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| Source: Instagram @kyliecosmetics |
It is undeniable that the beauty world has undergone an
unparalleled change in the last decade. With the rise of social media, makeup
artists have been able to create online profiles to share their own personal
tips and product choices with their followers. From this, more makeup artists
have emerged in a variety of forms to share what they are using on their faces
and bodies. This has catapulted the evolution of beauty blogging, where people
review and recommend products to their followers.
The nature of social media platforms especially Instagram and
YouTube have allowed consumers to better communicate what it is that they want
to see in the beauty market, as well as the products that they are not so much
fans of. Now, it seems that more and more celebrities have tapped into the
rewarding benefits of this feedback and have discovered what people desire in
such a market. It seems that almost every celebrity with a large following has
dabbled in some type of beauty product line, whether that be skincare, cosmetics,
or perfumes to name a few.
Whilst celebrities have always been heavily involved with the
beauty world, what was once simply product endorsement, has turned into a mass
of self-branded product lines. Examples of this, as I am sure you will know,
include Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, launched in 2015 and Fenty Beauty,
founded by Rihanna almost two years ago. Both brands have accumulated
unparalleled attention from consumers and are home to some of the most desired
cosmetic products of the modern world. Kylie Cosmetics has been valued by
Forbes at over $900 million, launching Jenner into the position of the
‘youngest self-made billionaire’.
The success of these brands relies heavily on the close
nature of the relationships that celebrities have with their fan bases. These
close relationships, largely aided by the use of social media, makes consumers
feel like they have firstly, acquired exclusive access into the beauty routine
of the celebrity, and secondly, gained an environment in which they can purchase
the exact products used in that routine.
Rihanna,
being one of the most successful Afro-Barbadian figures serves as a role model
to many other BME men and women. Being a woman of colour, Rihanna is aware of
the difficulties that consumers often face in the beauty world, when brands are
not accessible due to limited colour ranges.
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| Source: Aman Kalkat |
Essentially, as a black woman, Rihanna took it upon herself
to create a brand with a range of 40 different shades of foundation to ensure
that everyone was able to find something that they felt comfortable using.
Rihanna’s own venture was named as one TIMEs ‘Best Inventions of 2017’ and has
consequently become a phenomenon known in the industry as the “Fenty effect”
where a much larger range of shades is now the new standard for beauty
companies.
Kylie Cosmetics, on the other hand, can attribute much of its
success towards the media speculation that surrounded Jenner regarding whether
she had received lip fillers. By opening up to her young target market about an
insecurity she overcame, Jenner was able to monetise this and hence created the
empire that had started solely from lip kits.
Through the use of social media. The lifestyles of
celebrities have become all the more desirable. Consumers, particularly
millennials, want to replicate that and apply it to their own lives and
essentially this is what sells the product.
The success that Rihanna, Kylie, and now even Kim Kardashian
have experienced with their beauty ventures has been witnessed by the world, so
it is no wonder that numerous other celebrities are now looking to capitalise
on this. There are already talks of Ariana Grande looking to create her own
beauty line, and whilst there is now potential for the market to become
oversaturated, the reality is as long as there is a substantial fan base, there
will remain to be substantial sales.
Thank you for reading!
Aman Kalkat
