Illustration: Morning Brew Design, Photos: Getty Images
For celebrities, hawking tinted creams and lip plumping oil aren’t just side projects. Celeb beauty brands are helping your favorite singer/actor/nepo baby evolve into a full-on business mogul. Last year, Elf Beauty bought Hailey Bieber’s Rhode for $1 billion. Founded just four years ago, the brand’s sleekly packaged goos seem to go viral every time a new one drops. Rare Beauty, the brand Selena Gomez launched during the pandemic, is reportedly hovering around a $2.7 billion valuation, with its blush accounting for over 26% of all category sales at Sephora, per YipItData. Kylie Jenner, meanwhile, sold a majority stake in Kylie Cosmetics to CoverGirl owner Coty in 2019 for $600 million, but reportedly explored buying back the brand in 2023. (Nothing materialized.) Rihanna is a businesswoman first. The hardest pivot came when pop superstar Rihanna revolutionized the beauty industry by launching Fenty Beauty in 2017. She released 40 shades of foundation (compared to the industry standard of ~20 to match lighter skintones) and brought in $100 million in global revenue in the first two months. Her 50% stake in Fenty Beauty is now worth around $700 million. |