As someone who worked opposite the KVD counter in Debenhams, it went from taking thousands a week to a couple of hundred overnight after her post about anti-vax'. Also, the rebrand would have been more exciting if it was named something like "Inked cosmetics" or something tattoo-related, where each collection had a popular tattoo artist create a collection with their designs on the packaging or something on those lines.
For sure, Inked Cosmetics is corporate enough too, not too risky, and I agree they could've brought on other artists to help with the packaging instead of making it so bland
@@VioletFem Thank you! I once thought it would be cool if they had a tattoo bar where you could get a tattoo done, a bit like how Benefit have a brow bar. If they did it when Kat was at the company, people could brag they got a KVD tattoo done at the makeup counter.
I loved her products and the packaging, she had her own vibe that made her unique in comparison to other makeup companies but she just had to ruin everything with her stupid actions.
I feel like the anti-vax comments she made really hit the nail in the coffin for alot of KVD consumers and was the biggest controversy that impacted the brand.
7:10 I would disagree that no person or brand ever got "cancelled" before recent times, it's just that we didn't call it that. Plenty of celebs and businessmen sunk their careers with the public turning against them and boycotts hurting their profits.
But it wasn't the same. You're right that it happened, but it wasn't so united as it can be today with the internet. People would have scandals but it'd only affect one market or a smaller section of their audience because it was harder or slower to get info, and then you'd hear opinions from a wider range of sources. Now, we read about scandals almost in real time, all together and then the most heard voices tend to be the most offended or the most defensive so it makes a much more ugly discourse with which is harder for a brand to recover from, causing the way that brands get cancelled to be new. I think the closest thing to this we had before was a British gold high street brand (I dont remember the name, but goldsmiths took over from them I think) whose CEO went on TV and called his customers stupid because the margin they made on products was really large and pretty much overnight people stopped going, he both insulted the customers and devalued the product on a much watched TV program that hit a large part of his demographic. So it's not that it conclusively didnt happen before, but that the circumstances to allow this kind of cancellation to happen were harder to come by (my god, sorry this is so long)
@@underskinYT Ratners! In the... 1990s? Yeah the internet makes it easier to coordinate consumer backlashes, and they can happen faster, but that's true of most things now (thanks internet! ...maybe.) But I felt like the video phrased boycotting/backlash as an entirely new thing, rather than KVD managing to survive a few scandals before the big storm hit.
Not gonna lie this brand had been the edgiest and coolest brand that Sephora was carrying for a long time. It had a clear and concise aesthetics. It had at the helm a person that really knows make up. Kat even invited other young artists (Who remembers the KVD artistry collective?) to join her in making this brand even MORE fun and bold. The KVD that exists today is just a shadow of its early 2010s self, and by that I mean both the brand AND the person.
Now we seem to be in suhc a heavily celeb dominated era, so much of it feels inauthentic, even these brands that started organically have been bought and a good lot of the newer brands seem to be following trends instead of making them. Its a strange era for cosmetics, I really think it'll change soon, its about time
It’s always really a shame when things go that way, but what’s more interesting is that it usually goes that way when brands are bought out, but this brand was LVMH from the jump
You just made me discover my Saint and Sinner roll-on perfumes, completely intact and smelling great, hidden in the Tattoo Chronicles Palette double layer I never realized was there. That was very unexpected. Thank you!!
Kat Von D was the first makeuo brand that tapped into an alternative youth market. The rocker, goth, punk, emo, rockabilly girl was finally seen. This brand gave way to a type of inclusivity that is so used normal now. At the time thwre was nothing like it. I mean that countet was SWARMED. And i remember finally getting a foundation that was saturated enough in color. I remember people complimenting my makeup for the first time after using her foundation because every other brand (including mac) made such dull foundations for black skin.
Shade range notwithstanding (as I can't speak to that), Urban Decay and Hard Candy were these brands from the mid-late '90s. (Hard Candy has changed a lot...) Urban Decay was definitely the cool-girl brand! IMO the reason they seem pedestrian now is because the '90s girls are in their mid-forties and fifties now. We still think we're cool sometimes, too. 👵😉
i hate to say it but that was also a part of their downfall. as an alt black girl i’m very particular about the brands/artists i support because a lot of people in the scene are predatory, racist, homophobic, etc
In the KVD beef with JS I remember how JS tried so hard to convince everybody that whoever confronts him would meet their downfall. The same narrative was sold during Dramageddon. And now, with this analysis of the KVD brand, I am more convinced than ever that JF is actually powerless.
