Another day, another red-carpet regular gets dazzled by the glossy veneer of the beauty industry. But the trouble isn’t with celebrity brands themselves, but rather the blanket advice shilled by the starlets, whether its Jennifer Lopez sharing that she relies on olive oil to keep the Botox at bay, models crediting obscure fruit extracts for reviving what ails you, or good ol’ Gwyneth Paltrow demonstrating how she uses SPF as a highlighter (as opposed to applying it everywhere, as one should).
‘Celebrity or not, nobody should be giving sweeping statements on beauty advice. It might be a great marketing soundbite – if it’s controversial then it may even get more reach – but blanket universal advice not only ignores our precious uniqueness but may even be wrong or potentially harmful, if taken out of context,’ agrees brand builder and former head of beauty at Liberty, Rhea Cartwright.
Celebrity brands are not a new phenomenon and they’re here to stay, as celebrities realise the potential profit they can make from launching beauty brands based on their stardom and influence.
For the most part, industry insiders have viewed celebrity brands with a cynical lens (an Emmy statuette doesn’t guarantee sound skincare advice), but there have been breakout successes. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna brought inclusivity to the forefront – thus inspiring legacy brands everywhere to do the same, Beyoncé’s Cécred is well-loved within the industry for its effective formulas and messaging that centres on hair health above all else, and Rare Beauty is…well, it’s just really brilliant make-up (and it has a philanthropic arm), whether or not you care for Selena Gomez.
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In other words, I’m not against celebrity beauty brands – even if I do think the industry is already incredibly saturated. What’s concerning is when celebrities start giving blanket beauty advice to market their brands.
We’ve seen it before when Jennifer Lopez namechecked olive oil, positive affirmations and eating well as the answers to her radiant complexion (this might ring true for Lopez, but my acne certainly needed the intervention of modern medicine), or when Kylie Jenner credited her noticeably fuller lip to her Lip Kits (she’s since admitted to using filler). While Jenner has every right to use injectables, it is disingenuous to sell lipstick to young women with the promise of fulfilling a beauty ideal you’ve set – one that is unattainable with make-up alone. We’ve seen it before when Jennifer Lopez namechecked olive oil, positive affirmations and eating well as the answers to her radiant complexion (this might ring true for Lopez, but my acne certainly needed the intervention of modern medicine), or when Kylie Jenner credited her noticeably fuller lip to her Lip Kits (she’s since admitted to using filler).
While Jenner has every right to use injectables, it is disingenuous to sell lipstick to young women with the promise of fulfilling a beauty ideal you’ve set – one that is unattainable with make-up alone.
Most recently, Blake Lively has claimed that she foregoes conditioners in favour of nourishing masks (which, technically still comes under the umbrella of conditioning). It might be effective for some hair types – but for the rest of us, a light conditioner can benefit just as well.
Colourist Nicola Clarke agrees. ‘I have in the past and for holidays said I reach straight for a hair mask and skip conditioner, but a mask is just a more intense conditioner,’ she tells ELLE. ‘Depending on your hair type and the results you want for your hair, a mask can be too heavy. Blake looks like she has been blessed with thick wavy hair so it probably works for her hair, but it definitely wouldn’t work for all hair types.’
It’s important for celebrities to understand that beauty is not, and should not be, a one-size-fits-all approach. ‘Hair and skin are deeply personal but alongside that, our lives are completely different to a celebrity who may never even wash or style their hair themselves, apply their own make-up or go a week without a facial,’ says beauty journalist Laura Capon, who does celebrity beauty brand deep dives on her social media.
‘There are a plethora of factors that dictate which products, and how to use them, could work best for us,’ adds Cartwright. ‘Even people with identical genetic make-up will have different needs, so always remember that what works for one person may not work for you.’ Instead of fronting and launching a new brand, A-listers would do well to invest in existing brands spearheaded by beauty industry experts, as Dua Lipa and Dakota Johnson have done with Dizziak haircare and Maude wellness, respectively.
‘You don’t have to create a brand to make money from this industry,’ says Capon. ‘Look at Maria Sharapova and Supergoop. Maria was an early investor in the brand after trying it and discovering it was the only SPF that didn’t irritate her eyes. As of 2023, the brand was reportedly worth between £600 and £700 million. Investing in a brand that you love and believe in, that has more authority in the space than you, is, in my opinion, a much wiser route.’
Before falling for another starry launch, do remember that your favourite pop star also has a number of top dermatologists on speed dial and access to countless expert help. Don’t discount the fact that images on social media are also often edited to bring out the best in their features. In an ideal world, it would serve celebrities well to be transparent and share the advice they’ve been given from the pros: consumers are much more informed now, and will no doubt appreciate a celebrity who doesn’t gatekeep the treatments, tweakments, and professional help they’ve received.
It goes without saying but, always take a closer look at the ingredients list of a product and make sure it is something that will suit your individual needs. If in doubt, make consultant dermatologists, hairstylists and credible make-up artists and aestheticians your primary source of information.
Ultimately, there will always be yet another celebrity beauty brand as long as they can turn a profit. But hopefully, more A-listers will start to appreciate that the beauty of the beauty industry lies in its diversity and an understanding that no brand can be everything for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine.
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Read the original article in ELLE USA.
