MAC Cosmetics is offering its UK employees the option to earn commission from sales driven through TikTok Shop in a bid to cash in on the rapid rise of the influencer-led beauty market.
From April 2, the company will kit out its stores with dedicated mini studios to host live shopping broadcasts on TikTok Shop.
MAC, which is part of the Estee Lauder group, says it is the first major beauty brand in the UK to extend this affiliate opportunity to its entire workforce.
Makeup artists will be encouraged to host tutorials and product demonstrations, with items available to buy directly through the app, and those who opt in will be offered a percentage of any sale that they drive on TikTok Shop.
The brand said the first live shopping show will stream from its Carnaby Street store in London.
It is hoping that tapping into social media shoppers will also bring more people into its more than 230 standalone shops and concessions.
TikTok Shop burst onto the UK’s retail scene in 2021 and, in recent years, has become a significant force in the world of e-commerce, reaching millions of people who use the video-sharing app and converting many into shoppers with a few taps.
Many content creators can earn a commission on products that they sell through the app when they cooperate with a brand or retailer.
Major retailers like Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s are now selling products on the marketplace alongside thousands of smaller businesses and brands.
The app has particularly been part of a boom for the beauty market, with beauty sales on the platform soaring by 60 per cent year-on-year in 2025, fuelled by trends such as Korean skincare.
But the spread of in-app shopping has also prompted concerns about so-called impulse buying, particularly among younger consumers who are often targeted by influencer-led marketing.
Sara Staniford, the vice president and general manager of MAC in the UK and Ireland, said: “MAC has always been driven by our artists and the communities they create.
“TikTok Shop gives us an exciting new way to celebrate that creativity and connect with beauty lovers in real time.
“It puts our artists exactly where they belong, at the centre of the conversation.”
