The celebrity beauty boom has transformed the cosmetics industry over the past decade, but even a star’s name slapped on a product does not guarantee its long-term success.
Even well-funded, high-profile beauty lines face mounting pressure from shifting consumer trends, intense competition, and a crowded marketplace, leading countless celebrity-backed brands to disappear, no matter how popular the artist may be.
Now, a singer-founded cosmetics brand has quietly shut down, showing that even in a multi-billion-dollar global beauty economy, sustained performance depends less on fame than on product value to consumers.
Gxve Beauty by Gwen Stefani closes
Gxve Beauty, the cosmetics line founded by music star Gwen Stefani, has quietly shut down operations less than four years after its launch.
The Gxve section of the singer’s official website has not been updated since the beauty brand debuted in 2022. Product links are inactive, and the e-commerce platform has been removed, ending direct-to-consumer sales, as verified on the website.
The brand was made with clean, vegan, cruelty-free formulations, offering lipsticks, eyeshadow quads, and brow pencil products priced between $21 and $48.
Retail availability has also disappeared. Gxve products are no longer listed on the Sephora or Kohl’s websites. Kohl’s operates Sephora shop-in-shop locations nationwide.
Remaining inventory appears limited. Some Gxve items are still sold through third-party sellers on Amazon, often marked as low stock, and a small number of discounted products remain available on Walmart’s website.
(TheStreet reviewed all websites, and as of February 19, 2026, no active products were available on the brand’s official site or those of major retail partners.)
Celebrity cosmetics brands face mounting pressure
The closure of Gxve mirrors broader challenges across the celebrity beauty sector. While the category continues to expand, many celebrity-backed brands are struggling with rising costs, slower growth, and increased competition, with several well-known labels having recently shut down or restructured.
Recent beauty brand closures
- Pat McGrath Labs: Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2026 after putting assets up for auction in late December 2025 (Source: Hilco Global and Business of Fashion)
- Flower Beauty: Closed in September 2025 (Source: Global Cosmetics News)
- Beautycounter: Ceased operations in April 2024 and later rebranded as Counter in 2025 (Source: Beauty Independent)
- Cover FX and Mally Beauty: Parent company AS Beauty Group shut down the beauty labels in January 2026 (Source: The Street)
“Celebrity brands that find success often have commonalities that help them resonate with consumers,” said NielsenIQ analysts. “Authenticity always shines through with successful brands. Given the sheer volume of celebrity Beauty launches, it’s important for founders to have a clear purpose for starting the brand.”
Not all celebrity brands are struggling
Despite these challenges, multiple celebrity-founded brands continue to perform well, with some even outpacing longtime cosmetics companies.
According to influencer marketing platform Traackr‘s Top 25 Beauty Brands of 2025, five of the top 10 brands were founded by celebrities based on Brand Vitality Score (VIT), which measures volume, impact, and trust.
Top-performing celebrity beauty brands
- Kylie Cosmetics: Kylie Jenner, 1.29 million units VIT
- Rare Beauty: Selena Gomez, 1.25 million units VIT
- Rhode Skin: Hailey Bieber, 1.22 million units VIT
- R.E.M Beauty: Ariana Grande, 972,000 units VIT
- Huda Beauty: Huda Kattan, 784,000 units VIT
“These brands are setting the standard for impact across makeup, skin care, and beauty innovation through creator-led strategies,” the report noted.
The evolving business of beauty
The global beauty industry was valued at approximately $450 billion in 2025, with annual growth of 5% projected through 2030, according to McKinsey & Company’s State of Beauty 2025 Report.
In the U.S., the prestige beauty market rose 2% to $16 billion in the first half of 2025, while sales at mass merchants increased 4% to $34.6 billion, according to Circana.
Despite this growth, consumer preferences continue to evolve, making it increasingly crucial for brands to stay ahead of trends to avoid being outpaced by the competition.
“A strong uptick in beauty spend, plus higher inflation and greater access to information, has pushed shoppers to pay closer attention to whether products deliver,” said McKinsey & Company industry analysts.
More Retail Beauty Business News:
- Two beloved beauty brands shut down in 2026
- Sephora partners with global beauty giant
- Target bets on beauty makeover as Ulta exit looms
The dominance of retailers including Sephora, ULTA Beauty, and Amazon has made shelf space more competitive, forcing brands to stand out in crowded retail environments.
Industry experts at Labbrand say the long-term outlook for celebrity beauty depends on more than name recognition.
“As we navigate the landscape of celebrity beauty brands, it becomes evident that while star power may ignite initial interest, it’s the authenticity, innovation, and alignment with consumer values that ultimately determine a brand’s success. In an industry driven by constant evolution and changing trends, the brands that endure are those that can adapt, resonate, and inspire beyond the allure of celebrity.”
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