Are Celebrity Makeup Lines Just Cash Grabs? August 27, 2019
Sometimes it feels like new celebrity makeup lines are released every week. While some of these brands feel authentic, others feel disingenuous. But are all celebrity makeup lines just cash grabs?
From Perfume to Makeup
Were you even an American adolescent in the 2000s if you didn’t own your favorite celebrity’s signature scent? Amongst some of the most notable celebrity perfumes were Beyonce’s Heat, Brittney Spears’ Curious and Fantasy, Jennifer Lopez’s Glow, Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend, and Taylor Swift’s Wonderstruck.
Gone are the good ole days where all of our favorite celebrities released their signature scent(s) so that us common-folk could smell like our idols. In lieu of the celebrity scent, we the consumer have seemingly been offered something better: The Celebrity Makeup Line.
In today’s Beau-Tea Talk, we’ll be discussing the rise of celebrity cosmetic lines. Are these products that consumers really want? Are celebrity makeup lines just cash grabs?
The DNA of a Celebrity Makeup Line
Celebrities have long been the faces for beauty and fashion products in commercials, print ads, etc. However, in the 1990s and 2000s, American celebrities started to venture into new territory by launching their own ”signature scents.”
In recent years, the proliferation of internet-based, direct-to-consumer retailing changed celebrity and brand relationships. Additionally, the rise of social media marketing altered the celebrity merchandising tactics. Instead of acting solely as spokespeople for known brands, some celebrities ventured to the next level by launching their own celebrity makeup lines.
Some of the early celebrities to capitalize on the rise of celebrity makeup line include Kat Von D, Kylie Jenner, Rihanna, and Kim Kardashian. Moreover, celebrities like Kylie Minogue, Millie Bobbie Brown, and Kesha are now dipping their toes into the world of celebrity makeup lines.

KKW Beauty Best of Pink Lipsticks, Liquid Concealer + Pressed Pigment #3
In Defense of Celebrity Makeup Lines
- Some celebrities profoundly impact a country’s beauty trends. In doing so, these influencers set new trends or bring lesser-known trends to the forefront of pop culture.
- Celebrities may have subject matter expertise or a unique beauty voice that extends beyond their status as entertainers. For example, Caroline Hirons, British Skincare Influencer, has subject matter expertise when it comes to providing skincare advice.
- Creating a makeup or skincare line may have always been the ultimate goal for some beauty influencers.
- Adolescents often emulate their favorite celebrity’s beauty and fashion choices, anyways!
Against Celebrity Makeup Lines
Too often a celebrity makeup line seems like a quick cash grab rather than a meaningful investment in the beauty community. When celebrities only serve as the face of the brand, it may seem like a money grab.
Other negatives of the celebrity-inspired line include:
- Celebrities AND influencers “talk up” their involvement with a brand, but then take zero accountability when something goes wrong.
- Consumers forget that a celebrity or influencer brand is still a corporation. As such, consumers blindly give those brands their trust and accept poor customer service that they’d never normally condone.
- Too many releases look and feel the SAME as everything else out on the market.
- Potential to pay more for the celebrity name, despite lack of beauty expertise.

Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb, Killawatt Highlighter, and Sunstalk’r Bronzer
Twitter Sounds Off: Would You Support A Celebrity Makeup Line?
On Twitter, I posed the below question:
Do you feel that “celebrity makeup brands” (i.e. KKW, Kylie, Fenty, KVD) are the new “celebrity perfume” ?
And, would you consider purchasing from a celebrity-founded brand?
Please VOTE in my poll & let me know your thoughts to be featured.💜 #bloggerswanted #bloggersrequired
— thenewburygirl (@thenewburygirl) June 30, 2019
Although we’ve seen a growing market for celebrity-owned beauty brands, I was surprised to find that the majority of my Twitter friends felt skeptical about celebrity makeup lines.
31% of voters indicated that they’d never purchase from a celebrity brand. Another 62% indicated that supporting a celebrity makeup line would be dependent on the celebrity.
Here’s what some of my friends had to say:
I mean, most of my makeup is from Kylie Cosmetics so yes I would purchase! But I feel like too many celebrities are trying to make money from makeup nowadays (and sometimes even celebrities who aren’t really related to makeup)
— Simone 🌙 (@beautymone) June 30, 2019
I would totally purchase it, if it was a product that interested me or I needed. I’m always willing to try something new! And yes.. I think this movement is the new “celebrity perfume.”
