FROM LEGENDS OF THE CATWALK TO MOVIE MONARCHS, MANY OF HOLLYWOOD’S MOST MARKETABLE FACES HAVE VENTURED BEYOND LENDING THEIR COUNTENANCE TO PROMOTE A BRAND, INSTEAD FLEXING THEIR ENTREPRENEUR MUSCLES WITH THE LAUNCH OF THEIR OWN BEAUTY, MAKEUP, AND SKINCARE LINES
BY AMANDA McCOY
ARIANA GRANDE r.e.m. BEAUTY
The triple-platinum pop icon and Hollywood darling added beauty magnate to her already stacked resume in late 2021 with the buzzy launch of r.e.m., a small capsule collection of eye, face, and lip products in a vast range of neutral and lambent tones. Named after “the phase of sleep during which your most creative, limitless, and vivid dreams occur,” r.e.m. has grown from its small initial offering to include a range of liquid liners, eyeshadow palettes, false eyelashes, brow pencils and sticks, lip oils and glosses, highlighters, and more. There’s also a variety of skincare salves, such as calming face mist and lash-boosting serum. The line debuted exclusively online before getting picked up by mega-retailer Ulta Beauty. rembeauty.com
DJ KHALED / BLESS WELL
From a record label and production company to late-night chicken wings, the New Orleans-hailing DJ sensation constantly has his fingers in new ventures, including a CBD-infused line of grooming essentials for gents. Bless well, launched in 2021 in partnership with Endexx Corporation, calls upon the curative powers of sustainability sourced and U.S. grown hemp products to offer men a gentler, more natural approach to skincare. Products include natural elixirs, beard oils, shaving creams, face cleansers, skin salves, and bodywashes, all enriched with 300mg of CBD. Available at Target and CVS.
KIM KARDASHIAN / SKKN
The OG reality star can boast a bevy of successful enterprises over her multi-decade career, from shapewear and video games to her group of “Kimojis” circa 2015 (which reportedly pulled in $1 million per minute at its height). Her latest launch was this nine-piece skincare range, dubbed SKKN, which hit shelves and Instagram feeds around the world last summer. Rather than begin with a small capsule collection of two or three products, typical for a nascent brand, the vivacious entrepreneur settled on nine to reflect her personal routine. Made in collaboration with celebrity facialist Joanna Czech, the line includes a hydrating cleanser, an enzymatic exfoliating scrub, a renewing toner, a multi-molecular hyaluronic acid serum, vitamin C8 serum, a peptide eye cream, postbiotic face cream, vitamin C glow oil, and a night elixir.
BILLIE EILISH / EILISH FRAGRANCES
Pop’s reigning anti-hero released her inaugural fragrance in late 2021, a warm, amber gourmand as sultry asher lyrics. Vegan and cruelty free, the scent (simply titled Eilish) took off like wildfire, with fans swooning over its heady notes of berries, mandarin, cocoa, and creamy vanilla. Last October, she released thesecond soldier in her growing lineup. Eilish No. 2, developed by prominent nose Steve DeMercado, boasts top notes of bergamot and apple blossom supported by traces of black pepper, papyrus, and poppy with a hint of her signature vanilla. Billieeilishfragrances.com
HAILEY BIEBER / RHODE SKIN
Famed for her dewy, golden ray-kissed skin, the mega-model released her collection of minimalist skincare products last summer, granting herself the title “Creative of Everything.” She describes Rhode Skin as an intentional line, a panoply of clean, uncomplicated products that strengthen the skin’s barrier and nurture the complex ion to achieve her signature glow. Rhode Skin consists of only five products, sold separately or as a full set, and includes a shea-butter-rich barrier restore moisturizer, peptide glazing cream (a gel-serum hybrid), and three shades of her cult-favorite lip treatment in salted caramel, watermelon, and unscented. The simple routine epitomizes Bieber’s famed “less is more” mantra.rhodeskin.com
MICHELLE PFEIFFER / HENRY ROSE
In 2019, the four-decade Hollywood icon released a line of luxurious fragrances, but rather than plaster her face all over its marketing to beef up interest, she let the perfume do the talking. Three years later, Henry Rose was scooped up by ultra-high-end retailers like Credo Beauty, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Nordstrom, proving the scents could stand on their own merit without the help of a three-time Academy Award winner. The line spans 11 fragrances, all dermatologist tested and cruelty free, including the fan-favorite Windows Down, a fresh, lightly citrusy blend of bright grapefruit, bergamot, honeyed neroli, and Earl Grey tea. henryrose.com
BEAUTY AND GROOMING
SCARLETT JOHANSSON / THE OUTSET
The Marvel veteran and former highest paid actress in the world added beauty mogul to her long list of accolades with the spring2022 launch of the Outset. Billed as a gentle, consciously clean skincare brand, the collective includes “simple” cleansers, exfoliators, moisturizers, serums, oils, and masks, all free from 2,700 common additives that can cause irritation. Johansson started the line with friend and successful entrepreneur Kate Foster after the duo bonded over their struggle to find products that didn’t aggravate their sensitive skin. “I had such problem skin for such a longtime,” noted Johansson in a media interview at the brand’s launch. “This project to me was not a vanity project.” Theoutset.com
