Obsessed with makeup? If you live in any of these 10 states, you’re in good company.
According to Google Trends, which looks at how many searches a particular topic has gotten relative to total searches, these states showed the most interest in makeup over the last 30 days.
Let’s dive right in.
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Makeup interest score: 84
When I think “states that love makeup,” New Mexico isn’t naturally all that high on my list.
New Mexico evokes pictures of mesas, plateaus, mountains, deserts, and pueblos.
(Although on a roadtrip through New Mexico a few years ago, I actually saw a surprising number of lush pine forests!)
Plus, eastern New Mexico has a big presence from oil & gas and trucking companies. Not industries usually highly associated with makeup!
Nonetheless, the data don’t lie – New Mexico ranked tenth in the nation for searches.
If you have any theories, I’d love to hear them – just drop them in the comments!
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Makeup interest score: 85
Another outdoorsy western state – and again, not known for its fascination with makeup.
But the data don’t lie!
Utah is the ninth-highest-scoring state for interest in makeup according to Google Trends – maybe it’s skin protection for all the skiing?
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Makeup interest score: 85
The only Southeastern state to reach this list, Mississippi loves makeup!
Honestly, before reviewing the data, I would have expected Georgia or Florida – I mean, Miss America is literally headquartered in Florida.
But no – Mississippi ranks #8!
And as I dug in more, I learned about all the cosmetics companies that are headquartered in MS – it has a thriving beauty industry!
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Makeup interest score: 85
As with many bigger states, Illinois is really a tale of two fundamentally different lifestyles – Chicagoland on the one hand, and everything else on the other.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Chicago (if you haven’t been, make sure to snag a pizza from Lou Malnati’s – so good), and I can tell you that it’s a highly professional, career-driven city.
Exactly the kind of place you’d expect lots of people to be wearing makeup.
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Makeup interest score: 86
Kentucky: Land of bourbon, KFC (it’s literally in the name), the Louisville sluggers, the Presbyterian Church, and…makeup?!
Ok, I know Kentucky isn’t necessarily the most exciting state out there, but hear me out.
First thing you should know about Kentucky is that large swathes of the state essentially serve as low-cost suburbs for Cincinnati (Ohio) and Evansville (Indiana).
So there’s actually quite a lot going on under the surface – and given they’re near the “big city”, it makes sense that a lot of folks would be interested in makeup.
Plus, with so much of the state economy dependent on tourism – you want to look your nicest while serving overpriced bourbon balls to out-of-towners!
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Makeup interest score: 87
Ok, Texas makes a lot of sense here.
Between the proliferation of beauty pageants, Hallmark films about small-town romance, and the explosion of interest in the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders following the Netflix documentary…Texas has gotta be pretty beauty-obsessed.
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Makeup interest score: 91
I know most people associate West Virginia with coal, but the cold hard facts are that there were about 13,000 coal mining jobs in West Virginia in 2022, out of a total population of nearly 2 million people.
Truth is – like Kentucky for Cincinnati and Evansville, large parts of West Virginia are essentially a bedroom community for the DC metro area.
With so many career-focused folks working form home, it makes sense that West Virginians would be focused on putting their best foot forward.
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Makeup interest score: 96
Ok, this one makes a lot of sense.
The vast majority of Nevada’s population is in Clark County (that’s Las Vegas), and they’re disproportionately employed in tourism and adjacent industries – entertainment, retail, gambling, etc.
If you’re going to work in these sectors, you always want to look your best.
Simple as that!
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Makeup interest score: 99
Ok, it will not shock anyone that New York (and especially the Big Apple, NYC itself) is obsessed with makeup.
It’s an incredibly career-oriented place, and it’s pretty buttoned-up in the way that most East Coast cities are.
Plus, just consider NYC’s sheer size – over 50 beauty companies are headquartered there!
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Makeup interest score: 100
And now we come to it: California is the #1 state for interest in makeup in the entire USA.
(Keep in mind, again, this is about relative interest vs other google searches – so the fact that California is the largest state has no bearing on its score.)
My experience of Californians has definitely signaled a love of makeup, skincare, and just that general combination of “wellness + looking good” that’s so classic to California.
So whether you’re driving on the 5 from San Diego, riding a trolley in San Francisco, or sampling wine in Napa – it’s a great state for looking and feeling your best!
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