A cosmetics brand built on organic TikTok growth is now investing aggressively in the platform even as rising costs and regulatory uncertainty loom. The company’s decision to suspend its TikTok strategy briefly in 2025—amid U.S. lawmakers signaling potential restrictions—highlighted the precarious balance between platform dependency and long-term resilience.
Organic Growth Gives Way to Paid Strategies
When BK Beauty debuted on TikTok Shop in August 2023, it became one of the platform’s earliest merchants, marking a key moment in its growth trajectory. The brand’s initial pause in activity came as sales across other channels also declined, showing how deeply TikTok’s ecosystem had become intertwined with its business.
The hiatus was short-lived, however. By early 2026, BK Beauty had recommitted to TikTok Shop, recognizing it as a core discovery engine whose performance ripples across all other channels. Five months into its renewed focus, the brand is reconstructing its presence through a combination of paid advertising, influencer collaborations, and expanded product sampling. The company has increased monthly samples sent to creators from 200 to 1,000 units, though its non-consumable makeup brushes and tools make sustained sampling more practical. This approach also addresses a key limitation: many top-tier creators already carry BK Beauty products, so repeated shipments provide diminishing returns.
The shift reflects a broader industry adjustment as competition for creator attention intensifies, and the brand prioritizes relationships with creators who deliver measurable impact rather than broad but shallow exposure.
Ulta Beauty Partnership Drives Offline Sales
While TikTok remains a critical discovery channel, BK Beauty has diversified into retail partnerships, with Ulta Beauty Marketplace emerging as a particularly effective channel. The brand joined both Ulta and Nordstrom Marketplace in December 2023, but Ulta has delivered stronger results. Unlike TikTok’s open marketplace, Ulta operates as a curated platform where brand invitations carry prestige, adding an element of exclusivity.
The partnership proved decisive during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty event in March, when BK Beauty secured a premium home-page placement and offered a one-day 50% discount on its best-selling product. Within 24 hours, the brand sold over 20,000 units, making it the top-performing SKU on Ulta.com that day. The promotion also reignited creator discussions about the brand, compensating for periods when social media attention had waned.
Ulta contributes roughly 10% of BK Beauty’s revenue, trailing its branded website at 50% and tied with TikTok Shop and Amazon at 20% each. The company has explored wholesale distribution but remains cautious, citing deep familiarity with its direct-to-consumer model. Ulta’s structured events, including its annual sale and major promotional campaigns, also offer a stable counterbalance to the unpredictability of social media, providing both credibility and high-margin sales.
