The Rise and Fall of Kat Von D & KVD Vegan Beauty

[@AntGorgeous]

As someone who worked opposite the KVD counter in Debenhams, it went from taking thousands a week to a couple of hundred overnight after her post about anti-vax'. Also, the rebrand would have been more exciting if it was named something like "Inked cosmetics" or something tattoo-related, where each collection had a popular tattoo artist create a collection with their designs on the packaging or something on those lines.

[@VioletFem]

That right there is a great idea! They should’ve hired you to be on the marketing/branding team.

[@underskinYT]

For sure, Inked Cosmetics is corporate enough too, not too risky, and I agree they could've brought on other artists to help with the packaging instead of making it so bland

[@AntGorgeous]

@@VioletFem Thank you! I once thought it would be cool if they had a tattoo bar where you could get a tattoo done, a bit like how Benefit have a brow bar. If they did it when Kat was at the company, people could brag they got a KVD tattoo done at the makeup counter.

[@DMp-xp6mj]

I loved her products and the packaging, she had her own vibe that made her unique in comparison to other makeup companies but she just had to ruin everything with her stupid actions.

[@101cocogirl]

I feel like the anti-vax comments she made really hit the nail in the coffin for alot of KVD consumers and was the biggest controversy that impacted the brand.

[@punkykenickie2408]

7:10 I would disagree that no person or brand ever got "cancelled" before recent times, it's just that we didn't call it that. Plenty of celebs and businessmen sunk their careers with the public turning against them and boycotts hurting their profits.

[@underskinYT]

But it wasn't the same. You're right that it happened, but it wasn't so united as it can be today with the internet. People would have scandals but it'd only affect one market or a smaller section of their audience because it was harder or slower to get info, and then you'd hear opinions from a wider range of sources. Now, we read about scandals almost in real time, all together and then the most heard voices tend to be the most offended or the most defensive so it makes a much more ugly discourse with which is harder for a brand to recover from, causing the way that brands get cancelled to be new. I think the closest thing to this we had before was a British gold high street brand (I dont remember the name, but goldsmiths took over from them I think) whose CEO went on TV and called his customers stupid because the margin they made on products was really large and pretty much overnight people stopped going, he both insulted the customers and devalued the product on a much watched TV program that hit a large part of his demographic. So it's not that it conclusively didnt happen before, but that the circumstances to allow this kind of cancellation to happen were harder to come by (my god, sorry this is so long)

[@punkykenickie2408]

@@underskinYT Ratners! In the... 1990s? Yeah the internet makes it easier to coordinate consumer backlashes, and they can happen faster, but that's true of most things now (thanks internet! ...maybe.) But I felt like the video phrased boycotting/backlash as an entirely new thing, rather than KVD managing to survive a few scandals before the big storm hit.

[@topcatmatt]

​@@underskinYT MCCARTHYISM

[@topcatmatt]

​@@underskinYTnot fooling me yt

[@dellarae]

Naw people got canceled before internet we just don't remember it. Fatty arbuckle was falsely accused of murder and lost his career. Roman polanski was super canceled and moved to a different continent

[@TripleVortex]

Mother has posted. We love you underskin / understitch 🙇

[@thecavalieryouth]

Hmmm... underskitch?

[@underskinYT]

I love you too

[@clauclau4142]

You just made me discover my Saint and Sinner roll-on perfumes, completely intact and smelling great, hidden in the Tattoo Chronicles Palette double layer I never realized was there. That was very unexpected. Thank you!!

[@underskinYT]

Nowayyyy!!! Thats dope

[@kellyandjulieelander5523]

Wow!! What a fun find!! 😄

[@rebsy8319]

I absolutely ADORED Kat Von D and her brand; the style and creativity were incredible. I'm sad that the brand has become so washed down and basic.

[@underskinYT]

It’s always really a shame when things go that way, but what’s more interesting is that it usually goes that way when brands are bought out, but this brand was LVMH from the jump

[@dean.mcmxcvi]

Your videos are just UGH SO GOOD. Always interesting but also the perfect background noise for my dogs. I SO appreciate that you maintain a consistent tone and volume. You’re saving me from many building management complaints about dogs barking. THANK YOU ❤😂

[@underskinYT]

Always a friend to puppies 🥰

[@TwanWu]

Not gonna lie this brand had been the edgiest and coolest brand that Sephora was carrying for a long time. It had a clear and concise aesthetics. It had at the helm a person that really knows make up. Kat even invited other young artists (Who remembers the KVD artistry collective?) to join her in making this brand even MORE fun and bold. The KVD that exists today is just a shadow of its early 2010s self, and by that I mean both the brand AND the person.

[@underskinYT]

Now we seem to be in suhc a heavily celeb dominated era, so much of it feels inauthentic, even these brands that started organically have been bought and a good lot of the newer brands seem to be following trends instead of making them. Its a strange era for cosmetics, I really think it'll change soon, its about time

[@Contessa_Savannah]

Kat Von D was the first makeuo brand that tapped into an alternative youth market. The rocker, goth, punk, emo, rockabilly girl was finally seen. This brand gave way to a type of inclusivity that is so used normal now. At the time thwre was nothing like it. I mean that countet was SWARMED. And i remember finally getting a foundation that was saturated enough in color. I remember people complimenting my makeup for the first time after using her foundation because every other brand (including mac) made such dull foundations for black skin.

