

• About The Brand: Founded by Rihanna, Fenty Beauty emphasizes inclusivity, offering products for a wide range of skin tones.
• What They Look For: Fenty Beauty engages micro-influencers through affiliate programs and gifting. They prefer creators who showcase inclusive and diverse beauty content, and value representation and empowerment.
• Collaboration Example: Fenty Beauty teams up with influencers such as @iamkeween to highlight foundation shade ranges and glam looks that celebrate all skin tones.

Kosas

• About The Brand: Kosas is a clean beauty brand offering skincare-powered makeup products.
• What They Look For: Kosas tends to collaborate with nano and micro influencers who have an engaged audience interested in wellness, clean beauty, and lifestyle content. They seek influencers who embrace clean beauty and minimal makeup looks.
• Collaboration Example: Kosas collaborates with clean beauty influencers like @krizialo to showcase their weightless complexion summer products in natural light tutorials.

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How To Pitch Makeup Brands As A Micro Influencer

When it comes to influencer partnerships, brands like Fenty Beauty or Glossier are possibly receiving hundreds of proposals a day. 

Let’s explore a few tips to make sure you stand out as a creator and build long lasting relationships with ideal makeup partners.

1. Before You Pitch:

Build A Branded Profile: When brand partners check out your profile, make sure they instantly understand who you and your audience are by showcasing a clear bio, consistent posting, valuable content related to your niche, and interactions like comments with your audience.

Do Your Research: While these brands are receiving multiple variations of the same copy paste template everyday, make sure you personalize your pitch by researching the brand and familiarizing with its strengths, innovations, previous creator partners, and products, to be able to stand out.

Interact With the Brand: A few weeks prior to delivering your pitch, explore interacting with the brand. By replying to Instagram stories, commenting, or mentioning your favorite products and tagging them, they get to familiarize with your profile in a way that feels genuine, and you come off as an authentically interested partner.

2. When You Pitch:

When it comes to crafting your pitch, try avoiding copy pasting a generic template. This often lacks originality and differentiation. 

Try standing out instead and explore this simple yet effective structure:

• Introduction: Simply introduce yourself, what you do, and where you do it. (Make sure to mention your niche and link each platform you mention to your profiles).
• Personal Connection: First, mention briefly how you personally connect to this brand and its products. Afterwards, share who your audience is and why they would value this brand. (Remember you are ultimately selling to your audience, so explain why they would care).
• Stats / Media Kit: Add a few relevant stats in bullet points, like engagement rates, or attach your media kit to share more about your profile’s performance.
• Open Question: Express a desire to connect and get in touch to share future marketing goals, and ask for their availability in the next few weeks. Ending your email pitch with a question can motivate brands to actually answer.

3. After Your Pitch:

It is natural for brands that receive multiple partnership proposals a day to not respond. In case they missed your initial pitch, shortly follow up after one or two weeks (to not seem overly-persistent) to express you are still interested and excited about working together.

Key Takeaways: To pitch makeup brands as a micro influencer, personalize your outreach by researching the brand, engaging with them beforehand, and showcasing a strong, niche-aligned profile. Highlight your unique connection to the brand and communicate the value they can bring to new customers: your audience.

For more actionable tips on how to pitch yourself, build brand relationships, and navigate the world of influencer collaborations, explore this Reddit response that breaks it all down step by step.

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Final Thoughts

In today’s world, brand partnerships are a lot less exclusive because brands understand that even though their partners might not carry a celebrity following, they create real impact, thrive on authenticity, and have a genuine connection to their audience.

Whether you're promoting clean beauty with Kosas or bold glam with MAC, make sure you partner with makeup brands that celebrate your creative ideas. 

By focusing on value-driven content, engaging genuinely with brands, and crafting personalized pitches, you'll set yourself apart in a saturated space. Remember to keep experimenting and don’t be afraid to pitch, overall it’s all about building long lasting relationships with aligned brand partners.

If you are looking for an all-in-one platform to streamline makeup brand collaborations and grow your creator business, explore Creator Hero and start managing your partnerships more easily today.