As autumn begins, model Hailey Beiber’s skincare company Rhode markets the launch of their “Peptide Lip Tints”. At first look, the four new lip products stand out against the company’s classic gray aesthetic, packaged in bold colors that correspond with each scent. One look at the Rhode website is the visual epitome of fresh air. With uniform packaging, fonts, and photography, Bieber’s brand is flawless to the eye, and growing in popularity. Due to the failures of many highly anticipated celebrity makeup brands, the public should always pose the question: is it the product or the packaging?
The face of Rhode is ‘it-girl’ Hailey Bieber, who is one of the most influential online figures today. In fact, the internet term ‘clean girl’ was started largely in part due to her overall aesthetic and style. Hailey’s instagram feed features photos of fashion shows, her iconic slick back hairdo, and magazine covers. When asked about Hailey Bieber, Mayfield students said she was “clean”, “fashionable”, and “put-together”. One of the most appealing parts of her image is how effortlessly she does it all. A matching sweat suit seen on Bieber becomes the next winter trend, and her simple white nails are quickly coined as the ‘Hailey Bieber Nails’ across all social platforms. It is no surprise then, that when she launched Rhode in the summer of 2022, her website “sold out in ten minutes” (“How Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skincare Easily Sold Out In Ten Minutes”).
After countless celebrities have attempted to create makeup brands, what it takes to succeed in the makeup industry is becoming clearer. Noting the popularity of companies like Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez; good formulas and visually pleasing packaging both aid in its success.
In a note from Hailey on the Rhode website, she describes how her line is “based in science” and that she hopes to “[simplify] many of the mysteries and complex narrative behind efficacious skincare”. Additionally, Bieber includes a list of ingredients found in her products and what their functions are, granting her buyers accessible and understandable knowledge of what they are putting on their body. On her website, she emphasizes the importance of transparency and honesty, and this is seen through all of the information she provides for her clients about the products.
Before the release of their new lip tints, Rhode’s packaging was completely monochromatic, which mirrors the simple and clean ingredients in the formulas and adds to the cohesiveness of the company. Their lip tints are the beginning of a new look for Rhode. The color palate of the line is a mix of browns and pinks, which have been growing in popularity since the summer of 2023. The color of the season is a deep chocolate brown, making appearances in home decor, nails, makeup, and fashion. Two of Hailey’s lip tints fall within the brown family; ‘espresso’ is a dark and rich shade while ‘toast’ is light and warm. Additionally, with the rise of pink ribbons as accessories as seen on Pintrest and Tiktok, Rhode’s blush color is named ‘ribbon’. Finally, her deep berry color is named ‘raspberry jelly’, a shade that was trending earlier in the summer of 2023. Furthermore, the promo photos for the line are clean and cohesive, and feature different women wearing ribbons and ballet shoes, or holding cups of coffee to market the different flavors. Hailey’s knowledge of current trends makes her products more relevant to what people are looking for, which will increase the amount of sales the products have.
No matter how good the formula or marketing of a product is, the deciding factor of whether it will become popular and sell is public opinion. Before the line’s official launch, Rhode sent PR packages to many online creators and posted on all of their social platforms to raise awareness of the product. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. On Tiktok, there are 402.5 million views under the Rhode Skin hashtag. @Whatsrileyupto on TikTok posted a review about the Peptide Lip Tints, exclaiming that “from the second [she] saw” a photo of the “Rhode campaign, [she] knew [she] was [going to] make [her] first Rhode purchase”. Additionally, @Missasiamilia on TikTok posted another review about how the shades look on her as a Black woman, rating the line a 10/10. @y0129k on TikTok, a creator from New York, reviewed the product by saying that the formula “feels so good on the lips” and has “the perfect amount of tint”.
Hailey’s influence on the public mixed with her careful marketing that is designed to appeal to trends makes the line more relevant and desired. While many celebrity beauty lines are not well executed and rely on a celebrity image to aid in their success, Rhode is off to a great start and seems to have what it takes to be a successful company.