Kylie Kristen Jenner, born August 10, 1997, is a prominent American media personality, socialite, businesswoman, and model. She gained widespread recognition for her role in the E! reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians from 2007 to 2021, and later in the Hulu series The Kardashians, which premiered in 2022. Jenner is also the founder and owner of the highly successful cosmetic company, Kylie Cosmetics.
Early Ventures and Entrepreneurial Beginnings
Jenner's entrepreneurial journey began at the young age of 14 in 2012 when she collaborated with her sister Kendall on a clothing line, Kendall & Kylie, for the brand PacSun. This marked the first of many successful ventures that would solidify her influential status in pop culture since the mid-2010s.
The Jenner sisters also ventured into literature, co-authoring the dystopian science fiction novel Rebels: City of Indra: The Story of Lex and Livia. While the novel received criticism for being ghostwritten, it showcased the sisters' creative aspirations. Maya Sloan, the ghostwriter, revealed that while the Jenner sisters provided a two-page outline, she was responsible for the actual writing of the book.
The Rise of Kylie Cosmetics and Beauty Influence
Jenner's foray into the beauty industry became her most significant success. In May 2015, an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians featured Jenner admitting to getting a lip augmentation. Her enhanced lips quickly became a subject of public fascination and discussion, contributing to her burgeoning fame and publicity.
This public interest paved the way for the launch of her own cosmetic company, Kylie Cosmetics. The brand initially gained massive popularity with its Lip Kits, characterized by the "dripping gloss lip" and golden finger tips, a style that makeup artist Vlada Haggarty later claimed Jenner had stolen. In January 2017, Haggarty publicly accused Jenner of appropriating her creative style and aesthetic for her own products.
Despite such claims, Jenner's influence in the beauty world continued to grow. In April 2019, she collaborated with her half-sister Kim Kardashian's KKW Beauty for a new fragrance, marking Jenner's first venture into the fragrance market. Shortly after, on May 22, 2019, she launched her own skincare brand, Kylie Skin, which offered a range of dermis products including face washes, scrubs, moisturizers, and makeup removing wipes.
Further collaborations followed, including the Kylie Cosmetics x Koko Kollection with her half-sister Khloé Kardashian, which marked their third collaboration. In September of the same year, Jenner announced her role as the makeup artistic director for Balmain's Spring 2020 runway show at Paris Fashion Week.
In January 2020, Jenner announced her intention to trademark "Kylie Con," "Kylie Kon," and "Kylie Museum." Her sister Kendall later confirmed a cosmetics line collaboration with Kylie Cosmetics, which launched as Kylie Cosmetics x Kendall Jenner on June 26, 2020. That same month, Jenner revealed a Valentine's Day Collection for Kylie Cosmetics named after her daughter, Stormi, titled "The Stormi Collection," which coincided with her daughter's birthday on February 1.
Artistic Collaborations and Media Appearances
Jenner's presence extended beyond her own brands. She made cameo appearances in music videos for artists such as PartyNextDoor's "Recognize" in August 2014, Jaden Smith's "Blue Ocean," and Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber's "Stuck with U" in May 2020.
In 2015, she and her sister Kendall were booed while introducing Kanye West's performance at the Billboard Music Awards. The sisters also addressed reports in June 2020 regarding their fashion brand Kendall + Kylie allegedly failing to pay factory workers in Bangladesh due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philanthropy and Social Advocacy
Beyond her business endeavors, Jenner has been involved in philanthropic activities. She joined her sisters Khloé and Kendall, along with artists Lil Twist and The Game, for a charity bowling game in Studio City, California, on January 19, 2014. Jenner is an ambassador for Smile Train, a charity that provides surgery for children with cleft lips and palates, becoming one of the organization's youngest ambassadors. She visited Peru with Smile Train, documented in an episode of her reality show Life of Kylie.
In March 2020, Jenner, her mother Kris, and the beauty company Coty donated over 6,000 pounds of hand sanitizers to Southern California hospitals to aid healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Controversies and Forbes Accusations
Jenner's wealth and its reporting by Forbes have been a subject of controversy. In May 2020, Forbes released a statement accusing Jenner of forging tax documents to appear as a billionaire and fabricating revenue figures for Kylie Cosmetics. Jenner responded on Twitter, refuting the claims and labeling them as inaccurate and unproven assumptions. Her attorney also demanded that Forbes retract the statements, calling the accusations "unequivocally false." Forbes maintained that their investigation uncovered glaring discrepancies between privately supplied information and publicly reported figures.
Despite these accusations, Jenner was recognized as the youngest person on Forbes's list of 100 Richest Self-Made Women in October 2020. In relation to labor practices, the non-profit organization Remake labeled Global Brands Group as the manufacturer for the Kendall + Kylie clothing line, stating that money was being withheld from workers in factories despite completed work.
Legal Battles and Brand Endorsements
Jenner faced legal challenges regarding her name and brand. In February 2017, Australian singer Kylie Minogue won a legal battle against Jenner for the trademark of the name "Kylie." British painter Sara Pope also filed a lawsuit against Jenner and NBC Universal for the use of a neon lip logo, alleging that Jenner used an image similar to Pope's "Temptation Neon" to promote her TV series Life of Kylie.
