The quote above, is a long time confirmation of the fact that INDIVIDUALS are making history. The same goes for brands, now he individuals are taking the front spotlight.
Currently, in the beauty space, creator-led brands are not only surviving, they’re thriving.
Here are some standout examples:
1. Rhode by Hailey Bieber
Launched in 2022, Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand, Rhode, focuses on minimalist, effective skincare & color cosmetics. Hailey leveraged her massive social media following to promote her brand, and Rhode’s success lies in Hailey’s direct engagement with her fans and her strong personal brand in beauty and wellness. In just 2 years, she established Rhode as future cult brand.
2. SKKN by Kim Kardashian
After the success of KKW Beauty, Kim Kardashian rebranded her line to SKKN in 2022. With a focus on high-end skincare & makeup, Kim's brand continues to thrive due to her iconic status and her ability to build massive consumer trust. This is her second massive venture after Skims - a underwear and shapewear brand.
3. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Rihanna revolutionized the beauty industry when she launched Fenty Beauty in 2017. The brand’s inclusive foundation range, with 40+ shades, broke barriers in the cosmetics industry, emphasizing diversity. Rihanna’s personal brand and direct interaction with her fans helped Fenty Beauty become a billion-dollar empire, setting the standard for creator-led beauty brands. Rihanna's brand was created in a direct cooperation with a giant LVMH, therefore we can argue if this is a truey influencer-led brand.
4. Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Founded in 2020, Rare Beauty quickly made an impact by promoting self-expression and mental health. Selena's brand messaging, which focuses on beauty that transcends traditional standards, resonates deeply with her fans. Selena’s authenticity and openness about mental health have helped the brand create a community beyond just cosmetics.
5. Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire thanks to the incredible success of Kylie Cosmetics. Launched in 2015 with her famous Lip Kits, Kylie used her massive social media platform to build and promote her brand, which continues to grow with expanded product lines and collaborations.
Each of these brands leveraged their founder's influence & authenticity to cut through the competitive beauty market and build multi-million-dollar empires. in a couple of years. This is wow 🤯
Now, the question is, can only mega-influencers earn from this? 🤔
How many followers do you need to start your own brand? 🤔
Let's find out.
Mid-level influencers can earn big too 💸
It's not just mega-influencers like Kylie Jenner or Rihanna that can make millions with their own brands. Even mid-level influencers — those with follower counts between 50,000 and 1 million — can earn significant revenue from launching their own product lines. These creators often have even higher engaged audiences, which translates into stronger customer loyalty and more direct sales than in case of mega influencers.
Take a look at some examples:
1. Jamie Genevieve, with around 900,000 Instagram followers, launched her beauty brand VIEVE in 2020. Her range of makeup products, particularly focused on luxury cosmetics, has gained traction thanks to her loyal community, built over years of sharing beauty tutorials. Even though Jamie isn’t a mega-influencer, VIEVE is projected to make millions in annual revenue, with products selling out quickly upon release.
2. Celebrity hair stylist, Jen Atkin, created a well received brand OUAI (pronounced “way”) focusing on hair care and skincare, recently adding new categories like laundry products
For creators with audiences between 50,000 to 500,000 followers, it’s common to see product lines generate $100,000 to $500,000 annually, especially when focusing on niche, passion-driven products.
In fact, beauty influencers having 50,000-250,000 followers show the biggest engagement rates from their communities much larger than mega ang big influencers.
This further emphasizes how launching a brand, even for influencers with a mid-sized following, can lead to substantial income, often surpassing earnings from traditional brand deals and sponsorships.
Now, let's see how much creators (and you) can earn from their brands...
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