The celebrity-led beauty-verse can’t catch a break — we evaluate if it’s here to stay
By Anjan Sachar
For those who walked into their teenage years in the ’90s or early 2000s, the first memory of a Hollywood celebrity-led beauty product is most likely a fragrance bottle adorned with the names of Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. Everyone who loved their music wanted to own a bottle, to be used sparingly and safeguarded on beauty shelves for special occasions. Owning a beauty product with a celebrity’s name on it felt like being one step closer to having them in your life–the aspiration of it all. We evaluate whether celebrity-led beauty brands are simply added income for the names associated with them or a market segment that has growth and sustenance potential.
Venturing into beauty
For a celebrity with a solid following, a beauty brand acts as an extension of themselves, their lifestyle and their beliefs. The brand acts as a medium for them to enter the lives of their fans and followers in a more tangible manner and for a longer duration than a single film, episode or reel. “One of the greatest advantages is the platform that a celebrity has,” explains Elaina Badro, a celebrity make-up artist and founder of her eponymous make-up brush line. “This can quickly help with brand awareness and can generate revenue immediately. Sales in the first year can attract deeper investments and help forecast future projections.” However, not every celebrity ventures into beauty for the best reasons. “Some, with an entrepreneurial spirit, see a gap in the space and want to fill it. Others do it as a quick cash-grab!” An example of a great celebrity-owned beauty brand is Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics — quality products that tick the right boxes and personal involvement from Kerr in every facet of the brand–from product development to text on the packaging–which is also a reflection of her lifestyle.
Making a mark
Brand associations have been a natural extension of celebrities’ work since the beginning of time, but the shift in celebrities lending their name to a brand as opposed to just their face is thanks to the social media influence they have today. “When a celebrity has a cult following, it is embraced by that celebrity’s followers,” says Badro, who has 15 years of experience working with celebrities like Kris Jenner and Olivia Wilde. “The typical consumer is getting smarter and they have become more aware of PR tactics and disingenuous reviews. With that being said, if authenticity and quality are brought to the brand, it certainly has a better chance to be embraced by consumers, not just the celebrity’s followers.”
Celebrity beauty brands: A one-off or here for the long haul?
Brands like Kerr’s Kora Organics and Selena Gomez’ Rare Beauty have found a solid place on beauty shelves around the world for the fact that their product manages to stand by itself. The quality is top tier, they’re not ridiculously priced and simply put, they work. “Being a celebrity and launching a beauty brand doesn’t necessarily mean it will be successful. It takes more than fame to create a successful brand,” agrees Badro. For upcoming Hollywood celebrity brands that manage to build one that can continue to provide hardworking and effective products, the celebrity association will only help boost it further, making them future-proof.