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1 Billion Reasons to stop comparing Kylie Jenner's company to Pat McGrath's

Pat McGrath has done something amazing.

Her beauty brand has recently crossed the $1Billion mark, offering another huge win for Black girls in beauty.

Yet, while her accomplishment is monumental, it, confusingly so, stands in the shadow of another beauty brand that has not achieved half that McGrath's has, and a lot of us, including myself are fed up by the comparisons.

Recently Forbes Magazine shared their cover of Kylie Jenner and (erroneously) called her a 'self-made' Billionaire. In truth, her three-year-old company is still shy of the mark.
Mere days after Forbes announced Kylie Jenner being $100 Million from the $1 Billion, it was announced that Pat McGrath Labs, celebrity makeup artist's Pat McGrath's own beauty line, actually reached the $1 Billion dollar mark.

McGrath's company began in 2016 and became an instant hit. Her exclusive launches wrapped within iconic sequin filled pouched have only been met with praise and admiration.

My annoyance isn't just Forbes or whoever else isn't promoting McGrath's success. (My gut feeling is that Forbes wanted someone from Gen Z on one of their covers to boost their own personal sales and Kylie, for them was the obvious pick.) Let's face it; bring up a Kardashian or a Jenner and millions of people start paying attention, so why wouldn't a magazine try to get one of them on a cover? At the same time, an actual self-made woman emerges with a brand that has been hailed as one of the best lines around by any beauty maven worth her salt (which, if we are honest, cannot be said by Kylie Cosmetics whose own business was rated an 'F' by the Better Business Bureau. Not to mention that the low key consensus about the Jenner child's brand is that it is glorified, repackaged, and up priced   ColourPop cosmetics.)

My annoyance is also with the outlets and discussions that are, but always in parallel to Jenner. The same parallels were struck when Rihanna's Fenty beauty dropped and everyone, including myself, rushed to compare her beauty brand, not with other established brands, but to the Kardashian/Jenner brands, as if they set the standard for celebrity beauty lines (isn't it ironic that the Kardashian/ Jenner brands are so successful, despite the now obvious fact that both Kim and Kylie had their own appearances altered?)

McGrath has worked as a makeup artist for decades, climbing the ranks until her big break came while working with Edward Enninful (then fashion editor of i-D magazine) in the early 1990s. She became well known for her original and innovative techniques, like vinyl lips and covering bodies in powder paint. She was also well known for using her fingers instead of brushes to apply these techniques. Hell! McGrath was even recognized by the Queen of England. In the 2013 Queen Elizabeth II's New Year Honors List, McGrath was as a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the fashion and beauty industry.

McGrath had no trust fund, no syndicated show, no wealthy parents, no well-known and well-connected sisters. She literally had a dream and the work ethic to make that happen. She is a story unto her damn self.

There's your self-made story Forbes.

I am not alone in this annoyance. The trusty Twitter community also shares this irritation.


This is truly something to celebrate. A Black Owned beauty company, in the span of two years, is worth $1 Billion. It is a  success story unto itself and doesn't need any comparison to be celebrated. Congratulations Pat. Looking forward to seeing more beautiful things come from and for you!
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