Kim K of the Marilyn Monroe dress fame, or more accurately, the 41-year-old billionaire, whose USP is her image, is launching a nine-piece skincare routine that costs US$ 630.
She is unapologetic about the price tag, as the quality of her products costs money (more likely the extortionate marketing budget, but we won’t talk about that).
I’ll confess celebrity skincare launches bring-out multiple qualities in me: my voyeuristic side with the popcorn et al. is fully expecting a car crash of monumental proportions, as the substance of such products seldom live up to the marketing hype.
My more optimistic British persona is hoping for strategic innovation or some breakthrough technology that I have never heard of that would lift and expand the skincare market. I agree it’s a bit dubious of me to expect this of J Lo, who is not a South Korean or Japanese corporate spending billions on R&D.
However, humour aside, what concerns me now is the impact such launches collectively have on the already impossible beauty standards for women.
Let me explain.
I live in a city with a vibrant nightlife, where everyone from baby boomers to Generation Z is out on a Friday night. These are folks with US$ 630 to spare on skincare.
The first time I saw this collective gaggle, I thought the men in their white t-shirts, sneakers (trainers?), and jeans that would fit an elephant were shopping at the local dollar store and couldn’t care about how they looked.
In their night-out tribal outfits, the women told a different story: all of them were uniformly slim and dressed as if this was their last night on earth. All the women had perfectly choreographed hair and make-up, shoes, outfits, etc. They were the polar opposite of their male counterparts.
That night I was struck by how hard it is to be an adult female in today’s constantly Instagrammable world. How much energy, money, and time was taken up by activities that tap into every girl’s insecurities, irrespective of age, social-standing: am I good enough?
I am all for skincare that helps preserve existing beauty and promotes women feeling good in their skin, whatever their age. For example, I spend most of my time talking about the benefits of sunscreen and how this should be a staple in everyone’s skincare routine.
The main gripe I have with celebrities like Kim K promoting skincare is this:
- They have so much clout and push beauty standards and now skincare to such impossible standards that women feel compelled to reach. It taps into our wallets, limited time, and mental health.
- By default, it reinforces gender bias. While men are on a fast track to looking for the next pound shop t-shirt, the same is not valid for women.
It breaks my heart that the normal of the Instragammable woman is the norm and that these same norms bypass me.
Is Kim K’s launch good for business? If her brand is successful, you will see a plethora of celebrity-led US$ 630+ skincare kits. Do you need nine pieces of skincare every single day? NO
Read that again: NO
The real gripe I have of all these skincare celebrities – and it may have to do with me being self-funded – is that they jump on this popular bandwagon with ZERO attempt at building skincare know-how or asking what the consumer needs – and they suck all the oxygen for growth that start-ups like I need.
Whether I like it or not, I am compelled to compete in the same market as a billionaire with unlimited resources and look like her before anyone takes me or my products seriously.
And that kind of sucks, but I’ll be damned if it beats me.