The Original Celebrity Beauty Brands

by BR Amelia

Everywhere I look these days I'm seeing articles about the rise and rise, and fall of celebrity beauty brands. It seems every celeb and their pampered pooch are getting on board the beauty brand train, with the results ranging from the hugely successful (Rihanna), to the mixed (Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories, which fell flat initially but then picked up popularity after a relaunch), to the falling flat (Brad Pitt's skincare brand, whose name I can not remember for the life of me).

It got me thinking... while the 2010s onwards saw the rise of the celebrity beauty brands, who were the OGs? The trailblazers? The celebrities that started the beauty brandx trend well before it knew it was about to become one? 

Mary Quant

I recall seeing a Mary Quant cosmetic sitting upon my mother's dressing table, and being utterly fascinated by the simple black and white packaging with the super cute daisy branding. Little did I know that Mary Quant was more than just a type of makeup, but an iconic British fashion designer who is oft hailed as being the creator of the equally iconic mini skirt. Having a huge influence on the style of the Swinging Sixties, she realised that the makeup needed to match the era, so launched her cosmetic line in 1966. To this day, Mary Quant's ethos of 'Be Free. Be Yourself.' continues, with her products still hugely popular in Japan (where it's manufactured and sold in over 200 stores), as well as with makeup lovers around the world.

Sophia Loren

Image: Coty

Well before Britney Spears became a fragrance magnate, actress Sophia Loren saw the benefits of creating a fragrance, and so she collaborated with beauty magnate's Coty to create Sophia. The release in 1980 was hugely popular, so much so that Sophia is still available to purchase today.

Elizabeth Taylor

How can we talk about the OGs of celebrity beauty brands and fragrance magnates without bringing up Elizabeth Taylor? With sixteen fragrances - the first release being "Passion" - Elizabeth Taylor was not just one of the first celebrities to put a face to a fragrance, but was one of the first to create nothing short of an empire, that continues to this day, with the House of Taylor working with Revlon to continue her vision.

Iman

Back when Rihanna was learning her ABCs, another woman was releasing a makeup brand that not only endures to this day, but back in the 90s sort to fix an important issue within the beauty industry - the lack of makeup options for people of colour. Iman, the Somali-American model and entrepreneur, released her makeup brand in 1994, and was a pioneer of inclusivity in the makeup world. By 2010 she'd built her brand into a US$25 million a year business, that continues to be as successful as it is sensational to this day.

So, my lovelies, have you owned a product from the original celebrity beauty products? Has Liz Taylor's fragrance graced your wrists? Has Mary Quant been embraced by your face? Or have you never touched a celeb beauty brand - then, now or ever? Get chatting below!