Celebrating its third anniversary this past September, Rare Beauty already has a lot to celebrate. Founded by singer, actress, and now CEO, Selena Gomez, Rare Beauty has become a brand made for makeup lovers. As one of the first brands to truly shift the makeup industry in a new direction, Rare Beauty has revolutionized how everyone, from professional makeup artists to complete beginners, feel in the beauty space.
According to People Magazine, Gomez has said from the beginning that she wanted to start “a makeup brand made for everyone”. In the same article from People Magazine, she states that Rare Beauty was made to challenge the norms of makeup and of beauty itself, focusing on learning to love your features through makeup, not covering them up.
The brand was Gomez’s dream; Gomez dreamed of a brand that embraced you, just as you are, noting that who you are isn’t just your external appearance. The brand works on breaking down the stigma behind mental health, donating 1 percent of all proceeds to the Rare Impact Foundation, her charity to support those struggling with mental health, while also prioritizing inclusivity and diversity in all areas of their brand.
Founded in 2020, the pandemic ensured that the everyday person’s use for makeup was rapidly changing. A 2020 survey from Global News of 10,000 British women shed light on a 19 percent drop in makeup sales since the year prior (2019), and many other surveys showed similar effects due to COVID-19 around the world. Influencers shifted their focus to real, achievable looks, emphasizing to their audiences that less is more. Full coverage and full glam looks were out, and natural, ‘dewy’ looks were in, but not everyone could find products that worked for them.
A survey by Glamour Magazine of 5,500 people found that about 80 percent of individuals were unable to find a proper foundation match for their skin tones in stores. Since 1935, when the first ever foundation was put on the market, many customers have had incredibly difficult times finding a proper shade match and, even if brands did happen to have a proper shade match, many would continue to ignore the importance of diverse modeling and brand representatives. Without seeing themselves represented in ads, or even simply makeup itself, many had to make do without products that properly fit their skin tones. For decades, many women, particularly women with darker skin tones,have had to make due with using the ‘wrong’ products or techniques due to a lack of inclusive products. In the 80s and 90s, women often used black and brown eyebrow pencils to line their lips; the makeup industry wasn’t catering to those who have darker skin tones and lip shades.
Gomez and her team identified this need in the makeup industry and took this as a challenge. When Rare Beauty’s ‘Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation’ first launched in 2020, it had 48 shades. According to Allure Magazine brands have about “ten [foundation shades], give or take,”.
The brand has redefined what true inclusivity is, even down to their marketing, focusing on real people and real stories. Rare Beauty believes in “the beauty of imperfections,” represented in one of their biggest online initiatives, ‘Rare Reminders’ . Posted around their office, at Rare Beauty events, and even on their website in the form of stickers, ‘Rare Reminders’ are empowering affirmations made for the Rare Beauty community, reminding individuals that they are rare, unique, and special. Gomez’s own struggles with mental health inspired many aspects of the brand, such as their attempts to “reduce the stigma around mental health” and provide resources to those who struggle with conditions such as depression, anxiety, and more.
The Robinson community agrees, with freshmen Jade Carsten and Anya Bennet remarking that, “I [Carsten] love Rare Beauty- it’s high quality… [and] such a great investment!” Bennet loves how the products are “minimal… so you don’t look like you’re doing too much, cruelty free, and offer a good [shade] range.” Many students, teens, and everyone in between cling to Rare Beauty’s reminders to stay vulnerable, embrace their imperfections, and most of all, remember that ‘You are Rare’.
