Kris Jenner praises her daughter Kylie Jenner’s evolution from teenager to beauty empire builder, highlighting her sharp business instincts.
Kylie’s Vision Takes Shape
In 2015, at age 17, Kylie approached her mother with a clear plan. “Mom, I know what I want to do for the rest of my life, and it’s beauty,” Kris Jenner recalls Kylie saying on the SmartLess podcast. “I want to do this Lip Kit, and now you’ve got to take this and run with it and figure out how to make it.”
Kris Jenner connected with experts to develop the product and crafted a marketing strategy alongside Kylie. She suggested features like an ad in People magazine and a billboard.
Kylie stayed composed. “Are we okay, mom? Like, I know what I’m doing. Just relax,” she responded. Kris Jenner expressed concern, noting, “You just spent every dime you’ve ever made on Keeping Up with the Kardashians to start your own brand by yourself with your own money. You’re 17 years old.”
Launch Success and Rapid Growth
The November 2015 launch proved explosive. Kylie Cosmetics debuted 15,000 Lip Kits at $29 each, selling out in under a minute—possibly four seconds. “We thought the site crashed,” Kris Jenner said. “Then it was on. She was the first one to do that.”
Leveraging her massive social media following, Kylie disrupted the beauty industry. The brand generated over $300 million in revenue its first year, reaching a $900 million valuation by 2018. In 2020, Kylie sold a 51% stake to Coty Inc. for $600 million while retaining creative and marketing roles.
Challenges and Personal Life
Kylie later shared the stress of early demand in a Vanity Fair interview. “It wasn’t very exciting for me for the first year because I was so stressed out… I couldn’t handle it because I really wanted to just make everyone happy.”
Today, Kylie, in a three-year relationship with Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet, recently marked Kylie Cosmetics’ 10-year anniversary with family. Fans speculate if she’ll join him at the Oscars, where his film competes for nine awards, including Best Actor. The couple has appeared together at events like the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and BAFTAs.
