From K-Beauty to The Pink Stuff: Brands Leading the Before/After Trend

TikTok: The #BeforeAndAfter hashtag surpasses 105 billion views

The “before/after” format has established itself as one of the most popular types of content on TikTok. Whether it’s home renovations, interior design, fitness, house cleaning, hairstyling, or beauty, transformation videos span numerous categories and generate significant engagement.

The #BeforeAndAfter hashtag alone has amassed more than 5.4 million videos posted on the platform. Its alternative, #BeforAfter, has more than 5.1 million videos. Even more impressive, the hashtag #BeforeAndAfter has surpassed 105 billion views, illustrating the popularity of this format among the platform’s users.

This momentum remains particularly strong during the summer months. Over the past 30 days, more than 21,100 videos have been posted under these hashtags, generating nearly 95 million views. These figures confirm that the “before/after” format is much more than just a passing trend: it’s a lasting format capable of capturing attention and encouraging sharing.

The 3 Most Discussed Themes Around #BeforeAndAfter

While the “before/after” format applies to a wide range of topics, three themes account for the bulk of conversations on TikTok.

Over the past 30 days, posts have primarily centered on:

• Home renovation and home decor, accounting for 25% of posts (in orange)

• Housekeeping, accounting for 18% of posts (in blue)

• Makeup, which accounts for 15% of posts (in pink)

These three categories alone account for nearly 6 out of every 10 posts, illustrating users’ enthusiasm for content showcasing transformations in everyday life.

Home renovation and home decor: the driving forces behind the “before and after” trend

The first category to stand out, home renovation and home decor are generating real enthusiasm among users. Beyond the volume of posts, this theme also generates the most engagement, with 32.5 million views recorded over the past month.

This level of visibility far exceeds that of other categories: home renovation accounts for 90% more views than makeup, which is nonetheless the second-largest category within this trend.

Among the top-performing content, some videos have surpassed 3.5 million views. The most successful posts don’t focus on simple everyday improvements, but rather on major transformations: new construction, complete renovations, or significant changes to living spaces.

Housekeeping: Nearly 20% of Discussions

Another theme, closely related to the previous one but distinct: household routines. This includes anything even remotely related, ranging from cleaning sneakers and floors to life-changing events like divorce—all with the goal of gaining clarity:

Makeup: One-third of Discussions on the Before/After Trend

The third major theme of the Before/After trend is the world of makeup and skincare, which plays a significant role in discussions. With over 17.2 million views, this content draws on highly engaged communities driven by a strong passion for this field.

Among the most influential profiles, several directly highlight their expertise or interest in the subject: some bios specifically mention working as makeup artists or a genuine passion for makeup and beauty. This community aspect helps boost the visibility of these transformations, where the final result and the demonstration of skill play a central role.

Brands are also embracing the trend

The success of the before-and-after format has not gone unnoticed by brands, an increasing number of which are incorporating it into their content strategy on TikTok. From household products and cosmetics to e-commerce retailers and entertainment companies, a wide variety of industries are using this format to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products or showcase transformations.

Leading the pack is The Pink Stuff, already very popular on TikTok thanks to its cleaning products. The brand largely dominates conversations around “before and after” content, with over 1.7 million views generated over the past month. This performance is also driven by a consistent presence on the platform, with six videos posted on this theme during the period.

The German subsidiary of Benefit Cosmetics ranks second with over 690,000 views, driven by makeup transformation content. More surprisingly, the mobile version of Call of Duty rounds out the top three with 603,873 views, proving that the “before and after” format extends far beyond sectors traditionally associated with beauty or home and adapts to a wide variety of topics.

