Kylie Jenner has the entire world of teenage girls wrapped around her little finger. Her viral transformation from a young and awkward teenager (who had the misfortune of having her entire life filmed) to a worldwide famous influencer and model. This 18 year old has one of the largest social media fan bases, and she’s only getting started. The Internet goes into complete hysteria whenever Kylie does something, even if it’s mildly significant. We actually wouldn’t be surprised if we see something like “Kylie Jenner gets bitten by a mosquito.”
The obsession with Kylie continued to grow even bigger when she launched her own beauty line, Kylie Cosmetics. The gorgeous Lip Kits in aesthetic packaging were sold out in just under an hour after its launch (and after restocks too). It’s currently being sold for at least five times the original price on eBay. Crazy? No doubt. But totally understandable, given that Kylie’s iconic luscious lips are to die for.
However, Kylie’s Lip Kits aren’t the only matte liquid lipsticks in the market. Her popularity helps especially when it comes to promoting a product that has already been around for quite some time and similarly carried by other bigger beauty brands such as MAC and NYX. While other brands nurtured popularity and sales through their quality products or customer service, many have argued that Kylie Cosmetics have done neither. Just recently, she received flak regarding the quality of their lipsticks. Called out by famous make-up artist and beauty vlogger Jeffree Star, it sparked off several heated debates about the highly raved, but less-than-perfect Lip Kits.
So I got the new @kyliecosmetics lip glosses…. SO disappointed in this product. That wand is unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/NCkkUer2aV
— Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) April 15, 2016
Known for his YouTube videos, Jeffree Star also has his own online cosmetics brand. Famous for its Velour Liquid Lipsticks (especially in Gemini!), the fast selling matte liquid lipsticks have gained its fair share of popularity and fame. With his sassy comments and spunky attitude, Jeffree is slowly starting his own cult. His badass remarks have undeniably gained the attention of several beauty junkies out there, including Kylie herself.
Just a month after the overwhelming drama regarding Kylie’s damaged wands, it was revealed that the Kylie Lip Kit’s new formula is almost identical to Colourpop’s Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick, which are selling for only a fraction of the pricey Lip Kits. They are even produced by the same manufacturer. The difference in prices could add up to a whooping sum of $20USD, which is almost equivalent to getting a brand new lipstick (or a few slices of glorious pizza). After the damning revelation that Kylie has been overcharging her horde of loyal fans, Jeffree steps in, again.
Before dismissing this as mere celebrity gossip, Jeffree’s IDGAF attitude actually reveals the ugly in the cult of celebrity and consumerism. Celebrities leech off their already acquired fame to become even more rich and famous. While the products might have names and money behind it, quality is definitely not necessarily assured once production is outsourced. Quality is often taken for granted, as opposed to the large amount of effort put into beautifying the packaging and appearance of the product.
Jeffree makes a riveting point when he throws shade at an anonymous brand (pretty obvious) – “In case anyone forgot: I don’t sugar coat a motherf**king thing.” We wouldn’t call it a snide attack, but Jeffree’s honesty sent several hardcore fans of Kylie Jenner back to reality. We are guessing that this is going to cause Kylie some hate, but definitely not enough to hurt her. She still reigns queen in the hearts of many millennials today.
Besides, nobody’s giving a damn about Kylie’s overpriced Lip Kits now; everybody is too concerned over the most pressing issue at stake – her break up with Tyga.
