Kylie Jenner launched lip kit in 2015; Coty bought 51% for $600 million in 2019

Image: Left/Britannica/Right/Refinery29 Few beauty stories capture the power of social media as clearly as the rise of Kylie Jenner's cosmetics business. What began in November 2015 as a debut lip kit became Kylie Cosmetics, a brand that built a devoted audience online and then attracted one of the largest beauty companies in the world. In November 2019, that company, Coty, agreed to buy a majority stake in the business for 600 million dollars. Here’s how the brand grew, what the agreement contained, why the numbers mattered, and how the partnership was designed to carry the business into new global markets.How the November 2015 Kylie Lip Kit launch became Kylie Cosmetics, a beauty brand with global reachCoty's press release describes the origin story plainly. In November 2015, Kylie Jenner launched Kylie Cosmetics, and the debut product, the Kylie Lip Kit, was a sell-out success. Her online store, KylieCosmetics.com, is one of the most successful online stores in the world, and the range grew well beyond lips to include eyeliners, eyeshadows, blushes, highlighters, concealers, brushes and makeup bags, plus limited edition sets released throughout the year. In May 2019, she introdu...