Driven by Fenty Beauty by Rihanna with forty shades of foundation, Haus By Lady Gaga with skin-beneficial properties or Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez that stands out for its mental health advocacy — celebrity-led beauty brands meet the needs of an under-recognised beauty consumer base.
These celebrity-backed brands are not just about beauty; they are about creating a culture of representation, where every individual feels seen and valued. Real change comes from beauty brands that prioritise diverse shades and formulations for all skin types. Rihanna, Selena Gomes, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and Kyle Jenner leveraged their influence, reach and money to launch beauty brands that celebrate diverse skin types, tones and colours, empowering an underrepresented consumer base.
For these celebrities, creating a beauty brand that celebrates diversity is personal. For example, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty taps into her own pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty ideals and envisions empowering people to feel comfortable in their skin, no matter their shape, size, or background. She wanted to shift the narrative around beauty, making it about embracing imperfections and mental health advocacy. Let’s take a closer look at beauty brands embracing inclusivity and diversity.
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Launched in 2017, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna transformed the industry with its inclusive foundation shades. Pop star Rihanna Fenty was transfixed by her mother’s lipstick when she was a little girl and was inspired to create her own beauty brand Fenty Beauty. “Makeup is there for you to play with. It’s there for you to have fun with. It should never feel like pressure and it should never feel like a uniform,” Rihanna, Founder- CEO and owner of Fenty Beauty said on the official website.
Following a collaboration with MAC Cosmetics and Parlux Ltd. Rihanna still felt a void in the industry for beauty products that enhanced all skin types and tones. So, she developed her own line of beauty products with LVMH. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna premiered simultaneously online and in seventeen countries. From packaging design to formula and shade development, Rihanna is involved in every aspect of the brand. The launch on September 8, 2017 coincided with New York Fashion Week where Rihanna had a show in collaboration with Puma, and it was promoted to the hilt.
The beauty brand reportedly made $100m in just over a month and today it’s retailing in over fifteen countries. It is an understatement to say that Fenty Beauty changed the beauty industry with its fifty-strong foundation range with diverse shades for every skin tone and type. Undoubtedly the success can be attributed to the pillars of inclusive beauty, to founder Rihanna who has a mammoth fan base, and to LVMH.
Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner
Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner is a global beauty brand founded by Kylie Jenner in 2014, initially launching as “Lip Kit by Kylie” in 2015. The first 15,000 Lip Kits were produced by Seed Beauty and funded by Jenner at a cost of $250,000 from her modeling earnings. The brand was rebranded as Kylie Cosmetics in February 2016, with production ramping up to 500,000 kits. By end-2016, the company generated over $300 million in revenue. The brand’s origin is deeply personal for Jenner, who created it to address her own insecurities about her lip size.
Kylie Cosmetics quickly became a leader in the beauty industry, leveraging Jenner’s social media influence to establish a direct-to-consumer model. This model emphasized exclusivity and rapid product launches. In November 2019, Coty Inc. acquired a 51% controlling stake in the brand for $600 million, valuing it at $1.2 billion. The vision of Kylie Cosmetics is to empower individuals to feel confident and beautiful through high-quality, vegan, and cruelty-free products, including lip kits, blushes, bronzers, highlighters, lip glosses, matte liquid lipsticks, and more.
Notable partnerships include collaborations with her sisters Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian, as well as fashion houses like Balmain. The brand also embraced pop culture by releasing collections like “The Grinch” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” These collaborations have allowed Kylie Cosmetics to tap into diverse fanbases and cultural moments, further strengthening its place in the beauty market. The brand continues to innovate and expand, introducing new products and collections to meet the preferences of its consumers.
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Rare Beauty is a cosmetics brand founded by Selena Gomez in September 2020, following the release of her album Rare. Gomez’s vision was to offer products that make individuals feel good in their own skin, without hiding what makes them unique. Rare Beauty launched with a comprehensive product portfolio, including 48 shades of foundation, aiming to cater to a diverse audience and promote inclusivity.
Rare Beauty has achieved significant milestones. In 2023, Rare Beauty expanded its product line to include body care items, marking its entry into the body care segment. The brand’s success is also reflected in its social media presence, with a rapidly growing following and high engagement rates. By 2024, it was valued at over $2 billion and had become one of Sephora’s best-selling brands.
Rare Beauty has also been proactive in social impact initiatives. In 2020, Gomez established the Rare Impact Fund with the goal of raising $100 million over ten years to support mental health services for young people. A portion of sales has distributed millions in grants to different organizations and the brand has engaged in collaborations that reflect its commitment to inclusivity and cultural celebration. In August 2025, Rare Beauty partnered with Mexican seasoning brand Tajín to launch a limited-edition Cheek and Lip Set, celebrating cultural uniqueness and supporting philanthropic efforts.
KKW Beauty by Kim Kardashian
KKW Beauty, founded by Kim Kardashian in June 2017, debuted with a contour kit that sold out within hours— setting the tone for its direct-to-consumer model and success. Building on this momentum, KKW Beauty expanded its portfolio to include lipsticks, eyeshadows, and fragrances. In 2020, the brand attracted a $200 million investment from Coty Inc., acquiring a 20% stake and valuing the company at $1 billion.
KKW Beauty underwent a rebranding phase in 2021. Kim Kardashian announced the closure of the brand to develop a more modern and sustainable line, leading to the launch of SKKN by Kim in 2022. This venture focused on skincare, offering a luxury nine-step regimen. However, the beauty segment faced challenges in the saturated market, prompting Kardashian to integrate SKKN into her shapewear brand, Skims, in 2024. This consolidation streamlined her beauty and lifestyle products under a unified brand.
The SKKN by Kim brand is set to introduce its first makeup line in 2026, focusing on products that align with the brand’s commitment to inclusivity and quality. Through strategic partnerships and a keen understanding of market trends, Kardashian has transformed her beauty ventures into a cohesive lifestyle brand, reflecting her evolution from reality TV star to influential entrepreneur.
Haus Laboratories by Lady Gaga
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga is a cosmetics brand founded in 2019. It was conceived to empower individuals through self-expression and inclusivity, drawing inspiration from Gaga’s own experiences with makeup as a transformative tool during her early years in New York. In its initial phase, Haus Labs launched exclusively on Amazon, marking a significant departure from traditional beauty retail models and emphasizing accessibility and direct-to-consumer engagement.
In 2022, Haus Labs underwent rebranding, transitioning to “Haus Labs by Lady Gaga” and partnering with Sephora for global distribution. This strategic move introduced a product line featuring seven categories, including lip oils, highlighters, and bronzers—formulated with vegan and cruelty-free ingredients. Notably, Triclone Skin Tech Foundation gained widespread acclaim for its inclusive shade range and skin-beneficial properties, such as fermented arnica, inspired by Gaga’s personal health journey.
Haus Labs has engaged in collaborations, including “Love for Sale” eyeshadow palette, a tribute to Gaga’s jazz album with Tony Bennett. This palette showcases the brand’s commitment to artistry and also supports charitable causes, with proceeds benefiting the Born This Way Foundation and Exploring the Arts. The brand’s expansion into European markets through Sephora strengthens its global presence, offering diverse products designed to inspire creativity and self-confidence.
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
