Rare Beauty is true to the name
Selena Gomez—well-known for her role as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place, outspoken advocacy of health issues, and rising music career—is constantly bringing new creative outlets and works to the table. Gomez’s most recent project was her very own makeup company, called Rare Beauty.
Rare Beauty was launched on September 3, 2020. It was met by many eager fans and beauty critics alike. The company launched various products, ranging from foundations and blushes to blotting sheets and compacts. The products are intended to leave a natural dewy, rather than matte, finish.
Rare Beauty also has an inclusive range of shades for their foundation and concealers; there are 48 shades available. This has been praised by fans and critics alike, since there are plenty for people to choose from. On the Rare Beauty site there are videos of Gomez using the products herself to help people with the application process. The products are also reasonably priced, with foundation being $29 and liquid lip being $20.
People were quick to comment on the sleek, easy-open packaging of Rare Beauty products. It is important here to note that Gomez suffers from lupus disease. She received a kidney transplant in 2017 and continues to receive treatments on a daily basis. Some have inferred that, since Gomez’s condition has a shaking hands side effect, she made the packaging easy to open for anyone. In a video with Vogue, Gomez used her own products in her makeup routine. Viewers could see her hands visibly shake as she attempted to use her eyeliner, further perpetuating the idea that the packaging was made with easy opening in mind.
Gomez is also an advocate for mental health, and encourages her audience to know about self-worth. Gomez mentioned in her Vogue video that she wants people to know that they don’t need makeup to be beautiful; she wanted to create something that people would feel the most authentic in. Rare Beauty and Gomez have also announced that they will contribute to the Rare Impact Fund, which set a goal of giving 100 million dollars toward mental health causes. Rare Beauty products are also vegan and animal cruelty free.
Critics have their fair share of opinions. YouTube beauty guru Patrick Starrr reviewed the products, but people were less than pleased with the review. It seemed that Starrr would not allow the products to stand on their own, as he would constantly compare his own beauty products to them. When a product did not satisfy him, he would then state that viewers could buy his instead. This has left a poor taste in plenty of people’s mouths, so much so that Starrr removed the like to dislike ratio on his video and spoke about it on Instagram.
Another critic was Fenty Beauty, which, on the day of Rare Beauty’s release, tweeted about the benefits of a matte finish foundation when compared to a dewy finish. Rihanna’s beauty company has since deleted the tweet after facing backlash; fans of Gomez felt that it was unprofessional. Both Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty, it is worth noting, are sold exclusively through Sephora. This could be a reason for Fenty Beauty to tweet about their competing company: They have a new, rare competitor.
Rare Beauty is new, fresh and socially impactful. I don’t know about you, but I know where my next paycheck is going. I guess you could say that Gomez has killed me with kindness.
Author: Danielle Mercardo | A&E Editor
