Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner have some serious beauty industry competition on their hands – in the form of their sister Kourtney’s new best pal, 19-year-old TikTok star Addison Rae.
Louisiana-born Addison, who is the second most-followed star on TikTok with a staggering 53.8 million followers, has followed in Kim and Kylie’s footsteps by making a move into the cosmetics industry, launching her own clean beauty brand, ITEM Beauty, after weeks of frenzied anticipation from fans.
The brand, which Addison, whose real name is Addison Easterling, has been teasing on TikTok and Instagram since mid-July, is set to release its debut six products on August 11 – with the teen revealing that she used her background as a competition dancer, and expertise from her makeup artist mom Sheree, to create the line-up.
Something new: TikTok star Addison Rae has just launched her own clean beauty brand, ITEM Beauty, which she unveiled on Monday
New kid on the block: The 19-year-old, who counts Kourtney Kardashian as a close friend, is the co-founder and chief innovative officer for the brand
Unique: Addison explained that she wants the brand to ‘support individuality’ and ‘enhance, not mask’ people’s features
‘I wanted to create a brand that supports individuality in a very real and authentic way,’ Addison said of her newest venture.
‘ITEM approaches beauty the same way that I do. I want to be able to put something on my face that I can feel good about — clean products with ingredients that are good for my skin and enhance, not mask, my features.
‘It’s about embracing all your imperfections because they all play a part in what makes you truly unique.’
As part of its initial launch, the brand has unveiled six budget-friendly products, all of which Addison – in her role as co-founder and chief innovation officer – had a hand in creating, and all of which are formulated with clean, cruelty-free ingredients.
In other words, no harmful additives like parabens, phthtalates, or mineral oils.
There is the Lash Snack lengthening mascara ($14), the Lid Glaze hydrating jelly eyeshadow ($14), the Powder Hour brightening powder ($22), Cheek Money bronzer duo ($16), Lip Quip lip oil ($12), and the Brow Chow brow definer ($14).
The beauty brand launch comes at an incredibly interesting and exciting time for the teen – who dropped out of Louisiana State University recently after just a few months to pursue her career as an influencer.
Debut: The brand’s six debut products will go on sale on August 11, with Addison revealing that all of them have been formulated with clean, cruelty-free ingredients
Personal: ‘ITEM approaches beauty the same way that I do. I want to be able to put something on my face that I can feel good about,’ Addison said
Debut: The first products to be launched by the brand include the Lash Snack lengthening mascara ($14), the Lid Glaze hydrating jelly eyeshadow ($14), and the Lip Quip lip oil ($12)
The rest: Other ITEM products include the Powder Hour brightening powder ($22), Cheek Money bronzer duo ($16), and the Brow Chow brow definer ($14)
While the future of TikTok in the US remains up in the air after President Trump announced plans to shut it down, Addison has made sure to establish a career – and a celebrity status – for herself away from the app that first launched her to stardom.
Just a few weeks ago, the teenager launched a new Spotify podcast with her mom, Sheree, just days before she was revealed as one of the newest faces of American Eagle.
Then of course, there is her new-found friendship with reality TV sensation Kourtney, 41, which first sparked a frenzy of interest when the pair began uploading TikTok videos together several months ago.
Since then, the Addison and Kourtney have been pictured together regularly, from paparazzi shots at Nobu to sweet Instagram snaps taken at the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star’s home.
Although it is not known how exactly their friendship was first formed, from the outside, it looks as though Addison has quickly become a part of the family – filming TikTok clips with Kourtney’s kids, as well as her ex Scott Disick, a move that prompted some to question whether Addison and Scott might be dating.
Kourtney quickly shut that rumor down, posting an image of herself and Addison laughing and joking, along with the sarcastic caption: ‘My husband’s girlfriend and I exchanging stories.’
But away from the bright glare of the public spotlight, Addison says that Kourtney and her family have been a huge source of ‘inspiration’ for her.
Close pals: Addison has formed a firm friendship with Kourtney, 41, over the past few months and has been snapped hanging out with the reality star on a number of occasions
Jokers: The TikTok star was even rumored to be dating Scott Disick – speculation that Kourtney quickly shut down with a sassy Instagram post
Light-hearted: In several of their collaborative clips, the pair poke fun at scenes from Keeping Up With the Kardashians
‘I’ve had such an amazing time spending time with Kourtney and meeting the family,’ Addison told E! Online while promoting ITEM Beauty.
‘They’re all just such loving people that genuinely care about each other. That just continuously inspires me.
‘They all have such an amazing bond that I always valued in my family, so it really just makes me love them even more as people, because not everyone gets to see every second.
Superstar: Addison was recently named as the new face of American Eagle
‘It just really shows you how genuine they are. It’s not all just for the show, it’s how they really are.’
While Kourtney has yet to give a public seal of approval to Addison’s new brand, the clean products are certainly in keeping with the healthy lifestyle that the reality star promotes through her website Poosh.
As far as creating the formulas for the brand – which is a collaboration between Addison and Madeby Collective – the teenager says the process came naturally to her, having been ‘around makeup since she was a little girl’.
‘My mom was a makeup artist and I was a competitive dancer,’ Addison told Elle.
‘So for performances, we would do the lipstick and the eyelashes together. So I’ve always been around makeup and super comfortable with it.
‘I think just being able to bring something I’ve always loved to life, but in my own way and vision, being a co-founder has been a dream for me.’