Categories 2016 interviews kat von beauty sephora

Glamour Magazine UK

Kat Von D on the UK launch of her makeup line, tattoos & important beauty lessons…

  • By Rebecca Fearn  || Monday, 12 September 2016

Rebecca Fearn sat down with tattooing legend Kat Von D to discuss the long-awaited UK launch of her makeup line, Kat Von D Beauty…

Congratulations on bringing the line to the UK – what do you think are the absolute must-have products in your range?

That’s so impossible to answer! I use everything I have ever created. But I do love red lipstick so I would say- depending on what formulas people like – the everlasting lipstick range. The reds in there are some of my favourites.

And then as far as eyeliner goes, the tattoo liner is so amazing and precise. Even if sometimes I feel like drawing in my eyebrows I can use this. I think those two are my absolute go-to favourites.

What is it about the UK that made you want to sell your range here?

I wanted to bring the range to the UK since I first launched but unfortunately you guys don’t have Sephora here. It took us so long to really find the right partner but now we’re with Debenhams it’s been so exciting because I feel like I have definitely found my match for the UK so now we can launch here.

What are your desert island beauty hero products?

A red lipstick and an eyeliner!

Are there any important beauty lessons you have learnt on the way?

It’s always interesting when you find out how something is made. When I was tattooing in the first tattoo shop I worked in when I was 15 years old I was told I had to make a tattoo machine. The idea of machinery really turned me off but I sat through really boring videos and a lot of trial and error and I made a crappy machine. But it wasn’t about making the machine, it was about understanding how it works so when I was using my tattoo machine I could listen to it and see if it ran a certain way.

So the lesson works the same way now. So when I first launched my fragrance I sat with the nose who wrote down the notes and taught me how to actually smell perfume and since then I have never smelt perfume the same! Even with lipstick and eyeliner and formulations – understanding how the different components distribute the pigment will play in big part in what I am making. So I think learning about how something is made shows you how you can use your tools.

What makes your makeup line stand out from others?

There’s definitely this unapologetic approach to colours and shades but I don’t think that’s what makes it that unique. I think what it is is my DNA within all aspects of it. You see tons of licensing deals with people who just stick their name on something and then collect the cheque. But for me it is super important to be a part of it and when I first designed the studded kiss component which is the studs I just drew that out on a piece of paper and through hard carved moulds and things we finally came to the final version. I remember holding it in my hand and thinking there was a certain familiarity a certain sense of, you know, Kat Von D beauty is blowing up but it’s still something that goes down to grass roots of a do-it yourself approach. I think that really resonates with people. When people hold the product they see the artwork and it’s very personal. That’s what makes it stand out the most.

If you could only have one beauty look for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A cat eye and a red lip for sure!

How do you get ideas for your line and where do you pull inspiration from?

Ideas are something I really don’t have a shortage of so it’s easy to constantly create stuff. If my team let me I would release a lot more in the time that we do spend. I’m inspired by everything! From elements of nature to past experiences in love like in heartbreak. It’s everything from my art background to my Latin heritage – all these things play important roles in inspiring me. We throw trend predictions out the window – I don’t even care what’s going on in the real world!

Rebecca with Kat@Beautyandtheb Instagram

You obviously flew a long way to get to London from LA – what are your best in-flight beauty tips? What is your regime?

Hydrating! Just drink so much water. I have known from my years flying that if I don’t drink water I just get super dry skin. I take my makeup off for the flight usually and wash my face – doesn’t everyone?

We’re big fans of tattoos at GLAMOUR – do you have any advice for those wanted to get inked but not sure of where to start?

The best advice I could give anybody thinking about getting a tattoo – especially for a first timer – is really make an effort to research your artist. With the success of talent shows and everything, there are so many tattooers out there. There are a lot of really great people and there are a lot of hacks so I think just because someone has a tattoo shop, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good. So the beauty of the internet now is that everyone has online portfolios to check out. Don’t be afraid to travel too, I have travelled across the ocean to be tattooed before and saved my money for it and waited patiently on a very long waiting list. I just think at the end of the day if you’re going to wear something forever it’s not like a purse that will go out in a season. You really want to make sure you find the right person. And not just someone that is a great tattooer but someone that gets you and understands you.

What’s your favourite tattoo?

My Dad on my arm – I love my Dad so much, he’s my best friend. So this is his graduation photo – when I got it, he wasn’t necessarily a fan of tattoos but this one above all won his heart over!  Even on trips like this when I don’t get to see him, it’s nice to take your Dad with you wherever you go.

Categories 2016 kat von beauty sephora

Plath & Roxy

Kat von D has tweeted some new shades coming in the Everlasting Mini Liquid Lipstick Set later this month! You can see more details to the left of your screen on this & other upcoming products!

“Say hello to my new favourite Fall lip shade: #Plath [inspired by the Sylvia Plath, of course]. @katvondbeauty will be releasing this shade at the end of THIS MONTH in our mini #EverlastingLiquidLipstick set – along with a few of our most coveted shades, PLUS another new vibrant purple shade”

“Say hello to THE BEST longwear neon grape shade: #Roxy! 💜 Launching this month in the upcoming@katvondbeauty Everlasting Liquid Lipstick set!”

