The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Though Kylie Jenner’s millions of followers (and customers) were rejoicing when the Kylie Cosmetics brand announced it would start supplying 30 shades of concealers, not everyone was too thrilled about the new products. While Kylie Cosmetics offers an array of shades that appear to promote inclusivity for nearly every makeup lover, the concealers still managed to spark controversy before even being released.
Unless you’re somehow unfamiliar with Kylie Jenner or her company, you’d know that this isn’t the first time that Kylie Cosmetics has been criticized. Plus, the company has been known for its notoriously terrible questionable customer service, according to USA Today.
Nevertheless, Kylie Cosmetics’ concealer launch has approximately twice as many shades as other reputable brands that are specifically known for their highly-rated concealers. In fact, despite this seemingly progressive product launch, many think it’s suspicious that Kylie Cosmetics would release its inclusive concealers shortly after Rihanna’s cosmetic company, Fenty Beauty, revolutionized the makeup game with its diverse foundation range.
Y’all really gonna give ur money to @kyliecosmetics’s they would’ve never included deeper shades if it wasn’t for @fentybeauty know the difference between when a company sees you and when they just want your money
— #MMIW (@lilnativeboy) December 7, 2017
It’s clear that some believe that Kylie is just copying Rihanna’s idea to create a more inclusive makeup brand—but why does this matter if Kylie Cosmetics is ultimately generating more options for makeup consumers?
The Root explains that many makeup brands who have tried to create more diverse face products have failed to do so, mainly because they tend to ignore the importance of undertones (especially for POC). Based on Kylie Cosmetics’ Instagram photos, the concealers seem to have a wide range of colors and undertones. And while a photo is worth a thousand words, a photo will never actually show you what the product will look like on your skin.
As @HereForTheTea2 points out, it still seems counterproductive to release a line of concealers when Kylie Cosmetics doesn’t have any physical stores and the products aren’t offered at any retailers. Anyone who has a general knowledge of makeup knows that it takes years of skill, a graduate degree and a lot of prays to the makeup gods just to find your perfect shade of concealer and foundation in one brand.
— Tea Time (@HereForTheTea2) December 7, 2017
Even with the high quality photos of the products and the respective swatches, there’s no way to determine what concealer shade would suit your skin tone (and undertone), because the swatches look different on everyone.
Because you can only buy the concealers online or at the limited time Kylie Truck which will only travel to select locations, it seems like Kylie Cosmetics might be taking too much advantage of their loyal customers. After all, Kylie Cosmetics doesn’t accept returns. Elite Daily reports that the brand procrastinated on releasing a price for the concealers, so people could even spend an undisclosed amount of money to maybe get the right shade.
The company will temporarily stock its products at select Topshop locations, according to W Magazine. Not only are these particular locations rather scarce, but these “pop-up experiences” only last for five weeks. The temporary experience first started on Nov. 20, which means certain customers only have 13 days (depending on store hours) to test these concealers out after they’ve finally been released.
Based on the rapidly rising net worth of Kylie Cosmetics it’s likely that the company *could* open physical stores in the future. However, that doesn’t help customers now—who risk wasting their money on these nonrefundable complexion products. Though Kylie could be pandering to her consumers after Fenty Beauty’s notorious debut, there’s still a highlight of hope that could transpire from these concealers, aside from the lowkey buyer’s remorse PSA.
With the release of Fenty Beauty’s 40 stunning foundations hues and Kylie’s 30 concealers, other brands are likely to follow suit and diversify their own brands because they’ll need to adapt to be able to compete with both of these successful companies.
Controversy or nah, Kylie Cosmetics is aiding Fenty Beauty in its revolution to transform the entire makeup community, so one day once upon a time everyone will be able to find their ideal shade match without any unnecessary hassle or risk.