[@gasparinha]

Shade range notwithstanding (as I can't speak to that), Urban Decay and Hard Candy were these brands from the mid-late '90s. (Hard Candy has changed a lot...) Urban Decay was definitely the cool-girl brand! IMO the reason they seem pedestrian now is because the '90s girls are in their mid-forties and fifties now. We still think we're cool sometimes, too. 👵😉

[@diamond2979]

i hate to say it but that was also a part of their downfall. as an alt black girl i’m very particular about the brands/artists i support because a lot of people in the scene are predatory, racist, homophobic, etc

[@LP-ct9nk]

Urban decay is seen as pedestrian now because every palette they release is some taupey or rosy nude combo and they don’t do ANY of the stuff they were known for or made them hard/edgy. Indie companies have completely taken over their niche, and they’re basically tarte now. Hard candy is pedestrian because it got bought out, is a shadow of its former brand, and is frequently only seen as a neglected gondola in Walmart with broken palettes everywhere

[@livcontessa]

Her shade and light palette is an integral part of my makeup collection. Great neutral palette.

[@underskinYT]

Im so glad you found something you love 🩵

[@ab63930]

My friends and I were obsessed with the Lolita liquid lipstick in college, so I’ll always have a small place in my heart for this brand. The eyeliner is still one of the best on the market imo, but it’s not a brand that excites me or aligns with my view of myself anymore

[@underskinYT]

That eyeliner was everyone's bst friend. I remember being in uni and trying to get my hands on it and failing, I was so upset hahah

[@jayelizaa]

Kat was so sweet on Miami Ink and I was a loyal watcher of LA Ink. It was a fave show back in the day. Crazy rollercoaster since then!!

[@underskinYT]

I'm not really a realitty tv show person, so I was quite surprised back in the day when I found that out. I literally only found out yesterday Cardi B began on a reality TV show. Sometimes I think I live under a rock haha

[@ToriUptown]

@@underskinYTCardi B became famous on Instagram and then became even more famous on the reality TV show.

[@underskinYT]

@@ToriUptown Yeah thats what my friend told me, I was absolutely shocked

[@azimiza1210]

I don't have tatoos but really enjoy watching Miami Ink

[@catalinaquijano6477]

I honestly believe that the quality of the cosmetics themselves have soured since she left her brand. I do love her aesthetic and have nothing personal against her. I just like the eyeliner, shadows and awesome lipstick- even Lolita as it was such a great color on me. I wish her the best because everyone in life deserves to grow and change to be better people, I am no exception. And I’ll continue to use KVD eyeliner as long as it has the same quality matte deepness of the original black eyeliner formula. I hope the brand gets their shit together.

[@underskinYT]

Its such a shame that its so common when a brand gets bought that the quality dips. I guess they just think they have enough brand value that they can afford it. But it slowly chips away at trust, its a shame

[@catalinaquijano6477]

@@underskinYT I completely agree. And thank you for your in depth and well researched videos on the subject of beauty and fashion. It is truly educational and well written journalism.

[@Dr_KW]

I don't get the love for her eyeliner? There's drugstore japanese eyeliners that are 3000% better

[@dahlia_day]

@@Dr_KW Yeah, but in the West, those eyeliner pens came later. When KVD cosmetics got started, there were eyeliner pens, but they weren't opaque and long lasting. To get that, you had to go with something like MAC eyeliner pots or Stila smudge pots, which weren't as convenient because they had to be applied with a brush and therefore had a larger margin for error. The KVD eyeliner pens were really high quality, opaque, and easy to use. Now you get the same effect from a lot of brands though.

[@dellarae]

Her old makeup was pretty bad though. Those eyeshadows were meh

[@duyo7027]

Immediately click whenever you post! My fav channel

[@underskinYT]

And two videos this month, its a miracle hahah

[@chairslatte]

this is so late but i remember the tattoo liner reviews! one girl posted she got into a car crash and her eyeliner still stayedddd. it convinced me to get it but i didnt buy it until a couple of years later around 2019. and when i finally got it, it was a complete waste of money lol. quality of her products definitely went downhill and since then, i have never brought a KVD product.

[@underskinYT]

You just unlocked a whole memory I forgot that I had 🤣

[@RoseOfTheFlames]

Omg, I have bought the eyeliner for the exact same reason. And same for me, it was such a bad quality, that was the reason why I never bought anything from them again. Before that I was terribly disappointed in the Saint & Sinner palette as the colors looked different on my skin.

[@tomjones2157]

I LOVED that liquid eyeliner. It was the ONLY super thin brush applicator on the market and didn't fray so it always applied perfectly thin. It stayed put on my super oily lids. No other liquid liner compared for a decade. Not till the Maybelline Hypersharp release did anything get even close!

[@faeriekitten]

Omg yes, same experience here. I think I bought mine a little earlier, but that eyeliner was NOT it when I bought it. Super streaky. It would move around and lift off when I tried to fill it in and it dried up so fast on the tip. I think I bought it bc so many makeup reviewers had it up on a pedestal as one of the best eyeliners out there back then. I found lots of flops from there on out that led me to eventually just wetting a small angled brush and using a deep black, pigmented shadow which worked for me for awhile, but recently I'm trying again to find a good eyeliner marker that still gives me that control but won't budge.

