The first wave of Kardashian culture didn’t touch me, but now I’m 25 and obsessed with the life and style of a 17-year-old – how did this happen?

Let me take you back a few years; it’s 2009, I’m in college and one of my best friends messages me a video of Kim Kardashian crying hysterically because she lost an earring whilst swimming in a lake. I watch with mild disinterest, shrug and return to my essay, feeling irritably smug. You see, although I wasn't adverse to the odd browse through PerezHilton.com, I was certainly not at the level of Kardashian-worship that had become worryingly common within my group of friends.

The whole Kim K make-up and fashion obsession passed me right by. I can’t do a pale nude lip without looking like some kind of mannequin dummy used to practice first aid on, and bodycon has never, ever been my friend. I had never even watched an episode of the show until late last year, but somehow the Kardashians caught (or should that be kaught) up with me.

Now, in 2014, a colleague and I regularly tag each other in Kylie Jenner’s Instagram photos; we exchange gossip articles charting her lip inflation, and discuss whether she really has had them enhanced. Her confirmed MAC lip shades of choice (Soar and Velvet Teddy, FYI) were my best finds since a 60%-off Sophie Hulme bag last year.

I admit I was briefly depressed upon finding out that Kylie was born in 1997, but it hasn’t deterred me from following her rise to fame.

A recent article from BusinessWeek revealed that Kylie is already a millionaire, and online search trends have been pointing to a consistent rise in her popularity compared to the older Kardashians over the past two years. Beauty vlogger Nic Chapman (one of YouTube’s most popular make-up artists) says that she now receives far more requests for a ‘Kylie’ tutorial than a ‘Kim’.

So why Kylie and not Kim? Kylie’s just cooler, or, as she’d say, ‘a little more chill’ in her approach to style – she’s just more accessible.

I’ve always been more than a little bit attached to my leather jacket, so the all-black wardrobe and ‘90s makeup kind of do it for me. I’m not saying the youngest Kardashian is super-original, but her brand of style is at least a little less predictable than her predecessors. Oh, and let’s not forget that youth is hot. It’s universally appealing, and Jenner appears to be at that rare period where she will probably never be as beautiful again.

Is it okay to obsess? In healthy doses, I think yes. Imitation is the best form of flattery, as they say, and as long as I stick to recreating Kylie’s ‘90s makeup and not her skintight two-piece outfits, I’m fairly safe.

….right?

Deirdre Foley is a history grad, sceptic, wearer of red lipstick and self-confessed 'beauty maniac'. She is also the co-founder of fabulous Irish beauty blog, Viva Adonis.