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ItalianoWhich makeup & cosmetics brands
AI recommends in the US
Brands ranked by mention rate on ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode
- Brands
- 88
- Questions
- 800
- Answers
- 2,400
- AI engines
- 3
01 · Brand leader
Top 10 brands by mention rate
No single brand runs away with the category.
Several brands compete for the top places.
| # | Brand | Mention rate Share of questions where Google AI Mode names the brand | Share of voice The brand’s share of all brand mentions in the engine’s answers | 95% range The interval the true mention rate most likely falls in | In top 20 of The brand’s place inside each engine’s own top 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | e.l.f. | 33.5% | 7.7% | 30.2–36.8 | ChatGPT1Gemini1Google AI Mode1 |
| 22 | e.l.f. Cosmetics | 23.9% | 5.0% | 20.9–26.8 | ChatGPT8Google AI Mode2 |
| 33–7 | Hourglass | 17.5% | 3.5% | 14.9–20.1 | ChatGPT11Gemini4Google AI Mode3 |
| 43–7 | Fenty Beauty | 17.4% | 4.5% | 14.7–20.0 | ChatGPT3Gemini6Google AI Mode4 |
| 53–8 | Charlotte Tilbury | 16.1% | 3.9% | 13.6–18.7 | ChatGPT5Gemini2Google AI Mode5 |
| 63–8 | NARS | 15.5% | 3.4% | 13.0–18.0 | ChatGPT2Gemini3Google AI Mode6 |
| 73–8 | Rare Beauty | 15.0% | 3.4% | 12.5–17.5 | ChatGPT4Gemini5Google AI Mode7 |
| 85–20 | L'Oréal | 11.8% | 2.7% | 9.5–14.0 | ChatGPT6Gemini7Google AI Mode8 |
| 98–20 | Kosas | 10.3% | 2.2% | 8.1–12.4 | Gemini16Google AI Mode9 |
| 108–20 | L'Oréal Paris | 10.1% | 2.2% | 8.0–12.2 | ChatGPT9Gemini12Google AI Mode10 |
| 118–20 | Haus Labs | 9.6% | 2.2% | 7.6–11.7 | Gemini10Google AI Mode11 |
| 128–20 | Tarte | 9.4% | 2.1% | 7.5–11.6 | ChatGPT18Gemini15Google AI Mode12 |
| 138–20 | Urban Decay | 9.1% | 2.3% | 7.3–11.3 | ChatGPT7Gemini8Google AI Mode13 |
| 148–20 | ILIA | 9.0% | 1.8% | 7.2–11.2 | ChatGPT20Gemini17Google AI Mode14 |
| 158–20 | Anastasia Beverly Hills | 8.8% | 2.1% | 7.0–10.9 | ChatGPT10Gemini9Google AI Mode15 |
| 168–20 | Benefit Cosmetics | 8.8% | 2.0% | 7.0–10.9 | Google AI Mode16 |
| 178–20 | Milk Makeup | 8.5% | 1.9% | 6.8–10.6 | ChatGPT17Gemini13Google AI Mode17 |
| 188–20 | NARS Cosmetics | 8.4% | 1.6% | 6.6–10.5 | Google AI Mode18 |
| 198–20 | Hourglass Cosmetics | 8.0% | 1.3% | 6.3–10.1 | Google AI Mode19 |
| 208–20 | Saie | 7.9% | 1.5% | 6.2–9.9 | ChatGPT13Gemini14Google AI Mode20 |
02 · Engine consensus
Where each brand ranks
inside every engine’s top 10
There is no single AI top 10.
Only 6 of 13 brands rank in the top 10 of all 3 engines.
| Brand | ChatGPT | Gemini | Google AI Mode | Perplexity | In top 10 of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| e.l.f. | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a | ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI Mode |
| NARS | 2 | 3 | 6 | n/a | ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI Mode |
| Charlotte Tilbury | 5 | 2 | 5 | n/a | ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI Mode |
| Fenty Beauty | 3 | 6 | 4 | n/a | ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI Mode |
| Rare Beauty | 4 | 5 | 7 | n/a | ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI Mode |
| L'Oréal | 6 | 7 | 8 | n/a | ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI Mode |
| Hourglass | – | 4 | 3 | n/a | GeminiGoogle AI Mode |
| e.l.f. Cosmetics | 8 | – | 2 | n/a | ChatGPTGoogle AI Mode |
| Urban Decay | 7 | 8 | – | n/a | ChatGPTGemini |
| L'Oréal Paris | 9 | – | 10 | n/a | ChatGPTGoogle AI Mode |
| Anastasia Beverly Hills | 10 | 9 | – | n/a | ChatGPTGemini |
| Kosas | – | – | 9 | n/a | Google AI Mode |
| Haus Labs | – | 10 | – | n/a | Gemini |
Rank inside each engine’s own top 10 · a dash means the brand is not in that engine’s top 10 · n/a — the engine gave too few answers here to publish a ranking.
