HOT CELEBRITY BEAUTY LINES

Avid followers of the social media scene will know that recently, a couple of influencers (namely, James Charles and Manny MUA) got into a bit of hot water when they criticised multi-award-winning musician, Alicia Keys, for deciding to launch a new beauty brand alongside e.l.f. Beauty.

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

“Does anyone else get slightly irritated when celebs come out with entire makeup lines? Especially when those celebs don’t even wear makeup…” tweeted Manny MUA, receiving quite a bit of backlash when it was discovered Alicia Keys (who is famed for her bare-faced looks) never planned on starting a makeup line, but rather, a skincare collection, which pundits predict will be 100 per cent in line with her penchant for natural beauty .

DIFFERENT STROKES

In many ways, the influencers are the last people who should be criticising celebrities for branching out into beauty. Many critics pointed out that they were hardly experts on formulations and chemical compositions of makeup when they launched their own lines. Others stated that celebrities, of all people, were fully in line with the transformative effects of makeup and many were quite expert at ‘beating’ their own face.

Why shouldn’t they launch beauty lines if their passion lay therein? In the end, there truly is room for everyone to make a killing, since fan bases vary considerably in age, backgrounds, and tastes and, at this precise moment, squabbling seems to be the last thing that interests any serious beauty fan.

TOP LINES TO WATCH OUT FOR

Some of the most recent collections launched by celebrities include:

HAUS LABORATORIES BY LADY GAGA

A small but cool collection featuring lip liners, glosses, eye palettes, shimmery liquid eyeshadows and lash and brow toppers. The selection is high quality, long-lasting and practical in nature. For instance, the Glam Room Palette No. 1: Fame is not exactly something you might expect from Gaga, since it contains mainly neutral shades that can be worn every day. The second palette, called Stupid Love Eyeshadow Palette, contains mainly blue hues, with a few neutral and orange/bronzey shades thrown in for good measure.

GOOP BY JUICE BEAUTY BY GWYNETH PALTROW

Her name is much maligned owing to her ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, but there is no doubt that this Oscar-award-winning actor is as knowledgeable about beauty as she is about food. She has a small range of organic products that includes a replenishing night cream, enriching face oil, perfecting eye cream, and exfoliating instant facial. These products don’t come cheap (most cost around €100) but at least you know they don’t contain any toxic components.

KORA ORGANICS BY MIRANDA KERR

Without a doubt, I recommend this brand, having tried quite a few items – including the Noni Glow Face Oil (a lovely way to seal in serum and other anti-ageing products), the Noni Bright Vitamin C Serum (great for targeting dark spots), and the Turmeric Brightening & Exfoliating Mask (a fantastic shortcut to smooth, glowing skin). My favourite of all their products is the Calming Lavender Mist, which I use after cleansing skin; it is especially wonderful in the summer so keep it in the fridge for a refreshing boost. The mist also comes in Balancing Rose and Energising Citrus. Most products made by Kerr’s company contain a ‘secret ingredient’ called Noni, derived from the noni fruit that is super high in antioxidants.

WHAT CAN ALICIA KEYS BRING TO THE GAME?

The details of Alicia Keys’ beauty line are still being kept under wraps, but e.l.f. has announced that it will represent “”a culmination of Keys’ personal skincare journey and her passion for bringing light into the world; this new lifestyle beauty brand will enable Alicia to further explore conversations about inner beauty, wellness and connection.” Moreover, it will be inclusive, authentic, dermatologist-developed, and cruelty-free. It definitely sounds like something exciting and new, reminiscent of ethical companies like Isun Skincare, which respect the connection between the natural and human worlds and which deem sustainability and kindness to be core values.

INFLUENCERS STILL ROCK

The world of beauty influencers seems to be far removed from that being delved into by celebrities like Alicia Keys or Gwyneth Paltrow. For one, influencer brands like Jeffree Star, James Charles for Morphe, Manny MUA and the like seem more centred on makeup than skincare. Of course, you never know when these two industries will cross and, so long as products released are made with a true commitment to quality and results, we couldn’t be more excited about it all.

#issuuloves #issuu