The 8 Celeb Brands That Are Really Good And Exactly What To Buy
We were skeptical, but when we’re wrong we admit it.
Image: Instagram @lolavie
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by The Candidly Team
We are ... let's say ... dubious of celebrity brands.
It's not that we doubt that an actor or musician or reality star can't also be a business-mogul.
It's just that we always wonder if the name is what sells it, can the product really be any good?
And because we try hundreds upon hundreds of products each year so we can establish any sort of credibility to be writing articles like this, it's actually a very tall order for one to stand up to some of the gems we've found along the way.
Sometimes we are sent things to try from PR.
Sometimes we just need to get our hot little hands on Jenny An's haircare brand so we buy the entire line with our very own dollars. But, in any case, we are determined to go in unbiased.
Many, many, many celeb-driven brands remind us why we are skeptical of such things. But ... a handful of them really stand out. So much so that we now use and love them in our actual, daily lives.
And so, without further qualifying, these are the only 7 celeb-started brands that we have truly been blown away by.
1. Victoria Beckham Beauty
The woman we’ve long known as Posh really hit the ground running on this one. The products coming from VB Beauty are expertly formulated, rich, and beautiful. Everything is surprising in how gorgeously it glides on, leaving skin aglow, eyes asparkle (should be a word). Yet somehow they don’t feel new to the scene - more like they’ve been our beloved, luxury makeup brand all along.
WHAT TO BUY: Satin Kajal Liner* (especially in cinnamon)
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is a one-and-done product for achieving that idyllic, enchanting, slightly French eye. The formula is creamy without creasing and just sort of blurs onto even the most … mature … of lids with absolute ease. Either a brush or your finger gets you the same result. The color selection is spellbinding across the board, but cinnamon is the precise smokey eye color we’ve been looking for all our lives.
2. The Outset
Scarlett Johansson’s beauty brand has genuinely wowed us for one very well-founded reason: the products are effective without being harsh. That means are finicky, reactive, transitional, over-40 skin lavishes in it. Seriously, everything we’ve tried.
WHAT TO BUY: Lip Oasis™ Glossy Treatment in Dune*
WHY WE LOVE IT: We know you’re tired of being strung along by the phrase, “your lips but better” only to get some sticky, drying balm that’s too orange or too brown. All we so desperately want is that perfect, plumping kiss of color that gives us our most gorgeous, soft, illuminated lips. Well my friends, here it is.
And here is how it looks on one of us:
It’s the color we’ve been looking for our whole adult lives, and we’re in process of convincing every woman we know she needs it.
3. Skims
Oh yes. We went Kardashian. And we have to say whatever dollars Kim poured into this endeavor have led to something that’s actually quite special and unique for women of all shapes, sizes, and skin tones. Their thong is the most (only?) comfortable thong we wear. Their bodysuits? Bliss. Their fitted dresses and camis - smoothing, soft, and lovely. The aesthetic is actually quite minimalist, with pieces coming in a perfect selection of nudes, beiges, browns, and blacks, and the size range is incredible. It’s become such a cliché to say, but real women with real curves who hate underwear lines will thoroughly appreciate this brand.
WHAT TO BUY: Fits Everybody Thong*, Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress*, Fits Everybody Cami Thong Bodysuit*
WHY WE LOVE IT: We were so taken with all three of these pieces when we slipped them on that we wrote an article about each (complete with real photos of us wearing all but the thong *blush*): See the thong blurb HERE, the dress blurb HERE, and the bodysuit blurb HERE.
4. Lolavie
We’ve written about her lip liner, her brush, and her favorite salad. Yeah, we have a problem. But Jennifer Aniston’s beauty regime, starting with her hair, has been our pillar since we were in our 20s, and this has only become more true in our 40s. That said, we’re not writing about a person. We’re writing about a product. And we do not write about products with this kind of enthusiasm unless they are exceptional. Several of Lolavie’s products are responsible for our best hair days of late. Especially, this one…
WHAT TO BUY: Glossing Detangler*
WHY WE LOVE IT: There’s a really long-winded explanation of why we feel this is one of the most valuable products you can buy for your hair if you’re over 40 and have thin dry hair that tangles easily yet also looks greasy if you so much as point a volumizer in its general direction. You can read that HERE. But if you’re finding you’re losing lots of hair when styling your hair and need something light and effortless that makes it smooth and shiny without a single molecule of weight or greasiness, you need this spray.
5. Fenty Beauty
It’s very hard not to love Rihanna, but we love her more after bringing a certain lip product into our lives. We’ll get into this specific superhero of a gloss in a minute, but Fenty is one of those brands where we’re excited to try any new thing that comes out. It’s so consistently good.
WHAT TO BUY: Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer* (in Fenty Glow)
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is the exact universally gorgeous shade that makes lips look huge. What more could we want?
6. Henry Rose
If we had to take a shot in the dark and just name a celeb we imagine we’d like to smell like, it would probably be Michelle Pfeiffer. And her Henry Rose scents do not disappoint as they’re definitely grounded in something clean and ethereal that could quickly become our long-sought, signature scent. And most amazingly, their products are EWG Verified™ which means they don’t include any of EWG's chemicals of concern and meet their strict health standards.
WHAT TO BUY: Windows Down Eau de Parfum*
WHY WE LOVE IT: It’s as if a fresh citrus tree was blooming in our vicinity every second of the day. The scent is open and crisp, brightened by grapefruit and bergamot and deepened with a touch of Earl Grey for allure.
7. Rare Beauty
If you were to swab a bunch of Rare Beauty samples while killing time in a Sephora, you’d very likely end up leaving with a whole new makeup bag built entirely of Rare Beauty. And so, we’ll save you the spree and just tell you our ride-or-die, hero product from the brand. It will not come as a shock that it involves brows.
WHAT TO BUY: Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Gel*
WHY WE LOVE IT: Quite simply, the best, fluffiest, most holding brow gel out there.
8. Rhode Skin
From slicked hair to glossy nails, Hailey Bieber is all about igniting our yearning for that glazed, “clean girl” look. So we’re not totally surprised that her skincare line is all about getting our skin closer to that goal.
WHAT TO BUY: Rhode Skin Glazing Milk*
WHY WE LOVE IT: For insane hydration that isn’t heavy, so it’s perfect for spring and summer. Plus, it gets us closer to that glassy finish we’re always after.
Images:
Instagram: @victoriabeckhambeauty
Instagram @theoutset
Instagram @skims
Instagram @lolavie
Instagram: @fentybeauty
Instagram: @henryrose
Instagram: @rarebeauty
Instagram: @rhode
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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