The Rise of Celebrity Beauty Brands
It’s 2021 and somehow every celebrity has now launched their own beauty brand. Some you may have heard of if you’ve shopped at Sephora or Ulta. But what is the reason every celebrity is starting a beauty brand, is it a profitable business or are they pursuing their passion?
A lot of us get our food, travel, fashion, and beauty inspiration from celebrities we love and follow. We can’t help but admit that we make purchases based on trends set by celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, and Kendall Jenner. Before celebrities began producing their own beauty products, they were endorsed by huge beauty companies like Loreal, Estee Lauder, Neutrogena, and the list goes on. Beauty brands that sign deals with celebrities to be the face of their brand can cost millions of dollars depending on their popularity and influence.
Celebrities have outgrown using their influence to grow someone else’s brand and realized they can now use their impact to sell their own products.
I personally have not tried any of these brands but I hear all about it on the internet:
- Fenty Skin/Fenty Beauty
- Rare Beauty
- Kylie Cosmetics
- Selfless by Hyram
Fenty Skin/Fenty Beauty
Image credit: Fenty Beauty
None other than the queen herself, Rihanna, launched Fenty Beauty in 2017. Known for its inclusivity and named one of the Best Inventions of 2017 by Time Magazine, the brand features over 40 shades of concealers and foundations. Fenty Beauty makes products that work for all skin types and skin tones, a huge gap in the beauty industry Rihanna saw as an opportunity.
In only four years, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty has become the highest earning celebrity owned cosmetic brand generating more than $550 million in 2020. Beginning her career as a singer, Rihanna is now an entrepreneur and owner of Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Savage x Fenty Lingerie. She is worth over $1.7 billion, with 50% of that net worth coming from her share of Fenty Beauty. The other half goes to LVMH, the French luxury good conglomerate that also owns Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Celine. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Rihanna’s influence and success is only growing from here.
Rare Beauty
Image credit: Rare Beauty
Can we agree our first memory of Selena Gomez is from the Disney Channel show Wizard of Waverly Place? Cause that’s mine. The child actress is behind the “Feel Good” beauty brand Rare beauty found at Sephora. The brand’s message is all about how you see yourself and being comfortable with yourself. Selena Gomez’s has been transparent about her mental health struggles and her passion for helping other translates into Rare Beauty’s mental health initiatives. She has created the Rare Impact Fund which will contribute 1% of sales from the brand until $100 million is donated. As the 7th most followed celebrity on Instagram, her impact as a founder and mental health enthusiast is limitless.
Kylie Cosmetics
Image credit: Kylie Cosmetics
The world’s youngest billionaire at age 21, Kylie Jenner, founded the vegan cosmetic brand known for its lip-plumping products in 2015. In 2019, Kylie sold 51 percent of her company’s stake to Coty, owning the rest herself. Iconic for her lip transformation, it is no surprise Kylie Cosmetic’s Lip Kits are its best-sellers! Her hustle doesn’t end there, Kylie recently launched Kylie Swim and Kylie Baby. Kylie Jenner is living the life every girl dreams of, anything she owns or wears will no doubt sell!
Selfless by Hyram
Image credit: Selfless By Hyram
The skincare guru we all trust our skin with, Hyram, released his own skincare line called Selfless by Hyram earlier this year. Garnering over 6 million followers on Tiktok and 4.6 million subscribers on Youtube, Hyram is our go-to influencer for skincare advice. His content ranges from product reviews, skincare ingredient knowledge, tips and advice, as well as reaction videos. The NY Times has addressed him as “the content creator who can make or break a skin care brand”. One brand he frequently recommends is The Ordinary, which has become the most searched skincare brand with over 37 million annual searches. Partnering with The Inkey List, an affordable and super effective skincare brand, Hyram has launched sustainable skincare line Selfless By Hyram. Not only is his skincare line simple and sustainably sourced, but the brand also strives to spark social change and protecting our nature.
Naming a celebrity who has not launched their own beauty line is more difficult than you think. Not every brand has reached the success of Fenty Beauty’s, but there is also Kora Organics, KKW Beauty, JLo Beauty, Haus Laboratories and too many more. Who do you think is next?
