Kylie Jenner: A mogul and role model on the rise?

This week, youngest Kardashian Kylie Jenner confessed to a fan on Instagram that she had dissolved her lip fillers, as recent pictures surfaced with her lips looking distinctly less full than usual. It was also announced that she was on her way to becoming the youngest self-made billionaire ever, by Forbes magazine.

Jenner has amassed a fortune of $900 million in three years through her cosmetics line, the star product of which were her lip kits, which regularly sold out upon release. The key to her marketing campaigns? Her own artificially-enlarged lips.

Jenner first revealed her decision to get lip fillers at 17 becuase at 15, a boy she kissed had made fun of her small pout. Not even the Kardashian name can avert the cruelty of teenagers.

But from this negative experience, Jenner created an empire of which the cultural influence cannot be understated. She has played a significant part in many of the biggest aesthetic trends of the past few years – large hips and tiny waists, contoured cheekbones, doe eyes and long lashes.

From her (mostly natural) Armenian good looks came on onslaught of cosmetic mini procedures – lash extensions, liposuction to transport fat into the hips, and of course, lip fillers. What Kylie’s half-sister Kim Kardashian West did for the rear end, Jenner did for full lips. Now, as Jenner removes her lip fillers, it seems more up-and-coming young Insta-girls have undergone enhancement than not.

It has been less than five years since Jenner told the public about her procedure. A lot has happened in her personal life. She went through a major break up, found love again and became a mother to Stormi. In a move unusual for the Kardashians, Kylie kept her entire pregnancy out of the public eye, and only revealed that she had been pregnant once Stormi was born. This was the first sign that Kylie’s priorities were shifting – she was focusing more on family than on her own image. She was also growing up.

We’ve all been teenagers and been hurt by mean boys who don’t think twice about what they say. What Jenner did with that experience, albeit with significant family help, was build something for herself. Now she is morphing once again, and describes herself, since becoming a mother, as more confident than ever.

It is no secret that body confidence is difficult for women, especially young women. We are fed images of perfect bodies and faces and expected to emulate them, while simultaneously being told that ‘natural is beautiful’. But the key to rethinking how you view your body is to look at what it can do, rather what it can’t. What is beautiful about it, rather than what you’d want to change. This perspective is often only gained with years of experience.

Jenner has spoken about bodily insecurities since Stormi was born, and how her body changed during pregnancy. By speaking about these insecurities, rather than heading straight to the clinic for the next procedure, she is displaying a new confidence. Having a child appears to be reshaping her view of herself.  This whirlwind of growth has lead Jenner to abandon what was previously the focal point of her look.

Kylie Jenner is the youngest woman ever on her way to becoming a self-made billionaire. Her influence and star power is undeniably staggering. She will appear on the cover of Forbes magazine this month- maybe her biggest achievement of all since deciding to get those fillers aged 15. It is unfortunate the cover shot features a photo of Kylie with her old lip fillers. Maybe they’ll update it to the more mature version before release.

As Jenner moves further away from the title of ‘youngest Kardashian’ and towards the more fitting title of a global mogul, what new transformations will we see as her confidence as a mother, and as a woman, grows? Stay tuned readers.