#interviews 2014

Kat Von D’s Going-Out Beauty Routine

Some people meditate; Kat Von D puts on makeup. “There are few moments in my life that really allow for an uninterrupted time to quietly reflect—something I truly enjoy doing,” she says. “My makeup routine is just that for me.” The tattoo artist and beauty line creator is no amateur when it comes to flicking eyeliner and blending shadow, either. A quick scroll through her Instagram (with 2.2…

There's a reason why Kat Von D's makeup line continues to be one of Sephora's top-selling brands, and it's not simply because of her name. The products are innovative, the packaging is cool and the quality is amazing.

Her fall collection is definitely one to get excited about,especially if you like lipstick. The line boasts 30 creme brûlée-scented shades ranging from nude to fluorescent pink to deep berry to black. The assortment is Sephora's most comprehensive ever.

At a recent party for the collection's launch, we chatted with the tattoo artist about the products' updated look, her take on Photoshop and more!

Lucky: You changed the design of your packaging from baroque to punk for this collection. What inspired the new look?

Kat Von D: I was inspired by my first experience with makeup. I was 14 years old and I had a cassette tape of Siouxsie and the Banshees. She had crazy black hair and crazy egyptian eyes…she was this fearless hero and she didn't even see herself as a sex symbol. I thought, I want to be like that. The defining feature aesthetically from that era of my life was studs. For the lipstick design, I wanted take a different, romantic and dark approach to studs...like if Tim Burton designed a candy.

What was the first lipstick you ever bought?

Wet n' Wild 508. I saved up 99 cents to buy it at Rite Aid. I was a punk rocker and my sister was a chola and that was the only piece of makeup we could actually share. It was so waxy, I had to take a lighter to it to give it more pigment. When I started my lipstick line, I thought, 'How do I make 508 but actually good?' So that's how my lipstick Homegirl came to be and it's my favorite lipstick to this day.

Your makeup always looks so perfect. What's the most important step in your routine?

Priming is everything. It's one of the most overlooked processes. It makes a huge difference for long wear and all of my eyeshadows seem to be truer to the pigment when I prime first.

There's been a lot of controversy lately about over-Photoshopping. What do you think of the issue?