Men's grooming, boys in beauty, founder and skincare. London, UK.
| # | Hook / caption | Date | Dur. | Views | Likes | Shares | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How to conceal, contour & brighten using @rimmellondon Multi-Tasker Concealer | Sep 2022 | 36s | 9.1M | 61.7K | 335 | Rimmel — Paid |
| 2 | My number one essential for skin hydration @Vichy Mineral 89 hyaluronic acid booster | Oct 2023 | 36s | 3M | 3.5K | 414 | Vichy — Paid |
| 3 | Let's normalise skin texture #filtervsreality | Jan 2023 | 10s | 2.5M | 87.1K | 1,792 | — |
| 4 | I'm almost 40 — treatments I genuinely swear by (juvelook, exosome, Dr Barbara Sturm) | Mar 2026 | 63s | 11.4K | 720 | 98 | — |
| 5 | Ad — Hiking Angels Landing @mercedesbenzusa EQE, skincare routine (Youth to the People, CeraVe, YSL) | Apr 2026 | 34s | 23.1K | 2.2K | 46 | Mercedes — Paid |
Instagram is currently Danny's largest platform by follower count (196.6K vs TikTok 124.9K), which is the opposite of most male beauty creators at this level. This signals that Instagram is where his core audience lives and trusts him most. His bio — "skincare, beauty & lifestyle — founder @defrei" — is multi-purpose but slightly diluted. He is managed by @optimustalent, indicating existing professional representation.
Instagram Reels should be prioritised for TikTok reposts with captions optimised for the Instagram algorithm. His established 196K audience here is untapped for brand deal pitching — brands often pay more per post for Instagram than TikTok at this follower count.
Instagram post-level data (individual post views, saves, shares) is not publicly available via the scraper used for this audit. The above analysis is based on profile-level data and platform behaviour patterns. For full Instagram post analytics, Danny should share screenshots from his Creator Studio or Insights dashboard.
The YouTube handle @DannyDefreitas was provided but could not be verified via automated scrape during this audit. No YouTube video data was returned. This section reflects estimated intel and recommendations based on his TikTok/Instagram activity and competitor benchmarks.
Action required: share the exact YouTube channel URL so it can be properly scraped and a full YouTube tab built in the next audit cycle.
At Danny's level — verified creator with 320K+ combined following in the men's grooming and beauty space — YouTube should be used as a depth platform for content that cannot be done in 60 seconds. Competitors like Marvin Brooks use YouTube for extended travel and lifestyle vlogs that drive subscription loyalty. Danny's strongest YouTube content types are likely to be:
Someone saving your post is coming back for reference. This means your existing audience finds it valuable. Saves grow loyalty but do not drive new reach.
Shares push your content to new audiences and accounts you have no connection with. High shares relative to views = viral potential. This is the most important metric for growing past a follower plateau.
| Post (hook) | Views | Saves | Shares | Signal type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Let's normalise skin texture #filtervsreality | 2.5M | N/A | 1,792 | Growth |
| My number one essential — Vichy Mineral 89 (AD) | 3M | N/A | 414 | Growth |
| Rimmel concealer tutorial (AD) | 9.1M | N/A | 335 | Both |
| I'm almost 40 — treatments I swear by | 11.4K | N/A | 98 | Both |
| Randomised upgrades & perfect packing (Marvin style — not Danny) | 168.2K | N/A | 281 | Competitor ref |
| I'm almost 40 — 3 hair secrets | 1.1K | N/A | 4 | Nurture only |
| I'm almost 40 — 3 skincare secrets | 806 | N/A | 2 | Nurture only |
| GRWM to host defrei event | 524 | N/A | 2 | No signal |
| Defrei community event and creator lunch | 666 | N/A | 2 | No signal |
| Composite bonding — dental reveal | 279 | N/A | 1 | No signal |
| Brand | Category | Times tagged | Avg views on those posts | Best post views | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rimmel London | Mass beauty | 1 | 9.1M | 9.1M | Paid |
| Vichy Laboratoires | Skincare / pharmacy | 1 | 3M | 3M | Paid |
