Addison Rae is cashing in on her TikTok fame for a cosmetics company.
Rae, a teenager who became Internet famous by sharing videos on TikTok, has co-created a beauty company with Madeby Collective, a brand incubator and sister company to Ipsy. Called Item Beauty, the joint venture will launch online on Aug. 11 with six makeup products.
Jennifer Gosselin, general manager and senior vice president of Madeby Collective, told WWD that the partnership with Rae came about following a data dive into Ipsy’s member base.
“We looked at how Gen Z customers are being served — or not served — by the brands in the market and the opportunities to speak to them,” said Gosselin, who was one of the first employees at Piperlime and a founding member of walmart.com. “What we found is that there is an opportunity for a brand based in authenticity, self-love, empowerment. What’s inspiring about [Generation Z] is the idea that they want to enhance what they have versus trying to hide or cover it up. We looked to see who embodied that.”
Complex Culture launched through Ipsy Labs, Ipsy’s brand incubator that has since evolved into Madeby Collective. Item Beauty is the first brand to come out of Madeby Collective.
The name, Item Beauty, is a play on the phrase, “we’re an item,” said Rae, whose mother is a former makeup artist.
Item Beauty will launch with a mascara, a jelly eye shadow, a brightening powder, a brow definer, a lip oil and a contour duo. The products are formulated without parabens, phthalates and mineral oil. They will be available direct-to-consumer on Itembeauty.com and eventually in Ipsy’s Glam Bag.
Rae, who counts 53 million TikTok followers, has a merchandise line and cohosts a podcast with her mom on Spotify. Though she has done one-off collaborations with makeup brands, Item Beauty is Rae’s first beauty company.
“I’ve been around makeup for so long, I knew exactly what I was looking for in a product and valuing self-expression and using these products to enhance your features,” Rae said.
In the midst of mainstream media’s renewed interest in the Black Lives Matter movement, Rae received backlash for having shared an “all lives matter” video four years ago, when she was 15. The influencer issued an apology via Twitter.
Speaking to WWD, Rae said she has been focusing on educating herself and continuing “to grow into a better person.”
“At the end of the day, you have to not let misconceptions or misleading things overtake who you know you are and what you know you believe in,” Rae said.
Credit: WWD – Click here to view the article
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