Kylie Cosmetics is an American beauty company started by Kylie Jenner and her mother Kris Jenner in partnership with Seed Beauty, according to Wikipedia. The business began as Lip Kit by Kylie and released its first Lip Kits on November 30, 2015. Seed Beauty produced the initial 15,000 kits using $250,000 in funding that Kylie Jenner supplied from her modelling earnings.
Production quickly expanded to meet demand, and the company renamed itself Kylie Cosmetics in 2016. Wikipedia reports that production rose to 500,000 kits and that total revenue exceeded $300 million by the end of 2016. The line broadened beyond lip products into foundations, palettes, brushes and other categories, with pop up stores and retail placements added later.
The company drew major attention over valuation and ownership. Forbes reported valuations of about $800 million in 2018 and $900 million in March 2019. Coty purchased a 51 percent controlling stake for $600 million in November 2019, valuing the company at roughly $1.2 billion, as reported in the assembled material. Forbes later published a report in 2020 that, citing documentation linked to the Coty deal, questioned prior revenue claims and said the company had been overvalued.
The brand has sought wider retail reach. Wikipedia notes that Kylie Cosmetics products became available at Ulta in 2018 and that Kylie continued to plan collections and releases while balancing personal milestones and public attention.
Collaborations Product Releases And Public Backlash
Kylie and Kris Jenner collaborated on multiple named collections, including the Kris Kollection and a Momager themed lip set. Interviews published around product launches describe the collaboration as playful. Kylie said she designed and presented the concept, while Kris reportedly selected shade names and colors. The collection featured a 12 shade eyeshadow palette, lip products and a cheek palette, with some price points reported in launch coverage.
The Kris x Kylie drops leaned on Kris Jenner’s public persona. Coverage highlighted tongue in cheek packaging, shade names that referenced family quips, and marketing that drew on Kris’s love of florals and martinis. The Jenners said they aimed to reach both their audiences and to capture Kris’s signature smoky eye and red lip look.
The brand has also faced recurring product criticism and social media backlash. Press and internet reports detailed controversy over a $360 brush set, which Cosmopolitan Australia described as a notable scandal. Other criticisms included comparisons to competing lines over inclusivity following a 30 shade concealer launch, customer complaints about an eyeshadow palette’s chemical smell, and objections to provocative product names in a blush release. These issues have been reported alongside the company’s commercial milestones in the public record.
