Cosmetics is one of the largest industries in the world, worth billions of dollars each year. It’s also one of the easiest product segments to market, and beauty bloggers and influencers have numerous products they can choose from.
If you know the right program to join, earning a profitable side hustle from promoting cosmetic products is entirely possible. This post lists the best makeup affiliate programs in the US and why you should join them.
Benefits Of Affiliate Programs
Even if you’re just starting out as a beauty influencer, you should already consider joining affiliate programs as soon as you meet the minimum qualifications. Once you get accepted into a program, you become an affiliate of that brand and will enjoy the following benefits:
- Additional income: Affiliates earn additional income by promoting the business's products through unique affiliate links. This means you’ll receive a commission for each sale made through your link, which can be a significant source of income.
- Minimal startup costs: Affiliate marketing has minimal startup costs, as affiliates do not need to create their own products or services. All you have to do is simply promote the business's products to your audience, which can be done with minimal investment.
- Flexibility: Affiliate marketing offers flexibility, as affiliates can work from anywhere and anytime. This allows you to choose which products to promote and how you want to promote them.
- Access to a wider audience: When you join an affiliate program, you can access a wider audience by promoting products you may not have otherwise had access to. This will help you expand your reach and increase your influence.
- Increased credibility: Promoting high-quality products or services will increase your credibility and authority within your niche. This will increase trust among your audience and, ultimately, more sales.
- Collaboration opportunities: Affiliate marketing can lead to collaboration opportunities with brands. Businesses may be interested in working with you on future campaigns or projects if your affiliate promotions work really well.
- Easy to track performance: Affiliate programs offer easy-to-use tracking tools that allow you to track your performance and earnings. This makes it easy to optimize campaigns and maximize earnings.
Top Makeup Affiliate Programs
Now that you know the benefits of affiliate programs, here are the best makeup affiliate programs in the US.
Yves Rocher
Yves Rocher is a French brand that specializes in beauty and cosmetic products. It is one of the leading brands in the global beauty industry, with a wide range of products, including skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care. Yves Rocher prides itself on using natural and botanical ingredients in its products and is strongly committed to sustainability and environmental protection.
Program Details:
- Well-known brand with an impressive selection of products
- Offers free samples with every order
- 30-day tracking cookie
- 6% commission for all orders
- Program managed by a top affiliate network, CJ Affiliates
Click here to join their program.
Sephora
Sephora is a leading beauty retailer that offers a wide range of products, including makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance from top brands. Sephora has a strong reputation in the beauty industry and is known for its high-quality products and exceptional customer service.
Program Details:
- Extensive selection
- Offers free samples with every order
- Has an omnichannel eCommerce approach that includes VR and m-commerce
- 24-hour tracking cookie
- Up to 10% commission depending on the products
- Uses Rakuten Advertising
Click here to join their program.
MAC Cosmetics
MAC Cosmetics is a well-known makeup brand that offers a wide range of products, including lipsticks, foundations, eyeshadows, and more. They are known for their high-quality products and trendy, fashion-forward approach to makeup.
Program Details:
- Well-known and respected brand
- High-priced items that will earn you more commissions per item sold
- 7-day cookie duration
- 3.2% commission, but can go as high as 10%
Click here to join their program.
Ulta Beauty
Just like Sephora, Ulta carries a wide selection of products and is available in over 1,200 locations making it the largest beauty retailer in the country.
Benefits of becoming an affiliate:
- Extensive selection of products
- Offers daily free shipping and buy one, get one promotion
- Up to 10% commission depending on the products
- Cookie duration undisclosed
- Provides various marketing materials to help you promote their products
Click here to join their program.
NARS Cosmetics
NARS Cosmetics is a luxury makeup brand that offers a range of products, including foundations, lipsticks, eyeshadows, and more. They are known for their bold colors and high-quality products.
Program Details:
- High-priced items that will let you earn more per item sold
- Offers free samples and buy now pay later options
- Offers additional discounts to attract shoppers to make a purchase
- 7-day cookie duration
- Up to 14% commission depending on the products
Click here to join their program.
E.L.F.
E.L.F. is a popular, affordable makeup brand that offers a wide range of products, including makeup brushes, skincare, and makeup products. They are known for their affordable pricing and commitment to providing high-quality products at a lower cost.
Program Details:
- Caters to vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable audiences
- Budget-friend but high-quality products
- Present in major retailers making the brand easy to recall
- 15 days cookie duration
- Up to 12% commission
Click here to join their program.
Commission Rates And Conversion Rates
Aside from the cosmetics industry, different niches offer lucrative affiliate commissions. Here’s a quick comparison.
Commission Rates For Different Products And Services
These are the top industries that offer competitive commission rates:
- Petcare - average of 20% for various items like pet food, treats, etc.
- Self-development - average of 20% for self-help programs
- Digital products - average of 20% for items like eBooks, SaaS, etc.
- Health and Wellness - average 15% for products like medical alert devices, water filters, etc.
- Lifestyle - average of 15% for various items like subscription boxes
- Home and Garden - average 10% for items like furniture, paint, plumbing, etc.
- Gaming - average of 10% for online games and related hardware
- Electronics - average of 7% for gadgets and the like
- Finance - average of $40 for insurance, loan products, and related software
Conversion Rate Overviews For Different Industries
On average, affiliate conversion rates hover between 0.5% to 1%. Various factors affect conversion rates, such as the price vs. the item's value, whether an item is digital or physical, and the right balance between specialization and multiple options of the products you’re promoting.
How To Choose The Best Makeup Affiliate Program For You
Beyond the ones listed above, you can find many other makeup affiliate programs online. The internet is a vast place that offers countless possibilities for making money online. Finding the right affiliate marketing program ensures you don’t spend wasted energy and resources promoting products that will fail.
Here are two factors you need to consider when choosing the best makeup affiliate program.
Consider Your Audience And Goals
Your audience determines the success of your affiliate program. You should look for a cosmetics brand that is a brand fit for your target audience and is something they will most likely use.
For example, if you’re a beauty influencer catering to vegans and eco-warriors, then you should promote cruelty-free and sustainable brands. If your audience are mostly teenagers, you should promote brands that cater to teens.
By choosing an affiliate program that is relevant to your niche, you can increase the likelihood that your audience will be interested in the products you are promoting.
It’s also important to consider your goals for joining a program. Are you more interested in earning big? Then look for one with high commissions. Or are you after creating quality and unique content? Then look for an interesting brand.
Promoting products that align with your audience and goals can build credibility with your audience. Your audience will trust your recommendations more and help you become a successful affiliate.
Research The Company’s Reputation And History Of Successful Partners
When you’re promoting a brand, you want the company behind it to have a good reputation. researching the company's reputation and history of successful partners will help you assess the credibility and reliability of the company you will be working with.
A company with a good reputation and a track record of successful partnerships is more likely to provide the support and resources you need to succeed as an affiliate.
You can also ensure that they have a positive relationship with their customers, which can further build trust and credibility with your audience.
Conclusion
Affiliate marketing is a lucrative business for many beauty influencers with the help of the best makeup affiliate program. Make sure you choose the right program that’s a fit to your audience and goals so you can achieve success.
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