It seems like every day we open Tiktok or Instagram, we are bombarded with ads from a celebrity’s latest skincare or makeup line. Entrepreneurship has exploded within the last two years (thanks, quarantine!) and, according to Fundera, in 2021 the U.S. has 12.3 million women-owned businesses, with the number only increasing. From the rave about Halsey’s About-Face eye paints to newcomer Hailey Bieber’s Rhode skincare, trying to decide what brands are the best can be difficult—especially when they’re coming from your favorite celebrities.
With so many new products hitting the shelves, we ranked 10 of the most talked about celebrity beauty and skincare lines to let you know if it’s worth the hype, or a waste of your coin.
#10: Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner
What started off as a way to imitate Kylie Jenner’s infamous pout, turned into a million-dollar cosmetics business. While the Kardashian-Jenners have been known for their many, and sometimes sketchy, business adventures, Kylie Cosmetics definitely has some golden products. The newly formulated matte liquid lipsticks have amazing staying power, while her new eyeshadow formula has an amazing one-swipe payoff. The high glosses shine beautifully and are non-sticky, and her cream blushes add just the right amount of flush, even on deeper skin tones.
#9: R.e.m beauty by Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is a woman of many talents. While we fell in love with her for her red hair and beautiful voice on Victorious, the singer has expanded into beauty. R.e.m beauty is still a rookie brand, having just launched only last year, but has quickly gained traction and credibility. Her midnight liquid eyeshadows are show-stopping (just like her concerts) with one swipe of pigmentation and shine, while her mascara lengthens lashes for you to properly bat your eyes and blow a kiss.
#8: Haus Labs by Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga originally launched Haus Labs in 2019, and recently rebranded to become more clean and eco-friendly. The new, reformulated products include a talc-free gel-to-powder highlighter with one swipe payoff, a high-shine lip oil with vegan collagen and prickly pear oil, and “hy-power pigment paint”, perfect for creating a bold and Gagalicious look.
#7: Florence by Mills by Millie Bobby Brown
If Gen Z had a makeup line, this would be it. The Stranger Things actress flipped us into the (makeup version) of the Upside down with the release of these products. While we’re used to seeing her in circa 80s attire and a badass powerful demeanor (you go, El), Florence by Mills really touches on the soft and feminine side of the star. Packaged in soft lilac, the brand features everything from vegan cream blushes to an eyeshadow palette. The brand recently brought its skincare products at Ulta Beauty, because even in the Upside Down, your skin still needs to look its best when fighting a Demogorgon.
#6: Honest Beauty by Jessica Alba
Finding a beauty company that is honest about its ingredients and safety can be difficult, but the ALMA Award-winning actress has made the process a bit easier. Honest Beauty, under the Honest Company umbrella, features skincare and makeup products made without paraffins, silicones, petroleum, talc, and all the other bad stuff that harms Mother Earth. If you’re looking for a clean beauty line, this is honestly the best choice as it has a range of products including mascara and versatile eyeshadow palettes.
#5: Humanrace by Pharell
Pharell has finally shared the secret to his skin (and debunked all rumors that he is a vampire that does not age). Humanrace launched in November 2020, with Oharell stating “Sometimes you just need to be humidified, brought to life.” The skincare line only features three products, a cleanser, exfoliator, and cream, made with high-end ingredients such as rice powder, glycolic acid, and fruit extract. The brand is also microtear safe, so you too can never age like Pharell.
#4: Keys Soulcare by Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys gained praise when she went makeup-free back in 2016. The Grammy award-winning artist swore off makeup because she felt like she was becoming addicted to it – and instead, she started a skincare line. Keys Soulcare launched in 2020 and includes a wide range of skincare products including primers, cleaners, comforting balms, and more. The line is cruelty-free, developed in partnership with dermatologists, and includes a wide range of ingredients good for the skin such as avocado oil, camellia seed oil, and shea butter. As someone with oily skin, I picked up her Promise serum which is designed to help balance oil control levels and brighten the skin and I can personally testify that this has saved me from looking like a glazed donut during the day.
#3: About Face by Halsey
Halsey caused the entire makeup industry to do an about-face when she launched her beauty line. Her cosmetics line brought a bold pop to the industry, featuring the ever-favorite matte fluid eye paints that come in a range of bold, vibrant, and most importantly, pigmented, shades and matching matte liquid lipsticks. The line promotes makeup as being something made for everyone at every stage of life, proving again that make does not have a gender.
#2: Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez made a lasting footprint in our hearts from her time as Alex on Wizards of Waverly Place. Thankfully, she’s not letting us go quite yet. The singer launched Rare Beauty, named after her third studio album, Rare, back in 2020, giving us a rare glimpse of something happy during the tough pandemic. Her soft pinch liquid blushes quickly became staples for their high pigmentation and easy blend-ability, and her liquid touch weightless foundation provides amazing coverage with a natural finish. Priced fairly with the highest item costing $29, Rare Beauty also donates 1% of all sales to mental health initiatives, and to find a company that produces good products and cares about our mental health, is truly rare.
#1: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Riri took the music industry by storm and brought that same energy to the beauty world. Fenty Beauty launched in 2017 and set the bar for diversity and inclusivity in the shade range: Their iconic Pro Filt’r Matte Foundation shook the internet with its 50 different shades and had the girls and boys pucker up for their luscious, vitamin-infused gloss bomb lip gloss. Fenty Beauty has also won “Beauty Game Changer Of The Year” and “Invention Of The Year” awards by Vogue Beauty and TIME. If there’s one thing Rihanna does, it’s launching a beauty line that is worth all of our hard-earned coin.
Don’t fall privy to Instagram ads and filtered photos when choosing the next celebrity beauty line to shop. And remember, celebrities are real people, with skin texture, pores, beauty lines and marks just like you.