But its exactly that sense of grandeur that got him to where he is. Hell, without that he probably wouldn't have been able to make music or behave the ay he did back in the day to get the fame that he has now started. Its a great brag, but noones invulnerable
@@underskinYT I agree that a strong and well-built self-esteem is imperative to build the business that JS did. But I disagree in how he managed his business persona, which was unprofessional and even childish.
@@petitewhimsiesi don't think underskin means JF's behavior was professional or okay. Solely that it was what got his name out there, which is fairly true. Jeffrey has largely always been known as a grandiose, confrontational, drama queen. That is why people loved him back in the day, even if that seems crazy now. Edit to say: this sounds too positive, JF is a scumbag.
@@ohh771 I don't think 'Underskin' means JF's behaviour was professional or okay, either. My comment solely focuses on JS's behaviour and how he marketed himself to be above all, especially during Dramageddon, while in reality behaving like a teenager in a high school drama, classifying his competitors as his enemies. This is the focus of my comment. Again, I didn't target his self-esteem.
I'm not really a realitty tv show person, so I was quite surprised back in the day when I found that out. I literally only found out yesterday Cardi B began on a reality TV show. Sometimes I think I live under a rock haha
Your videos are just UGH SO GOOD. Always interesting but also the perfect background noise for my dogs. I SO appreciate that you maintain a consistent tone and volume. You’re saving me from many building management complaints about dogs barking. THANK YOU ❤😂
I honestly believe that the quality of the cosmetics themselves have soured since she left her brand. I do love her aesthetic and have nothing personal against her. I just like the eyeliner, shadows and awesome lipstick- even Lolita as it was such a great color on me. I wish her the best because everyone in life deserves to grow and change to be better people, I am no exception. And I’ll continue to use KVD eyeliner as long as it has the same quality matte deepness of the original black eyeliner formula. I hope the brand gets their shit together.
Its such a shame that its so common when a brand gets bought that the quality dips. I guess they just think they have enough brand value that they can afford it. But it slowly chips away at trust, its a shame
@@underskinYT I completely agree. And thank you for your in depth and well researched videos on the subject of beauty and fashion. It is truly educational and well written journalism.
I started in the big beauty store when Kat Von D was at the pinnacle of popularity. That was over 7 years ago. I still have my Shade and Light, Alchemist, Lolita, Saint and Sinner palattes. You will have to pry those from my cold dead hands. 😂
My friends and I were obsessed with the Lolita liquid lipstick in college, so I’ll always have a small place in my heart for this brand. The eyeliner is still one of the best on the market imo, but it’s not a brand that excites me or aligns with my view of myself anymore
I love this channel and am so happy to see subscriptions rising! 🙏You put so much research, care, education and editing in all your uploads- a real treat to listen/watch. 🎉💖
I was just a tween/teen during the rise of KVD, perpetually broke, and by the time I had the money to invest, the brand had killed itself. I'm still a little sad about it but the eyeliner is quite good and I've heard good things about the new foundations.
I was in my 20s when the brand was really at its height, and didn’t know much of Kat’s personal life/controversies, but the products were so fun and excellent quality. I wore the liquid lip shades Lolita and Vampira all the time, always got complimented and asked what I was wearing. I can understand some of the backlash over shade names (Celebu- was 100% uncalled for) but do think social media blew the others a little out of proportion, I get the connotations but at the end of the day it’s just makeup created by a tv/Internet personality - not a politician, teacher, doctor, etc. I purchased mini sizes of my favorite lip shades when the initial rebrand happened but the quality just wasn’t the same. I’d really love to see the brand get back to its 90s/gothic/edgy roots but it may be too far gone. I think Fenty and Colourpop offer comparable products though.