[@thxwanderer]

I was just a tween/teen during the rise of KVD, perpetually broke, and by the time I had the money to invest, the brand had killed itself. I'm still a little sad about it but the eyeliner is quite good and I've heard good things about the new foundations.

[@underskinYT]

Isn’t that always the way? We are either young and broke or too old to be able to engage with the cool stuff. Or just a brand ruins itself

[@lonewolf8667]

@@underskinYT I just lived in the wrong country. I had to buy the Saints and Sinners palette second hand, I missed out on most of the most interesting makeup from Kat von D. Jeffree Star seems to have no makeup ideas left and Lime Crime lost me when they discontinued all their good metallic lipsticks. Back in their heydays I never thought I would use other brands, but the last two years I have bought from other various brands.

[@lolalopez5261]

Kat Von D in the 2010s was so incredible, the quality was good the concepts were unmatched. After she sort of rebranded (if thats the right word) many of the products lost their quality. And she would announce upcoming items that never came out or came out much later than when she announced, the products were also very random, no improvement on what already existed (like her foundation, it needed more shades and a sister line). It was a mess, truly a shell of it's former self. Also when the contour phase hit and left she just, kept it going well after the trend passed 😅 it just felt like she and the brand couldn't keep up with what was going on in the beauty space.

[@gffhvhvh1253]

i just discovered your channel and i haveto say: I appreciate the amount of research that goes into these videos and love how to explain it

[@underskinYT]

Thank you so muxh, I always try to be the most well researched 🥰

[@toko_ribbon]

I love this channel and am so happy to see subscriptions rising! 🙏You put so much research, care, education and editing in all your uploads- a real treat to listen/watch. 🎉💖

[@underskinYT]

Slowly but surely going up! Im so proud of the community we have here 🥰

[@britnifla1612]

I was in my 20s when the brand was really at its height, and didn’t know much of Kat’s personal life/controversies, but the products were so fun and excellent quality. I wore the liquid lip shades Lolita and Vampira all the time, always got complimented and asked what I was wearing. I can understand some of the backlash over shade names (Celebu- was 100% uncalled for) but do think social media blew the others a little out of proportion, I get the connotations but at the end of the day it’s just makeup created by a tv/Internet personality - not a politician, teacher, doctor, etc. I purchased mini sizes of my favorite lip shades when the initial rebrand happened but the quality just wasn’t the same. I’d really love to see the brand get back to its 90s/gothic/edgy roots but it may be too far gone. I think Fenty and Colourpop offer comparable products though.

[@underskinYT]

Yeah I think you're right. Someone else commented about 'hell bent' and that is honestly a little tame to have had a scandal over, while others are much more justified. In general though with her aesthetic and the connotations that brings I do think she is more susceptible to scandal, which though isn't her fault inherently, was obviously damaging to the brand. (by this Im of course referring to her accusations of satanism/witchcraft before she converted and now inauthenticity after she converted which just never gave her space to not discuss her beliefs)

[@jackie9397]

God I miss vampira so much😭

[@bblilyylensz]

only just getting into 'real' makeup and going through each video on this channel before i buy anything lmfaao subbed

[@underskinYT]

Ahhahahaha thats so flattering thank you 🩵

[@some_metalhead]

I remember dying when they rebranded to Kindness, Vegan Beauty, and Discovery (and doing good) Vegan Beauty. Who got paid to come up with that?

[@underskinYT]

Yeah, it’s really stupid

[@punkykenickie2408]

Must admit back when I watch the Ink shows I didn't realise Kat von D was popular enough to launch/be given a successful makeup line. Was the show huge in the US?

[@underskinYT]

I would also like to know this, it's a surprising choice for French Sephora to go for an American reality tv star

[@underskinYT]

(I say that it's french loosely, Im well aware its primarily american-based, but thats the perspective since its with LVMH), I have a whole video on their beginnings

[@punkykenickie2408]

@@underskinYT Yeah, I'm sure France have their own edgy goths! XD

[@dustin628]

The show was never huge like American Idol or something like that, but it was always re-running on cable so if you watched a lot of TV you definitely saw a couple episodes whether you wanted to or not lol. This was during the time of limited channels and choices. She was definitely the biggest star on her show, the one you remembered the most, bc honestly no one on TV looked like her, ever. Especially the face tats back then on a woman on TV was very unique. So she gained a lot of attention and notoriety, and was able to parlay that esthetic into a successful makeup brand. With jeffree star basically copying exactly what she did to his own success.

[@lauravampire1276]

I fell in love with Kat Von D cosmetics when they were at their peak. As someone who enjoyed the alt scene then and now, it truly was unique in what they offered compared to other brands in Sephora and ulta. Black lipstick was incredibly hard to find back in the day but guranteed KVD had you in clutch.