| Mercedes-Benz USA | Automotive / luxury | 1 | 23.1K | 23.1K | Paid |
| Sunday Riley / Hershesons | Premium skincare / salon | 1 | 1.6K | 1.6K | Gifted |
| ILIA Beauty | Clean beauty | 1 | 536 | 536 | Organic |
| Kayali / Mona Kattan | Fragrance | 1 | 739 | 739 | Paid |
| Dr Dennis Gross | Clinical skincare / LED | 1 | 806 | 806 | Organic |
| Medik8 | Clinical skincare / retinal | 1 | 806 | 806 | Organic |
| The Ordinary | Skincare / SPF | 1 | 806 | 806 | Organic |
| Shopify | Tech / e-commerce | 1 | 583 | 583 | Gifted event |
| Maison Crivelli | Niche fragrance | 1 | 375 | 375 | Organic |
| Simplehuman | Home / bathroom | 1 | 442 | 442 | Organic |
Hi [Brand name] team, I'm Danny Defreitas — a men's grooming and beauty creator based in London with 196K on Instagram and 124K on TikTok. I've been featuring your product organically in my content because I genuinely use and believe in it. My audience skews male, 25–40, UK-based, and actively interested in skincare investments. The men's grooming space is currently under-served by male creators who speak authentically about premium products — and that is exactly what I do. I would love to explore a paid partnership that turns the organic content I am already making into a campaign that reaches new audiences for you. I can offer TikTok and Instagram Reels deliverables with full usage rights. Would you be open to a brief call to explore this? Danny contact@dannydefreitas.com
Hi [Brand name] team, Thank you for the gifted collaboration we did recently. I genuinely loved [product/experience] and saw great engagement from my audience on the content — my followers in the men's beauty and grooming space are a very specific and valuable audience for you. I'd love to take this to the next level with a proper paid partnership. With 196K Instagram followers and verified status, and a proven track record of paid campaigns with brands like Rimmel, Vichy and Mercedes, I can offer you a structured deliverable package with guaranteed usage rights and reporting. Happy to share my media kit. Would you like me to send it over? Danny contact@dannydefreitas.com
Hi [Brand name] team, I'm Danny Defreitas — a men's grooming, skincare and lifestyle creator based in London (196K Instagram, 124K TikTok, verified). I'm reaching out because I've noticed similar creators in the men's beauty space are working with you and I believe my audience would respond even more strongly. My audience is male-majority, 25–40, UK-based and actively seeking premium grooming recommendations. The men's beauty market in the UK is growing fast, and I'm one of the few verified male creators in this niche who speaks to skincare with genuine expertise and personal experience. I'd love to explore a partnership — whether that's an unboxing, a routine feature, or a full campaign. Can we book a quick call? Danny contact@dannydefreitas.com
Former Royal Navy, London-based lifestyle and grooming creator. Digital diary format. 5x Danny's TikTok following, and confirmed brand deals at a much higher level (Mercedes-Benz, Youth to the People, CeraVe, YSL Beauty, Prada Beauty, Azzaro, Valentino Beauty).
| Hook | Dur. | Views | Likes | Shares | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Its all I have to offer… | 11s | 4.5M | 552.7K | 67K | — |
| I recommend doing this before buying new clothes for spring — ASMR Wardrobe Reset | 49s | 1.4M | 101.5K | 3.8K | — |
| The perfect day in Switzerland — ASMR edition | 42s | 1.4M | 105.6K | 9.5K | — |
| Let's pack for LA | 33s | 1.4M | 155.7K | 3.4K | — |
| Hiking Angels Landing @mercedesbenzusa EQE + skincare routine | 34s | 23.1K | 2.2K | 46 | Mercedes — Paid |
Marvin's best content has no caption hook at all ("Its all I have to offer…" — 4.5M views). His growth engine is aesthetic lifestyle moments, not beauty tutorials. His paid deals are premium and category-crossing (cars, fragrance, skincare together). Danny is more expert-led — this is actually his edge, but he needs to lead with personality first, then expertise.