• The Pink Stuff: 1.7 million views

• Benefit: 690,686 views

• Call of Duty - Mobile VN: 603,873 views

• YesStyle: 39,087 views

• Vente-Unique: 4,224 views

• Maybelline Thailand: 3,106 views

• JINISO JEANS: 2,647 views

• JJ GLOW SKIN: 2,509 views

• Aquaphor US: 2,366 views

• Palmer’s: 1,870 views

• No7: 1,579 views

• Tropic: 1,075 views

• EltaMD Skin Care: 764 views

• Colgate Palmolive Indonesia: 18 views

A Closer Look at The Pink Stuff’s TikTok Strategy

The brand at the top of the rankings isn’t just riding the “before and after” trend. It integrates it into a broader content strategy, showcasing different product lines and leveraging complementary hashtags such as #CleaningHacks, #CleaningTips, and #CleaningMotivation.

Its videos focus on very practical, everyday applications: removing seasonal stains, such as strawberry stains in the summer; recommending products to incorporate into your cleaning routine; and showcasing the brand’s latest offerings. By combining demonstrations, tips, and visual transformations, The Pink Stuff fully leverages the elements that make the “before and after” format so successful on TikTok. The brand’s videos are viewed, on average, 283,300 times, including:

Beauty brands are banking on transformation proof on TikTok

While home-related content dominates conversations, cosmetics and skincare brands are also making extensive use of the before-and-after format. Among the most prominent are Benefit Germany, YesStyle, Maybelline Thailand, and Aquaphor US, which use this narrative style to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products.

The transformations highlighted vary by category: Benefit Germany showcases the results of eyebrow shaping, YesStyle highlights the effects of a Korean hair care product, while Maybelline Thailand demonstrates how well its foundation holds up in different weather conditions.

For its part, Aquaphor US adopts a structured approach by breaking down the demonstration into three sequences: the product, its application, and the final result. This simple structure draws on the “before and after” format and makes the product’s promise immediately visible to users:

Video games are also embracing the “before and after” format

The “before and after” format isn’t limited to physical or aesthetic transformations. Call of Duty Mobile offers its own take on it by applying it directly to the game itself. The brand compares two ways of playing using a split screen, visually illustrating a “before” and an “after” to highlight the benefits of a specific gameplay technique or strategy. This video alone has been viewed more than 603,000 times.

K-Beauty stands out among the most-mentioned brands in “before/after” conversations

Among the most frequently mentioned brands in conversations related to the “before/after” trend, beauty brands take center stage. A key insight emerges: Korean brands are reaffirming their strong appeal on social media and are also capitalizing on the buzz surrounding this format.

The ranking highlights several iconic K-Beauty brands, including YesStyle, Beauty of Joseon, COSRX, and SKIN1004, which are among the most frequently mentioned. This trend illustrates the growing influence of Korean cosmetics within digital communities.

Beyond this Korean breakthrough, conversations about “before and after” remain largely dominated by the beauty industry: with the exceptionof IKEA andAmazon, all the brands in this ranking operate in the cosmetics and skincare sectors. The format thus appears to be a particularly effective tool for brands capable of visually demonstrating a transformation or a result.

Korean Brands in the Spotlight

Korean brands occupy a prominent place in conversations about “before and after.” Among the most frequently mentioned are YesStyle and Beauty of Joseon, which top the rankings, followed notably by COSRX and SKIN1004. This finding confirms internet users’ enthusiasm for K-Beauty and the results associated with its products.

The content published features a wide variety of formats: mask reviews, skincare routines, hauls, product pairings, and even before-and-after demonstrations. The before-and-after format has thus become a key tool for illustrating tangible results and reinforcing the credibility of the recommendations shared by content creators.

IKEA and Amazon: The Two Most-Mentioned Brands Outside of Skincare

Aside from cosmetics brands, two retailers stand out in the rankings: IKEA and Amazon.

IKEA has established itself as a go-to source for storing and organizing beauty products. Content featuring bathroom makeovers, beauty closets, and “before and after” videos contributes to the brand’s visibility.

For its part, Amazon stands out as a go-to channel for discovering and purchasing products that have gone viral. Many videos highlight selections of products spotted on the platform. In the example below, a Biodance mask—popularized by the K-Beauty trend—is presented as a must-have find available on Amazon:

Original article by Marie Guyomarc'h, adapted and translated by Sophie von Mensenkampff