INDUSTRY REPORT
Beauty Work Friends® 2026 Field Report
A data-driven look at the fractional experts at the center of beauty's growing workforce shift—and the work they're doing for the industry's most notable brands.
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER
The fractional market in beauty is growing fast—the number of people identifying as fractional leaders doubled between 2022 and 2024, and that momentum hasn't slowed.
As legacy brands rightsize their internal teams and indie brands scale faster than their infrastructure allows, both are increasingly turning to independent operators to fill the gaps: people who bring senior-level experience, deep retailer relationships and industry connections, and, sometimes, precise specialization.
Beauty Work Friends® sits at the center of this shift. Our 100+ members have built their independent practices around exactly this kind of work, and have been reviewed for their depth of industry experience, expertise, and character.
This Field Report is a data-driven look at who's in this community, their work, and how they’re driving our industry forward.
Taylor deDiego, Founder of Beauty Work FriendsTHE BWF CONSULTANT COMMUNITY
Every function a beauty brand needs under one roof
Beauty Work Friends represents the full operating infrastructure of a modern beauty brand. The depth across (and within) disciplines and our dedication to the beauty industry is what makes this community unique. Here's a look at our membership broken down by zone of genius.
MARKETING
Brand strategy, performance marketing, paid media, SEO, social strategy, influencer, PR, copywriting, community, SEO and AEO, verbal identity
PRODUCT & OPERATIONS
Product development, product marketing, packaging, production, project management
CREATIVE
Creative direction, art direction, graphic design, visual branding, photography, packaging, website development
SALES & RETAIL
Retail strategy, retail sales, field sales, retail planning, merchandising, retail education, artistry
BRAND & BUSINESS STRATEGY
Consumer insights, business development, GTM strategy, market entry, international expansion, e-commerce
LEGAL, COMPLIANCE, & REGULATORY
Trademark law, business law, contracts, regulatory compliance, FDA compliance, MoCRA compliance
THE EXPERIENCE IN THE ROOM
89%
of BWF members have 9+ years of experience in the beauty industry
Nearly 40% have 15 +
These are operators who’ve built their consultancies at the height of their careers. They left full-time jobs with budget authority, retailer relationships, and institutional knowledge that takes a decade or more to gain—and they brought it all with them.
THE BRANDS THEY SUPPORT
86% of members work with Sephora brands, 76% with Ulta, and 45% with Credo
BWF members collectively support brands across every tier, and their client rosters span nearly every retail touchpoint in the industry.
Members also work with clients carried at Violet Grey, Amazon, Oh My Cream!, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Harrod’s, MECCA, Nykaa, and beyond.
PROOF OF WORK
Beauty campaigns led by Beauty Work Friends members
Over the past 12 months, our members have been behind some of the industry's most notable campaigns and launches. Here’s a quick sample of the projects Beauty Work Friends members have supported as independent operators.
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ILIA Launch into Sephora Mexico
An influencer marketing consultant with a specialty in Latin markets partnered with ILIA to drive awareness of its launch into Sephora Mexico.
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Paula's Choice Rebrand
A social-first creative director supported the Paula's Choice rebrand—a high-profile identity overhaul
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DedCool Mineral Milk Fragrance Launch
A fractional copywriter wrote the 360° campaign copy for all channels and packaging for Dedcool’s new fragrance launch.
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Biodance Sephora Launch
A retail growth expert drove Biodance's expansion within Sephora, scaling the K-beauty brand into one of the most competitive retail environments in the industry.
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Ulta Beauty World & Ulta Ski Week
A fractional brand marketer produced two iconic Ulta influencer activations: Ulta Ski Week and Ulta Beauty World
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Innisfree's Creative Refresh for Sephora
A photographer created campaign imagery for three Innisfree launches, building a flexible, scalable visual system that supported Sephora in-store, experiential PR, and social moments.
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Vogue Press Coverage for Fragrance Clients
A PR consultant secured coverage for two fragrance clients in Vogue's March issue.
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iS Clinical's AI-Powered Skin Quiz
The founder of an AI beauty startup launched the brand’s new skin quiz.
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Mixik New Product Launch Campaign
A brand marketing consultant helped indie brand Mixik launch a viral 360° campaign.
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Spooge Sunscreen Evergreen Visuals
A photographer led the creative for the brand’s recent evergreen asset refresh—from production to final images.
Members Have Supported
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GLOBAL REACH
72%
of members work with brands that have international distribution or a global presence
Beauty Work Friends consultants have helped clients navigate international markets firsthand—the retail relationships, regulatory nuances, and market dynamics that make global expansion one of the most complex moves a beauty brand can make.
HOW BWF MEMBERS OPERATE
Flexible engagements with clients of all sizes
BWF operators work with brands in various ways depending on the scope, timeline, and level of involvement a project requires—but in every case, they're showing up as a committed strategic partner.
Retainer: An ongoing monthly engagement with a defined scope. Consistent, predictable, and well-suited for brands that need a senior operator embedded over time without a full-time seat.
Project-based: A defined engagement tied to a specific deliverable: a campaign, a launch, a rebrand, a retail entry.
Ongoing fractional: A more embedded arrangement for strategic position. Functions like a part-time senior hire, without the overhead.
WHAT THIS COMMUNITY MEANS TO THE PEOPLE INSIDE IT
9 in 10 members say Beauty Work Friends has contributed to their business growth
The professional structures that supported operators in-house don't transfer when they go independent. Beauty Work Friends was built to close that gap—and the data shows it's closing fast.
93%
say community and peer connection has directly supported their business growth
79%
say access to collaborate with fellow fractional experts has benefited their business
90%
say connections with industry leaders and key players have been invaluable to their business
72%
say ongoing industry intel and education keeps them competitive
FOUNDING MEMBERS
8 of 12
founding members participated in this report
Beauty Work Friends launched in October 2024 with 12 founding members. Their continued presence reflects something we're genuinely proud of: this community has earned the trust of the people in it, and delivers real value.
A PULSE ON BEAUTY HIRING
AI is making access to strategic fractional experts more valuable
AI is compressing the execution layer of beauty marketing. Junior content, coordination, reporting, templated workflows—these are the roles absorbing the most change. What's growing in value are operators who own outcomes: people who can brief AI, interpret what it produces, and know when it got something wrong.
As brands build leaner teams, the strategic expertise they still need doesn't always fit a full-time seat. That's part of why fractional expertise is growing. And it's why finding senior operators you can trust matters more than ever.
THE TAKEAWAY
Fractional expertise isn't a new concept in beauty—but it's become a primary one.
The operators driving some of the industry's most notable work are doing it independently, across multiple brands at once, and with a depth of experience no single in-house role can replicate. For brands, that means access to incredible expertise without the overhead.
This model works for everyone involved. And the demand for vetted, experienced operators is only growing. Beauty Work Friends exists to make that connection reliable.
The expert beauty consultants behind this report are available to you
Tell us what your brand needs—the function, the scope, where you're at. We'll match you with vetted operators from the Beauty Work Friends network who've done it before. If we have a fit, we'll make the introduction.
Submit a brief → We find several strong matches → $500 to connect
© 2026 Beauty Work Friends
2026 Field Report