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Almost a full year after closing her makeup brand KKW Beauty – and exactly 5 years after she first launched it – Kim Kardashian has officially renewed her standing as beauty entrepreneur with the launch of SKKN By Kim. The line sees the reality star diverge from the kind of cosmetics that have long defined her look – contour sticks, nude lipstick, perfectly defined brows – in favour of a 9-piece skincare line that Kardashian credits for her impossibly flawless complexion.
The new brand, which Kardashian founded in partnership with global beauty giant Coty, was officially released to the public today after weeks of teasing. SKKN By Kim joins Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin as the latest celebrity skincare line to add to an already-oversaturated market. Both stars have done their best to overcome the inevitable eye-rolls from those fatigued by Hollywood-led launches by partnering with industry experts, with Kardashian working with acclaimed esthetician Joanna Czech.
Kardashian, to her part, says she’s aware of consumer sentiment, which is why she chose to work on her formulations for such a long time. “The factories that I worked with said that products usually go through maybe five iterations of that product—and I went through between 20 and 25 on each product,” she told Vogue of the process. “I really took my time on the formulas, to make sure that when people get it, they separate that from [it being] a ‘celebrity brand.’”
Almost every new Kardashian project is initially met with a level of scepticism or criticism, but even ahead of the launch, SKKN By Kim hasn’t escaped controversy. The brand’s packaging causing a furore over claims of greenwashing, as social media users commented that only the product’s outer casing was refillable – which seemingly isn’t as sustainable as the brand purported it to be.
“When I was working on the packaging, I was looking at concrete sculptures—all different shades of stones and interiors,” said Kardashian. “[I wanted] to show brands that you can find cool packaging that is recyclable and sustainable.”
The Skims founder also revealed that her ex-husband Kanye West was heavily involved in the packaging design and branding choices. “My creative process wouldn’t have been complete — and I always give credit where credit is due — without Kanye,” Kardashian said on her Instagram Story. “He brought his team and introduced me to [creative director] Willo [Perron] and we came up with the new name. That was actually his idea, and the packaging shapes were his, and even the font he did — just like Skims.”
She continued, “You guys should have seen the first set of packaging … Kanye walked in the room and was like, ‘This is not it.’ And he was right! Packaging is definitely his thing.”
The first drop of products are positioned as “science-backed, clean, and efficacious” skincare that’s been “meticulously crafted to support the skin’s natural renewal abilities”, but Kardashian says this is just the beginning, as she hopes to relaunch makeup and fragrance under the SKKN umbrella in the future.
“The SKKN brand is about making your skin look its best,” she revealed. “I wanted colour cosmetics that I love and wear—lipliners, lipsticks, foundations—that give you a neutral palette. Before, with KKW Beauty, I was a little more fun…but they weren’t my core basics.”
Controversies aside, we’re intrigued. You can shop SKKN By Kim on the brand’s website, but we’d recommend getting in quick.
