Celebrity Cosmetic Lines: The Red Carpet of the Beauty World

Charlotte Tomlinson
Aug 29, 2022
6 min read

Move over luxury brands, because celebrities are stealing the cosmetic spotlight. With more power and influence than ever, these famous actors, performers, artists are now celeb-CEO's.

They have always been a mega influence in the fashion and cosmetic industry. From being trendsetters to the face of a brand; celebrities have always been the first to try out and show off new trends. Let’s take Julia Fox’s trademark style: the ‘dramatic smokey eye’ / ‘fox eye’. This has become an iconic make-up look, with her tutorial on Instagram fetching a whopping 2 million views and over 80,000 likes.

In 2022, it’s hard to find a celebrity without some form of side hustle, and the cosmetic industry seems to be a common go-to. Many celebrities, who are not professional make-up artists (or seen to be in the eyes of the public) are now introducing their own ranges such as Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. These three celebs are having huge success rates with their cosmetic brands; collectively being worth roughly $5.8 billion.1

From Endorsement to Entrepreneur

Behind closed doors deals are made and celebrities regularly become the ‘face of a product/brand’. These brands sell to the customer that this celebrity uses this product and it is then assumed that the celebrity’s appearance is achieved by using the product/brand they are promoting. But now, celebrities are not only endorsing beauty products, they’re also becoming entrepreneurs in the industry. People long for escape from their daily lives, and celebrities offer that escape through their products.

There are many reasons why consumers love the celeb launches, one of them is being able to support their favourites - the makeup range(s) become another collector’s item. Many products are sold out within minutes of release! When stars endorse a product, their name, likeness and personal brand are often used to promote the item. This therefore, allows the customer to buy into the rich and luxurious lifestyle this celebrity is living (and selling).

The Perks of Creating A Makeup Line as a Celeb

Celebrities can use their fame and influence to create a beauty line different from the rest. They have the power to be innovative and create something that has never been seen before. This allows the celeb and their team to be more creative when producing these on-brand products. Take Ariana Grande’s r.e.m beauty - the creative surrounding the launch was focused on outer space with the products being delivered in a matte grey astronaut helmet. Grande's fan base is so huge, supporting and dedicated that this was bound to make a success, even if the makeup wasn't out of this world!

"REGINA GEORGE IS FLAWLESS. SHE HAS TWO FENDI PURSES AND A SILVER LEXUS"2

Celebs ooze influence and people love it, everything they have we want - their life, their items. As Tina Fey shows us in Mean Girls, popularity sells. It seems that Celebs are using this to their advantage and tactically ensuring their brand is stamped hard and permanent onto their cosmetic brand too. If they have a high fan base in one area, i.e. music, these fans tend to follow the celeb and support their products, due to already having a high opinion of their original 'art'. Not only does it create another collectable for the fans to try to get their hands on, but it also

While taking a risk is fun, it helps to keep the newly released products branded for the celeb in question. Not only does it make more products for the fans to collect, but it also shows that if the celeb is producing high quality products in one area (i.e music) they will also provide high quality products in their cosmetic line. If we look at Lady Gaga’s new make-up launch ‘Haus Labs’, we can see she has continued to use the term ‘Haus’, which she also uses for her creative team ‘Haus of Gaga’, thus creating a continuously branded thread.

With access to some of the best make-up artists in the world, it could be argued that celebrities and MUA’s have created the perfect recipe for success. The ready and rearing fan-base of the celebrity, combined with the knowledge of a skilled MUA. Due to the injected MUA knowledge, the products produced by the above duo will no doubt be of high quality and include the most precise ingredients. Mario Dedivanovic is Kim Kardashians official MUA, he regularly features on tutorials with Kimmy K showcasing their favourite looks. Launched in 2020, Makeup by Mario focuses on products developed with over 20 years knowledge and experience. (So, yeah it’s pretty good). With all the tips, tricks and clients up his sleeve, he knows a thing or two about good and bad cosmetic products.

A Few Celebrity Makeup Lines To Remember

Award-winning beauty blogger, Huda Kattan launched Huda Beauty in 2013. This line is known for its high-quality products and wide range of shades, perfect for all skin tones. The line includes everything from eyeshadows to contour kits, and it’s a favourite among makeup artists and everyday women alike. Huda is worth around $500 million and has recently been stocked in Boots!

Jess Hunt, a British model, influencer and REFY founder. Known for her luscious brows, REFY needs no marketing ploy - the products speak for themselves. Along with co-founder Jenna Meek, “the pair sought to create versatile, fool-proof makeup products that enhance rather than hide natural beauty.”3

While Millie Bobby Brown is best known for her epic role in Stranger Things, she launched Florence by Mills in 2019 with a focus on clean, rule-free beauty for all. Her Gen-Z, vegan, cruelty free beauty line offers a range of products at prices between £10 - £35.

Next up is Selena Gomez’s makeup line, Rare Beauty. Rare was launched at Sephora in 2020 and has been met with rave reviews. From foundation and concealer to highlighters and eyebrow pencils, Rare offers every item any make-up lover may need. Selena Gomez also includes a mental health awareness community within her brand, the Rare website gives consumers the option to share their ‘Mental Health Story’. This is a touching inclusion as Gomez shares she too has struggled with mental health, “it’s something I am constantly working on and I hope I can help others work on, too” “That’s why I launched Rare Impact and the Rare Impact Fund.”4

Pharrel Williams is an unexpected contender when it comes to the cosmetic industry, but his skincare brand ‘Humanrace’ is minimal, colourful and cool - just like him. Humanrace is on a journey to "empower all people in their pursuit of wellbeing. Guided by experiences from his own wellness journey, Pharrell created Humanrace in the belief that taking better care of ourselves can teach us to take better care of each other.”5

Actress and businesswoman Jessica Alba’s line, The Honest Company was founded in 2008, while she was mid-pregnancy and struggling to find clean, natural, eco-friendly baby products. Honest offers beauty products, from foundations to lipsticks and baby products, including trendy nappies. Alba’s business is estimated to be worth between $1.4 - £1.7 billion.6

And finally, named “wealthiest celebrity beauty brand”7 in 2021, Rihanna’s make-up line Fenty Beauty. Launched in 2017, Fenty has reached major popularity with over 11 million followers on Instagram. Rihanna’s aim for Fenty is to provide a range of options for everyone. “Focusing on a wide range of traditionally hard-to-match skin tones” Fenty Beauty’s inclusive mission is continuously succeeding. Rihanna expanded her makeup line to include a skincare range Fenty Skin in 2020; “I wanted a product that worked, that was the most important thing for me”.8

While there are so many more celebrity cosmetic brand examples I could (and want to) speak about, it’s clear to see that actors, artists and bloggers are among only some of the creative influencers showcasing their entrepreneurial skills.

Celebrity make-up lines offer high-quality products believed to help you achieve a destined look. In general, people tend to trust celebrities, they trust that if a celebrity endorses a product, it must be good and true. People are curious about what these celebrities use on a day-to-day basis, and they want to be able to achieve the same look. It’s the perfect formula to create honest and connected marketing.

Have a look at the products you use at home, you might be surprised by how many are actually founded/owned by your fave celebs!