Founder-led, affordable beauty brands surge as direct-to-consumer traffic rises

NEW YORK, 6 OCTOBER 2026 —

Malaysia’s Beauty Market Shifts: Founder-Led and Affordable Brands Dominate Online Growth as L’Oréal Paris Leads Traffic Surge

L’Oréal Paris recorded a 62% year-over-year jump in monthly website traffic in August, reaching 1.4 million visits, as data from Similarweb reveals a global surge in demand for founder-driven and value-oriented beauty brands—a trend reshaping consumer behavior in Malaysia’s fast-growing e-commerce sector.

The shift underscores how digitally native brands and budget-friendly alternatives are outpacing legacy players, with Huda Beauty (+59%), E.l.f. Cosmetics (+46%), and Hailey Bieber’s Rhode (+3%) also leading growth. For Malaysian shoppers—where TikTok Shop and Shopee dominate beauty e-commerce—this signals a broader realignment toward affordable, influencer-backed, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) beauty, accelerated by social commerce and the rise of "dupes" (affordable replicas of luxury products).

The Two Key Trends Driving Growth Similarweb’s data highlights two dominant categories fueling the surge: 1. Founder-Led Brands – Huda Beauty (founded by Huda Kattan) and Rhode (by influencer Hailey Bieber) leverage personal branding and celebrity appeal to drive engagement. Huda Beauty’s 196,799 monthly visits reflect its strong social media following, while Rhode’s 16% month-over-month spike in August suggests a successful product launch or campaign. 2. Value and Drugstore Brands – E.l.f.

Cosmetics, despite being the top brand by overall traffic (2.6 million visits in August), saw 46% YoY growth, proving that price-sensitive consumers are increasingly turning to drugstore and DTC alternatives over premium brands.

L’Oréal Paris’s dominance—the fastest-growing brand by traffic—also reflects its aggressive digital expansion, including partnerships with TikTok Shop, a platform gaining traction in Southeast Asia. The company’s 31% month-over-month growth in August aligns with its broader strategy under L’Oréal’s consumer division, which also includes Maybelline New York and Nyx Professional Makeup in the top 10 growers.

Malaysia’s Market Context: Social Commerce and Affordability Malaysia’s beauty e-commerce landscape mirrors global trends, with TikTok Shop and Shopee becoming primary channels for budget-conscious shoppers. The rise of dupes—cheaper alternatives to luxury brands—has gained momentum, particularly among Gen Z and millennial consumers, who prioritize affordability without compromising quality.

Local players like Dr.G (a Malaysian skincare brand) have already expanded into the U.S., while Fable & Mane (a Malaysian haircare brand) recently appointed a new CEO, signaling a push for global DTC strategies. The Similarweb data suggests that Malaysian beauty brands could replicate this growth by adopting founder-led marketing and social commerce tactics.

Sector Impact: Who Wins and Who Loses? - Winners: - L’Oréal’s consumer division (L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline, Nyx) benefits from digital-first strategies, including TikTok Shop collaborations and influencer partnerships. - DTC and drugstore brands (E.l.f., Huda Beauty) gain from lower customer acquisition costs via social media and higher margins compared to traditional retail. - Malaysian beauty startups could capitalize by leveraging local influencers and affordable pricing to compete with global players.

- Potential Challenges: - Legacy brands without strong digital presences may struggle to retain market share. - Supply chain and logistics costs could pressure budget brands if e-commerce demand outpaces infrastructure.

Outlook: Will Malaysian Brands Follow Suit? The Similarweb data points to a clear opportunity for Malaysian beauty brands to adopt founder-led storytelling and DTC models, particularly as TikTok Shop and Shopee expand their beauty categories. Brands that combine affordability with strong digital marketing—such as Dr.G and Fable & Mane—are best positioned to capture the growing online beauty market.

For now, L’Oréal Paris’s 62% traffic growth remains the benchmark, but Huda Beauty and Rhode’s influencer-driven success prove that personality and price will dictate the next wave of beauty e-commerce dominance—both globally and in Malaysia.