At the age of 12, she used her mother's credit card to purchase a $29 Kylie Lip Kit in Candy K, which included a matte pink liquid lipstick and matching lip liner. The debut makeup product by Kylie Jenner sold out instantly in 2015, causing the website to crash and propelling the youngest Kardashian-Jenner sibling to beauty mogul status at just 18 years old. The demand for Lip Kits was so high that they even became a popular trend at events like New York City bar and bat mitzvahs, where emcees would throw the lip colors and liners into the crowd of dancing tweens in bandage dresses. Five years later, the global beauty market, which brought in almost $500 billion in sales last year according to Euromonitor, is overflowing with celebrities promoting products like lip gloss, face lotion, and even vibrators. New lines are constantly being released, such as Harry Styles' Pleasing nail polish and Machine Gun Kelly's UN/DN LAQR nail polish with unique shades and brushes for nail art. Ariana Grande and Chiara Ferragni have also launched their own makeup lines, each with their own unique themes. Famous celebrities like Billie Eilish, Addison Rae, Lori Harvey, Demi Lovato, and Hailey Bieber have all recently launched their own beauty or wellness products, from fragrances to skin care collections to vibrators. Hailey Bieber's upcoming Rhode Beauty line, named after her middle name, is set to be released next year. The abundance of celebrity-endorsed products in the market is beginning to feel like a parody. When the Alex Rodriguez concealer for men, a collaboration with Hims & Hers, was released in May and gained attention in celebrity news outlets like The Shade Room, many people initially thought it was a joke. Dua expressed skepticism towards celebrity beauty brands, a sentiment shared by many of her peers according to Hana Ben-Shabat, the founder of Gen Z Planet, a research firm. Ben-Shabat's research shows that only 19% of Gen Zers are influenced by celebrities when making purchasing decisions, while 66% cite their friends as the most influential. Stacey Berke, a 34-year-old addiction counsellor from Rochester, New York, noted that celebrities often promote their skincare products as a way to maintain their appearance without the use of Botox. The traditional celebrity endorsement is no longer sufficient as people now want to see expertise or genuine interest in the product being promoted. According to trend forecaster Lucie Greene, the transactional nature of celebrity endorsements is becoming more apparent, with consumers recognizing that celebrities often undergo cosmetic procedures to maintain their looks. The idea of a serum making someone look significantly younger or a celebrity's appearance being entirely natural is no longer convincing to the public. Richard Gersten, an investor and founder of True Beauty Ventures, cautioned that transitioning from making money by promoting other brands to creating one's own brand may not always be the best motivation. He mentioned that his firm has been approached by 10 celebrity or influencer brands recently. Rachel ten Brink, a general partner of Red Bike Capital and founder of Scentbird, noted that in the past, the only way to experience a celebrity's lifestyle was through their perfume, but now social media allows fans to access their food, fashion, opinions, and personal moments in real time. This has changed how the public interacts with celebrities. "You can connect with a celebrity on a more personal level by following them on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok," ten Brink explained. After the popularity of celebrity fragrances in the early 2000s, Kylie Cosmetics introduced a new type of celebrity brand focused on selling makeup and skincare products online. Jenner revolutionized the marketing and selling of brands, which had traditionally been done at department stores or Sephora. With just an Instagram post, Jenner was able to sell millions of dollars worth of lipstick. Then, in 2017, Rihanna's Fenty Beauty changed the beauty industry by promoting inclusivity, diverse shade ranges, and conversations about race. In its first full year, the label brought in more than $500 million in revenue, as reported by LVMH, the French luxury group and co-owner of Fenty Beauty. Another example is Goop, which has established itself as a lifestyle brand over the last ten years. Gwyneth Paltrow, its founder, sells skin care, supplements, bath salts, and athleisure. Many have tried to emulate these successful business models, but some industry insiders, such as John Demsey, executive group president of the Estée Lauder Cos, which owns Estée Lauder, MAC Cosmetics, and Clinique, have reservations about famous founders. He has collaborated with numerous celebrities in his work, but he stated that there will not be a brand solely based on one celebrity. MAC, known for its collaborations with A-list stars like Mary J Blige, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Mariah Carey, recently launched a new Viva Glam lipstick without a celebrity for the first time in 27 years. According to Demsey, the decision to release the red, blue, and yellow lipsticks with Keith Haring designs was based on a return to the core essence of the product and brand. He emphasized that collaborations are temporary, while a brand is long-lasting. The majority of celebrity beauty brands are not successful in the industry. Everyone who was interviewed for this article, ranging from top executives at large corporations to high school students, was requested to identify one to three successful celebrity beauty brands other than Kylie Cosmetics, Fenty, and Goop. However, none were able to do so. Demsey noted that simply relying on influence is insufficient, and having millions of followers on Instagram or TikTok does not guarantee success. For example, in June, Vanessa Hudgens (with 43 million Instagram followers) and Madison Beer (with 29 million Instagram followers) launched Know Beauty, a skincare line that offers personalized regimens based on a DNA test from a cheek swab. Know Beauty made a big entrance when it first launched, but has not been very active since then. However, their products are still available for purchase on their website. The company declined to provide any comments on its current business status. Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories, which was introduced with a lot of excitement two years ago, did not resonate with her devoted fan base. Recently, the brand brought in a new executive team to concentrate on improving their products, ingredients, and packaging. Their latest Casa Gaga collection features a new aesthetic departure from the original black packaging. Lipsticks, highlighters, blush, and other cosmetics are now available in white compacts and tubes with gold accents. Haus Laboratories declined to provide a comment on their business. Other well-known incidents include Tati Westbrook announcing the closure of Tati Beauty in November and Rflct, a skincare brand by gamer Rachell Hofstetter, shutting down after two weeks due to unproven claims about blue light. Few people are aware that a few companies are behind many of the celebrity beauty lines we see today. These companies, known as "incubators," specialize in quickly creating multiple brands simultaneously. They are produced in partnership with a celebrity or with the goal of collaborating with a celebrity later. For instance, Beach House Group developed Florence by Mills for Millie Bobby Brown, Moon oral care line for Kendall Jenner, and Pattern hair care for Tracee Ellis Ross. Forma Brands, the owner of Morphe, is responsible for Jaclyn Cosmetics and Grande's R E M Beauty. Maesa created Flower Beauty for Drew Barrymore, Kristin Ess Hair, TPH by Taraji hair care for Taraji P Henson, and Hey Humans for Jada Pinkett Smith, a personal care line. According to experts, most brands created by these factories are not meant to be long-lasting businesses, although Pattern, by Ross, seems to be successful and could outlast many of its competitors. Greg Portell, a partner at Kearney consulting firm, explained that incubators are designed to operate quickly and efficiently rather than focus on building a brand. Shaun Neff, founder of Beach House Group, mentioned that his team creates ideas for new companies and then collaborates with celebrities to bring them to life. For example, they partnered with supermodel Kendall Jenner to co-create the Kendall Jenner Teeth Whitening Pen and promote Moon oral care products. Neff highlighted Jenner's large fan base, good taste, and style as reasons for the collaboration. The shift in cultural values is also contributing to the decrease in popularity of celebrity brands. Older customers may be more attracted to celebrities, but it is more difficult to attract young millennials and Gen Zers who value authenticity. Dua questioned the skincare knowledge of Brown, the 17-year-old star of "Stranger Things," whose skincare line was released when she was 15: "I don't really trust it because what expertise do they have?" Additionally, wearing someone else's makeup goes against self-expression, which is important to younger generations. "They don't want to be like anyone else, not even a celebrity," ten Brink explained. "They don't want to just emulate Addison Rae."