The Rise & Fall of Celebrity Beauty Brands
Celebrity-owned beauty brands were all the rage for a long era of the internet, as celebrities were able to cultivate a brand image and audience through their personal social media platforms. But like many other aspects of the beauty world, consumers might be bored of them.
Beginning in 1994 with supermodel Iman Abdulmajid’s makeup line, Iman Cosmetics, there was a lot of excitement involving public figures launching beauty collections of their own. The idealism surrounding these celebrities, who epitomize beauty standards, carries into their products as consumers chase to achieve their level of beauty.
Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics is one of the most successful beauty brands in the world. It rides off the success of the iconic Kylie Lip Kit, which was marketed as the secret to Kylie’s perfect pout. Kylie Cosmetics can be credited with pioneering the popularity of celebrity beauty brands in terms of marketing on social media.
Following Kylie’s instant success in 2015, celebrities including Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Selena Gomez launched their beauty companies. Although Kylie Cosmetics was once a powerhouse in pop culture and the beauty community, its recent product launches have been lackluster compared to brands that have launched exciting, innovative products since its inception.
Many fans have observed that the products could be more inspired. Kylie no longer seems passionate about creating a unique and desirable product, slowly leaving the brand to become irrelevant.
Initially, each brand was extremely well-received by consumers, as the brands’ main marketing strategies are selling the aesthetic of each celebrity. Celebrity beauty brands rely heavily on the celebrity's image, but in recent years and launches, it has become evident that product quality and innovation matter, too.
Just as easily as a fan base can be gained on social media, it can also be lost. As consumers in the online beauty community have caught onto celebrities and influencers’ poor beauty product launches, the excitement has plummeted, and some are being called out for laziness.
Ariana Grande’s R.E.M. Beauty recently launched a Wicked-themed collection in celebration of the movie's release and conjunction with the other Wicked movie marketing efforts. However, minimal effort went into marketing on social media, so news of the launch did not make it past frequent R.E.M. Beauty shoppers and people who saw the display in Ulta Stores.
While the brand is stable and making money, there is no stand-out factor aside from Ariana Grande’s image to create as much noise as other brands.
In 2019, Lady Gaga announced her beauty brand Haus Laboratories which would exclusively be sold at Amazon. Her fans and beauty lovers were excited by the launch; however, they were extremely disappointed when they saw the products.
Many thought that the products lacked luster and didn’t have that drama that resonated with Lady Gaga. But in 2022, they announced a rebrand for the company, which included a new name (Haus Labs), products, packaging, and launches.
The brand decided to cut ties with Amazon and are now partnered with Sephora. Since this reluanch, Haus Labs has done great. Customers love many of their products and the packaging.
Item Beauty by Addison Rae, Florence by Mills, Born Dreamer by Charli D’Amelio, and Skkn by Kim are just other examples of celebrity beauty brands that did not quite manage to make waves in the industry, but the list continues.
Many of these entrepreneurs, especially influencers, have been accused of creating cash grabs, and their products have not been well received, causing them to fail.
So what makes a celebrity beauty brand successful?
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna prides itself on its inclusive range of 50 shades of foundation and quality products. Even though a celebrity owns Fenty Beauty, the brand thoroughly focuses on consistently creating great quality products
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez launched in 2020 with a unique image of spreading positivity and self-love, standing out in a market that inherently promotes negative self-image. It’s clear that the brand’s image was created from an authentic passion, and the quality of the products indicates that time and love go into product development.
Although Selena herself does a lot of the marketing on her personal social media account, she stands out because she upholds her brand’s mission statement rather than using her likeness as a celebrity as a marketing tactic.
Rhode Skin by Hailey Bieber has received mixed feedback online, though it has been successful overall. Rhode Skin’s products are simple, but Hailey Bieber’s personality is the “clean girl” aesthetic, and her image is desirable to a large market.
Unlike many other celebrities, she can use her image to her advantage because her aesthetic is a trend and a current beauty standard.
Many brands launched by celebrities and influencers must establish a brand identity that resonates with consumers beyond the celebrity face. The defining factor in thriving brands is that they are rooted in individuality, offering quality products and an authentic image.
What is your opinion of celebrity beauty brands? Leave a comment below!