An AI Visibility Study by Track My Visibility
Trackdown Report :
Rare Beauty
Last Updated :
Analyzing how Rare Beauty, an ecommerce makeup brand, performs across AI-generated answers in the makeup category.
🔥 Key Finding
Rare Beauty ranks #2 overall with 8% visibility, trailing e.l.f. Cosmetics by 14 percentage points. The brand appears in 4 of 50 prompts, concentrated in niche categories like cruelty-free and festival looks. Sentiment remains strong at +74, but coverage gaps exist in everyday essentials and hydration-focused queries.
8%
Overall Visibility
The Coverage Problem
1.5
Average Position
The Prominence Strength
#2
Competitive Rank
+74
Net Sentiment
Overwhelmingly Positive
AI Engine Performance Breakdown
Each Al engine reveals a different facet of the same authority gap
ChatGPT rewards brand specificity and ethical positioning in makeup queries. Rare Beauty ranks #1 here with 12% visibility, winning on cruelty-free and specialty product angles.
Perplexity favors comparative product recommendations and trend-focused content. Rare Beauty appears in only 4% of responses, suggesting limited presence in trend and comparison contexts.
Top 5 Prompts Where the Brand Was Not Visible
Prompt:
Best hydrating lipsticks for everyday wear
Prompt:
Best highlighters for glass skin look
Prompt:
What to use for dewy but sweat-resistant finish
Prompt:
Minimal makeup kit for beginners
Prompt:
Best dewy foundation for dry skin
Prompt:
Top 4 Prompts Where the Brand Was Visible
Buy certified cruelty free makeup online
Waterproof liquid blush for beach vacations
Festival season face and body highlighter picks
K-beauty style tints alternatives worldwide
Top Competitors Frequently Mentioned
| Rank | Brand | Position | Visibility | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |
|
1 | 22% | Appears in 11 responses |
| #2 |
|
1 | 8% | Appears in 4 responses |
| #3 |
|
2 | 8% | Appears in 4 responses |
| #4 |
|
2 | 6% | Appears in 3 responses |
| #5 |
|
- | 0% | Appears in 0 responses |
Content Infrastructure Gap Analysis
Where content investment is needed to match or exceed competitive benchmarks in the six dimensions that AI systems prioritize for brand mentions
- Top Competitors Average
- Brand’s Current State
Why These Gaps Exist
Hydration & Texture Claims
Rare Beauty missed 5 prompts on hydrating lipsticks, dewy foundations, and sweat-resistant finishes. e.l.f. and Glossier dominated these queries with product-specific language.
Beginner & Essentials Content
Zero visibility in minimal makeup kits and everyday essentials checklists. e.l.f. and Maybelline captured these educational prompts by positioning as accessible entry points.
Skin Tone Inclusivity Messaging
Brand absent from prompts about deeper skin tones and natural finishes. Competitors didn't dominate here either, signaling an underserved opportunity for inclusive positioning.
Model Coverage Imbalance
Perplexity mentions Rare Beauty in only 4% of responses versus ChatGPT's 12%. Expanding presence on Perplexity requires trend-forward content and comparative product frameworks.
Strategic Recommendations
Amplify Hydration & Finish Claims
- Create product-specific content on dewy, sweat-resistant finishes.
- Target foundation and lipstick hydration benefits in marketing.
- Build case studies on dry skin and texture performance.
Own Beginner & Essentials Positioning
- Develop minimal makeup kit guides featuring Rare Beauty products.
- Create 5-minute face and no-makeup look tutorials.
- Position gift sets as beginner-friendly entry points.
Expand Perplexity Visibility
- Publish trend reports on K-beauty and festival makeup trends.
- Create comparative product guides versus competitors.
- Develop data-backed beauty trend predictions and insights.
Leverage Cruelty-Free & Vegan Leadership
- Expand ethical positioning beyond transactional prompts.
- Create educational content on vegan cosmetics benefits.
- Build thought leadership on clean beauty standards.
What This Study Teaches About AI Visibility
Niche Strength Doesn't Scale Automatically
Rare Beauty dominates cruelty-free queries but remains invisible in adjacent categories. Niche wins require deliberate expansion into related product and benefit claims.
Model Preference Shapes Visibility Strategy
ChatGPT rewards brand-specific recommendations while Perplexity favors trends and comparisons. Single-model dominance limits overall reach and requires dual-channel content.
Educational Content Drives Beginner Capture
e.l.f. wins essentials and beginner prompts through accessible, how-to framing. Rare Beauty's premium positioning misses these high-intent, low-barrier queries.
Sentiment Strength Masks Coverage Gaps
Rare Beauty's +74 sentiment is competitive, but appearing in only 8% of prompts limits impact. Positive mentions mean little without broader visibility.
Competitor Gaps Signal Opportunity Zones
Skin tone inclusivity and texture-specific claims show low competitor saturation. These underserved areas offer faster paths to visibility than crowded categories.
Methodology
Study Parameters:
Total Prompts
50 unique prompts tracked within TMV
AI Engines
ChatGPT, Perplexity
Time Window
May 19, 2026 to May 26, 2026
Category
makeup, face makeup, lip products, eye makeup, brushes and tools, setting and finishing products, skincare/makeup prep, gift sets, vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics
Intent Mix
Commercial-heavy with supporting informational, comparison, and trust queries
Prompt Design:
- Each prompt mapped to one primary intent category (commercial, informational, comparison, trust/validation)
- Strong majority of non-branded prompts to test category authority vs brand recall
- Mix of release-focused and evergreen education questions mirroring natural AI usage
- Aligned with core themes: makeup, face makeup, lip products, eye makeup
Limitations:
- AI responses evolve over time; results represent a snapshot of current behavior
- Prompt selection influences visibility patterns; different prompt sets may yield different results
- Brand-controlled content changes can rapidly affect AI visibility
- Results specific to Makeup category; patterns may differ in other segments