Is beauty entering its “Love Island USA” era?
Following the finale of the reality dating show’s seventh season last Sunday, beauty brands from Kayali to Fenty Beauty appear to be signaling interest in teaming up with fan-favorite cast members.
And for good reason: This season, which kicked off June 3 on Peacock, was the franchise’s most popular run yet and, according to Nielsen, the fourth most-streamed show in the U.S. during the month of June.
Discourse about the show also reached a high across social media platforms during the series’ six-week duration, propelling many of its cast members to influencer status. One fan-favorite islander, Huda Mustafa, has racked up an Instagram following of 3.4 million since appearing on the show, while Amaya Espinal, who won the show alongside her partner, Bryan Arenales, has amassed a following of 2.9 million on the platform.
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty was quick to leave a comment under a recent Instagram post of Espinal’s telling her to check her DMs after her win, while sleuths on X pointed out the brand also began following fellow islanders Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe and Olandria Lashae Carthen, who have similarly amassed sizable followings of 1.5 million and 1.4 million, respectively, on the platform.
Kayali, Mona Kattan’s buzzy fragrance brand known for its gourmand scents, teased a mock-up “Amaya Papaya” fragrance, nodding to Espinal’s nickname adopted by her fan base and asking its followers whether they would wear the fragrance.
Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand acquired this year by PepsiCo for $1.95 billion, similarly imagined an “Amaya Papaya” soda flavor earlier this month. It wouldn’t be the first time the brand has teamed up with a “Love Island USA” veteran; 2024 contestant Rob Rausch has appeared in a number of promotions for the brand, even making a cameo in its Super Bowl commercial earlier this year.
Maybelline New York was the makeup sponsor of both seasons six and seven of the show. Earlier this month, clean fragrance brand Skylar announced Leah Kateb, who was a favorite of the season six cast, as its refounder and chief creative officer.
“I’m not an ambassador; I’m not an influencer for the brand. This is mine now. This is my baby,” Kateb, 25, told WWD.