Jenner has also been involved in numerous brand endorsements and collaborations. She has nail lacquers from the Nicole by OPI nail polish brand, Wear Something Spar-kylie and Rainbow in the S-kylie, and earned $100,000 each for her OPI endorsements in 2013. She also partnered with nail polish brand Sinful Colors for a 20-piece collection in 2016. In the fall of the same year, she became the new face of PUMA. In 2017, she was the face of Beats Headphones' special edition collection in collaboration with Apple and Balmain. She collaborated with sunglasses brand Quay Australia for the Quay x Kylie line, launched in June 2017. She endorsed Calvin Klein, Adidas, SugarBearHair, Waist Gang Society, Boxycharm, Fit Tea, and Fashion Nova. In 2018, Jenner reportedly earned $1 million per sponsored Instagram post, making her one of the highest-paid individuals on the platform that year.
Ariel Tejada: Kylie Jenner's Makeup Artist
Ariel Tejada, a prominent celebrity makeup artist, is widely recognized for his work with Kylie Jenner. Tejada, who started his career at a young age, became Kylie Jenner's go-to makeup artist, collaborating closely with her to define what he calls "the Kylie Jenner look."
Tejada's journey into the beauty industry began in high school. He took creative liberties with his resume to secure initial jobs, eventually building his portfolio through Instagram. His persistence led him to influencers like Lilly Ghalichi, and eventually, Kylie Jenner herself, who DMed him on Instagram requesting his services.
"I was traveling when I saw the message, and [I didn't reply until] 14 minutes later, so I was like, This is late! I'm not going to get a reply back!" Tejada recalled. "I messaged her back, 'I'm available whenever. I'll fly out tomorrow if I have to,' and sent her my cell number. She didn't reply for three days. My anxiety was next-level. When she finally texted me, I told her I'd be in L.A. in the next week. Mind you, I hadn’t bought my flight. So I booked a trip to L.A. and waited for her to get back to me."
Their first collaboration for an event was a success, with Jenner loving the results. Tejada described the experience: "We glammed, and we made magic. She loved it. She couldn't stop staring at herself in the mirror."
Tejada emphasized the collaborative nature of his work with Jenner: "I always tell her, 'I love working with you because we're a team.' When I do Kylie's makeup, she has her own input. She's a very secure person. That helps me as an artist, because when I finish the makeup, and she's added her touches, and I've added my signature stamp on the look, it becomes this explosion of the two of us mixed together."
Jenner often provides input on the desired look, such as requesting "a pink-y glam today" or a "more peachy" tone, or a lighter coverage. Tejada also revealed that Jenner handles her own lip application, a signature touch that adds to her distinctive look. "She lines her own lips, and we use many different lip liners to do that," he explained. "Some days we use a more pink tone and some days we use a more brown tone. We only use lip liner; she uses liner as her lipstick. She does her lips pretty fast. I would say it takes her two minutes, and that's pushing it."
Tejada's favorite lip liners include NYX Cosmetics in Soft Brown, Natural, and Vanilla, as well as Nars in Morocco and M.A.C in Spice and Boldly Bare. For foundation, he prefers Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, and for highlighters, Nars Jubilation Dual-Intensity Blush and Giella Eye M Glam.
Tejada's signature style, which he established with Kylie Jenner, includes a sculpted brow that appears naturally shaped, a stark contrast to heavily drawn-on brows. "With her presence and my artistry we made brows a thing. I like a sculpted brow that looks it was shaped that way. I don’t like an Instagram drawn on brow, when you look at my work, you can tell it’s my work by my brows."
He has also worked with other members of the Kardashian family, including Kim Kardashian, for whom he typed a note on his phone expressing his interest in doing her makeup while on the same flight. Kim responded positively, stating that she had already asked Kylie for his number. Tejada describes Kim as "the biggest sweetheart I’ve ever met" and notes that "makeup doesn’t make Kim, Kim makes the makeup."
Tejada's approach to makeup is to "emphasize the best features on somebody's face." While he is known for creating colorful looks for Kylie's ad campaigns, he personally prefers "pretty, a clean brown, maybe a little wing, or a bronzy eye" to make people feel "sexy." He advises against the "Instagram makeup trend" of "heavy everything," suggesting instead to focus on one or two key features.
Tejada is a strong proponent of using social media platforms like Instagram as a tool for career advancement, stating, "Social media has become so big that unfortunately you don’t need an agent anymore, because Instagram is your agent. If you’re not taking advantage of that, you’re really losing out on something major." He teaches this philosophy in his masterclasses, aiming to help individuals become more confident versions of themselves, emphasizing that "confidence is key to success" for an artist.
Jesus Guerrero: A Talented Stylist Lost Too Soon
The beauty industry mourned the loss of celebrity hairstylist Jesus Guerrero, who passed away in February at the age of 34. Guerrero was renowned for his work with high-profile clients, including Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, Rosalía, Jessica Alba, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Lopez.
An official report from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner revealed that Guerrero died of severe pneumonia. He had a weakened immune system and contracted a lung infection along with Cryptococcosis, a fungal disease. His death was announced on a GoFundMe page established by his family, which exceeded its $60,000 goal, raising $96,000.
Many expressed their condolences on social media. Ariel Tejada, Kylie Jenner's makeup artist, shared photos of himself and Guerrero, writing, "Our hearts will never be the same. Such a loving light and talent we lost too soon. Jesus gave his all to everything he did and he left such an impact on all that knew him."
