Women Are Turning to Short-Form Video for Beauty Tips

While women’s interests in social video span everything from fitness to pop culture and current events, the influence of the beauty industry remains undeniable. The demand for the latest techniques, products, and deals has fueled a thriving ecosystem of influencers and brands—created for women and often led by them. But in today’s fast-moving digital landscape, creators don’t need lengthy content to capture attention.

According to Tubular Labs, the beauty space is continuing to thrive on YouTube with female audiences:

• Among U.S. women 18+, beauty videos ranked No. 47 by minutes-watched in January 2025, but No. 19 by 30-second views (1.8 billion) on YouTube; indicating that these videos are highly popular despite shorter viewing time.
• In January 2025, 84% of U.S. beauty video views on YouTube came from Shorts—slightly down from 90% the previous year, yet still demonstrating the dominance of short-form content in the beauty space.

This high engagement with beauty content doesn’t just stop at views—it translates into shopping behavior. Consumers watching beauty videos are also making purchase decisions, often influenced by the products and trends they see. Insights from Tubular show a direct connection between social video consumption and real-world shopping habits:

• On Amazon, beauty video viewers show the highest affinity for Instant Cameras, Hairpieces, and Accessories. 
• Top beauty-specific brands among Amazon shoppers in this audience include Carolina Herrera, Paco Rabanne, and Armani Beauty—indicating a strong interest in luxury and designer beauty products.
• Target shopping behaviors reveal cross-category opportunities. Among beauty video viewers, the highest-affinity brands at Target include A New Day (fashion), LEGO, and Apple. While A New Day aligns with fashion and beauty, LEGO and Apple demonstrate that brands outside the beauty industry have potential opportunities to engage with this audience through partnerships with publishers and creators.

As short-form beauty content continues to drive engagement, these insights highlight how brands—both inside and outside of beauty—can tap into the purchasing power of this highly engaged audience.