Yeah I think you're right. Someone else commented about 'hell bent' and that is honestly a little tame to have had a scandal over, while others are much more justified. In general though with her aesthetic and the connotations that brings I do think she is more susceptible to scandal, which though isn't her fault inherently, was obviously damaging to the brand. (by this Im of course referring to her accusations of satanism/witchcraft before she converted and now inauthenticity after she converted which just never gave her space to not discuss her beliefs)
this is so late but i remember the tattoo liner reviews! one girl posted she got into a car crash and her eyeliner still stayedddd. it convinced me to get it but i didnt buy it until a couple of years later around 2019. and when i finally got it, it was a complete waste of money lol. quality of her products definitely went downhill and since then, i have never brought a KVD product.
Omg, I have bought the eyeliner for the exact same reason. And same for me, it was such a bad quality, that was the reason why I never bought anything from them again. Before that I was terribly disappointed in the Saint & Sinner palette as the colors looked different on my skin.
It should be amazing that an actual swastika tattoo didnt kill the brand, but it isn't to me. That says as much about the fans of the brand as it does about Ms. Von D.
Yeah I had to look up his religion because of their buddhism excuse, and it's a little vague, but honestly I think it would've been worse if he went with her into Christianity given how the Nazis used Christianity in the war
Must admit back when I watch the Ink shows I didn't realise Kat von D was popular enough to launch/be given a successful makeup line. Was the show huge in the US?
(I say that it's french loosely, Im well aware its primarily american-based, but thats the perspective since its with LVMH), I have a whole video on their beginnings
I fell in love with Kat Von D cosmetics when they were at their peak. As someone who enjoyed the alt scene then and now, it truly was unique in what they offered compared to other brands in Sephora and ulta. Black lipstick was incredibly hard to find back in the day but guranteed KVD had you in clutch.
Kat Von D was one of the best beauty brands ever!! The colors where so unique no luxury brand even came close. It’s left a huge hole to me in the beauty industry. Now that she is gone I stopped caring for makeup.
Reigna Rebelde is a brand I saw at Target some time ago that used similar tattoo aesthetics and Chicana naming/elements. No clue as to quality, but their stuff is cute, and has more of the OG KVD energy than the current KVD brand.
But theres definitely potential there. I am really of the opinion that so much of beauty follows trends so closely that it can be hard to really distinguish brand from brand, I like brands with a bit of flavour, a perspective
The strange (non) rebrandings were really confusing, to be honest. I was very drown to the aesthetics of the company but was boycotting due to Kat von D. Once she was out I wanted to go and finally try some of their stuff, but the strange changes and confusing launches left me scratching my head. What was the point of this company at that point? I would have renamed it to KVB Kenzo Vegan Beauty (D and B are similar enough to even keep the logo to some extend), kept the edgy aesthetics and tattoo affiliation, and started a series of collaborations with famous tattoo artists. Bury Kat under other artists, and keep the tattoo artistry theme. That could have been a banger.
I love the KVB idea, I agree that the rebrandings were just weak, but they know they have a real visual differentiator which helps so much for visual space, so I think theyre fearful of losing that. But again, like you said, they could've got around that with collaborative collections with other makeup artists, so its similar but not the same, and then perhaps as time goes on other famous goth-adjacent people, Dita Von Teese, Violet Chachki, Elvira, or even club kids would've been amazing, imagine a Jenkin Van Zyl or Charles Jeffrey Loverboy or Daniel Lismore collaboration
@@underskinYT Exactly. The edgy subcultures are rich and numerous, it would have been a while to run out of options (and they could come unexpectedly, like Bambie Thug unexpectedly winning Irish Eurovision preselections. Just imagine a collab with them).
I actually really want to do both, but I think I will start with Anthony Overton if I can find more information because they were literally the first Black geared makeup and of course arent around today, so I'd like to know exactly what went into it in more detail
I initially bought cosmetics from Kat because they were branded as Vegan and cruelty free which I loved. Also the products were really good mostly buying liquid lipstick and the eyeliner. After she left the quality did too. I haven’t purchased since. The rebrand rollout was a mess too.