[@underskinYT]

It's a cow to find a good black now!! I used to love Illamasqua black lipstick but I cant get it easily any more and its a pain

[@dahlia_day]

I never really liked Kat Von D as a celebrity, but I bought a lot of (which is to say virtually all) of the KVD lipsticks and eyeliner pens because they were long-lasting, opaque, and had a wide range of colors. Now the tattoo eyeliner comes in one or two shades. They discontinued the regular lipsticks and have gone whole hog on the liquid lipsticks, which gunk up and crumble if you talk or drink something. They've also embraced gimmicky low-quality products like the dazzle eyeshadows. The thing that made the brand special was its color range and boldness, which is to say full coverage and matte. After Kat left, they gave all that up.

[@May17760]

The reason KVD beauty was initially successful was truly because of Kat's own creativity and willingness to be unlike anyone else on the market. You could tell she truly dove in and gave her creative genius to these items and wanted good quality. Her light/shadow palette remains one of my favorites because she was one of the only people at the time who truly understood SHADOWS (they are grey/cool) while all other contour palettes gave us warm-colored tones (bronzers) -- which can be accredited to her true understanding of light and shadows, as she is n actual artist herself. I was drawn to KVD being a fan of Kat, but I was willing to spend my $ once I realized she created something unique. Once she left, it's like KVD lost all its creativity. I think THIS was one of the issues with the rebrand. They didn't have anyone to replace Kat's creativity & boldness, which is what got the brand where it was in the first place.

[@underskinYT]

Perhaps youre right. Its that creative point of difference that allowed her a unique target and unique audience. While I dont personally see much difference in the contour products, I do see a difference on the emphasis of them, and that in itself is enough to provide for a totally separate woman. At least until it wasnt, they had a really strong identity

[@JaneDoe-rj4jn]

Im 52 and absolutely LOVED her eye liner at Sephora.

[@renatelanzini332]

I remember as a teenager dreaming of having all products of kat von d it was and still so cool and has a great aesthetic… I still think the best eyeliner of the worlds is tattoo liner and nobody can change my mind

[@underskinYT]

That liner was incredible, but by the time I got my hands on it, I think it was the second formula

[@jacquelinealbin7712]

Reigna Rebelde is a brand I saw at Target some time ago that used similar tattoo aesthetics and Chicana naming/elements. No clue as to quality, but their stuff is cute, and has more of the OG KVD energy than the current KVD brand.

[@underskinYT]

I didn't know the brand so I had a quick google and yeah, very similar but different packaging, how is the product?

[@_scorpianina]

they can do whatever they want with the brand for me as long as they bring back the old formula for the lock-it powder foundation,,, PLEASE

[@underskinYT]

That was so famous, but it made my eyes tear so badly that I really didn't pay much attention to it, was surprised it was discontinued actually

[@_scorpianina]

@@underskinYT me too honestly, now you can get it online only on two shades but it doesn't hit the same. i just need the refill pan lol

[@underskinYT]

@@_scorpianina I need that and a jade roller to take down the puffiness of the irritation ahahah

[@lorifrederick2367]

I started in the big beauty store when Kat Von D was at the pinnacle of popularity. That was over 7 years ago. I still have my Shade and Light, Alchemist, Lolita, Saint and Sinner palattes. You will have to pry those from my cold dead hands. 😂

[@underskinYT]

I could not be more jealous

[@bby.lyneth0549]

Omg I have the kat von d liquid lip in the shade Lolita (it was a gift) and it’s such a good shade for me and I thought the name meant Lolita as in that Japanese fashion

[@Eff_It]

It should be amazing that an actual swastika tattoo didnt kill the brand, but it isn't to me. That says as much about the fans of the brand as it does about Ms. Von D.

[@underskinYT]

Yeah I had to look up his religion because of their buddhism excuse, and it's a little vague, but honestly I think it would've been worse if he went with her into Christianity given how the Nazis used Christianity in the war

[@LP-ct9nk]

I’m not surprised because beauty consumers for mass brands have shown they will continue to buy stuff until the majority group gets personally offended. KVD being anti-Semitic wasn’t a big deal to them cuz it’s not something they deal with, but potentially being the victims of an outbreak due to people refusing to vaccinate against certain diseases is something that could. It would’ve been interesting to see if being openly anti-vax a few years later would’ve killed the brand the way it was when she first shared her mindset, since more people now share her views

[@RavingKats]

Please do a video on Marc Jacobs Beauty specifically their makeup line and Sephora. Idk if there's any tea there, but I loved their foundation and heard it's coming back next year ?

[@underskinYT]

You know whats so funny is I was going to do MJB for my third ever video but because the Dior one didn't do as well, and then the Chanel one after that didn't do as well, I realised fashion cosmetics brands just arent as interesting for most people the way they are for me

[@naomi_2949]

I was obsessed with her brand in 2013. She was the first make up brand i bought from and would follow her. However, the moment there was evidence about her anti-semitism and her anti-vax instagram posts/beliefs - i immediately stopped buying from KVD. It sucked bc seeing a brand being so unique from the rest was so creative. But for those in the comments thinking people are being "sensitive" should really reexamine who they follow. Your money is going to these people and they then get put on a pedestal where they feel like they dont have to be accountable for their actions. Anyway, now that KVD is no longer associated with Kat Von D, I have re-purchased items. However, i do agree, it isnt the same anymore.

[@underskinYT]

Its a real shame when idols let us down for sure, and certainly also a shame when the formula is changed and its not the same 🫠

[@ericaspilky1236]

Her line is gone from my local Sephora in NYC. I had to buy my favorite lipstick, Nahz Feratoo, on Amazon. I bought 2 at twice the price. Her lipsticks, eyeshadows and foundation is still my favorite.

[@underskinYT]

Its upsetting that its inconsistent enough to drive consumers to Amazon as an alternative

[@keshaunconnor606]

omg can you PLEASE touch on Iman or Fashion Fair?

[@underskinYT]

I actually really want to do both, but I think I will start with Anthony Overton if I can find more information because they were literally the first Black geared makeup and of course arent around today, so I'd like to know exactly what went into it in more detail

[@alnsubuga]

And Naomi Sims! My mother bought me my first “full face” makeup from the counter at Selfridges for my 6th form ball 🥰

[@Question8619]

Kat Von D was one of the best beauty brands ever!! The colors where so unique no luxury brand even came close. It’s left a huge hole to me in the beauty industry. Now that she is gone I stopped caring for makeup.

[@underskinYT]

Thats such a shame, I'm so sorry you feel that way

[@mthomas1091]

Love your vids, always enjoyable & interesting ❤

[@underskinYT]

Thank you so much!

[@courtneythompson6179]

I only ever got the liquid matte lip colors around 2015 while I was in college. But they were super drying

[@underskinYT]

I think that was kind of the point tho

[@courtneythompson6179]

@ I’ve stepped up my lipstick game since!

[@underskinYT]

I think most people have 😂😂

[@alepolait8951]

I feel like her personal controversies contributed much more than what you covered here. I agree that it followed the average lifecycle of a brand, but I think she greatly accelerated it with her bullshit. I remember the Lolita controversy, and it was bad. But it was the debacle with the shade "Selektion" that made a lot of people turn away from the brand. She had been able to minimize the anti-Semitism claims, but after that, it was pretty clear that she was in on it. Then during her wedding, there was a spike of positive PR because it was so over the top and went viral (and it was beautiful, TBH), but it made people turn to her Husband who is also extremely problematic. And people opened another can of worms there. Trying to go against Jafar, was the worst idea. At that point he had been respawning with almost zero damage after every controversy. But people were already turned off by her and Prayers. I remember also some controversies related to the artists she was showcasing and working with. MUA's were not happy with her. She made some music with Marilyn Manson AFTER the abuse allegations. The online community was already against her, MUA's weren't supporting the brand and the mainstream wasn't in the know of everything but her brand was already stale, by the time Antivaxxer Kat made an appearance, people were done with her. My point is, I was a casual makeup fan, and I just followed her for the aesthetic. I just tuned in for the drama when something big happened, and I remember how you could expect to be disappointed by her, almost every Q. Kat burned bridges with everyone, everywhere, and didn't care to project any redeeming qualities other than "im goth". In that sense, Jafar was way more savvy, protecting his "I''m brutally honest" identity and using it as his platform.

[@silverstarlight9395]

Who's Jafer?

[@AlexSebastian-r7f]

@@silverstarlight9395I’m assuming Jeffree star

[@hlz191]

More of these videos please

[@underskinYT]

Itd be my pleasure 🥰

[@kikihernandez410]

I initially bought cosmetics from Kat because they were branded as Vegan and cruelty free which I loved. Also the products were really good mostly buying liquid lipstick and the eyeliner. After she left the quality did too. I haven’t purchased since. The rebrand rollout was a mess too.

[@digitalchapel]

I think a lot of ex-Kat Von D fans would be happy to buy from KVD beauty if KVD would lean into the gothic and eclectic aesthetic, considering how many abandoned ship with Kat's controversies. a lot of people stopped supporting Jeffree Star too, and that's an available market of people as well. But KVD changed the Lolita shade formula in a way that I didn't like, and I swapped to a NYX eyeliner that is similar to the tattoo liner I used to buy because it's half the ticket price. They don't put out anything really compelling enough for me, personally. But if they brought back the Alchemy highlighter palette, I'd come running back.

[@some_metalhead]

KVD had some bangers back in the day, but even if she didn’t shoot herself and her brand in the foot with her anti vax comments (and generally controversial personal life), I don’t think the brand would have lasted into the 2020s even with her at the helm. Everything the brand put out is matte, matte, matte. As a dry skin girl, I never used a lot of her base makeup. Especially with the dewy, clean girl look becoming more common in the 2020s, I don’t think KVD had any interest in adapting to the trends because her personal makeup style hasn’t changed since the 2000s. Even her personal instagram shows this.

[@underskinYT]

Sometimes it’s best not to adapt to trends though, having a personal brand that can be reliable to those who want it can be quite a powerful thing because trends do come and go like the wind. They would’ve probably not seen a lot of growth during this time, but I wish it was okay for companies to plateau a little bit when they need to, though actually LVMH do that really well

[@moondra3481]

When Sephora put the shade and light eye palette on sale I bought 4 of them those matte shadows were the best formula ever..looking like a shiny seal was never my thing. I actually tried a highlighter on my cheeks and I laughed myself out of the room😂😂😂. I tried the makeup by Mario matte palette my eyes got so swollen had to return it the next day. Have a good one❤❤

[@SouthernBelleReviews]

So Glad I found your channel ❤ I just subscribed 🎉🎉🎉

[@underskinYT]

Thank you so much! Welcome 🥰

[@LSSYLondon]

I have one of the perfumes and I love the black bottle and the scent.

