By Belisa Silva
Who knew looking good could feel so good?
Since launching her inventive makeup line, Kat Von D has made a splash in the beauty industry with high-performance products that are as artistic as they are altruistic. Benefiting causes its forward-thinking Founder and Chief Creative Officer is passionate about, specifically animal rights Kat Von D’s namesake brand- like our November box- is all about beautiful giving.
This year, to celebrate the Nov 14 launch of four new shades for the brand’s cult-favorite Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, Kat Von D Beauty is donating to animal advocacy nonprofit, Farm Sanctuary. The bucolic space, which is one of Kat Von D’s favorite places to visit in California, rescues and rehabilitates innocent animals. Kat Von D, who volunteers at the organization every year, named each new shade after an animal at Farm Sanctuary- Bruno, a metallic midnight blue hue; Julia, a soft rosewood color; Hilda, a rich terracotta brown tone; and Thumbelina a cheery shade of crimson.
“We hope that our campaign will inspire more conscientious decision making about protecting our animals and choosing wisely when it comes to beauty options,” says Kat Von D, who was the recipient of the Animal Rights National Conference’s Celebrity Animal Advocate Award and named Vegan Celebrity of the Year in 2017. “[We will] continue to raise awareness on the importance of protecting our animals, particularly in the beauty industry, and hopefully inspire people to continue this cause in their own way.”
Last year, Kat Von D Beauty raised over $256,000 from the sales of a limited-edition Kat Von D Beauty liquid lipstick to support Project Chimps. Of the initiative she says, “Because of our supportive fans, these amazing creatures now get to live a safe, rehabilitated, happy life outside the walls of testing labs.”
Additionally, to take its vision for ethical beauty a step further, as of World Vegan Day (November 1) all Kat Von D Beauty formulas were made 100 percent vegan.
“We found substitutes for carmine and other animal-based ingredients that actually outperform the animal-based ones,” says Kat Von D about the recent reformulation, adding that beets are used to recreate carmine’s deep purple hues, while a sunflower-derived ingredient replaces beeswax in the line. “On a vanity level, it’s great—you’re still getting the same quality, if not better—and then on an ethical level, it’s amazing.”
At its core, the entire Kat Von D Beauty collection is inherently a conscious one. For those naysayers who believe a good-for-you ingredients mean boring products, the line, which was originally created for Sephora in 2008, is a bold proposition indeed. Reflecting its founder’s edgy style, all packaging artwork was drawn by the talented tattoo artist herself, while all formulas are long-wear, high pigment, full-coverage. When it comes to lipstick, Kat Von D Beauty’s are particularly successful-especially the red ones- and in fact the brand’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita is Sephora’s number-one selling lipstick of 2015.
“After our first creative meeting, it was pretty obvious that we had a special opportunity to create something that hadn’t been done before,” says Kat Von D of the 2008 collaboration with Sephora, adding that, her initial goal was to come up with the four most perfect shades of red lipstick. The resulting makeup line was inspired by the inks of her High Voltage Tattoo studio. According to the brand, “Today, almost 10 years later, Kat Von D Beauty is one of the fastest growing beauty brands in the industry with more than 350 products that are sold in over 34 countries around the world.”
Get your Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks HERE.
Happy November Glossies! We are thankful for each and everyone of you!