While many successful influencers are starting to create their own proprietary ranges, often the first step toward cultivating one’s own brand is to partner with a bigger beauty brand on a limited-edition collection. In recent news, celebrity influencers Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid inked deals with TopShop and Maybelline, respectively. This trend is far from over and with the success stories of the collaborations below, it’s likely to escalate. Here, some of the best-selling social media star collections for beauty brands.



Grav3yard Girl X Tarte Swamp Queen Palette


Tarte has long focused on YouTube/Instagram/digital-only ads for the past few years. Its strategic collaboration in June 2016 with YouTube star Grav3yard Girl, whose real name is Bunny Meyer, (2.7 million followers) quickly became a best seller, selling out during its presale. Bunny boasts nearly 7 million subscribers and her down-to-earth persona resonates with her fans, known as her “Swamp Family.” The limited-edition palette ranked 4.8 stars on Tarte’s site and features wearable, neutral tones in flat and shimmery finishes.


Becca x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette
In May, influencer and model Chrissy Teigen partnered with Millennial favorite Becca on a gorgeous palette, which wound up garnering 4.5 stars and 40.K loves on Sephora.com. Chrissy’s 14.9 million Instagram following made for a massive promotion and collaboration. The partnership included cross-promotion on Chrissy’s social media accounts, with beautiful posed shots of her in the lab creating pigments, in addition to snaps of the final palette product. In August, Chrissy attended Beautycon to chat about all things Becca.

M.A.C Influencer Lipstick Collection
The innovative brand partnered with nine bloggers in 2011 on a limited-edition lip glass and eyeshadow collection that also sold out and was brought back for a second iteration a few months later. In 2017, this sold-out lipstick collection from M.A.C Cosmetics included custom-created tubes in partnership with some of the world’s biggest beauty influencers. The limited-edition range included shades from LarLarLee and Gabriel Zamora, both of which were sold in the U.S. The global influencers’ eponymous shades included Fleur De Force, Alessandra, Samantha Ravndahl, Vic Ceridono, The Real Fouz, Marie, Caro Daur, and Nikkia Joy.

Huda Beauty x Tweezerman


It’s hard to make facial-hair removal sexy, but face-shaving enthusiast and Instagram/YouTube beauty influencer Huda Kattan manages to pull it off — literally and figuratively. Hence, her partnership with Tweezerman was a natural one. The beauty buff has her own range of color cosmetics, but her Tweezerman capsule collection launched this past summer. Packaged in Millennial pink, red, and fuchsia, the Tweezerman x Huda Beauty collection is a four-piece set that comes in a lip-shaped makeup bag. The set also includes brow shaping scissors, a spooley brush, and mini magnifying mirror.

OGX x Kandee Johnson


The mass hair care range tapped makeup maven and YouTube sensation Kandee Johnson on an unlikely partnership (given Kandee’s makeup expertise versus hair). However, Kandee, who has 1.7 million Instagram followers, likely has an exclusivity clause regarding her recent partnership with makeup brand Too Faced. Totally on brand for Kandee, the OGX partnership features a sweet-smelling, pink packaged Limited Edition Frosted Sugar Cookie Shampoo and Conditioner. Known for its sulfate-free formulas, the brand was smart to tap Kandee, a frequent hair hue shifter who relies on color-safe formulations to keep her tone as bright as possible.

Morphe Cosmetics x Jaclyn Hill


Earlier this fall, YouTuber Jaclyn Hill (4.5 million subscribers) inked a deal with Morphe Cosmetics to collaborate on a palette including eyeshadows and lip colors. The indie makeup brand is mostly known for its brushes, so teaming up with a star to promote its lesser-known items was a smart move. The collection was a hit among Jacqueline’s audience, thanks to her launch video debuting the product, which garnered more than 2 million views in the first month. Then, more than 50 of her fellow beauty YouTube brethren posted their own review videos. The palette sold out within minutes of restock, several times over.