— Glamour With Christine (@with_christine) July 5, 2019
My friends’ opinions really fell in line with the overall trend that some people were very open to the idea of purchasing from a celebrity line, while others had more reservations. In most cases, the high price tag or particular celebrity were the reasons for purchase hesitation.
It really all depends for me I think! I’ve had absolutely no interest in anything from Kylie or KKW, but I would be definitely open to buying from Fenty beauty. It probs depends on the celeb, I’m not a fan of the Jenners/kardashians so that’s probably why I wouldn’t buy from them
— Molly rose 🌹 (@mindofmollyblog) June 30, 2019
I want to try Fenty but not because it’s Rihanna, but because the products seem to actually work and she’s put her heart and soul into it! I don’t care much for anyone else. I’ve bought a couple of Kylie’s lip kits bc I like the colour but that’s all.
— Jackie | The Vibrant Dreamer🌸 (@1vibrantdreamer) June 30, 2019
Also, most consumers want to purchase from cruelty-free brands that create quality products. Additionally, it is important that new brands contribute to the beauty community. Therefore, there are high expectations when it comes to celebrity-owned lines. Moreover, if these expectations are not met, the price associated with the celebrity’s name may not be worthwhile.
I’m a huge Kardashian fan, but I don’t think I’d ever buy their beauty products. I feel like there’s so many products out there that do the same thing without the price tag. You’re paying for a name rather than a good quality product! X
— Rachel 💕 (@Rachelkdowning) June 30, 2019
It personally doesn’t matter to me whether is a celebrity brand or not. Other factors such as the product being cruelty free and vegan arr more important to me regardless of who’s product it is.
— Alyssa🌙 (@AlyssaJade_2) July 5, 2019
I’d love to try Fenty and KVD. I haven’t tried any Kylie or KKW products yet, but I’m undecided if I really want to give them a go.
— Kat (@femenish) July 1, 2019
Thank you to all those who shared their opinions on celebrity makeup lines. Everyone featured is a lovely, talented blogger you should be reading and supporting!!
So, are Celebrity Makeup Lines Just a Cash Grab?
Honestly, I’ve reached “new brand” launch fatigue. It feels like I’m reading about the launch of a new celebrity or influencer founded makeup line or collaboration every day.
Although a celebrity or influencer may have a huge influence on beauty trends it doesn’t mean that he or she needs to release a makeup line. Moreover, if a new line isn’t adding something new to the makeup community, they don’t need to exist.
On that note, the most successful celebrity makeup lines are ones that transcend their founder’s star power. These are brands that make an impact in the industry. For example, Kylie Jenner’s lip kits launched a trend to provide consumers with “kits” and “bundles.” These bundles made it easier for consumers to recreate a cohesive look.
Also, Fenty Beauty’s inclusive shade range and marketing lit a fire in the American cosmetic industry. Now brands are expected to offer more products for beauty wearers of all skin tones.
Ultimately, only time will tell whether these celebrity makeup lines are here to stay. Will these lines last beyond the life of their famous founder’s celebrity status? We’ll have to wait and see.
Let’s connect on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin’ | Influenster
Do you love talking about trends in the beauty industry just as much as me? Check out my previous Beau-Tea Talk where I dive into the world of Paying for PR Kits.
What do you think about celebrity and influencer-founded cosmetics lines? Are celebrity makeup lines just cash grabs? Please let me know in the comments below.
beauty beauty blogger beauty chit chat beauty commentary Celebrity Makeup Lines fenty beauty Influencer Makeup Lines KKW kylie cosmetics makeup YouTube influencers
For me, it really depends on the quality of the product, how it’s made and the ingredients. Although I haven’t tried Fenty, it’s a brand I’d like to try because of the range and reviews I’ve heard about the products!
I agree – I think a celeb name can generate buzz but it is the products that would keep me coming back… not the name!
So so many of the makeup enthusiasts are getting overwhelmed. I keep hearing phrases like overwhelmed, fatigued, satisfied everywhere. Even myself am really content with what I have. I really want to do a low buy no buy but I’m worried about feeling restricted. Secretly have been following your journey to get tips and tricks and deciding for next year. I do agree it’s the new celebrity perfume though. I’ve taken a step back from popular brands that release daily and so many collabs. I’ve bought what I want all summer instead of what’s trending.
