There are so many new celebrity makeup brands making their way into the beauty industry nowadays – from Rihanna to Kylie Jenner. But to me, the brand that has really stood out in 2020 is Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez. One of the newer makeup brands to make its entrance into the beauty world, Rare Beauty really unpacks the definition of beauty and the unrealistic expectations placed by society. Rare Beauty makeup is meant to help users embrace their inner brilliance by highlighting what makes each person uniquely beautiful.
Rare Beauty launched in September 2020 in Sephora stores and on www.rarebeauty.com with a whopping 48 shades of foundations and concealers, primer, mist, touch-up kit, liquid eyeliner, lip balm, lip cream, liquid luminizer, liquid blush, and a brow pencil and gel. Selena Gomez emphasized the easy to use and shade inclusive products which won people over, especially those who always had trouble finding their perfect shade. You do not have to be a makeup artist to use these products because they are so blendable and creamy. As for packaging, they are making a conscious effort to do better and introduce post-consumer recycled materials into their packaging later this year. All their recyclable boxes are made from FSC-certified materials and printed with water-based ink. Packaging is also strategically made for those who suffer from arthritis and lupus in mind so it can be easier to open all the products. As a cruelty and vegan brand, everything is made gently with love. All products are formulated with sensitive skin types in mind and are not tested on animals.
Aside from the brand and the products itself, Gomez wanted to go further and make an impact by launching The Rare Impact Fund to eventually raise $100M over the next 10 years to help provide people easier access to mental health services. On https://www.rarebeauty.com/, you can see all the resources and information provided for mental health resources such as access to the Crisis Text Line and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also find that there is a Rare Beauty Health Council filled with leaders and practitioners from the mental health field who help guide their strategy. These are just some of the things Rare Beauty is implementing to better the world, and I admire the fact that Gomez’s brand messaging reflects the struggles she has faced in her life.
Rare Beauty really brings the focus back to what beauty really means. Beauty can often be associated with materialistic things and looks, instead of feelings. To me, beauty is a feeling. It is a feeling of confidence, self-acceptance, and self-love no matter the flaws and imperfections. Using these products on my face serves as a reminder of the message Rare Beauty radiates. And as an outsider watching this brand grow overtime and learning more about the meaning behind it, I have been able to recenter myself surrounding the concept of beauty and perfection. The “rare” in Rare Beauty is about embracing the rare and being comfortable with who you are no matter what others think and without the filters or coverups. Rare Beauty and their mission stands out because it is based off of Selena Gomez’s experiences and the struggles she has faced making it more meaningful. This makeup brand is a way for her to express her message and what she has learned about self love throughout the years.
#WeAreRare is used to join the conversation of challenging beauty norms by talking about important topics like self acceptance and mental health. So thank you Selena Gomez for reminding us once again of what it means to feel beautiful because beauty comes from within. Thank you for bringing back the true definition of “beauty” to the beauty industry.