London-based male self-care creator with 555.8K TikTok and 319.5K Instagram. His biggest viral content is personality and Ramadan lifestyle (matching Jubbahs with his cat — 38.3M views), not grooming tutorials. Managed by @thebookingproject. Products via Amazon storefront. Confirmed brand: Gillette.
| Hook | Dur. | Views | Likes | Shares | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| When @House Of Ummah sends you and your kitten matching Jubbahs | 13s | 38.3M | 4.7M | 669.4K | House of Ummah |
| Matching Eid outfits with my cat Achilles (from @Next) | 14s | 20.8M | 1.8M | 193.7K | Next |
| Hair hack — not too bad #menshair | 21s | 24.4M | 1.5M | 82.3K | — |
| Getting my cat his own prayer mat bc he always sits on mine | 12s | 22M | 1.5M | 188.6K | — |
| "Why are you always doing self-care as a guy?" #skincare | 9s | 6.2M | 620.8K | 10.2K | CeraVe · Medicube |
Shakeel has 555.8K TikTok (4x Danny's following) but his viral success comes from lifestyle and Ramadan content, not grooming authority. His biggest grooming post peaks at 9.4M views. Danny's peaked at 9.1M paid. The expertise gap is actually Danny's — the audience gap is what needs closing.
UK-based beauty and lifestyle creator, managed by @thebloggeragent. 3.9M TikTok, 3.71M Instagram. Not a direct grooming competitor but the benchmark for what UK creators at scale look like. Brand deals: Boxycharm (paid), NARS, Shiseido, Maybelline, Lancôme, Fenty Beauty, makeupbyMario, Smashbox.
| Hook | Dur. | Views | Likes | Shares | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last minute halloween hack — spider cobweb makeup | 17s | 94.7M | 7.3M | 397.8K | NARS · Shiseido · makeupbyMario |
| Giving myself a makeover — brown hair transformation | 22s | 65.2M | 4.8M | 93.5K | Boxycharm — Paid |
| Should I do Bratz or fairy next? #makeuphacks | 27s | 58.7M | 11.5M | 46.9K | — |
| Mix your contour, concealer and clear gloss for the perfect brown lip | 18s | 47.4M | 3.9M | 57.5K | Maybelline · Lancôme |
| The most single zodiac sign — makeup transformation | 8s | 38.6M | 4.7M | 85.5K | — |
Lena's top post hit 94.7M views in 17 seconds with no words — just a transformation. Every post under 30 seconds with a strong visual result outperforms everything else on her account. Her brand deals confirm that UK beauty creators at scale attract premium global spend. Danny has the same proof points at 30x smaller scale. The gap is format discipline and volume.
Marvin's top 4 posts all have captions under 10 words or none at all. Danny's most recent posts have long, descriptive captions. The algorithm rewards the video — not the caption. Strip captions back and lead with the visual.
Marvin's wardrobe reset and Switzerland content are aesthetic lifestyle moments without a product focus. They generate massive saves and shares. Danny's tutorial-first format is effective for brand deals but limits organic growth. He needs lifestyle content to grow, tutorial content to convert.
Mercedes, Prada, Valentino and Azzaro chose Marvin because he represents an aspirational male lifestyle — not just grooming. Danny's grooming expertise is the entry point, but his personal aesthetic (interiors, travel, defrei brand) is what will attract luxury spend.
Danny is posting approximately 3–5 times per week but with no clear consistent schedule. Multiple posts happen in bursts around events, then go quiet. This inconsistency suppresses algorithm distribution between posting windows.
Show a tight, aesthetic morning bathroom flat-lay — just the 4 or 5 products in order. No GRWM. No talking. Each product on screen for 3–5 seconds with the name in text overlay. End with "save this" CTA. This format borrows from Marvin's aesthetic approach but applies Danny's grooming expertise. Works with or without a brand deal.
Very short. Talking to camera. Open with the hook above, then reveal one specific skin insight — like the save in his "let's normalise" video. End mid-sentence or with a question to drive comments. This mirrors the content that has already given him a 2.5M view and 1,792 shares — he just needs to repeat the formula.
B-roll bathroom transformation with ASMR audio. Simple products. Clean aesthetic. No voiceover — just text overlays. Tap into the Simplehuman mirror content he already posted but actually build a narrative around it. This positions his personal space as aspirational and draws in the lifestyle audience that Marvin has and Danny is missing.