I agree that I’m overwhelmed by the sheer volume of releases. I’ve been such a failure with my Low Buy, so I think I’m going to do a full-on No Buy starting in September. 🙈
The only celeb makeup line I’ve tried is Fenty & it’s a great brand of amazing quality! Therefore I’d quite like to try any other celeb lines x
Fenty is such amazing quality – I really like Persona Cosmetics too (founded by influencer Sona Gasparian) ☺️
What a thoughtful, informative post, LP. I had not thought of all these pros and cons and it’s easy to be attracted to those shiny, glitzy celebrity endorsed products. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
It’s alarming because I see so many “Stans” excusing away bad business practices, poor product quality, or basic releases all because they want to “support” their fave celeb.
It’s possible to love & support a favorite artist without buying from one of their brands!
Interesting post! I think it definitely depends on the celeb for me as well as the price because if it’s super expensive and not worth the price I don’t think I would buy it even if they were my favourite celeb.
I def agree with you! Price is always an important factor to consider!!
Yeah for sure!
Brilliant post. It definitely does seem to be the new thing for celebs to get involved in and I do feel like even amongst all.makeup brands it’s a lot of the same everywhere you look and just SO many releases constantly. For me there’s some I’m keen to try more of like Fenty, but because it’s got great reviews and not based on the fact it’s Rhianna’s line. But nothing from the Kardashian appeals to me, it all looks so basic to me but with a hefty price tag. I weirdly do want to try some of the brand Millie Bobby Brown has created though, even though I think it’s aimed at teenagers…
But also Britney spears perfume was legit my go to for so many years 😂
I agree with you on Fenty – I feel like the brand has transcended its celeb status in a way. I agree that some of the Kardashian-Jenner releases are basic, BUT I will say that I’ve enjoyed the formula.
Also the Millie Bobbie Brown release shocked me completely! I do like the purple packaging though! 💜
OMG. yes, I used to have the JB girlfriend perfume haha! For me, it depends on the celeb honestly and the reputation that follows them in the beauty industry. I’m a fan of Kylie Cosmetics!
Much love always,
GABBY | http://www.gabbyabigaill.com
lol! I never had the JB perfume, but I did own Brittney’s Curious & Taylor Swift’s Wonderstruck. Also, I’d be lying if I said the Ariana Grande perfume wasn’t appealing to me lol! Loveee her. 😀
Really loved this post and how you included pro’s and cons and different opinions!
Moreover, I have to admit I still use Beyonce’s heat & Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend to this day lol.
hahaha that’s so amazing – I’m honestly tempted by the new Ari perfume TBH!
Me tooo! I really want to smell it in store soon
Cruelty-free is the number one most important thing to me, especially if it’s a celebrity brand because of the high price tags. I would def not try a celeb’s line if I wasn’t a fan of theirs but, would love to try anything of someone I was a fan of. I do remember when celebs came out with fragrances lol fun times.
I’m the same way – I think I’d need to appreciate the celeb to want to try a line from them. However, I do buy from the Kardashian-Jenner lines even though I wouldn’t call myself a fan… I think it is because they’re def beauty icons and because I do enjoy the product quality!
Thankfully more and more brands are def becoming CF. It is mainly brands that sell in China that are not CF anymore and this is only due to China’s testing policies for international companies.
I want all of Kim’s makeup but all of Kylie’s looks trashy to me… I think that it’s because I’m a fan of the Kardashians but not the Jenners though. 😛 I have noticed more & more brands are becoming CF, which I love. It sucks that some are too money hungry to pull out of China.
lol! Kylie Cosmetics definitely has a younger, more trendy feel while KKW tends to create products more slowly and with a more classic feel. I like that now they’re both available at Ulta though because it makes it easier to test something out before buying it.
That’s the perfect way to describe the brands! It does make it so much more convenient now that they’re sold at Ulta though. 🙂
I think it all depends really. Some celebrity makeup lines are actually pretty decent for instance KVD or Fenty. Others are just plain boring. I was actually pretty dissapointed by Haus Laboratories for instance! Sometimes it does seem that beauty companies use celebrity names in order to sell more products. Some fans buy everything by their idol after all. Interesting debate here!