A vivid memory I have from my pre-teen years is being insanely jealous of my friend whose parents had gifted her an imported version of the Kylie Lip Kits back in 2016. Every teenage girl in school envied her and I must say, she did let the fame get to her head! Fast forward to 2024 where Kylie Cosmetics is not only one of the most poorly rated cosmetics companies in the world but is also making less than half of what it used to.
Kylie Cosmetics had half of the world in a chokehold for at least a decade and its fall from the public’s favour has been anything but subtle. In an attempt to understand what caused the discontent amongst loyal fans, we delved into the rise and fall of the youngest Jenner’s billion dollar business.
The Rise Of Kylie Cosmetics
As the internet’s favourite child, Kylie Jenner’s destiny was set in script. She was the eccentric youngest Kardashian in an era where reality TV was still ‘real’. King Kylie was an inspiration for 2015 Vine and Snapchat influencers, with her cotton candy hair and behind the scenes clips of what it was like to grow up in a Kardashian household. Her large following made anything possible, even her master plan to take over the beauty industry at 17.
Thus, launched Kylie Cosmetics, based on fast paced trends and Kylie’s young personality. After amassing a fan base that put her on the Forbes youngest billionaire list, the internet personality’s now infamous Lip Kits were the talk of the town for years to come. If you had a Kylie lip kit in 2015, that was it. You had made it and life would probably never get better than this.
Fast forward to 2024, Jenner is now the mildly successful owner of a series of brands: Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Skin, Kylie Baby, Kylie Swim, khy and Sprinter. Yet, despite expanding her empire with such rigour, none have matched the meteoric success of her initial offerings.
Where Did She Go Wrong?
The question everyone on the internet seems to be answering is: where did she go wrong? How did this multimillion dollar empire fizzle out so quickly? There are three reasons the Kylie empire did well: the relevance of Kylie Jenner at that time, a direct brand to consumer production approach and the novelty of product. According to @thelipsticklesbians on Instagram, the downfall of Kylie Cosmetics happened because this trifecta was affected at the same time.
Here’s some context: the Lip Kits did so well because they were one of the first matte, liquid lipsticks in the market. The novelty of the kits and the allure of Kylie’s freshly botoxed lips was enough to generate a cult like following. Everyone ached to look like her. Remember the viral Kylie Lip Challenge? Essentially, those kits did well because they promised lips like Kylie’s without injections. She had a product no one else had, and an audience that wanted to be just like her – a silver spoon fed business opportunity, if you’ve ever heard of one.
After Kylie sold 51% of Kylie Cosmetics to COTY, the conglomerate delayed new releases which meant the novelty aspect was lost. While the new releases were being delayed, fans began to notice a shift in product quality and brand image. With the launch of Fenty around this time, the internet did not hesitate to call her out on her over priced brushes and lack of inclusivity in shades.
While this was happening, Kylie’s internet presence was also taking a hit with he whole Astroworld fiasco, her removal from the Forbes youngest billionaires list and the multiple lawsuits against her brand from shareholders who claimed that the entire brand was mis-valued at a much higher rate than what was true. After 2019, Kylie was no more the icon of the decade, and people were more interested in her lack of transparency than her shape shifting lips.
The Price Of Relevance
Now that consumers can simply Google the ingredients of products, transparency has become beauty brands’ biggest source of credibility. Strong brand values that work to uplift your audience instead of exploiting them. Good quality products that are inclusive and work to enhance your appearance, not change it entirely. No one wants to look like a celebrity anymore, they want to look like a better version of themselves with products that genuinely show results.
Similarly, what is trending one day will inevitably be replaced with something else. Social media is all about the ‘newest, shiniest’ thing and basing your brand identity off of your own popularity is a sure shot to failure. While her collaboration with big conglomerates definitely played a big part in the downfall, her own lack of responsibility to her customers was a defining cause in the drop.
In fact, the main reason rhode and rare beauty products work so well is because their brand identity is not dependent on the popularity or relevance of the celebrities behind them. The quality of products and consistent referral to what the audience wants is a cornerstone of both celebrity led businesses.
Now, I say this in almost every beauty piece I’ve ever written because it’s true: the beauty industry is ever evolving. In this fast paced atmosphere, where supply already overseeds demands, transparency and inclusivity need to be a cornerstone of your brand. But since the success of the Kardashians lies in their ability to have the most inimitable physical features, maybe it was doomed from the start. What do you think?
Featured Image: Instagram / @kyliejenner