I haven't been keeping up with the beauty industry in a very long time so perhaos this question is irrelevant but - partnering with a personality who was a total left from typical beauty standards like KVD was a huge risk with a HUGE payoff because it was so unique and well conceptualized. Do you think major cosmetics brands like Sephora or Ulta are still doing this? If not, that's a shame as i often feel there's always something special in "going against the grain" if you have a team smart and creative enough to execute it á la KVD
I personally dont think so no. Its been on my mind a lot recently actually how so much of beauty today is trend following instead of trying to create something truly unique. The rounded caps, the pastel-ish colours, yellow, green or pinkish red packaging, its a lot of similar products rn and unfortunately it just looks like few have a real brand identity. I have more thoughts of course, but I think skincare as a trend will come to an end for this reason, I think people will tire of it, and we will see a new wave of beauty brands focused on individuality again (specifically I foresee Jeffree Star doing well from this as well as Isamaya Ffrench and Pat McGrath)
I remember as a teenager dreaming of having all products of kat von d it was and still so cool and has a great aesthetic… I still think the best eyeliner of the worlds is tattoo liner and nobody can change my mind
Her line is gone from my local Sephora in NYC. I had to buy my favorite lipstick, Nahz Feratoo, on Amazon. I bought 2 at twice the price. Her lipsticks, eyeshadows and foundation is still my favorite.
Like many ppl in the comments I was also a fan of the LA Ink show and bought the eyeshadow palettes and brush set, which by the way were animal hair since she wasn’t vegan at the time. When it became vegan the quality changed so much and the drama was getting old so I stopped buying altogether. My last purchase was the butterfly palletes. It’s too bad honestly, I wish they would just change the look altogether and start over?
There is certainly markets for both, plastic brushes versus animal hair, but I think the real problem is the fact that it changed. If it had stayed the same quality throughout, then you probably would never have been disappointed
I was obsessed with her brand in 2013. She was the first make up brand i bought from and would follow her. However, the moment there was evidence about her anti-semitism and her anti-vax instagram posts/beliefs - i immediately stopped buying from KVD. It sucked bc seeing a brand being so unique from the rest was so creative. But for those in the comments thinking people are being "sensitive" should really reexamine who they follow. Your money is going to these people and they then get put on a pedestal where they feel like they dont have to be accountable for their actions. Anyway, now that KVD is no longer associated with Kat Von D, I have re-purchased items. However, i do agree, it isnt the same anymore.
KVD had some bangers back in the day, but even if she didn’t shoot herself and her brand in the foot with her anti vax comments (and generally controversial personal life), I don’t think the brand would have lasted into the 2020s even with her at the helm. Everything the brand put out is matte, matte, matte. As a dry skin girl, I never used a lot of her base makeup. Especially with the dewy, clean girl look becoming more common in the 2020s, I don’t think KVD had any interest in adapting to the trends because her personal makeup style hasn’t changed since the 2000s. Even her personal instagram shows this.
Sometimes it’s best not to adapt to trends though, having a personal brand that can be reliable to those who want it can be quite a powerful thing because trends do come and go like the wind. They would’ve probably not seen a lot of growth during this time, but I wish it was okay for companies to plateau a little bit when they need to, though actually LVMH do that really well
When Sephora put the shade and light eye palette on sale I bought 4 of them those matte shadows were the best formula ever..looking like a shiny seal was never my thing. I actually tried a highlighter on my cheeks and I laughed myself out of the room😂😂😂. I tried the makeup by Mario matte palette my eyes got so swollen had to return it the next day. Have a good one❤❤
I thought it was because that particular style of tattoo wouldn’t translate on a deep skip tone since colour and white ink don’t show up as well on deep skin so the tattoo artist didn’t want to tattoo on people who may be disappointed with the results but I’m not 100% sure.
@@annhatchet3799a good artist who makes the effort can make their art style work on all skin tones. With darker skin tones you just need to work with contrasts and layers. They're just lazy and anti-black
Yes failed rebrand, I get not wanting to destroy your existing market but the people purchasing KVD have no idea she isn’t involved.. My mom still uses the Lolita lip color so I mentioned the rebrand/buy out of Kay Von D to her just a few weeks ago and she was totally shockes, had no idea & thought Kat was still involved herself.
I am not sure about your research on this topic because as someone who was heavily involved with the beauty industry at the time, her downfall definitely came because of her antivax comments. You gloss it over as a ‘minor scandal’ here, however the reality is at the time it created such a huge uproar in the beauty community, many influencers stopped using her stuff, there were many campaigns in beauty groups all over the internet to boycott her products. Because the sales plummeted so much, Sephora had to yeet her out and rebrand. When the rebrand happened, new KVD PR people came online to promote the rebrand and there was only one question people were asking; “Is the antivaxxer Kat still involved with the brand or not, cause if she is you can rebrand as many times as you want, we will still not buy”. So yeah, it wasn’t just a minor scandal, it actually created one of the biggest downfalls of any beauty company I’ve ever seen.