[@Mamitarococo69]

Thank you! Amazing video ❤❤❤

[@underskinYT]

Thank you, Im glad you liked it :)

[@CS-yq8hp]

Her makeup is fantastic. Can’t wait to buy my next eyeliner

[@underskinYT]

Im goad you found product that you love 🥰

[@carvitqmilate9244]

I not gonna lie Kat von d foundation the most full coverage foundation ever in market I use it as my concealer to client it becomes beautiful

[@Moocow999]

Agreed . It’s the best I’ve ever tried for full coverage and oily skin

[@underskinYT]

If a product works, that really the best thing

[@Moocow999]

Unfortunately they discontinued it😢

[@carvitqmilate9244]

@@Moocow999 so sad for that🥲

[@TheLucykills1]

Honestly the brand is so boring they really should give it all the way up

[@underskinYT]

But theres definitely potential there. I am really of the opinion that so much of beauty follows trends so closely that it can be hard to really distinguish brand from brand, I like brands with a bit of flavour, a perspective

[@oyayemayafaro7307]

I haven't been keeping up with the beauty industry in a very long time so perhaos this question is irrelevant but - partnering with a personality who was a total left from typical beauty standards like KVD was a huge risk with a HUGE payoff because it was so unique and well conceptualized. Do you think major cosmetics brands like Sephora or Ulta are still doing this? If not, that's a shame as i often feel there's always something special in "going against the grain" if you have a team smart and creative enough to execute it á la KVD

[@underskinYT]

I personally dont think so no. Its been on my mind a lot recently actually how so much of beauty today is trend following instead of trying to create something truly unique. The rounded caps, the pastel-ish colours, yellow, green or pinkish red packaging, its a lot of similar products rn and unfortunately it just looks like few have a real brand identity. I have more thoughts of course, but I think skincare as a trend will come to an end for this reason, I think people will tire of it, and we will see a new wave of beauty brands focused on individuality again (specifically I foresee Jeffree Star doing well from this as well as Isamaya Ffrench and Pat McGrath)

[@seb00zi]

I am not sure about your research on this topic because as someone who was heavily involved with the beauty industry at the time, her downfall definitely came because of her antivax comments. You gloss it over as a ‘minor scandal’ here, however the reality is at the time it created such a huge uproar in the beauty community, many influencers stopped using her stuff, there were many campaigns in beauty groups all over the internet to boycott her products. Because the sales plummeted so much, Sephora had to yeet her out and rebrand. When the rebrand happened, new KVD PR people came online to promote the rebrand and there was only one question people were asking; “Is the antivaxxer Kat still involved with the brand or not, cause if she is you can rebrand as many times as you want, we will still not buy”. So yeah, it wasn’t just a minor scandal, it actually created one of the biggest downfalls of any beauty company I’ve ever seen.

[@underskinYT]

I always try to check as many statistics as I could to be accurate, and according to what is available, their downfall really had already been well underway by June 2018 when the antivaxx scandal happened and in fact really they hit their peak in searches in 2016 during the Jeffree Star scandal. So really, if anything that was the tipping point for the company and the many scandals since just encouraged the decline to continue as opposed to them being the catalyst as you suggest. But, in the end, it's all about perception, right? So if thats what began the end for Kat Von D to you, then thats also a factor into it because you as a customer project that brand perception onto its dealings and it's that that impacts your spending. I will say though, that it's my perception that her antivaxx and antisemitic scandals have had a more lasting impact on the company and especially with KVD after the rebrand, as you said people were asking, but I do try to refrain from including my opinion because I like to be as objective as possible in these videos

[@freyagreaves1460]

The way I ran to buy her original foundation, I have NEVER been able to make it work, no matter what products I've use with it, heartbroken

[@underskinYT]

Ah thats a real shame, it's annoying to spend so much only to be disappointed

[@berlineczka]

The strange (non) rebrandings were really confusing, to be honest. I was very drown to the aesthetics of the company but was boycotting due to Kat von D. Once she was out I wanted to go and finally try some of their stuff, but the strange changes and confusing launches left me scratching my head. What was the point of this company at that point? I would have renamed it to KVB Kenzo Vegan Beauty (D and B are similar enough to even keep the logo to some extend), kept the edgy aesthetics and tattoo affiliation, and started a series of collaborations with famous tattoo artists. Bury Kat under other artists, and keep the tattoo artistry theme. That could have been a banger.

[@underskinYT]

I love the KVB idea, I agree that the rebrandings were just weak, but they know they have a real visual differentiator which helps so much for visual space, so I think theyre fearful of losing that. But again, like you said, they could've got around that with collaborative collections with other makeup artists, so its similar but not the same, and then perhaps as time goes on other famous goth-adjacent people, Dita Von Teese, Violet Chachki, Elvira, or even club kids would've been amazing, imagine a Jenkin Van Zyl or Charles Jeffrey Loverboy or Daniel Lismore collaboration

[@berlineczka]

@@underskinYT Exactly. The edgy subcultures are rich and numerous, it would have been a while to run out of options (and they could come unexpectedly, like Bambie Thug unexpectedly winning Irish Eurovision preselections. Just imagine a collab with them).