Categories 2016 kat von beauty sephora

Project Chimps coming soon

Kat has given us some news on a upcoming charity with Project Chimp! If you have been following her you know she had posted some pictures at Project Chimps. You have to love her compassion for helping animals <3

Introducing my new favourite shade of Everlasting Liquid Lipstick: #ProjectChimps 🐵❤️ This special shade will be launching August 23. In an effort to promote #crueltyfree beauty and raise awareness, proceeds will benefit @ProjectChimps – a chimp sanctuary dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating chimps from testing labs.
I’ve been spending time out in Georgia volunteering at @ProjectChimps getting the sanctuary ready for the 300 chimps who are about to be able to experience a life of freedom after decades of testing. I’m excited for everyone to wear this shade and celebrate compassion with me! [yes, this formula is #vegan and #crueltyfree. Yes, this will be limited edition.] ❤️

You can read more about Project Chimps on their site: http://projectchimps.org

Categories 2016 interviews sephora

Kat von D Beauty is coming to the UK by CelebsNow

No longer will you have to pay a bomb in post and packing costs just to get your hands on Kat Von D’s beauty prods. The wait is finally over. Kat Von D beauty is coming to the UK. High five!

Her iconic, highly pigmented, long wear, make up collection is one of the most talked about brands, so we cannot wait until it hits Debenhams this September. Mark it in your diaries now!

Here’ what Kat had to say about it all…

Which product should we check out first?

Lock-It Tattoo Foundation, I think you guys will love it here in the UK, I worked on it for so long to get it perfect. It’s so good for the British weather.

The longevity of the makeup formula’s means this stuff won’t budge – this makeup requires no touch ups.

Why did you create your own makeup line?

I don’t want mini me’s everywhere, I want people to use this makeup line to celebrate their own sense of style.

It’s important for me to create in all aspects of my life, whether that’s designing tattoos, playing the piano or creating this line. We don’t give ourselves enough credit, we are capable of doing so many things and I’m going to die trying to do everything.

What inspires your makeup look?

Music has a big influence on it for sure. It wasn’t until I got into punk rock music that I really started using makeup it as a form of self-expression. Most girls get into makeup to look cute but for me it wasn’t about that.

What do you say to people who don’t like your makeup look?

Makeup is not like getting a tattoo, with make up you can relax, you can mess up all day long but it comes off in the shower at the end of the day. If people don’t like something I do when I post it on Instagram, they just need to relax!

Who’s you beauty icon?

The people that have inspired me really weren’t really lookers; they’re not beautiful in the conventional way. Like Edith Piaf for example, she is so beautiful to me, but has been considered strange looking. Confidence and contentment in yourself is such an attractive characteristic.

Kat Von D Beauty will be available online at Debenhams.co.uk from September 13th

CELEBSNOW July 6th, 2016

Categories 2016 kat von beauty sephora

Kat Von D Beauty Is Going Completely Vegan

If you haven’t heard yet or just joining the Kat von D Beauty club, Kat von D has been working on reformulating her line to Vegan! Here are some articles by Allure & Glamour on the topic

Kat Von D is making major changes to her namesake makeup line, Kat Von D Beauty. In an interview with vegan lifestyle magazine Laika, she announced that she’s taking it 100-percent vegan.

“What’s that mean, exactly?” you might be asking yourself right about now. Think about that friend of yours who doesn’t eat anything that’s an animal byproduct—dairy, honey, etc.—she’s vegan, right? Now replace the food part with beauty products. It means—in addition to also being cruelty-free (i.e. never testing on animals)—Kat Von D is now eliminating the use of common ingredients like beeswax (often used in lip balms) and Carmine, a dye made from beetles’ wings. (Yes, that’s a common additive, look on the back of your makeup packaging for CI 75470 to find out if your favorite brands are using it.)

“We have been reformulating anything that had carmine in the past, and if we can’t reformulate, we just throw them out,” she told the magazine. “I can live without a purple eye shadow, it’s fine.”

It’s a gamechanger for the makeup-loving animal enthusiasts among us. 🐶🐱🐼

“When I launched [the line,] I was not sober; I was not vegan yet. So I had no idea about ingredients in formulation,” she said. “I would always think it was funny when brands would be like, ‘Oh, we’re vegan.’ Yeah, well, you don’t eat lipstick. [I was] super ignorant, you know?”

Wondering when you’ll be able to get your hands on the reformulated goods? The jury’s still out—but we’ve reached out to the brand for more info and will update this post as soon as we hear back.

GLAMOUR July 6th, 2016

Major news for makeup junkies who love Kat Von D products but also really love animals: Von D announced today that she plans on turning her entire makeup collection fully vegan.

In an interview with Laika, a vegan lifestyle magazine, Von D spoke extensively about why—on top of continuing to never test on animals—she plans on turning her makeup 100 percent vegan. “When I launched [the line] I was not sober, I was not vegan yet. So I had no idea about ingredients in formulation,” says Von D. “I would always think it was funny when brands would be like, ‘Oh, we’re vegan.’ Yeah well, you don’t eat lipstick. [I was] super ignorant, you know?” Since Von D went vegan, she learned that some of the products in her line included carmine, a dye made from beetles’ wings. “We have been reformulating anything that had carmine in the past and if we can’t reformulate them, we just throw them out. “I can live without a purple eye shadow, it’s fine.”

And it doesn’t seem this switch will keep Von D from continuing to dominate the makeup world. In the interview, she also shared a small yet exciting glimpse at a brand new product. Von D handed the writer, “a powder compact that will be launching soon, in the shape of a wax seal influenced by Von D’s love for letter writing.” It’s because of these unique and personal touches that Von D’s brand has developed a huge following—and that won’t stop anytime soon. Von D is so confident in her makeup collection that she once refused an opportunity to mass produce her line in China because they required animal testing. “The numbers are huge but is it worth it? No, fuck no! If anything, the punk rocker in me gets more excited to be against it,” says Von D. There’s no word on when exactly the makeup line will go fully vegan, but given how persistent and committed Von D is, we expect the wait won’t be long.

ALLURE July 6th, 2016