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Of all the drag queens who've yet to launch their own beauty brand, KimChi might just be the perfect candidate. After all, makeup has always been the signature component of hers, with her unmistakable moon-shaped eyes, rounded cheekbones, and lashes that could only be likened to that of an anime character.
Thankfully, that's changing on October 16 when the Drag Race star, known as Sang-Young Shin off stage, launches KimChi Chic Beauty. The brand is the first to launch under Bespoke Beauty Brands, a new think tank created by the founder of Nyx Cosmetics, Toni Ko.
KimChi Chic Beauty's initial lineup includes four products: an eye shadow palette, liquid eye shadows, lip glosses, and an LED handheld vanity mirror. Though KimChi says plenty more products are currently in development, the ones seen here have been a long time coming; she wanted to create a makeup line right after her appearance on Drag Race back in 2016, but founding an entire makeup company isn't something that just happens overnight.
"It's not like a T-shirt where you print something and then pass it out to the masses," she tells Allure. "You have to check the formulation, you have to talk to the lab, you have to find components, and you have to find a distributor to ship it out. There was just so much work involved that I just got so busy — and there physically wasn't any time for me to do it."
She then collaborated on a makeup collection with Sugarpill in 2017 and released a collection of sheet masks with skin-care brand Patchology the following year. Still, she knew her bigger goal was to have her own makeup company.
In 2018, KimChi and Ko came together as partners, and since then the drag queen has created a brand oozing with her signature cutesy vibe at an accessible price point. Each KimChi Chic Beauty product rings up at less than $30, which was a very intentional choice.
"The biggest hurdle I had growing up as a baby drag queen and a makeup artist was that so much product in the market was so expensive, especially good products," she says. "And even when you use good products, you're not even really sure if the pigments and the payoff will be good. So for my makeup line... I wanted a price point that everyone could afford."
The true stars of the first collection are without a doubt the 18-shade eye shadow palette and eight-shade range of liquid eye shadows, both of which are mischievously dubbed Diamond Sharts. Not everyone's a fan of the name, KimChi says, but she insists it's that sort of playfulness that gives the line such distinct character.
The palette, $28, features a heavy selection of neutral shades and just a handful of bright colors — a bit of surprise coming from such a vibrant drag queen, but it makes a lot of sense when explained by KimChi. She describes this palette's scheme as a neutral base fans can add fun to with more colorful KimChi Chic palettes that are coming down the pike. "I did kind of see it as almost building a wardrobe," she says. "You're going to have your few key pieces, and then you're going to start adding in the fun, like the sparkly stuff and the accessories."
The $9 liquid eye shadow shades also stick mostly to neutrals with standout pink, black, and gold shades. All of them are packed with glitter, which feels fitting for their name.
"Liquid eye shadows are actually a product that I use every time I get in drag," KimChi says. "It's a great way to add a little shine to your eye, and even when you're attaching glitter, it works great as a glitter base. All you have to do is smear a little liquid eye shadow on, and dump a little glitter on top, and it makes it stick." She also uses them as highlighters and lip toppers on occasion.
When it came time to decide what her brand's first lip product would be, KimChi intentionally strayed from matte liquid lipsticks (although she's working on those, too) because so many fellow drag queens have already created them. Instead, she created HighKey Lip Gloss, which comes in three peach-toned shades. Naysayers who despise lip glosses for their consistency might be convinced otherwise by KimChi's $9 formula.
"I mean, yes, lip gloss is sticky, but it makes your lips look so juicy and plump. So just like all things, there are pros and cons," she says. "I think my formula's really great. It doesn't feel too sticky, and the colors are really saturated."
All wrapped up with LED-lit, heart-shaped vanity mirrors priced at $25, the KimChi Chic Beauty brand is only getting started. Liquid lipsticks, foundation, concealer, and highlighter are just a handful of the products KimChi says are already on their way. "If people want to get in full makeup from head to toe only using my products, it's a possibility," she says.
With these four products out now and many more on the horizon, KimChi's ultimate goal is for you to have "fun, fun, fun" and not be afraid to try learning something new. "People shouldn't get discouraged if they can't achieve a certain look right away," she says. "With practice, anyone can achieve what [looks] they want to do." And at such an accessible price point, anyone can achieve a KimChi look whether you're learning the ropes or a full-fledged expert. "I mean, nine dollars a pop, what do you have to lose?"
KimChi Chic Beauty is available October 16 exclusively at kimchichicbeauty.com.
More on drag queen beauty lines:
- Miss Fame of Drag Race Launched a Makeup Collection With Five Must-Have Lipsticks
- The Story Behind RuPaul’s New Makeup Collaboration With Mally Beauty
- Drag Race Star Willam Belli Launched His Own Makeup Brand, and the Sparkle Is Absurd
Now, learn about the history of drag from some fellow Drag Race alum:
