How Modern Celebrity Beauty Campaigns Drive Earned Media Value

What does it take for a celebrity beauty campaign to win on social media today?

According to Alex Rawitz, director of research and insight at CreatorIQ, beauty and makeup promotions have undergone a notable shift over the past decade. Traditional mainstream celebrities have largely evolved from broad brand spokespeople into targeted, niche ambassadors. Where celebrity partners once endorsed generalized product lines to mass audiences, brands now pair talent with specific product offerings.

Where the traditional celebrity endorsement model still thrives is luxury fragrance. As beauty brands adapt to modern fragrance manufacturing complexity and high-profile storytelling, prestige scent launches continue to generate massive online momentum. Prada Beauty named Zendaya its new global ambassador for the Paradoxe fragrance line on Aug. 3, generating $570,726 in earned media value (EMV) in just five days, according to CreatorIQ data—the highest EMV among recent celebrity beauty announcements.

Meanwhile, TRESemmé’s “Hot Curl Summer” campaign featuring Off Campus actor Belmont Cameli emerged as one of the few promotions in 2026 to cross seven figures. Debuting on July 22, the campaign generated $1.39 million in EMV over two weeks. Rawitz noted that hair care brands are increasingly prioritizing talent with highly engaged niche fanbases over broad mainstream household names, targeting Gen Z and younger consumers drawn to creators and actors who go viral across social platforms.

This strategic pivot stems from the evolving creator-to-celebrity pipeline and the diversification of digital media. Younger audiences rely less on traditional media outlets that historically built mainstream stardom, gravitating instead toward specific online communities. Furthermore, many A-list celebrities have launched their own cosmetic lines, creating potential conflicts of interest for third-party ambassadorships. Consumers also demonstrate heightened sensitivity to authenticity, responding more favorably to creators and targeted stars with genuine brand affinity rather than traditional endorsements that feel transactional.

Here is a breakdown of five recent celebrity beauty campaigns ranked by earned media value, according to CreatorIQ data.

1. Zendaya for Prada Paradoxe: $570,726

2. Jonathan Bailey for Giorgio Armani’s “I Will” Fragrance Launch: $568,699

3. Mika Abdalla for Urban Decay’s New Ghosting Trio: $162,758

4. Hudson Williams for Skin1004: $111,966

5. Alisha Boe for YSL Beauty’s New Black Opium Pink Glaze Scent: $101,995