Oh look, another celeb beauty launch
I’m so cynical about celeb beauty lines and yet completely seduced by this Pharrell-founded skincare brand, Humanrace. I just love this clean, clinical packaging and I hope the products smell of Granny Smiths.
For the marketing campaign, Pharrell has used extreme close-ups of smooth-skinned, modern day influencers, including the artist Blondey and a robotic cancer surgeon called Dipen Parekh. The blurb is all very worthy which is a bit of a turn-off for me. I guess all that needs to be seen is if non-influencer people talk about it and if it’s actually any good. (You can buy it here – when it’s not sold out – from $32.)
Do you believe Pharrell is invested interested in skincare or is this just another celebrity cash grab? Read more here.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: Humanrace
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28 November, 2020 @ 7:35 pm
I don’t believe any celebrity is interested in skincare to the point of starting a line UNLESS they expect a big financial return. Pharrell is a great face for non-gender specific products, as he can cross the line easily while maintaining enough masculinity to still appeal to both straight women and gay men. He is the future…. bless him.
In the article, I loved this line: “Created by Williams, with the help of his dermatologist Dr Elena Jones MD”, yeah, ok. I doubt he created anything but was, instead, shown creations and commented on them, suggesting tweaks.
The only celebrity line which seems to actually offer something different is Fenty, none of which I have purchased but I do respect the research, the out-reach and the range of foundations. I don’t know much about Jessica Alba’s line, Honest Beauty, but I think it is making a profit.
I’ll stick to The Ordinary. I’ve tried so many expensive products but always come back to it, or CeraVe – I’ve got good skin so I’ve never found the value in spending $100 on a cream…. and I’ll be 60 next year with nary a wrinkle.
28 November, 2020 @ 9:24 pm
Thanks Monique! Agree with a lot of this. Well, I guess he created the ‘brand’ and the brand is what has the seduction powers to entice us to try the product, no? Fenty has just launched skincare and I’m not up to speed on how that’s performing but yeah, the make-up does phenomenally well. Jessica Alba’s line is doing amazingly as far as I know. For pure efficacy, Cerave, La Roche Posay and the pharmacy brands are excellent. The Ordinary is great for its price point. But I think where people (like me!) want an ‘experience’ is where the ‘brand’ comes in – nice looking packaging, luxurious texture, maybe fun marketing, the sense of tapping into something cool and desirable. It’s where beauty crosses into fashion and becomes pop culture which is so fascinating to me.
I hope you are well!