A slew of celebrity-founded beauty brands have popped up in the past few years, but two in particular have enjoyed immense success, not least with Gen Zers: Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty.
The fact that Rihanna and Gomez actively participate in both branding and product development, setting themselves up more as friends who listen to feedback, only adds to the appeal—realising Gen Zers’ preference for connecting with brands on a deeper level. For instance, established and young brands alike came out in force on social media to voice their support for the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 and walked the talk by pledging funds to the fight against racism.Gen Zers value self-expression in every aspect and have no single definition of beauty. Rather, beauty for them is about the freedom to be your authentic self and celebrate it, flaws and all. It's about embracing uniqueness and driving home the beauty of difference.
"Euphoria makeup is self-celebratory and self-expressive, evocative of any emotion-not just the positive ones," Makeup Director for Euphoria Doniella Davy once said in an interview. "Collectively, all of this creativity has the power to completely redefine new norms for beauty and makeup by showcasing such a diverse and wide range of people decorating and celebrating their own unique faces.
Cue the rise and success of sustainable beauty brands such as local label Allies of Skin, which launched in 2016 with just three products and currently has a product range that numbers a very modest 25-all of which offer supercharged formulas that are cruelty-free and climate conscious.