I always try to check as many statistics as I could to be accurate, and according to what is available, their downfall really had already been well underway by June 2018 when the antivaxx scandal happened and in fact really they hit their peak in searches in 2016 during the Jeffree Star scandal. So really, if anything that was the tipping point for the company and the many scandals since just encouraged the decline to continue as opposed to them being the catalyst as you suggest. But, in the end, it's all about perception, right? So if thats what began the end for Kat Von D to you, then thats also a factor into it because you as a customer project that brand perception onto its dealings and it's that that impacts your spending. I will say though, that it's my perception that her antivaxx and antisemitic scandals have had a more lasting impact on the company and especially with KVD after the rebrand, as you said people were asking, but I do try to refrain from including my opinion because I like to be as objective as possible in these videos
As a queer Jew, I just wish they had changed the initials. Them not doing so demonstrates to me that they care more about the clout that comes with the initials than they do about the customers themselves. Until they change the name, I won't be purchasing from them.
I mean they seemingly werent trying to distance themselves from Kat as a person, so I think in their minds the whole antisemitism scandal wasnt a big enough factor to change their decisions (which is quite telling imo)
Maybe I didn’t understand … taking the marketing teams account of how Sephora partnered with her with a grain of salt bc used she/her pronouns? I don’t get it..
The head of Sephora, at that time was a man, that’s why the misuse of pronoun is suspicious. They cannot be talking about the same person, so either it was a different person at Sephora, or the story was made up, or the person just made a mistake.
Not including her husbands controversies which caused a lot of fans to step away? Skimming over her major anti vax and Neo nazi controversies? Mate this video is lacking
Her videos are not deep dives into the individual themselves (or all their controversies) they’re of the brand. If you want deep dives into KVD the person, ALL her business endeavors, or scandals I’m sure there’s plenty of videos on CZcams that have gone over those in great lengths
@@deannyc her controversies were a major impact on her brand and how so many people immediately moved away from purchasing, I was looking forward to seeing a video discussing it from that level as under skin does. I'm fully aware of the other deep dive videos but thanks for being facetious 👍
I bought her brand from the beginning. I actually remember which Sephora I was in and what the SA said to me. Had tons of products and loved almost all of them. Went through all the drama and never picked a side. Still support JS and am happy for Kat. Also, I supported her right to not vaccinate. Look at the world now.
I just think people are too sensitive 🤷🏻♀️ Love Kat and always will love Kat especially her aesthetic. I wish she was still in creative control of the brand. She had some awesome products that haven’t been duplicated. They should just take the L and cut their losses.
I don't know if its being sensitive or if beuaty it such an innately personal thing that people want products from brands that align exactly with their personal views. Beauty is a very politicised industry because the founders are often so front and centre because people respond to a personalised founders story (even if its not true). I dont know of another industry like beauty where whole million/billion dollar companies are so heavily affected by a singular owner unless theyre extremely widely hated or ridiculed
I remember going to Kat's book signing back in 2009. I brought some tattoo inspired photography that i had made the previous semester at college to show her bc i had been such a fan of hers on Miami and LA Ink in high school. She was so sweet and complimentary of my work. I also remember being really impressed by her makeup that day, so it was no surprise when I found out she had recently launched a makeup line at sephora. It really is such a shame how her public image became such a public disgrace. I have friends who have modeled for her shoe line and in her music videos who had positive experiences working with her, and in contrast worked for a tattoo artist who said Kat was obsessed with her in a petty way. I suppose you can't be friends with everyone, and it's hard to know what the full story is regarding that tattoo artist. Honestly, the antisemitism from Kat is enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth long term but i do hope she finds some personal peace and fulfillment post-cancellation. A lot of stuff that would have been normalized as edgy during the height of her popularity in the '00s just does *not* fly anymore and she's paid the price for so much of that edge lord side of her persona being such a big part of her personal brand.