[@raspberrysoda2277]

I found a brand new box of Saint perfume in my attic the other day lol. She was in a league of her own I loved her brand so sad this happened

[@underskinYT]

Omg what a find!!

[@peterjason4491]

Great video

[@underskinYT]

thank you so much

[@bruja_cat]

As a tattoo artist I really can’t stand Kat Von D

[@SpiritoftheRadio2112]

Im surprised you didn’t talk about the Saint/Sinner competition drama, that’s when I finally stopped supporting. It was so dirty how the company went about that.

[@ohslytherin94]

In my country, we believe if a name can bring luck or not. When I saw the brand name, Kat Von D, honestly, I was really interested.

[@huntress_9441]

Why is "hell bent" controversial? Where im from it just means very determined

[@underskinYT]

idk maybe it was a slow news day

[@BittersweetMayhem]

"Bent" can mean gay

[@underskinYT]

@@BittersweetMayhem yeah, but not in that context?

[@Snakesnarl]

Who’s kendo? You just start talking about them without explaining who they are. 6:35 that’s not kat…… that’s some other woman Jesse James had dated

[@karmajaden2577]

i miss those perfumes. sinner was MY scent, bro

[@desboogey]

Omg I love this song!!

[@underskinYT]

I love to pop and lock and jam and break

[@susancasagooddog8937]

Greatest makeup ever!

[@jewlz9095]

Like many ppl in the comments I was also a fan of the LA Ink show and bought the eyeshadow palettes and brush set, which by the way were animal hair since she wasn’t vegan at the time. When it became vegan the quality changed so much and the drama was getting old so I stopped buying altogether. My last purchase was the butterfly palletes. It’s too bad honestly, I wish they would just change the look altogether and start over?

[@underskinYT]

There is certainly markets for both, plastic brushes versus animal hair, but I think the real problem is the fact that it changed. If it had stayed the same quality throughout, then you probably would never have been disappointed

[@izzabelladieteman9344]

In 2015 this was the brand. Ugh I loved it.

[@bluefood726]

Kat is so blatantly anti-black. I’m glad she’s cancelled. And welcome back Aunty Underskin we missed you love!

[@underskinYT]

I just learnt about the scandal in which she defended that guy at her store who refused to work on darker skin tones. I wish I had known to include it

[@annhatchet3799]

I thought it was because that particular style of tattoo wouldn’t translate on a deep skip tone since colour and white ink don’t show up as well on deep skin so the tattoo artist didn’t want to tattoo on people who may be disappointed with the results but I’m not 100% sure.

[@SpiritBox01]

​@@annhatchet3799a good artist who makes the effort can make their art style work on all skin tones. With darker skin tones you just need to work with contrasts and layers. They're just lazy and anti-black

[@mackyronni]

@@annhatchet3799That is not an excuse

[@JaneDoe-rj4jn]

I had no clue that was her actual name. That has to be the most ritzy, regal sounding name Ive ever heard.

[@kermit1473]

I thought this lady was really cool and kind...I remember seeing her on TV long ago ....

[@kermit1473]

Honestly I hope she is okay....its hella hard to continue to be constantly analyzed and criticized... yikes 😳

[@bernstyles]

@6:38 thats not kat, thats one of jesse james exs Michelle Bombshell McGee

[@agamizgala3562]

I still use and love the Tattoo liners. I'm not so interested in their other products.

[@isathemonica]

kvd vegan beauty has some good products. i love their foundation - mine is almost over and i can't find it anymore :(

[@underskinYT]

Im so glad you have something you enjoy

[@isathemonica]

@@underskinYT thank u bby ♡ love your channel

[@underskinYT]

@@isathemonica love you too

[@isathemonica]

@@underskinYT love ya ♡

[@pockyeatingpanda]

I miss the studded kiss lipsticks!

[@L-K-Jellyfish]

Angry & unbecoming is Kat s whole aesthetic!

[@JRMTZD]

Her perfume was the best and still is for a vegan perfume. Really sad it's been discontinued

[@underskinYT]

I wish I could have smelled it. Right now Ive been obsessing over Rbow’s perfumes

[@JRMTZD]

@@underskinYT it was amazing, there are a few on sale on ebay. Whether they are real or fake I don't know.....

[@tomjones2157]

The original saint and sinner perfumes were amazing. The re-release a few years later from Sephora was limp and had bad reviews too. They were so watered down Saint didn't last more than an hour, and Sinner 90 minutes on me. Both smelled cheap, barely there and thin.

[@StyleFruit2]

8:38 its kind more of a mystery...a mystery as to why tf lol

[@jennifersun2638]

The brand had a niche because it was Gothic and cool

[@underskinYT]

Yeah pretty much

[@facemymusic]

Yes failed rebrand, I get not wanting to destroy your existing market but the people purchasing KVD have no idea she isn’t involved.. My mom still uses the Lolita lip color so I mentioned the rebrand/buy out of Kay Von D to her just a few weeks ago and she was totally shockes, had no idea & thought Kat was still involved herself.

