Money Within Social Media Beauty Brands

If there's anything I've learned while watching the new Shane Dawson series that I discussed a few weeks ago it's that there is A LOT of money within the beauty industry. Specifically, I'd like to discuss the finances behind brands that have their main selling location online. In the most recent episode of the docuseries on YouTube, we see a glimpse into a meeting between Jeffree Star Cosmetics (JSC) and Morphe Brushes regarding the upcoming Shane Dawson collection through JSC. Both of these brands started online, while Morphe has recently expanded into having their own brick and mortar locations throughout the nation. 

The conference call is focused on the decision if Morphe will be the exclusive retailer outside of JSC, and what they will offer in order to make that deal worthwhile for not only Jeffree but also for Shane and his YouTube career. As soon as the representative from Morphe announced that they planned on ordering 500,000 units of one of the eyeshadow palettes (a total of around $20 million retail), my jaw dropped. This does not include however many units JSC intends on ordering for their own website launch. As we move toward the launch date on November 1 I can't help but to think about the influence that social media has had on these companies. Without YouTube and Instagram they would simply cease to exist at the success rates they currently have. As we move forward, I cannot wait to see what the whole collection looks like, and I even plan on ordering one of the items for myself!