Yeah I agree, the 2000s were quite a toxic place in that regard. Everyone desperate for attention and fame causing so many to do and say stuff to get it, while the general public lapped it up in scandals. It wasn't healthy, it's still not all that healthy now, but a lot of once-beloved people are paying very heftily for it
@underskinYT oh, big time. There's a creator on yt named Vitaly who has been revisiting the MySpace era on his channel, and it's really been blowing my mind how much awful behavior we as a society accepted as normal. The grooming, r*pe culture, racism, and general abuse that people got away with then is really astounding. We have a long way to go, but we've also come a quite a long way in the past decade alone.
@@SusanBSketchy but the celebrities are still the same, so I think thats why we are seeing such a rampant period of falls from grace, just because we (and their managers/bosses) almost permitted them to behave so appaulingly with no consequences for so long because we were so obsessed with money and fame
@underskinYT oh, definitely. However, I feel like in the past several years, we've begun to see a real crack in the public image veneer that many of these celebrities and public figures have gone to great lengths to uphold. It's as if when #metoo became mainstream, people realized that predators and r*pists weren't just shadowy figures in ski masks hiding in the bushes, but real people that have otherwise normal seeming lives. I totally get the cognitive dissonance and disappointment of finding out someone you admired has hurt people profoundly, but the way that some of these public figures have been elevated to golden calf status is quite dangerous. The internet was definitely the wild west in the '00s, but conversely, it is a living record that eventually holds many of these offenders accountable, be it #metoo related, racism, or the glorification of abuse. Certainly helps that more people than ever are finally seeking mental health care and therefore are actively learning how to name and identify harmful patterns that might have previously been written off as normal or quirky. A lot of these problematic people and brands are working overtime to save face and scrub their images, but I'm optimistic that the movement towards mindful consumption will ultimately prevail.
As someone who worked opposite the KVD counter in Debenhams, it went from taking thousands a week to a couple of hundred overnight after her post about anti-vax'. Also, the rebrand would have been more exciting if it was named something like "Inked cosmetics" or something tattoo-related, where each collection had a popular tattoo artist create a collection with their designs on the packaging or something on those lines.
That right there is a great idea! They should’ve hired you to be on the marketing/branding team.
For sure, Inked Cosmetics is corporate enough too, not too risky, and I agree they could've brought on other artists to help with the packaging instead of making it so bland
@@VioletFem Thank you! I once thought it would be cool if they had a tattoo bar where you could get a tattoo done, a bit like how Benefit have a brow bar. If they did it when Kat was at the company, people could brag they got a KVD tattoo done at the makeup counter.
I loved her products and the packaging, she had her own vibe that made her unique in comparison to other makeup companies but she just had to ruin everything with her stupid actions.
I feel like the anti-vax comments she made really hit the nail in the coffin for alot of KVD consumers and was the biggest controversy that impacted the brand.
7:10 I would disagree that no person or brand ever got "cancelled" before recent times, it's just that we didn't call it that. Plenty of celebs and businessmen sunk their careers with the public turning against them and boycotts hurting their profits.
But it wasn't the same. You're right that it happened, but it wasn't so united as it can be today with the internet. People would have scandals but it'd only affect one market or a smaller section of their audience because it was harder or slower to get info, and then you'd hear opinions from a wider range of sources. Now, we read about scandals almost in real time, all together and then the most heard voices tend to be the most offended or the most defensive so it makes a much more ugly discourse with which is harder for a brand to recover from, causing the way that brands get cancelled to be new. I think the closest thing to this we had before was a British gold high street brand (I dont remember the name, but goldsmiths took over from them I think) whose CEO went on TV and called his customers stupid because the margin they made on products was really large and pretty much overnight people stopped going, he both insulted the customers and devalued the product on a much watched TV program that hit a large part of his demographic. So it's not that it conclusively didnt happen before, but that the circumstances to allow this kind of cancellation to happen were harder to come by
(my god, sorry this is so long)
@@underskinYT Ratners! In the... 1990s? Yeah the internet makes it easier to coordinate consumer backlashes, and they can happen faster, but that's true of most things now (thanks internet! ...maybe.) But I felt like the video phrased boycotting/backlash as an entirely new thing, rather than KVD managing to survive a few scandals before the big storm hit.
