11 Celebrity Beauty Brands Worth the Hype

These days, it feels kind of weird when a celebrity doesn’t have a beauty brand. Between Rihanna, Hailey Baldwin, and Jessica Alba, you could have it so your makeup, skin care, and personal care routine was entirely curated by the rich and famous. It might seem a little weird when you think about it. However, the concept of a celebrity-owned beauty brand is nothing new.

Back in 1994, the model Iman launched Iman Cosmetics (which was also the first beauty brand for women of color), and if you were blessed to exist in the early aughts, you may recall the failed-yet-totally-iconic edible beauty brand Dessert By Jessica Simpson (I may still have a Dessert Beauty lip gloss and perfume laying around). Then, of course, are the countless celebrity fragrances, which go all the way back to the 1980s. 

But over the past decade, celebrity beauty brands have begun to materialize more and more, with a great deal of them popping up in the last five years, conspicuously after the groundbreaking success of Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. And it’s not just women celebrities—Harry Styles, Idris Elba, Travis Barker, and Machine Gun Kelly have their own brands, too. It’s no surprise that people complain that the market is overrun with celeb beauty brands, especially when the cosmetic industry in general is already oversaturated.

But it is what it is. More will come, and time will tell who will be the next Fenty Beauty or the next, not to be harsh, but, well, failure. The thing is, a lot of these celeb beauty products are damn good. And speaking from experience as a beauty editor (and, again, someone who still grieves the loss of Dessert), quite a few of them are so good, they’ve become my holy grail! Keep scrolling for a list of my current favorite celebrity beauty brands that are totally worth your hard-earned cash.

11 celebrity beauty brands worth the hype (and the money)

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

There’s no doubt that Fenty is the godmother of modern celebrity beauty brands. We all know how Rihanna single-handedly changed the industry when Fenty first launched in 2017 with an unprecedented range of 40 (now 50) foundation shades. The singer helped put inclusive beauty at the forefront of the industry where it always should have been. The brand has a huge category range, offering everything from bronzers to lip gloss and has since expanded into skin care with Fenty Skin (and possibly Fenty Hair according to a trademark filed in July).

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez launched her makeup brand in 2020 with the goal of helping people celebrate their uniqueness and knowing that they belong. The brand was launched in conjunction with a nonprofit, the Rare Impact Fund, which donates 1 percent of all sales to different mental health and education organizations. With Rare, you’ll find classic tones like Selena’s signature red lipstick and neutrals, no wild colors or bold brights.

about-face by Halsey

Halsey’s makeup brand, which came out in 2021, is inspired by all things art, music, and fashion, and it’s evident by how bold and playful the products are. If it’s colorful, bright shades that you want, about-face is where you’ll find it. What’s unique about this particular line is that Halsey actually is a self-taught makeup artist, and frequently did their own makeup for shoots and videos. So, you know that this is super special to them. I’ve loved every single product I’ve tried, which is pretty much all of them!

Rhode Skin by Hailey Bieber

One of the newer celeb beauty brands, Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin was an immediate hit. In fact, it keeps selling out. It’s not hard to see why, the line is simple (currently only three products) with scientifically-proven, effective ingredients. Plus, everything is under $30.

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga

I have been a fan of Haus Beauty since its first iteration in 2019. The brand relaunched this year with a focus on clean and innovative ingredients, such as arnica, which helps reduce redness and (Gaga used arnica to treat inflammation related to fibromyalgia). The entire makeup line, which consists of lipsticks, eye products, brow, and base makeup, contains skin-loving ingredients like prickly pear oil, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and more.

The Outset by Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson was motivated to start her own skin-care line after being the face of so many brands throughout her career. However, she had some goals in mind: She wanted to create products that were simple, effective, and easy to use. The Outset’s products also don’t use 2,700 potentially harmful ingredients (like parabens, phthalates, and microplastics).

GXVE by Gwen Stefani

If you ask me, Gwen Stefani was always meant to have a makeup brand. She’s been a beauty icon since the ‘90s, and also did her own makeup back in those days! GXVE (pronounced “give”) is inspired by Gwen’s signature look (that red lipstick and smokey eye), and is made with high-performing formulas.

r.e.m. Beauty by Ariana Grande

Named after that deep phase of sleep where “your most creative, limitless and vivid dreams occur,” Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. beauty encourages us to bring those dreams to reality…with her makeup! The singer is known for her dramatic cat-eye, sky-high lashes, and nude lip, so you’ll find products to create that signature makeup and more.

Body By TPH

Taraji P Henson has had her haircare line, TPH By Tajari, since 2020, but this year, she decided to launch a body care line at Walmart. She wanted to help people achieve that self-care we all need since the beginning of the pandemic, and I have to say, it’s incredible. The line contains body butters, body cleansers (energizing ones for morning and relaxing ones for night), scrubs, and more.

Guide Beauty by Terri Bryant

Guide Beauty was launched in 2020 by celebrity makeup artist Terri Bryant, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and experienced a loss of dexterity in her hands which led to difficulties applying makeup. The brand sells makeup products and tools that are ergonomically designed to help people who have difficulty holding items apply the makeup. In 2022, Selma Blair, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, joined Guide as its Chief Creative Officer.

Kora Organics by Miranda Kerr

Miranda Kerr is actually one of the early players in the celebrity beauty game. She started her skin-care brand back in 2009 and was doing the whole “clean beauty” thing before it was the trend it is now. The brand uses certified organic ingredients that are absent of harmful ingredients like synthetic fragrance, sulfates, parabens, silicones, PEGs, among others.

Sourse by Sarah Hyland

Sourse officially launched in 2020, but rebranded this year and added Sarah Hyland to its team. The vitamin-infused chocolate brand has different “bites” that help with everything from mood, skin, energy, and focus. The concept is personal to Hyland, who takes tons of pills and vitamins every day due to her health issues (she has kidney dysplasia and endometriosis).

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