The Taco Bell-ification of Consumerism
Why Every Celebrity Brand Feels the Same. Hot take... let me explain.
Every week, it seems a new influencer, reality star, or vaguely famous internet personality launches a skincare line, makeup brand, or clothing label.
Another blush. Another highlighter. Another oversized branded sweatsuit.
At some point, it starts to feel less like innovation and more like Taco Bell: the same ingredients, repackaged in slightly different forms.
A Crunchwrap. A quesadilla. A burrito. Technically different. Fundamentally identical.
The modern celebrity consumer brand ecosystem often works the same way.
Many beauty and fashion products are not developed from scratch by the celebrity whose name is attached to them. Instead, they are produced through private-label or contract manufacturing systems, where third-party manufacturers create formulations or products that brands can customize through packaging, branding, minor formulation tweaks, and marketing narratives.
This does not mean every celebrity product is identical. Some brands genuinely invest in proprietary R&D, product development, testing, and differentiated formulations. But many newer influencer-led brands rely heavily on existing manufacturing infrastructure because it dramatically lowers barriers to entry.
In other words: launching a brand has never been easier.
The global beauty industry alone is projected to generate over $670 billion in revenue in 2025, reflecting just how lucrative consumer product categories have become, particularly as celebrity and influencer-led brands continue to capitalize on social commerce and personal branding.
This explains the explosion.
Celebrity brands are no longer primarily about product invention. They are often media businesses disguised as product businesses.
When I first became an influencer, I had the same thought many creators do: Wouldn’t it be cool to launch a brand?
So I started researching what it actually takes.
What surprised me was how accessible the process was.
Entire ecosystems exist to help creators launch products with relatively little operational complexity. Manufacturers already have ready-made formulas, packaging suppliers, fulfillment partners, and white-label production systems waiting. The celebrity brings the audience. The infrastructure already exists.
Which raises an uncomfortable question:
Are consumers buying innovation, or are they buying affiliation?
Because much of celebrity commerce is less about solving a consumer problem and more about selling identity.
We are not just buying blush.
We are buying proximity to Hailey Bieber.
We are not just buying a hoodie.
We are buying cultural belonging.
This is what makes celebrity consumerism so effective. The product itself can be secondary.
And while fashion and beauty are not inherently problematic industries, hyper-consumerism becomes concerning when consumers are repeatedly encouraged to purchase slightly differentiated versions of things they already own.
Another neutral lip liner.
Another “clean girl” serum.
Another activewear set.
Especially when many formulations or garments may come from overlapping supply chains.
Fashion manufacturing, in particular, is deeply consolidated globally, with production concentrated in a relatively small number of manufacturing hubs. Counterfeit and imitation goods further complicate this ecosystem, with the OECD estimating global trade in counterfeit and pirated goods at approximately $467 billion annually, demonstrating how standardized and replicable branded consumer goods have become.
Of course, branding matters. Product experience matters. Design matters.
A formula with similar ingredients is not automatically identical in performance.
Execution matters.
But consumers should be honest about what they are actually paying for.
Because increasingly, the premium is often narrative.
Not chemistry.
Not fabric innovation.
Narrative.
And I say this with self-awareness, because I am absolutely guilty of it too.
I love beautiful branding. I love aesthetics. I love packaging.
Consumer psychology works because it works.
But perhaps the better consumer strategy is not endlessly chasing novelty.
Instead, find the products that genuinely work for you.
The skin care brand whose ingredients actually benefit your skin.
The denim brand whose fit consistently flatters you.
The handbag you wear for years instead of trend-churning replacements.
The few things that become staples instead of seasonal dopamine hits (guilty).
Celebrity brands are not inherently bad.
Some are genuinely excellent.
But in a world where attention has become infinitely monetizable, consumers should ask one simple question before clicking checkout:
Am I buying a product, or an identity?
xx,
Alex
References
Grand View Research. (2024). Private label cosmetics market size, share & trends analysis report.
Khamis, S., Ang, L., & Welling, R. (2017). Self-branding, ‘micro-celebrity’ and the rise of social media influencers. Celebrity Studies, 8(2), 191–208.
McKinsey & Company. (2023). The beauty market in 2023: A special state of fashion report.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). Global trade in counterfeit and pirated goods: Trends and challenges.
Statista. (2025). Beauty & personal care market worldwide.