Celebrity-Owned Brands That Are Worth It… And Some That Aren’t
#StopGoop2023
Celebrity-owned brands are nothing new. Remember Britney Spears’ ‘Fantasy’ fragrance? (Still available at Walmart for $17.) Jessica Simpson’s shoes practically started a revolution across high school and college campuses nationwide.
But these days, celebrities are seemingly acquiring more wealth via entrepreneurship than their talent. As both a shopping addict and pop culture fanatic, I have compiled a list of my favorite celebrity-owned brands and some that don’t live up to the hype.
Worth It:
Fenty Beauty
Duh. Rihanna is a genius and has truly revolutionized the beauty industry with her FULL range of coverage. As a biracial person who is mixed with Nigerian and Scottish, it’s pretty damn hard to match my color. But Bad Gal Ri-Ri gets it right. I’m a huge fan of her Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation. It is truly weightless and actually MATTE. I also adore her Fat Water Pore Refining Toner. It is a great toner to wear under makeup! It is super gentle and doesn’t sting or burn the skin. I’m also obsessed with her lip duo, the Pro Kiss'r Lip Balm and Scrub Set. It keeps my lips hydrated and flake-free all day long.
SKIMS
I am a known critic of Kimberly Noel Kardashian, but boy, does she make some good shape and loungewear! My biggest tip is to purchase through Nordstrom instead of the SKIMS site because she has less inventory. I have several products of hers and I really can’t recommend it enough. It’s important to pay attention to the laundry instructions with her products because the seems may unravel if treated too roughly. I highly recommend the Rib Boxers for lounging. They are my absolute FAVORITE sleepwear, which is something I’m passionate about. I bring my boxers on every overnight trip. Honestly, I’m going to buy another pair right now as I write this. I also have the Pointelle Boxers but I prefer the ribbed ones, comfort-wise. I honestly have so many SKIMS items that I can’t link them here, but check out my faves on LTK here.
Rare Beauty
Y’all. Selena hit the ball out of the park with these products. My bestie Selena Gomez (not really but we went to the same place for voice lessons?) makes my favorite lip gloss of all time, the Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm. I also live for her Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight! I have her Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, but I prefer Fenty’s to this one. I recommend it for folks with oilier skin than I as I tend to be drier.
Not Worth It
Good American
Okay, look. I gave this brand several chances. I ordered some jeans in my typical size and I couldn’t get them past my knees. I mean, it was insulting. I also happened to order a couple of swimsuits and one of the straps busted before I ever even got out of the hotel room. (This one was not too small because I learned my lesson the first time) I am aware that there are plenty of folks who disagree with me.
Goop
I have beef with pseudoscience, especially on the heels of a GLOBAL PANDEMIC… HELLO?! What are we doing here? Anyway. For some reason, our girl Gwyneth has gone from being Hollywood’s local hippie to some kind of holistic medicine guru. A lot of her brand’s rhetoric is dangerous and I’ve fallen victim to it myself. In 2020, right before the pandemic, I purchased her High School Genes supplement package. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my high school metabolism back.
Aviation Gin
I hope and pray that Mr. Blake Lively never sees this. But his gin sucks. Like, it’s bad. My husband loves a gin & tonic. I fancy a French 75 myself. But this stuff was undrinkable, even in our favorite cocktails! I hope this doesn’t ruin my shot at a future relationship with him. Sorry, Ryan.