Kat Von D is saying goodbye to her makeup empire. The 37-year-old makeup mogul announced that she will be stepping down and giving her duties over to Kendo. The cosmetic company has supported the the tattoo artist turn beauty mogul since 2008 and now will have full ownership of Kat Von D Beauty. The Mexican-American entrepreneur gave details of the transition in a heartfelt message posted to her social media.
© @thekatvond“This past year has been one of great change for me,” the LA Ink star began her emotional letter to her fans. “As many of you know, I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy, launched my vegan shoe line, and am now busy prepping to release my long awaited album in the Spring, followed by an international tour! As much as I wish I could balance all of this, on top of continuing my makeup line, it has become clear to me that I just can’t do everything at the maximum capacity.”
“It's hard to admit this, since I’ve always said “You can do everything and anything.” But I don’t think admitting one's limits is a bad thing,” she continued, adding that she will not be involved with the brand in any capacity moving forward. “I’ve decided to sell my shares of the brand, turning it over to Kendo, my partners for the past 11 years. This was not an easy decision, but after careful consideration, I decided I wanted the makeup line to continue to thrive and grow, and I believe Kendo is primed to do just that.”
For all you beauty lovers, this doesn’t mean you’re going to have to say goodbye to your favorite products—the brand will still feature its bestsellers, including the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, the Tattoo Liner and the KVD Go Big or Go Home Volumizing Mascara. However, the brand will be re-branded with a new name KvD Vegan Beauty. “The transition for you, my loyal customers, will be seamless,” she promised her fans. “In order to avoid any confusion with such a big change, Kat Von D Beauty will take a moment to re-brand itself, so you will start noticing the change from KatVonD Beauty to KvD Vegan Beauty.”
© @thekatvondKat, who is married to author Rafael Reyes and has a one-year-old son, ended her note reminiscing about the brand she created for those people who felt like they were outsiders. “I’d like to thank my beloved fans+followers who supported my vision to create a brand that stood for compassion, true artistry, and challenged modern ideals of beauty — most of which I never could relate to,” she shared.
“I was able to create a makeup line that made outsiders like me feel like we have a place in this “beauty” world, and gave myself and others the tools to express ourselves in our own unique way, whether it was embraced by the majority or not. And I just couldn’t have done any of this without you!”
