B-Town actresses beauty ventures falter, while Kay Beauty thrives

In India's booming beauty and personal care market, stardom is no longer a golden ticket. Even A-list Bollywood actresses, who face a dominant box office, have found it challenging to translate fame into profitable beauty brands.

Data from Tracxn Technologies underscored the shifting dynamics of celebrity-led beauty ventures. "Celebrity-led beauty brands in India are entering a more discerning phase," said Neha Singh, Tracxn's co-founder.

Singh noted that as the market matures, consumers are demanding more than just star power. While celebrity brands like Kay Beauty, Hyphen, 82°E, and Lovechild initially gained visibility, only a few have managed to maintain that momentum.

Among actress-founded beauty brands, only Katrina Kaif's Kay Beauty--launched with Nykaa--has thrived consistently. Tracxn data indicates Kay Beauty's revenue rose 45.4% to Rs 88.23 crore in FY24, while profits increased 66% to Rs 11.3 crore. This marks its third straight year of profitability since launching in 2019.

"Not every celebrity beauty label is a brand – some are just very expensive merchandise," said Neha Chopra, Head of Strategy at Enormous Brands.

"Kay Beauty succeeds because Katrina Kaif is actively involved as a co-creator, bringing a clear vision for product performance. Brands that fade away are often those built solely on celebrity status".

Other celebrity ventures have struggled. Deepika Padukone's 82°E, launched in November 2022, saw revenue fall 36% to Rs 15.2 crore in fiscal 2025 from Rs 23.7 crore the previous year, though losses narrowed by 48% to Rs 12.3 crore.

Anusha Dandekar's BrownSkin, has made incremental improvements, reducing losses from nearly Rs 46 lakh in fiscal 2023 to Rs 2.8 lakh in fiscal 2024, while revenue grew 88% to Rs 75.3 lakh.

Meanwhile, Kriti Sanon's Hyphen and Sunny Leone's Suncity Endeavours continued to operate in the red, with the former reporting losses of Rs 7.2 crore in FY24 and the latter posting a loss of Rs 1.02 crore.

"These brands don’t fail because the idea is bad," said Abhijit Kaur, Managing Partner, Gnothi Seauton. "They fail because they don’t pay enough attention to the basics. Distribution as real marketing. No glossy film or founder story can compensate for that".

Experts say that sustainable success in the celebrity beauty space depends on operational consistency, offline retail presence, and reliable product quality. Storing formulations, accessible pricing, and wide retail availability, said Singh, matter far more than celebrity association alone.

Notably, the allure of the beauty and personal care market in India remains undeniable. In $21 billion India's beauty market, 351 startups have launched in the past three years. FMCG giants like Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Marico, Emami, and e-commerce leader Nykaa have acquired eight digital-first beauty brands in a deal valued at nearly Rs 4,000 crore.

In this increasingly competitive landscape, the ultimate beneficiaries are the consumers, who now enjoy more choices across price points and product categories than ever before.