These Beauty Brands Punched Their Ticket at Coachella

Coachella wrapped with some unforgettable performances from Justin Bieber’s poignant serenade of “One Less Lonely Girl” to Billie Eilish to Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s captivating duet of “Vogue.”

But the desert’s hottest musical festival in Indio, CA doesn’t merely showcase the hottest legendary musicians and bubbling under bands worthy of discovery. It’s also become a stage for beauty brands to showcase their hot new products to the quarter-million concertgoers in need of sunscreen, body wash and sustenance.

Spate rounds up its top three beauty brand activations at Coachella 2026.

Medicube

K-beauty brand Medicube cemented its place in the US market as the festival’s first K-beauty sponsor. But it wasn’t just karaoke booths, vanity get-ready spaces and glamping gifting across the two-weekend spectacle. The brand used Coachella as a US platform to promote two major products: the Mini Booster Pro, a travel-size device designed for on-the-go skin prep, and the Rosemary PDRN Hair Care line.

Alongside the festival, Medicube hosted its own Medicube House for influencers and tapped Kylie Jenner as a brand ambassador, extending the launch well beyond the desert. The timing of these launches is intentional. PDRN is currently the fastest-growing ingredient in skincare and the top-related ingredient hashtag within Medicube’s own TikTok ecosystem, generating 13.1 million average weekly views. That momentum is now expanding from skincare into hair, and Medicube is leading the way.

On TikTok, the Rosemary PDRN line is surfacing alongside hashtags like #blackhairtok (5.6 million average weekly views) and #hairgrowth (3.0 million), with sponsored content appearing across creators beyond the festival itself. Medicube has grown 246.6% YoY, reaching very high popularity, with 84.3% of its Popularity Share on TikTok (252.5% YoY).

ELF Cosmetics

ELF Cosmetics brought its multi-touchpoint strategy spanning out-of-home activations, creator-led campaigns, late-night presence at Nylon House and Neon Carnival and a partnership with Twitch. Days before the festival, the brand launched its Drink It Up! Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm Shimmer Collection in three drink-inspired flavors — Pink Lemonade, Island Colada and Blue Razz Slushy — and promoted it during the 2026 Coachella activation. The launch sits at the intersection of two accelerating trends: lip shimmer (up 68.5% YoY) and hydrating lip gloss (up 79.1% YoY). The more unexpected signal is flavored lip balm, growing 90.5% YoY on Google Search, suggesting that the drink-inspired, scented-and-flavored positioning taps into a broader sensory shift. Consumers are increasingly drawn to products that engage taste and smell alongside skin benefits, with that appetite now expanding into lip. The foundation for this launch was already strong. ELF lip balm has been gaining traction on Search (up 45.0% YoY, 36.8K average monthly searches), while the brand itself has very high popularity, with most of its presence on TikTok (70.2% Popularity Share) and rapid growth on Instagram (160.7% YoY).

Rhode Skin

Hailey Bieber also activated her beauty brand, Rhode Skin. Rhode turned Coachella Weekend 1 into its own branded event, Rhode World, becoming the first beauty brand to stage a single-brand mini festival at the event. The activation centered around the Rhode x The Biebers collaboration, featuring Spotwear pimple patches, Peptide Eye Prep in Banana Peel and the Peptide Lip Treatment in Caramelized Banana, complete with its own drink holder attachment.

The banana choice is more strategic than a traditional slice of summer. Analysts say Banana face masks are growing 246.2% YoY, driven primarily by Google Search (80.2% Popularity Share), signaling strong consumer-led interest. At the same time, low competition suggests the trend remains largely unclaimed by brands, with much of the conversation still rooted in DIY. On TikTok, hashtags like #glowingskintips align closely with the trend, reinforcing demand for dewy, glazed, glowing skin, Rhode’s core brand aesthetic. The brand’s foundation is also strong. Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment is regaining traction on Search month over month (10.7% YoY, 75.2K average monthly searches), while the brand sits at very high popularity, with TikTok as its dominant platform (63.2% Popularity Share).

Neutrogena, Method and NYX Professional Makeup were also on the ground with their own strategies and influencer plays. Read about Method’s shower activation here.

Read our full coverage on the latest trends driving the skincare market in our May issue.