Addison Rae Is Too Excited About Her New Makeup Brand to Worry About the Future of TikTok

When beauty influencers tire of simply influencing — and using other people's products to do so — it makes perfect sense that they would launch their own beauty brands. And so many have done exactly that. TikTok star Addison Rae is not exactly known as a beauty influencer; she rose to fame doing fun-to-replicate dances on the wildly popular video-clip app. So how does a dance influencer end up launching a makeup line? Six words: She got it from her mama.

"[My mother] was a makeup artist, and being in competitive dance, for performances, we would always wear super flashy makeup, like the shiny eyeshadow and bright red lips and lots of blush. So I feel like I was kind of always around makeup growing up," Rae tells Allure. "I loved her love for makeup and it, it really just fueled my love for makeup."

That love is now manifesting as Item Beauty, the new brand of which the 19-year-old is the co-founder and chief innovation officer. And at the helm, Rae is able to prioritize certain standards for the products, which, compared to the stage makeup she used to wear during dance competitions, are probably much more thoughtfully formulated.

"I've always looked for clean products anytime I'd go buy makeup, and it's definitely not the easiest thing to find," Rae says, noting that Item is dermatologist-tested, cruelty-free, and vegan-friendly. "These products are designed with exactly what I look for in products on the daily. And so now, with Item, I have my own products that are exactly what I was looking for and couldn't find." 

Naturally, it's nearly impossible for Rae to choose her favorite Item product out of the six that dropped with the brand launch, but she has to admit she's "obsessed with" the hydrating, glossy Lip Quip lip oil ($12), which is made with almond oil, camellia, and shea butter. "I love a good wet lip, so it's so perfect for that," she says, raving about its fruity flavor. "I literally will eat it out of the bottle. It's probably the best flavor I've ever had on my lips."  

As for the other products debuting with the launch, there's the Brow Chow slanted brow pencil with a unique, built-in brush ($14); Lash Snack mascara ($14), packed with natural conditioning ingredients; five shades of Lid Glaze ($14), a jelly-like eye shadow with a wet finish; the Cheek Money two-tone bronzer compact ($16); and Powder Hour brightening and blurring powder with a built-in brush ($22).

The launch of Item Beauty is a well-timed distraction from the precarious future of the app that made Rae famous, TikTok. With a possible ban on the horizon, Rae is concerned but optimistic. "If it's for our safety then, and there is backing behind that, I think it makes sense. But other than that, it's a really sad thing because TikTok got me where I am today," she says. "But I'm going to continue working on my other products and brands and deals that I have going on in different projects — like my makeup line, really focusing on expanding that and putting a lot of time and effort into it."

So even though Item just launched, Rae is ready to work on the development of new products already. "There's so many things in store that are being talked about on the daily," she says, hinting that she'll open up more about those things slowly but surely. "But as for now, just hang tight because there are going to be a lot of really fun things and hopefully collaborations that are going to be really exciting."

Item Beauty is available now, ranging from $12 to $22, at itembeauty.com and will be sampled through Ipsy starting in September

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More influencer beauty:

• Jeanne Damas Not Only Embodies French Beauty, She Sells It to Americans

• This Beauty Influencer Makes the Case for Matching Your Makeup to Your Earrings

• The Vitamin C Duo This Digital Influencer Uses for Bright, Glowing Skin

Now watch this Broadway performer's entire routine:

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Originally Appeared on Allure