This is an episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, which features candid conversations about how today’s trends are shaping the future of the beauty and wellness industries. More from the series →
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When Kim Chi made the finals on season 8 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” back in 2016, fans were captivated by her stunning makeup artistry. Not long after, she became the CEO and founder of her own makeup brand, KimChi Chic Beauty. Launched in 2019 under Bespoke Beauty Brands, the incubator founded by Nyx Professional Makeup founder Toni Ko, the brand made its national retailer debut in CVS last year.
On this episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Kim Chi shares how she became what she calls an “accidental drag queen” back in 2012 and learned her elaborate makeup artistry techniques with no formal training. She also talks about the founding story of the brand and the way she’s leveraging it to gain traction as one of the first beauty brands on TikTok’s shopping feature. Kim Chi also uses her platform to speak out about bias and discrimination, and is vocal about the drag queen ban attempts happening across the country. Below are some excerpts from the conversation.
The inspiration to start a beauty brand
“When I first started in 2012, the makeup scene was very different. It was before the influencers came along. And it was before there was pigmented makeup in the market. … I told myself, ‘One day, I’m going to create a line that is cheap and affordable, and [allows] a lot of people to experiment.’
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I didn’t want this to be perceived as more merch that I was putting out. I want this to be a staple in a lot of people’s lives.”
On selling through TikTok
“We work with a company called Orca. And basically, we are the first makeup brand that TikTok is officially working with to get our products out there. It’s basically like QVC, but on TikTok.
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TikTok Live Shop has actually almost created a community in itself. There are a lot of people who are regulars. … I come on about once a month just to say hi like to the fans. And the sales have been great. We offer a lot of special deals or discounts that you can only get on TikTok Live Shops. Times are changing because, before, people watched cable TV. But nowadays, everybody’s on their phone, and they don’t have cable anymore.”
On speaking up against anti-Pride backlash
“We are LGBTQIA+-owned brand. We show up and we show out. But especially now, more than ever — in this political climate where drag is being banned in places — a lot of people who preach freedom of speech are deflecting from their own shortcomings and trying to blame and deflect their problems and deter the trans community and drag queens. We’re such a minority that most people hardly come in contact with, so it’s easier to demonize something that you’re not going to come across on a regular basis, and we’re being persecuted right now. So it’s now more important than ever, for us as a community to stick together and show up and show out. A lot of brands, in particular, and corporations are not really working with LGBTQIA+ creators right now, especially after all [the recent] controversy. So, people need to pay attention to the brands that are actually working with creators in our community, because they’re the real ones, and it’s just not performative.”
