In 2017, Fenty Beauty launched with a foundation range most brands had avoided for years. It entered the market with shades that covered a far wider spectrum of skin tones than was typical at the time. That did more than fill a gap in one product category; it exposed a quiet design choice in beauty retail. Up to that point, many brands had simply decided that darker complexions were not worth the investment.

Skincare is now being sold to children as young as three. Let that sink in. Actress Shay Mitchell, best known for Pretty Little Liars, recently launched Rini, a skincare line for kids. The campaign shows toddlers in sheet masks at birthday parties, sleepovers, and play dates. The products are framed as a part of developing “healthy habits”. But the brand, which claims to be gentle, fun and safe, follows a familiar industry playbook: manufacture insecurity then monetise it.

When SKKN by Kim launched in June 2022, it was pitched as the future of skincare: “science-backed,” “minimal,” “refillable.” Everything about it whispered calm sophistication. But beneath the branding sits a clear strategy — take the same extreme ideals that made the Kardashian image a global commodity and repackage them as wellness. [SKKN is] a brand that had every resource, every platform, and every opportunity to lead differently, yet chose not to.