It doesn’t matter whether you are a skincare enthusiast or a beauty expert. If you are under 30 and have some kind of social media profile, then you are probably aware of the fact that Kylie Jenner has dropped a new skincare line. The beauty guru, owner of Kylie Cosmetics, has received both praises and backlash for her new products, with some claiming that it has improved their skin significantly while others shared their disappointment in her walnut scrub which can cause micro cuts in the skin and is therefore not suitable for sensitive skin. Influencer Jeffree Star also shared his disappointment for the very “basic” and over-priced line. Even with all this backlash, the skincare line sold out in minutes. In a time where make up artists and YouTubers are touring the world launching their collaborations with established beauty brands or starting their own companies, I asked myself ‘what happened to well-established beauty brands?’
As someone who isn’t extremely passionate about make up (mostly because I have never been able to apply it correctly and therefore end up looking worse than my natural self) all I see on friend’s social media are new palettes from influencers such as James Charles, Kim Kardashian and Jeffree Star. Apart from the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation which everyone swears by, established make up brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Estée Lauder are less and less talked about. I immediately assumed that the reason why young people might prefer influencer brands might be because of their price. However, I later found out that there is not much difference in a Kylie Cosmetics lip kit and a YSL Beauty lipstick (both around £30 without shipping). At the same time, “influencer brands” are often sold primarily online and are therefore not instantly available to the consumer who, in some cases, has to wait several weeks for international shipping of a product they bought without physically seeing it. So why are young people spending money on new brands that might end up being unsatisfactory? I discussed this with my friends Alessia and Marianne and we decided that trust and accountability are the primary reasons why we would choose an influencer brand over one which is well established. It is hard to connect a product to a face when it comes from big businesses while buying a product from a YouTuber who visibly spends a lot of time with makeup gives the idea that the person has more experience in the field and if they would use it then it is probably good. At the same time, the fact that we can easily link a product or brand to a person makes it easier to hold that person accountable which gives the idea that they probably put more personal effort into it. Influencers are also more focused on younger consumers, brands such as Estee Lauder tend to develop products that are more neutral in their colours while palettes like Alien from Jeffree Star offer a range of colours that encourage creative and “extra” looks. Influencer brands also seem to be less traditional in the type of products they create. Kim Kardashian has for example just launched a line of body foundations which she claims she has been using for several years to cover her psoriasis. This type of product, although very controversial, is new and highlights the trend that younger consumers aim at making their whole body look perfect rather than focusing only on the face.
