The Story
Anua is a Korean beauty brand that found its breakthrough on TikTok Shop. Their Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and toners became viral sensations, praised for addressing common skincare concerns at accessible price points.
From March 2024 to February 2025, Anua became the top-selling skincare brand on TikTok Shop US, generating over $26 million in sales. Their products consistently appeared in "TikTok made me buy it" videos.
The TikTok success opened doors to traditional retail. In January 2025, Anua launched at Ulta Beauty—hailed as one of the specialty retailer's most exciting new additions. TikTok Shop had proven demand at scale.
Anua represents a new playbook: build virality on TikTok Shop, prove product-market fit through direct sales, then leverage that data and demand to secure major retail partnerships. Social commerce is now the proving ground for retail distribution.
"Anua was hailed as one of Ulta Beauty's most exciting new launches—a direct result of proving massive demand through TikTok Shop first."
— Industry Analysis, Glossy