Not Everyone is Buying What ‘King Kylie’ is Selling

Kylie Jenner is reviving her Tumblr-core reign. The youngest Kardashian-Jenner is diving head-first into nostalgia, celebrating 10 years of Kylie Cosmetics by resurrecting her 2015 alter ego “King Kylie.”

Back then, the “King Kylie” era was a cultural reset. It was when Kylie ruled the internet with teal-streaked hair, Snapchat stories, and a Tumblr aesthetic that influenced an entire generation of teens to experiment with contour and colored wigs. It was also when her lip kits became the blueprint for influencer-led beauty empires.

Now, a decade later, Jenner is trying to re-bottle that lightning. She’s relaunched her most requested line, the King Kylie Collection, complete with callbacks to her original branding.

“This King Kylie Collection is truly for you!!! 💋,” she wrote on Instagram. “You’re the reason my biggest cosmetic dreams came true, and I wouldn’t be here.. 10 years later! without your support.”

She continued: “I’ve seen all your messages asking for a King Kylie collection, the fearless era that had a dream at just 17 years old! .. and that’s why I posted that tweet back in 2022. I wanted to give you exactly what you’ve been waiting for. from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being on this journey with me. I hope this collection makes you as happy as you’ve made me.”

Alongside the makeup drop, Jenner hinted at a possible music debut with “Glosses Part 2: King Kylie Returns,” a short video teaser. About halfway through, she can faintly be heard singing. The full track “Fourth Strike” is expected to drop Monday night.

But not everyone is here for the revival. Online, fans are split between excitement and eye-rolls. Critics argue that the “King Kylie” aesthetic can’t be revived without confronting what made it controversial in the first place, mainly how much of it leaned on Black culture for cool points.

“The reason she can’t reheat these nachos correctly is because the King Kylie era was heavily associated with Blackness and Black culture,” influencer Raymonte tweeted. “King Kylie was an alter ego borderline. ghetto-colored wigs, long nails, rappers, nightlife she was fun. Being Black is fun.”

Others pointed out that the look and even the name were intertwined with her relationship with then-boyfriend Tyga.

“The King Kylie shit is awkward because so much of that era is based off of Tyga (even down to the name) like it's time for us all to move on,” another X user wrote.

“The ‘king kylie’ era and it was just her cosplaying Black women lol,” another added.

Some fans think the comeback just lacks the energy of the original.

“Exactly what i said like she’s not even FULL GLAM!! with the foundation being three shades darker than her cmonnn kylie you used to run this!” one wrote.

Welp.

The King Kylie Collection launches Oct. 18.

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