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Today is the official launch of SKNN by Kim Makeup—a rebrand from KKW Beauty. And while one might think it was to drop the “W,” illustrating her shift from wife to an independent divorcee, for Kardashian, the change was more about leaning into what she likes, which is neutrals. “I would try new things for campaigns—red lips, hot pink lips, and purple shadows and I wouldn’t really wear beyond that campaign and having a fun day,” Kardashian tells ELLE.com.
It was also about business organization and keeping all of her brands, including, SKNN by Kim, her fragrance, and her makeup housed under one name. “To have three different partnerships, three different fulfillment centers, three different Instagram accounts and websites that I would have to promote…also having to work out those three schedules of when we can drop launches and when we couldn’t, and customers having to pay for shipping on each one of those different companies when they’re all still in the beauty space just didn’t make sense,” she rationalizes.
While she is a glamour girl, Kim Kardashian means business. When you peruse the site, in step with major retailers, Kardashian has a rewards program as well as a subscription option, that offers a 10 percent discount on purchases and early access to new product launches—a premium offering as items can quickly sell out. For her, the launch doesn’t feel new, which she’s grateful for, but rather a comfortable return to what she knows. “I thought, ‘What is it at my core? What do I wear? What do I love?” she says. And voilà, you have it: SKNN by Kim Makeup. “I just wanted it to be totally me and totally the stuff that I would wear,” says Kardashian.
Recreate Kim Kardashian’s Signature Glam
SKNN by Kim Classic Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
SKNN by Kim Soft Matte Lip Color
SKNN by Kim Lip Liner
The makeup line consists of lip liner ($22) in 15 shades that varies from light beige nudes to pink nudes to rich brown nudes, a pigmented velvet matte lip color ($32) in 10 nudes, and the Classic Mattes Eyeshadow Palette ($50) that is perfect for everyday looks or a classic Kim Kardashian smokey eye. It’s all you need for your basics—but Kardashian-fied. The makeup shades resemble SKIMS, and while she doesn’t say it, Kardashian is building an empire where you can wake up, apply your SKNN by Kim skin care, put on your SKNN by Kim makeup, and get dressed in SKIMS. However, she’s not stopping there—yes, fragrance is returning.
ELLE.com caught up with Kim, who shared her Ins and Outs for 2024, her favorite lip liner and lipstick combo, and whether she talks beauty business with her sister, Kylie Jenner. Keep reading to keep up with the new Kardashian launch.
I’d love to know your Ins and Outs for beauty for 2024.
I think what’s in will always be what’s always the most authentic to you. For me, a nude lip. I’ve always done a darker liner with an ombré nude lip and that will always be super in to me. I love, love, love neutrals. I don’t really think anything goes “in and out”—you know, it’s like a fragrance; when you know that there’s something that you have and it sticks, you’ll stick with that forever.
What’s your favorite lip liner and lipstick combo in the collection?
Oh, I really, really love lip liner 13. It’s a really good darker nude and then I would use some of the lighter shades of the lipsticks to be a little bit more ombré. I would go with anywhere from a 3 to a 6 of lipstick. In the campaign, I’m wearing the lip liner nude 9 with the lipstick shade 3. We’re gonna drop some lip liner combos to help people.
You said you wanted to do foundation, and Kylie just launched hers. Is there anything you’ve learned from watching her process?
Even though people think we’re really closely aligned in our makeup because we’re sisters and it’s what we do, we don’t discuss the launches we have and what we have coming up. We figured that we don’t want to hinder the other one from doing what they want to do. We made that a thing a long time ago. It’s so funny; we’ll shoot campaigns and look at each other and do the same exact thing for certain campaigns with a different photographer and team and call each other, ‘Like, did you know that I was doing that?’ And sometimes we’ll have to switch it up. I’m super inspired by her just knowing what she wants and being so good at picking the best shades. She’s really, really good at that.
Did you secretly wear products from the line before it launched?
It’s my favorite thing to do! I would go out and everyone would ask, “What lip combo is that?” The best is when I’m wearing a fragrance I’m testing and people will stop me and say, “What is that?” It just makes me so happy that I am on the right track. I get so excited when I get a good response on something. Sometimes, I’m just testing it for myself, and I’m not even expecting an outside response, but you get one, and it’s the best.
You showed off your office in your recent TikTok, including a 3D brain model. Please tell me more.
[Laughs] I did a Prenuvo scan. It’s one of those scans that completely test your whole body for cancer, aneurysms, and everything that could possibly happen. For Christmas, they sent over a silver metal scan of my exact brain and gave it to me as a gift. I thought it was so cool and I put it in my office.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Danielle James is the Digital Beauty Director of ELLE.com. Previously, she was the Fashion and Beauty Director of HelloBeautiful.com and MadameNoire.com. She’s written for The Cut, InStyle, Allure, The Business of Fashion, Nylon, Essence, Good Housekeeping, and more. She enjoys sailing, thrifting, Japanese whiskey, Naomi Campbell’s runway walk, and Rihanna in the comment section.