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / PATTERN BEAUTY
Awarded actress and descendant of Motown royalty Tracee Ellis Ross has long been a refreshing presence, and her latest venture is an extension of that essence. Pattern Beauty features a line of nourishing haircare products specifically formulated for curly locks, focusing on hair health and texture so that each strand “takes up as much space as it deserves.” She continued: “I wanted to create a line of products that gave our hair the support it needed to be its true self. Love the hair you see first thing in the morning in your bathroom. Be free. Embrace your gorgeous. Wear your crown and your glory.” The line includes a full slate of heat protectants, shampoos, conditioners, masks, oils, serums, styling creams and gels, tools, and brushes. patternbeauty.com
JENNIFER ANISTON / LOLAVIE
This isn’t the Friends favorite’s first foray into the beauty scene: she owned an equity stake in the haircare super-line Living Proof before branching out to create her own haircare line in 2021. Considering her ‘do essentially defined an entire generation (the “Rachel” is even enjoying a comeback, part of the current Y2K revival), the move seems natural. LolaVie was in development for five years before hitting the market in fall 2021 the “unfussy” line spans everything from restorative shampoos and conditioners to mighty leave-in treatments, detanglers, oils, and even signature no-damage wet brush. Lolavie.com
JADA PINKETT SMITH / HEY HUMANS
While many eco-minded brands focus solely on the formulation of the products inside the minimalist tubes or glittering compacts, this ethical wellness brand helmed by the popular talk show host is committed to fully sustainable packaging, too. Each of the naturally derived products – including foaming bodywash, lightweight moisturizer, aluminum-free deodorant, and organic toothpaste – are housed in 99% plastic-free packaging to forward the brand’s mission to nurture the body and the planet. It’s refreshingly accessible, with every product ringing in under $8.
CIARA / OAM SKIN
The singer, songwriter, businesswoman, dancer, model, actress, and now beauty magnate debuted her vitamin C-enriched skincare line last September, realizing what the Texas native deemed a lifelong dream. The line consists of five products: a hydrating cleanser, brightening serum, radiance moisturizer, brightening exfoliator pads, and a dark circle-battling eye cream, all infused with the citrusy antioxidant. “It helps to protect. It helps to correct. It helps to prevent,” Ciara said of her star ingredient. Oamskin.com
HAYLEY WILLIAMS / GOOD DYE YOUNG
The Paramore frontwoman has long rocked wild-tinted hair, from sunburst orange-and-pink color block and icy blue to her signature burnt amber, so naturally her next business venture would involve a line of boldly hued, non-damaging hair dyes. Launched in 2016 with the singer’s longtime hair stylist and makeup artist Brian O’Connor, the line encourages a community of free thinkers, where men and women are encouraged to challenge conventions and express themselves wholly and honestly. The line centers on semi-permanent dyes in a kaleidoscope of colors (spanning everything from neutral tones to deep blues, candy apple red, purple, pink, orange, and more). There are also primers, shampoos, conditioners, and a tool dye kit on tap.
NAOMI WATTS / STRIPES
Born from the Mulholland Drive star’s aspiration to “take midlife transition and peri/menopause out of the shadows,” Stripes isa playful yet science-backed solutions line that helps guide women through the physical and emotional symptoms of menopause. The site includes “Meno guides” to answer questions and offer real-world, first-hand insight into navigating hot flashes, hormonal swings, night sweats, and more. There’s a full range of products, many boasting cheeky names like Vag of Honor (a hydrating gel), Oh My Glide (“play” oil), and Dew as I Do (a brightening face cream). First-timers also have access to a dermatologist-developed quiz that offers personalized product recommendations. iamstripes.com
GWEN STEFANI / GXVE
The punk-pop poster child has long been famed for her classic red-lipped grunge-glamour. Last March, the Grammy winner debuted GXVE, a boutique line of playful, high-end makeup separates (fun fact: Stefani worked as a makeup artist at her local mall in high school). Sold exclusively online or at Sephora, the colorful collection, pronounced “give,” includes a quartet of eyeshadow palettes, rich waterproof gel liner, highlighter, mascara, high-shine lip gloss, and a high-performance matte liquid lipstick available, of course, in deep cherry red (among other shades). gxvebeauty.com