It was only a matter of time before model, reality show producer, and one-time singer Tyra Banks released a makeup line of her own. The queen of smizing unleashed her very own brand of cosmetics, simply christened as Tyra. It’s still a pretty modestly-sized collection, with twelve products separated into three different “pillars” dedicated to the face, eyes, and lips — because let’s face it, splitting up her makeup products into”face, eyes, and lips” is way too mainstream for Ms. Banks.
Let’s break down the subcategories a little bit:
TYover
The TYover line comprises of products that promise “complete transformation in six minutes or less without the use of a brush.” The single-step range of lipsticks, eye shadow pens, and face products are designed for ease of one-handed use for the girl on the go. The color options are still very limited, though: there are only two shades of lipstick, two shades of eye shadow, and one shade of blusher, highlighter, and contouring color respectively.
Smize
There are two items in this subcategory dedicated to eye products: the Smack My Fat Lash Mascara (named after that moment in TV history) claims to be a volumizing mascara that lengthens in addition to giving lashes volume. Then there’s the potentially promising Oops Liner, a felt-tip liquid liner that comes with its own corrector to fix any mistakes you might make in the wingtip-application process.
IT Factory
For me, the make-or-break product of any cosmetics brand is lipstick, and there are two types of lipstick in the IT Factory pillar. The Suede & Juicy offers two different finishes: a “long-lasting ultra shine,” and the somewhat confusing description of “a wet, matte finish.” Less interesting is the Lip Model, a pearlescent lip crayon that comes in two shades.
There’s only one other supermodel I can think of who has branched out into the cosmetics business, and that’s Iman. With products priced between USD 24-34.50, do you think Tyra’s makeup line will meet the success of her predecessor? Or do you think this is a one-hit wonder that will eventually fade away and become the training bra of makeup, like Victoria’s Secret?
