News flash: KKW Beauty is officially dead. Meet SKKN By Kim, her new nine-product skin-care line, that is launching online on June 21st. Kirbie Johnson chats with Kim to get the low down on her new collections called SKKN.
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People either love Kim or love to hate Kim — there's not much in-between, no "lukewarm." A long-running cultural passion surrounds this woman. To quote one of my favourite podcasts Who? Weekly, Kim is a "Them," as her identity is known cross-generationally: Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z have all been keeping up with the Kardashians for over a decade. Her influence undeniably runs deep, but I would argue so does her business acumen. Kardashian has often been referenced as the blueprint for the influencing industry, but did that influence alone earn Skims, her shapewear company, a valuation of $3.2 billion? While general interest in Skims can be tied back to her involvement, it thrives on its own. I personally know more than one Skims consumer who has no idea Kim Kardashian is involved in the company. "What I've learned with Skims is that it's really a product-based brand, it's not really a celebrity brand, in my eyes," Kardashian told me. "That's exactly what I'm doing with SKKN."
“Beauty starts with skin," says founder and CEO, @kimkardashian reflects on the inspiration behind SKKN BY KIM.
Launching on June 21 exclusively on SKKNBYKIM.COM
SKKN by Kim is her new foray into beauty. In July of last year, Kardashian announced in an Instagram Story that KKW Beauty, the cosmetics line she launched in 2017, would be closing up shop to focus on "new formulas that are more modern, innovative, and packaged in an elevated and new sustainable look." Many speculated this was a result of Coty Inc. buying a 20 percent stake in the company in 2020; others assumed that, several months after filing for divorce from Kanye West, the "W" was driving the change. (She did eventually drop the name West, although that doesn't seem to be the reason for shuttering KKW Beauty.)
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On June 21 — five years to the day since the debut of KKW Beauty - SKKN by Kim will launch online. And it's bypassing, at least for now, the highlight and contour sticks that launched KKW Beauty. It's bypassing, in fact, most any concept of trend. The beauty industry has been fanatical about catering to Gen Z, embracing "skinimalism," and glorifying "proprietary ingredients" (stuff that supposedly other brands don't use or haven't figured out yet). First off, Kardashian told me she doesn't want to restrict SKKN to a certain demographic. "I gave my grandma all the samples, I gave a focus group of people that were my friends that are my age to my cousin who's my mom's age, to see how everyone felt about the line," she says. "It's important to not have an age cap on it. It could be up to really mature skin." And minimalism? Yeah, no. "I didn't want to launch with three or four products like it was recommended [to me] at the beginning because that's not my skin-care routine," she says. "That's not realistic for me." SKKN by Kim is a nine-product lineup, inspired by Kardashian's experience nailing down her own regimen, with the help of A-list skin experts like facialist Joanna Czech. Ingredient-wise, you'll find witch hazel, vitamin C, and glycerin — these are not formulas touting their rare botanicals or bioengineered anything.
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The packaging of SKKN by Kim brings to your pedestal sink the spare, modern architecture of Kardashian's palatial homes (she is in fact currently working with Japanese architects Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma on two new ones). There are lithe cylindrical bottles for liquids and smooth globes for creams. The packaging emulates stone in varying neutral shades but is made out of lightweight plastic (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene to be exact). They're not "recyclable" (almost no plastic is ever actually recycled so this is not a big loss), but they are refillable. Kardashian sees them as vessels to be kept and replenished (but keep in mind that unless you’re committed to doing that at least 50 times the whole refill concept probably isn't doing much to reduce your beauty carbon footprint). The products are cruelty-free, vegan, and meet the clean standards of major beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta Beauty. Eight of the nine are fragrance-free (the scrub has a light scent). Each product was created to be used together for a full routine, but can also be effective à la carte. When I was able to get my hands on the products I was most surprised by two things: the ingredients and the throwback categories. There isn't one singular "hero" ingredient throughout the line; instead, SKKN highlights different workhouses within each product, like glycerin, of which the cleanser is said to have an "ultra dosage." The rosa centifolia flower is an antioxidant featured in the Hyaluronic Acid Serum; it also gives the product its sweet smell. The scrub, simply named the "Exfoliator" — like everything else about the line, names are straightforward and pared-back. It includes both mechanical and enzymatic exfoliators from pumpkin and pomegranate. While Kardashian thinks people will gravitate towards the Moisturizer, the Exfoliator is her personal MVP. "It's just so powerful, but gentle at the same time," she says. "It's my favourite, how tiny the grains are — there's nothing worse than when [a scrub] doesn't really exfoliate."
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Kardashian is also bringing back toners — although, admittedly, the Toner could be categorised as an exfoliant, too. It includes alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic and lactic, beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) like salicylic and enzymes to exfoliate, as well as witch hazel, which is where the toning comes in. Witch hazel has a nostalgic feel for a lot of us but recently has become fodder for social media debate over whether it's "good" or "bad. I didn't expect to love the Eye Cream, but the peptide-focused formula and lightweight finish have made it a new staple in my regimen both morning and night. There are also two oils in the line — the Oil Drops and the Night Oil. Kardashian told me when she dealt with psoriasis on her face, one tip she picked up is to apply a few drops of oil into her moisturizer to help her "feel super hydrated." SKKN by Kim is a prestige line and priced accordingly: it’s $43 (USD) for the cleanser to $90 (USD) for the vitamin C serum. (Refills are about 15 per cent cheaper.) This is a far cry from her cosmetics line, which was priced competitively and very trend-focused. "What's really important for people to understand is this is not a KKW Beauty rebranding — all of that is done," says Kardashian. "This is my new venture. This is starting a brand from scratch."
You can pick up SKKN by Kim beginning June 21 exclusively online here SKKNbykim.com
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*source Allure
A designer scent laced with vanilla.