As someone who is totally engrossed with the lives of the Kardashian/Jenner clan I am not surprised to see that they are seemingly on a mission of total domination of the makeup industry.
The empires that are Kylie cosmetics and KKW Beauty are ever growing with new releases happening regularly that people just can’t seem to get enough of. To me this growth is impressive as the Kardashians/Jenner’s started out as a family with a totally different look and appeal; they began as influencers in the beauty industry and today have successfully built themselves into business women of their own right. The original brand image of the Kardashians was one that was slightly tackier and a far cry from the exclusive and high-end image they portray today.
Kylie built her makeup empire off her trademark feature; her lips. Her first batch of lip kits sold out within minutes, showing us that the public wanted to buy into the Kardashian/Jenner brand image. Whether or not you’re a fan of Kylie Jenner it is difficult not to respect the fact that at only 20 years old she is the CEO of her own company which is predicted to be worth up on $1 billion by 2020.
Despite the undeniable success of Kylie Cosmetics and KKW Beauty there have been issues raised by consumers of the products that give the impression of the brands focusing more on image and profit than on quality and accessibility. In 2015 Kylie released her first lip kits at $29 which came under fire for containing very similar ingredients to the brand Color Pop that were retailed at almost one third of the price of Kylies lip kits. Many consumers were also very disappointed to find that the brushes on the first batch of lip kits were shoddy and broke and splayed easily after use. Since these controversies, the quality of Kylie Cosmetics products has seemingly improved but, many friends of mine say that the texture of the lip kits is too heavy and have a drying effect on your lips. For me and for many while the appeal of Kylie Cosmetics is there, it is not a brand that I would willingly buy into.
Kim Kardashian (aka the contour queen) also developed her own makeup range starting with contour sticks that experienced phenomenal success and sold completely out during their first hours on sale. Unlike Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty that includes 40 different shades of foundation for all skin tones, KKW contour kits come in a very limited amount of shades and has been criticised for not being inclusive to women of darker skin tones. The quality and usability of the contour kits has also been criticised by many.
Despite my admiration/obsession with the Kardashian/Jenner clan, it is difficult to imagine that they genuinely do have a passion for creating luxury makeup, instead I have concluded that the empire they have built is merely because of their popularity and role as media influencers.
Image by Daily World News