Katrina Kaif is popular as one of the most gorgeous divas of Bollywood. With her doll-like features, the actress had become the first Indian actress to have a Barbie doll inspired by her. Apart from her beauty, she is also regarded as one of the best dancers in the film industry. With her smooth yet electrifying moves, the actress’ elegant dance moves have ruled over hearts for decades.
However, Katrina Kaif has tested the limits of her skills by going beyond the acting world. She has stepped into the tactical world of business and created one of India’s most popular make-up brand, Kay Beauty. Balancing both her business and her Bollywood career, here is how Katrina made her business empire.
Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty is India’s first-ever celebrity-owned make-up brand
Katrina Kaif has not been just an actress, but she has also been a trendsetter in fashion and make-up. From her mini skirt and boots look to her pastel-coloured lehengas, every look of the actress became a trend, and young girls were trying to recreate all those outfits. Katrina also introduced the soft-girl make-up aesthetic way before social media emerged. The actress was mostly seen in a light sheen of make-up, paired with nude pink lipstick and glossy lipgloss. The glossy make-up looks that are popular nowadays have been tried and tested by Katrina long before influencers discovered it.
Keeping up her reputation as a trendsetter, Katrina Kaif launched the first-ever celebrity-owned make-up brand in India. Her brainchild and business brand, Kay Beauty, was launched in 2019 and became one of the most sought-after luxurious make-up brands. Following the success of Kay Beauty, actresses such as Kriti Sanon, Masaba Gupta and Deepika Padukone also started their own make-up and skincare brands.
Katrina Kaif’s love for make-up helped her to create Kay Beauty
In an interview with Harper Bazaar India, Katrina Kaif talked about her love for make-up since childhood. She said that she fell in love with the different colours and textures of make-up products. The actress also revealed that while working as a model, she learnt many tips and tricks from make-up artists. Katrina used those tips and her own personal knowledge of make-up to come up with different make-up techniques. All this practice and affinity for make-up products helped her while creating Kay Beauty since she was very particular about what she wanted from every product. Talking about her love for make-up, the actress said:
“Growing up, make-up was a fascination. I would visit make-up counters at malls to swatch all the lipsticks and face products. I fell in love with the colours, the textures, and the fact that you can enhance certain features of your face and create the most incredible looks. Then, once I started working as a model with the best make-up artists in the country, I learned all the tricks and tips from them. I honed the techniques that I had used or seen in my personal work and amalgamated it with professional tips that I learn along the way.
Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty flourished even during the pandemic
Katrina Kaif launched Kay Beauty in 2019, less than a year later the COVID-19 pandemic started. At a time when there was a global lockdown, and most businesses suffered huge losses, Katrina’s Kay Beauty flourished during this time. Even though it was a newly established business, the make-up brand stood against the challenge and became one of the most coveted make-up brands in India. All of this was possible due to Katrina Kaif’s strategic business tactics.
Katrina Kaif partnered with Nykaa to launch Kay Beauty
Nykaa is one of the biggest and most popular beauty retailers in India. So, no wonder Katrina Kaif chose this platform to launch her make-up brand, Kay Beauty. She partnered with Nykaa’s CEO, Falguni Nayar and launched her products all over India. Using Nykaa as a partner was a smart move since the platform has established a huge distribution network and a wide customer base. This also helped her business to remain stable during the pandemic since, according to a NielsenIQ study, there was a global surge in online shopping among people during the lockdown.
Katrina Kaif empowered women through her make-up brand, Kay Beauty
There has always been a gap between consumer needs and the supply of make-up products in India. Most of the make-up products found in India are not made to cater to all skin complexions, even though the country boasts an array of different skin shades among people. Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty, with its tagline, ‘It’s Kay to be you,’ has become the go-to make-up brand because of its inclusivity and choice of many different shades. Talking about changing beauty standards and inclusivity, the actress said to Harper Bazaar:
“I think it’s just more accepted now that there isn’t one standard of beauty. We are now seeing a change when it comes to inclusivity. The world has become more accepting of all kinds of beauty: different shapes, sizes, skin tones, and even personalities. We are seeing a lot more individuality come in now and that is something we’ve always celebrated at Kay Beauty. ”
Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty crossed Rs. 200 crore revenue mark in 2024
As per a Third Eyesight report, Kay Beauty made Rs. 200 crore in revenue in 2024. The reason Katrina Kaif’s make-up brand is doing so well is that it is a comparatively affordable product packaged as a luxury brand. While popular luxury brands like Mac, Charlotte Tilbury, and YSL’s one single lipstick is priced around Rs. 2000 to Rs.4000, Kay Beauty’s lipstick costs around Rs. 800. The price is much cheaper than other the brands mentioned, but its smart and elegant packaging makes it look like a much-coveted luxury product. Kay Beauty is also more affordable than Deepika Padukone’s 82°E, whose products start at Rs. 2500.
What are your thoughts about Katrina Kaif and make-up empire, Kay Beauty?
Also Read: 10 Bollywood Celebrities Who Turned Into Successful Entrepreneurs: Rhea Chakraborty To Shah Rukh