Are Celebrity Beauty Brands Actually Worth the Hype?

November 12th, 2021 at 9:00am

It seems like every celebrity has a beauty brand these days. Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, and now even Ariana Grande (who recently launched her new beauty brand R.E.M. Beauty) all have temporarily switched out their mics for makeup brushes to work on their beauty lines. Fans can’t get enough of these brands, when their favorite actor or artist makes products they just have to try them. Even though some celebrities diving into the beauty world makes more sense than others, fans get excited nonetheless. Sometimes celeb beauty brands are a hit, and sometimes they’re a miss — I’m here to debunk which celebrity beauty brands are worth the hype and which ones didn’t quite make the mark.

PHOTO: @aboutfacebeauty

Halsey: About-Face Beauty

I was so excited when I heard Halsey was releasing her own line of makeup, About-Face. She frequently posts her makeup looks and I always enjoy seeing her express herself through her art. The brand has many products that are vibrant and fun. They also do great with inclusivity, showing many different people in the looks they create on their Instagram and in the about-face campaigns. If you’re an artist of any kind, this brand is for you.

Shop Bestsellers: Shadowstick $21, Light Lock Highlighter Fluid $32, and Light Lock Lip Gloss $20.

PHOTO: @fentybeauty

Rihanna: Fenty Beauty + Fenty Skin

I think we all know this is a yes. When she’s not making hit albums, Rihanna is making bomb makeup and skincare products. CF community member Naomi Parris shared why Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin are her favorite celebrity beauty brands. “For the skin line, I’m absolutely obsessed with the cleanser, Fat Water, and sunscreen. For the makeup line, I love her lightweight hydration dewy foundation, it doesn’t even feel heavy or cakey! And I love her concealer, lipsticks, and gloss bombs! I literally go through one bomb at least once a month,” Parris said.

Shop Bestsellers: Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer $19, Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation $36, and Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum $28

PHOTO: @hauslabs

Lady Gaga: Haus Laboratories 

Mother Monster herself moved into the beauty world back in 2019 when she launched her beauty brand Haus Laboratories. The company backs up what Gaga has been preaching for years; self-love and finding value in individuality. With great prices and beautiful color options, I’d say this brand is worth a try. 

Shop Bestsellers: Liquid Eye-Lie-Ner $20, Le Monster Matte Lip Crayon $18, and Four-Way Shadow Palette $24

PHOTO: @kyliecosmetics

Kylie Jenner: Kylie Cosmetics + Kylie Skin 

Kylie Jenner is the definition of a businesswoman. She’s had multiple brands drop in recent years. Kylie Skin, Kylie Swim, and coming soon Kylie Baby. However, we can’t forget what started it all, Kylie Cosmetics. There’s been talk over the years from the beauty community and beauty lovers over the quality of some of the Kylie Cosmetics products, and speculation over how and where they’re made. I’ve only tried a select few —the standout for me being the matte liquid lipsticks — but overall it seems like Kylie Cosmetics is here to stay. 

Shop Bestsellers: Kybrow Kit $34, Kylie Matte Lip Kit $29, and Lip Oil $22

PHOTO: @kkwbeauty

Kim Kardashian: KKW Beauty

We can’t talk about the Kardashian/Jenner clan when it comes to beauty without mentioning Kylie’s big sister’s launch of KKW Beauty. Dropping after the success of Kylie Cosmetics, KKW Beauty had some hit products. Now, Kim is revamping the company. I’m interested to see where she takes the brand and what will happen next. 

PHOTO: @florencebymills

Millie Bobby Brown: Florence by Mills

Created by Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, Florence by Mills is a brand that sells skincare, makeup, hair products, and more. When it comes to skincare, I haven’t heard too many good things about this brand. But, I won’t lie, I have been curious to try out some of their products. I wouldn’t rush to buy anything, but the brand’s visuals are enough to intrigue me. 

Shop Bestsellers: Swimming Under the Eyes Gel Pads $34, Cheek Me Late Cream Blush $14, and Spot a Spot Acne Patches $14

PHOTO: @rarebeauty

Selena Gomez: Rare Beauty 

One of the most recent successful celebrity beauty brand launches has been by singer Selena Gomez. I’ve heard many good things about products from Rare Beauty. I definitely need to get my hands on some of them during my next trip to Sephora.

Shop Bestsellers: Soft Pinch Liquid Blush $20, Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara $20, and Lip Soufflé Matte Cream Lipstick $20.

Having tried both Fenty Beauty and Rare Beauty, CF community member Hristiana Stoyanova, a junior at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas, shares her take on their products and celebrity beauty brands in general.

“At first I was kind of confused and even against celebrity beauty brands since it just seemed like a quick cash grab,” Hristiana said.

“I still think that’s what it is for some celebs, but I think some of them, (like Rihanna and Selena Gomez for example), actually work hard on their brands or at the very least work with quality suppliers and people that know what they’re doing to ensure that their brands are high quality. I think Kylie Cosmetics is decent as well, but I do think Kylie mainly uses her name and the quality of the products does not seem to be worth their price. I’m also looking forward to Ariana Grande’s beauty line R.E.M. Cosmetics, coming out soon.”

With any beauty brand, you’ll never know how a product will work for you until you try it for yourself. As a lover of makeup and pop culture, I think it’s fun to see different celebrities who are passionate about experimenting in makeup and making new products. It’s clear when it’s a money-driven company and not a passion-driven one, but hey, a good product is a good product!


Featured photo by @ashlynkvte.

Author