When Kylie Jenner launched her brand empire, it felt like a once-in-a-generation phenomenon. The young reality-star turned beauty-mogul seemed unstoppable. But today her flagship brand, Kylie Cosmetics, is showing unmistakable cracks. This is an investigative look at what went wrong: the mis-steps, the controversies, the brand fatigue—and why “King Kylie” may be over.

Rise & Hype: The Early Glory

In 2015 Jenner launched Kylie Cosmetics, quickly leveraging her social-media clout. She built it fast and brilliantly: Lip Kits sold out in minutes; headlines spoke of her becoming a “self-made” billionaire. The brand seemed to ride a perfect storm of hype, influencer culture and the Kardashian-Jenner network.

By 2017 the brand was seen as a benchmark for celebrity-beauty success. But somewhere along the way the narrative shifted.

The Problems Begin to Mount

Quality & Customer Service Issues

From product complaints to sanitation concerns, Kylie Cosmetics struggled on the fundamentals. The Better Business Bureau gave the company an “F” rating after 133 complaints related to delivery, product quality, billing and advertising.

There were reports of lip kits and palettes arriving damaged, broken or with weak formulations. One reviewer wrote:

I had a rash after using the foundation… My skin isn’t super sensitive, but something in the Kylie Lip Kits made my lips sting.”

And makeup-industry professionals criticised Jenner for appearing in photos in a cosmetic lab without proper protective gear—a perceived signal that the brand wasn’t taking manufacturing and safety seriously.

Branding & Identity Drift

Launches came fast and furious—lip kits, skincare, baby lines, swimwear, fashion. But many consumers felt the brand lost its purpose. One analysis of her fashion label, KHY by Kylie Jenner, noted:

Branding is inconsistent… product quality is questionable… perception problem: feels more like a cash grab than a passion.”

On Reddit and beauty forums fans bluntly stated:

She pushes her products fast without caring about the quality and the prices are high for what you’re getting!”
“Her stuff has always looked cheaply made… the demographic she appealed to upon launch has grown up and knows her stuff is not that good.”

Sales & Valuation Decline

From the hype-days of rapid growth, numbers shifted dramatically. Reports suggest e-commerce revenue for Kylie Cosmetics dropped from about $68.7 million in 2017 to roughly $36.2 million in 2022—and projected to fall further to ~ $29 million by 2024.

This suggests that the brand’s momentum slowed, its core customers moved on, and the novelty wore off.

Controversies & Reputation Hits

Aside from the internal issues, external controversies piled up:

Accusations of packaging repackaging (eg. holiday kits being identical shades to regular releases) stirred upset.

Branding missteps: Certain product names (for example earlier palettes) were criticised for being too provocative or tone-deaf.

A UK advertising regulator banned ads that claimed you could look like Kylie Jenner via cosmetic procedures, for being misleading.

The vandalised LA billboard of Kylie’s own brand image arguably signals cultural backlash.

Why This Matters: The Legacy vs. Reality Gap

At its height, the Kylie brand symbolised power, youth, and beauty-entrepreneurship. But a few key realities undermined it:

Dependency on Jenner’s persona: The original USP was Kylie herself. But when the personality is the product, any tarnish on the person hits the brand hard.

Lack of meaningful differentiation: As beauty became saturated with vegan lines, inclusive shade ranges and influencer brands, Kylie’s edge faded. Criticisms noted her shade range and formulations lagged behind competitors.

Volume over depth: Constant drops and multiple sub-brands made it feel like quantity quality. Consumer fatigue set in.

Business maturity challenge: Launching via hype is one thing; sustaining a brand with strong operational and quality foundations is another. The complaints, dips in sales and reputation hits suggest these weren’t fully solved.

Market expectations changed: The audience that once loved Kylie’s lip kits matured. Expectations rose for ethics, transparency, value and innovation—areas where the brand struggled.

What Kylie & Her Team Tried

In response to the drop-off, there have been efforts:

A rebrand to vegan formulations and refreshed packaging for Kylie Cosmetics.

Launch of fashion and lifestyle verticals like KHY, Kylie Skin, Kylie Baby.

Public reflection: Jenner herself has spoken about “proving people wrong” and the challenges of building the brand.

However, these moves appear more defensive than visionary—as in “we must fix what’s wrong” rather than “we are reinventing where this brand goes”.

The Current Status & Future Risk

The brand is still large, globally recognised and backed by significant resources. But the question now is: Can it reclaim its throne—or will it plateau further?

Risks ahead include:

Further erosion of trust: Quality issues and customer service problems will continue to chip away at loyalty.

Market irrelevance: If Kylie doesn’t reinvigorate her brand identity and deliver standout products, her target audience may move to newer, cooler brands.

Brand dilution: With so many sub-brands, the core brand may lose clarity (“What is Kylie’s brand stand for now?”).

Celebrity reputation vulnerability: The brand is tethered to Kylie’s image; any personal controversy or cultural shift away from celebrity-brand worship could hurt.

Overhyped valuation backlash: Earlier claims about being a “self-made billion-dollar” business have already been challenged and may undermine investor/customer confidence.