Scrolling through social media reveals one thing: celebrities have all started launching their own makeup, skincare, and haircare brands, or all three combined. From musicians to actors and even professional athletes, launching a beauty line has almost become a rite of passage for being famous. Dropping a new album has become less common than launching a makeup brand at this point.
A prime example of this is Rhianna, launching Fenty Beauty in 2017. The industry took notice of this quickly, not just because the products were high quality, but because of the brand’s focus on diversity and inclusion, with just their foundations alone having over 50 shades. Rihanna set not just a new standard for celebrity brands, but for makeup brands in general. Soon after, Fenty Beauty expanded into Fenty Skin, making this launch one of the most successful celebrity beauty brands in history.
On the other hand, there’s Hailey Bieber, who took a slightly different approach with her brand Rhode, a skincare brand meant to be centered around minimalist formulas aimed at boosting skin health. Despite Beiber’s massive fame, her brand doesn’t rely on heavy makeup, but mostly on everyday skincare routines. Fans were quick to buy up all the available products, with the growing demand for simple but effective products being clear in today’s beauty market.
Beauty brands aren’t just limited to musicians either. Reality TV stars have also tapped into the trend. Kim Kardashian launched SKKN by Kim, putting her makeup knowledge into a full skincare line. Her sister Kylie Jenner turned Kylie Cosmetics into an entire empire, and with its success, later launched Kylie Skin, proving just how much fans are willing to invest in not just makeup, but entire brands tied to their favorite celebrities.
A huge part of this wave of celebrity beauty lines is the influence of social media and advertising. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram make beauty routines go viral. When celebrities share a “get ready with me” post showing off their seemingly flawless skin, it’s a natural instinct for fans to want the products behind their looks. The result is a direct pipeline between influencer content and consumer purchases.
There also seems to be a financial incentive. Beauty brands become more profitable than the entertainment careers that made celebrities famous in the first place. Instead of just endorsing someone else’s products, like past generations of stars who did makeup and perfume collaborations with already existing brands, celebrities now have the opportunity to own their own brands, receive profits from sales, and extend their influence far beyond their career in entertainment.
However, not all celebrity beauty brands succeed; sometimes products flop or receive backlash for high prices, lack of innovation, or questionable formulas. Audiences are still critical; slapping a celebrity name on a product isn’t enough to guarantee sales. Buyers want value and results, not just branding.
There are still celebrities without a beauty brand, but culturally and commercially, it’s becoming harder to stay relevant without tapping into the beauty market in some way. Fame and beauty products seem to go hand in hand, and skipping out on that buzz might just mean missing the chance to create an empire for many celebrities.