Celebrity haircare brands - yay or nay?

Rihanna announced the launch of her new haircare line Fenty Hair and I have some thoughts. For starters clears throat I am tired of celebrity hair care lines and we do not need anymore. I remember when I first went natural and my options for hair care products were very few and limited. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy that times have changed and it has become almost overwhelming at this point to pick and choose natural hair products at a store. Nonetheless  I cannot help but feel especially in the last few months that these new celebrity lines are simply ✨money grabs✨. All of a sudden, we are supposed to believe that every other celebrity who has  access to the best stylists, dermatologists & makeup artists have suddenly become experts in skincare, haircare?! Come on now.

Here’s the thing, nowadays simply being a celebrity does not ensure your business venture will do well (example: Ivy Park X Adidas). When it comes to celebrity brands, consumers want to see authenticity to feel connected and invested. Meaning we need to see a correlation between the product being sold and how it fits into the overall aesthetic of said public figure or if they cater to a  particular gap in the market.

For instance, when Fenty Beauty first came out, there was a lack of inclusivity in shade ranges by most makeup lines. The niche market at the time being inclusivity mixed with the immaculate work of the Fenty marketing team propelled the brand to the household name it is today. 

Now let’s talk numbers. The black hair care business is reportedly worth USD 3 billion dollars, with only 2.5 percent of this revenue coming from black brands (meaning a brand that is black founded or black owned), while black consumers account for about 11.1% of beauty spending. So this means that not even three percent of the market is owned by black businesses while we account for a good portion of the consumption. When looked from this perspective, I can understand why certain BIPOC celebrities choose to come out with haircare brands in an attempt to even out the playing field. 

In conclusion, Rihanna has always been known for her ever changing style and it makes absolute sense that in expanding her billion dollar beauty empire she ventured into haircare and got a seat at the table. But will I be doing my fenty skincare while deep conditioning my hair with Fenty Hair?🥴