Kylie Jenner business story
The launch of Kylie Cosmetics in 2015 changed the beauty industry forever. The brand was created by Kylie Jenner, who was only 18 years old at the time. In a recent interview, her mother Kris Jenner shared memories about how the beauty brand first started and how she supported Kylie during the early stages.
Kylie already had millions of followers on social media because of her family’s reality TV fame. She was also widely known for her bold lip style, especially her overlined lips that fans loved to copy.
The Idea Behind the Famous Lip Kits
Instead of working with an existing makeup company, Kylie decided to build her own brand. She launched her first product line called Lip Kits, which included a lip liner and matching liquid lipstick.
These products were designed to help people recreate Kylie’s signature lip look easily. The idea was simple but powerful—and it quickly caught attention online. Before launching the brand, Kylie asked her mother Kris for advice on building a strong business. As the experienced “momager” behind the Kardashian-Jenner family brand, Kris helped guide decisions related to marketing and product development.
Interestingly, Kylie and Kris had different ideas about how to promote the products. Kris initially suggested traditional marketing strategies such as television commercials, newspaper ads, and media promotions. However, Kylie had a different plan. She wanted to promote the brand directly to her followers on Instagram. Instead of spending money on advertising, Kylie simply posted about the Lip Kits on social media. This decision turned out to be revolutionary.
When Kylie officially launched the Lip Kits on November 30, 2015, the response was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of fans rushed to the website to buy the products. The first three shades sold out almost instantly. The demand was so high that the website servers crashed. It quickly became one of the most successful beauty launches ever seen for an independent brand. Kris later described watching the sales numbers climb in real time as “unbelievable.”
The success of the brand also received mainstream attention when People Magazine featured Kylie and her new business. This coverage helped introduce the brand to a wider audience and showed that Kylie Cosmetics was more than just a celebrity product—it was a serious business venture. The brand continued to grow rapidly and eventually expanded into makeup, skincare, and fragrance products. In 2019, Kylie sold a majority stake of the company to Coty, while still keeping creative control.
Today, Kylie Cosmetics is considered one of the most influential celebrity beauty brands in the world. The brand’s success proves how powerful social media can be in modern marketing. With strong family support and a clear vision, Kylie Jenner turned a simple lip product into a global beauty empire. The story of Kylie Cosmetics shows that bold ideas, smart marketing, and digital influence can completely change an industry.