[@underskinYT]

Yeah I dont think she is bery happy about it herself. Them still using her initials is a little misleading

[@freyjamulhall3615]

very interesting

[@underskinYT]

Thank you 🥰

[@Idaknough]

Dang there’s some long ole posts on this comment section. I was trying to find anything on the costume she wore that I thought got her cancelled. The nazi reference…was that what got her cancelled?

[@LP-ct9nk]

No it was being anti-vax that got her cancelled. I am not as aware of her wearing that type of costume but wouldn’t be surprised if she did. There was another brand owner of line crime who did wear that type of costume who you might be thinking of. She had an alternative brand/style as well

[@AdamantErinyes]

I really appreciate you bringing out that Lolita is as a HORROR novel.

[@underskinYT]

It was intended as one!

[@halfpine9952]

@@underskinYTI think this is a mischaracterization of the novel. Yes, a pedophile lusting after a minor is horrific but that doesn’t mean the novel itself should be classified as “horror”

[@dellarae]

She lied about the forged signature. That was 100% her. She's a jordan peterson fan now......we see her. She's has lost the plot.

[@tdsollog]

I think it should have been renamed Kendo Vegan Beauty.

[@underskinYT]

Not a bad idea

[@hellamella720]

Not including her husbands controversies which caused a lot of fans to step away? Skimming over her major anti vax and Neo nazi controversies? Mate this video is lacking

[@underskinYT]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@dean.mcmxcvi]

Her videos are not deep dives into the individual themselves (or all their controversies) they’re of the brand. If you want deep dives into KVD the person, ALL her business endeavors, or scandals I’m sure there’s plenty of videos on KZbin that have gone over those in great lengths

[@hellamella720]

@@dean.mcmxcvi her controversies were a major impact on her brand and how so many people immediately moved away from purchasing, I was looking forward to seeing a video discussing it from that level as under skin does. I'm fully aware of the other deep dive videos but thanks for being facetious 👍

[@Salty_Pretzel22]

She has clarified that she sold this brand years ago and is no longer affiliated with it in any capacity. Why are you pulling up receipts of recent years?

[@LP-ct9nk]

Because the receipts are a direct reason of why she sold the brand and why the brand itself fell off on an entire cliff then and now. To ignore them is to ignore 80% of the story about how the brand got to where it is today

[@Camelolivegreen]

Maybe I didn’t understand … taking the marketing teams account of how Sephora partnered with her with a grain of salt bc used she/her pronouns? I don’t get it..

[@underskinYT]

The head of Sephora, at that time was a man, that’s why the misuse of pronoun is suspicious. They cannot be talking about the same person, so either it was a different person at Sephora, or the story was made up, or the person just made a mistake.

[@Camelolivegreen]

@@underskinYT ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh … boom boom gotchu. Keep comin with that 🔥🔥. All the way here for it.

[@Jojo-o6o6w]

good on her for having the balls to speak her mind

[@manicpepsicola3431]

Found another delulu

[@user-rz9rq7pp2b]

???

[@bzztthundaa]

🖤🖤🖤

[@underskinYT]

🩵🩵🩵

[@aarontheabc]

💙💙💙

[@underskinYT]

🩵🩵🩵

[@itsme-nt2lj]

working with israeli IDF one can understand ... watch your back💣

[@hansmir5443]

👏👏👏👏😊

[@underskinYT]

🥰

[@whimsyrosie]

As a queer Jew, I just wish they had changed the initials. Them not doing so demonstrates to me that they care more about the clout that comes with the initials than they do about the customers themselves. Until they change the name, I won't be purchasing from them.

[@underskinYT]

I mean they seemingly werent trying to distance themselves from Kat as a person, so I think in their minds the whole antisemitism scandal wasnt a big enough factor to change their decisions (which is quite telling imo)

[@DavyErni]

How much drugs did you use ? She never fell . ❤🥰🥰

[@user-lw9ut2ms6m]

I just think people are too sensitive 🤷🏻‍♀️ Love Kat and always will love Kat especially her aesthetic. I wish she was still in creative control of the brand. She had some awesome products that haven’t been duplicated. They should just take the L and cut their losses.

[@underskinYT]

I don't know if its being sensitive or if beuaty it such an innately personal thing that people want products from brands that align exactly with their personal views. Beauty is a very politicised industry because the founders are often so front and centre because people respond to a personalised founders story (even if its not true). I dont know of another industry like beauty where whole million/billion dollar companies are so heavily affected by a singular owner unless theyre extremely widely hated or ridiculed

[@Cascada200]

I agree. Bunch of snowflakes

[@Question8619]

I still think she is part of the brand

[@SangAoooSangA]

1st

[@user-qh7uu6yy2l]

Mama Lolita is not a horror book lol. Protagonist is a horrible man for sure but there is no horror theme to be inspired by

[@underskinYT]

It really is horror, the topic is an obviously illegal perverted pedophilloic attraction towards a child. It was literally written as a horror book

[@halfpine9952]

@@underskinYTI think you’re mixing up how the book makes you feel vs what the author’s intentions were for writing the novel

[@AmyLSchulte]

I bought her brand from the beginning. I actually remember which Sephora I was in and what the SA said to me. Had tons of products and loved almost all of them. Went through all the drama and never picked a side. Still support JS and am happy for Kat. Also, I supported her right to not vaccinate. Look at the world now.