At the age of 12, she used her mother's credit card to purchase a $29 Kylie Lip Kit in the shade Candy K, which included a matte pink liquid lipstick and matching lip liner. Kylie Jenner's first makeup product sold out within seconds of its release in 2015, causing the website to crash and propelling the youngest Kardashian-Jenner sibling to beauty mogul status at just 18 years old. Lip Kits became extremely popular, even making their way into the New York City bar and bat mitzvah scene, where emcees would throw the products into a crowd of dancing tweens wearing bandage dresses. Five years later, the global beauty industry is booming with celebrities promoting products on social media, including lip gloss, face lotion, and even vibrators. New beauty lines are constantly being released at a rapid pace, such as Harry Styles' Pleasing nail polish and Machine Gun Kelly's UN/DN LAQR nail polish. Ariana Grande and Chiara Ferragni have also launched their own makeup lines, each with their own unique themes. Billie Eilish and Addison Rae have launched their own fragrances. Lori Harvey has released her SKN by LH skin care collection, and Demi Lovato has created the Demi Wand, an eight-speed vibrator in collaboration with Bellesa, a website catering to women. Hailey Bieber has announced that her Rhode Beauty line will be available for purchase next year, named after her middle name. The abundance of celebrity beauty and self-care products is beginning to seem like a parody. When the Alex Rodriguez concealer for men, created with Hims & Hers, was released in May and gained attention in celebrity news outlets like The Shade Room, many people thought it was a joke. Dua expressed skepticism towards celebrity beauty brands, as did many of her peers according to Hana Ben-Shabat, founder of Gen Z Planet. Ben-Shabat's research indicates that only 19% of Gen Zers are influenced by celebrities in their purchasing decisions, while 66% are influenced by their friends. Stacey Berke, a 34-year-old addiction counselor from Rochester, New York, noted that celebrities often promote their own skincare products and claim to use them instead of getting procedures like Botox. The traditional method of celebrity endorsement is no longer sufficient, as people now require evidence of expertise or genuine interest in the product being promoted. According to trend forecaster Lucie Greene, the transactional nature of these endorsements is becoming more obvious, with consumers demanding authenticity and passion behind the promotions. Additionally, the public is aware that many celebrities undergo cosmetic procedures to maintain their appearance, making it difficult to believe in the effectiveness of the products they endorse. Richard Gersten, an investor and the founder of True Beauty Ventures, noted that transitioning from promoting brands for others to creating one's own brand may not always be the best motivation. He mentioned that his firm has been approached by around 10 celebrity or influencer brands recently. Rachel ten Brink, a general partner of Red Bike Capital and founder of Scentbird, pointed out that in the past, access to celebrities' lives was limited to their perfume, but now fans have real-time access to their food, fashion, opinions, and personal moments through social media. This has redefined how the public interacts with celebrities. "You can feel a connection to a celebrity by following them on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok," ten Brink explained. "This allows you to engage with them in a unique way." After the popularity of celebrity fragrances in the early 2000s, such as those from Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and 50 Cent, Kylie Cosmetics introduced a new type of celebrity brand that focused on selling makeup and skincare products online. Jenner revolutionized the marketing and selling of a brand, which had traditionally been done at department store counters or Sephora. With just an Instagram post, Jenner was able to generate millions of dollars in lipstick sales. Then in 2017, Rihanna's Fenty Beauty set a new standard for inclusivity, shade ranges, and discussions about race in the beauty industry. In its first full year, the label produced over $500 million in revenue, as reported by LVMH, the French luxury group and co-owner of Fenty Beauty. Goop, founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, has established itself as a lifestyle brand over the past decade, selling skin care, supplements, bath salts, and athleisure. Many have tried to replicate these successful business models, but some industry experts, such as John Demsey, executive group president of the Estée Lauder Cos, remain skeptical of brands led by famous personalities. He has collaborated with numerous celebrities, but he mentioned that there will not be a brand solely based on one celebrity. On December 1st, MAC, known for its collaborations with A-list stars like Mary J Blige, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Mariah Carey, launched a new Viva Glam lipstick without a celebrity for the first time in 27 years. Demsey explained that the decision felt right, and they focused on the core essence of the product and brand. He mentioned that collaborations capture a moment, while a brand is everlasting. The dirty little secret in the industry is that most celebrity beauty brands fail. Everyone who was interviewed for this article, ranging from high school students to executives at multibillion-dollar companies, was requested to list one to three celebrity beauty brands that have been successful aside from Kylie Cosmetics, Fenty, and Goop. However, no one could provide any names. According to Demsey, merely relying on influence is not sufficient, and even having tens of millions of followers on Instagram or TikTok is not a guarantee of success. For instance, in June, Vanessa Hudgens (with 43 million Instagram followers) and Madison Beer (with 29 million Instagram followers) launched Know Beauty, a skin care line that offers personalized regimens based on a DNA test from a cheek swab. Know Beauty had a successful launch initially, but has not been very active since then. Products are still available on their website, but the company declined to comment on their business. Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories, which was introduced with much excitement two years ago, did not resonate with her dedicated fan base. The brand recently hired a new executive team to concentrate on product innovation, ingredients, and packaging. Their latest Casa Gaga collection features a different aesthetic than the original black packaging. Lipsticks, highlighters, blush and other beauty products are now available in white compacts and tubes with gold accents. Haus Laboratories did not provide a statement regarding their business. Other high-profile incidents include Tati Westbrook announcing the closure of Tati Beauty, and Rflct, a skincare brand by gamer Rachell Hofstetter, shutting down after two weeks due to unsupported anti-blue-light claims. Many celebrity lines are actually created by a few companies known as brand factories or "incubators" that produce multiple labels quickly. They are either developed in partnership with a celebrity or created with the intention of collaborating with a celebrity later on. Examples include Beach House Group's work with Millie Bobby Brown's Florence by Mills, Kendall Jenner's Moon oral care line, and Tracee Ellis Ross' Pattern hair care. Forma Brands, which owns Morphe, is responsible for Jaclyn Cosmetics and Grande's R E M Beauty. Maesa has developed products for Drew Barrymore's Flower Beauty, Kristin Ess Hair, Taraji P Henson's TPH by Taraji hair care, and Jada Pinkett Smith's Hey Humans personal care line. According to experts, most lines created by brand factories are not meant to last long-term, but Ross's Pattern line seems to be thriving and could outlast many of its competitors. Greg Portell, a partner at the Kearney consulting firm, explained that incubators are designed to move quickly and focus on speed rather than brand building. Shaun Neff, founder of Beach House Group, mentioned that his team generates ideas for new companies and then partners with celebrities. Neff specifically mentioned Kendall Jenner as a co-creator of the Kendall Jenner Teeth Whitening Pen and the face of Moon, an oral care brand. The decline of celebrity brands is also influenced by shifting cultural values. Older customers are more likely to be attracted to celebrity endorsements, but it is more challenging to appeal to young millennials and Gen Zers who value authenticity. Dua raised doubts about the skincare knowledge of Brown, the 17-year-old star of "Stranger Things," whose skincare line was released when she was 15. Dua questioned, "I don't really trust it because what expertise do they have?" Additionally, younger generations see wearing someone else's makeup as going against self-expression, which is a key value for them. According to ten Brink, they do not want to emulate celebrities like Addison Rae, as they strive to be unique and not like anyone else.