The rest depend on which engine the buyer opens — so a rank from a single engine is not a market position.
Source: Findrix's research. Where each brand ranks inside every engine's top 10, makeup & cosmetics, United States.
03 · Most cited domains
Which sites each engine cites, and
how much of its answers they carry
| Domain | ChatGPT | Gemini | Google AI Mode | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| google.com | 1× | – | 61.3% | n/a |
| ulta.com | 23.7% | 7.8% | 3.0% | n/a |
| whowhatwear.com | 1.8% | 15.1% | 1.3% | n/a |
| sephora.com | 12.2% | 5.0% | 2.3% | n/a |
| allure.com | 6.7% | – | 6.7% | n/a |
| byrdie.com | 0.7% | – | 6.7% | n/a |
| marieclaire.com | 0.9% | 5.3% | 0.5% | n/a |
| reddit.com | 5.0% | 1.0% | 3.7% | n/a |
| today.com | 0.7% | 4.2% | 0.2% | n/a |
| walmart.com | 3.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% | n/a |
| instyle.com | 0.7% | – | 3.1% | n/a |
| insiderbeauty.com | 0.1% | 3.0% | 0.1% | n/a |
04 · The questions we asked
800 buyer questions, each
asked once per engine
General requests and requests with a specific use case, audience, selection criterion or problem.
| Question type | Questions |
|---|---|
| General questions | 116 |
| Use case | 289 |
| Audience | 161 |
| Selection criteria | 145 |
| Problem to solve | 89 |
By question type
Examples · General questions
“what are the best makeup brands in the US?”
“what are the best liquid foundations in the US?”
Examples · Use case
“what should I buy if I need liquid foundations for everyday wear in the US?”
“which brands make the best setting sprays for weddings in the US?”
Examples · Audience
“which powder blushes are best for people with textured skin in the US?”
“which makeup brands are most popular with shoppers seeking vegan makeup with transparent ingredient lists in the US?”
Examples · Selection criteria
“which lip stains lead on transfer resistance in the US in 2026?”
“what are the top-rated undereye concealers for crease resistance in the US?”
Examples · Problem to solve
“I'm dealing with full coverage foundation that separates and looks cakey with powder in the US. Which makeup brands should I look at?”
“brow gel leaves white flakes in eyebrows. which brow gels should I buy in the US?”
Source: Findrix research. 800 buyer questions by question type, makeup & cosmetics, United States.
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Frequently asked questions
What does this Makeup & Cosmetics AI Search report measure?
Which makeup & cosmetics brands ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode name when buyers in the United States ask them for advice. We asked 800 buyer questions, each once to each engine, and counted how often every brand appears and which websites the engines cite. Measured Oct 2026.
What does “mention rate” mean?
The share of questions where an engine names the brand in its answer. A 10% mention rate means the brand came up in about one question in ten. Every rate carries a 95% range: the interval the true value most likely falls in.
How are the top Makeup & Cosmetics brands ranked?
By mention rate, separately for each engine — pick the engine above the table. When two brands’ 95% ranges overlap, their order is not really different — tick “Only distinguishable places” to see the ranks the data can actually separate.
Why does a brand rank differently across AI engines?
Each engine retrieves from different sources and weighs them differently, so the brands it knows best differ too. Only 6 of 13 brands make the top 10 of every engine here; the rest depend on which engine the buyer opens.
What counts as a citation?
A link or source an engine shows alongside its answer. We record every cited domain, whether it appears inline or in the source list.
Why can AI mention a brand without citing its website?
Engines learn brand names from reviews, expert sites, retailers and forums, then cite those sources rather than the brand’s own pages. A brand can be named often while its own site is rarely among the sources.
What does “share of citations” mean?
Of all the citations one engine gave across our questions, the share that went to a given domain. The shares of one engine add up to 100%.
Will I get the same answers if I ask these questions myself?
Not word for word. AI answers vary between runs, accounts and locations, which is why we ask every question once to each engine and report a 95% range instead of a single answer.