Not gonna lie this brand had been the edgiest and coolest brand that Sephora was carrying for a long time. It had a clear and concise aesthetics. It had at the helm a person that really knows make up. Kat even invited other young artists (Who remembers the KVD artistry collective?) to join her in making this brand even MORE fun and bold. The KVD that exists today is just a shadow of its early 2010s self, and by that I mean both the brand AND the person.
Now we seem to be in suhc a heavily celeb dominated era, so much of it feels inauthentic, even these brands that started organically have been bought and a good lot of the newer brands seem to be following trends instead of making them. Its a strange era for cosmetics, I really think it'll change soon, its about time
I absolutely ADORED Kat Von D and her brand; the style and creativity were incredible. I'm sad that the brand has become so washed down and basic.
It’s always really a shame when things go that way, but what’s more interesting is that it usually goes that way when brands are bought out, but this brand was LVMH from the jump
You just made me discover my Saint and Sinner roll-on perfumes, completely intact and smelling great, hidden in the Tattoo Chronicles Palette double layer I never realized was there. That was very unexpected. Thank you!!
Nowayyyy!!! Thats dope
Wow!! What a fun find!! 😄
Kat Von D was the first makeuo brand that tapped into an alternative youth market. The rocker, goth, punk, emo, rockabilly girl was finally seen. This brand gave way to a type of inclusivity that is so used normal now. At the time thwre was nothing like it. I mean that countet was SWARMED. And i remember finally getting a foundation that was saturated enough in color. I remember people complimenting my makeup for the first time after using her foundation because every other brand (including mac) made such dull foundations for black skin.
Shade range notwithstanding (as I can't speak to that), Urban Decay and Hard Candy were these brands from the mid-late '90s. (Hard Candy has changed a lot...) Urban Decay was definitely the cool-girl brand! IMO the reason they seem pedestrian now is because the '90s girls are in their mid-forties and fifties now. We still think we're cool sometimes, too. 👵😉
i hate to say it but that was also a part of their downfall. as an alt black girl i’m very particular about the brands/artists i support because a lot of people in the scene are predatory, racist, homophobic, etc
Mother has posted. We love you underskin / understitch 🙇
Hmmm... underskitch?
I love you too
In the KVD beef with JS I remember how JS tried so hard to convince everybody that whoever confronts him would meet their downfall. The same narrative was sold during Dramageddon. And now, with this analysis of the KVD brand, I am more convinced than ever that JF is actually powerless.
But its exactly that sense of grandeur that got him to where he is. Hell, without that he probably wouldn't have been able to make music or behave the ay he did back in the day to get the fame that he has now started. Its a great brag, but noones invulnerable
@@underskinYT I agree that a strong and well-built self-esteem is imperative to build the business that JS did. But I disagree in how he managed his business persona, which was unprofessional and even childish.
@@petitewhimsiesi don't think underskin means JF's behavior was professional or okay. Solely that it was what got his name out there, which is fairly true. Jeffrey has largely always been known as a grandiose, confrontational, drama queen. That is why people loved him back in the day, even if that seems crazy now.
Edit to say: this sounds too positive, JF is a scumbag.
@@ohh771 I don't think 'Underskin' means JF's behaviour was professional or okay, either. My comment solely focuses on JS's behaviour and how he marketed himself to be above all, especially during Dramageddon, while in reality behaving like a teenager in a high school drama, classifying his competitors as his enemies. This is the focus of my comment. Again, I didn't target his self-esteem.
Kat was so sweet on Miami Ink and I was a loyal watcher of LA Ink. It was a fave show back in the day. Crazy rollercoaster since then!!
I'm not really a realitty tv show person, so I was quite surprised back in the day when I found that out. I literally only found out yesterday Cardi B began on a reality TV show. Sometimes I think I live under a rock haha
@@underskinYTCardi B became famous on Instagram and then became even more famous on the reality TV show.
@@ToriUptown Yeah thats what my friend told me, I was absolutely shocked
I don't have tatoos but really enjoy watching Miami Ink
Your videos are just UGH SO GOOD. Always interesting but also the perfect background noise for my dogs. I SO appreciate that you maintain a consistent tone and volume. You’re saving me from many building management complaints about dogs barking. THANK YOU ❤😂
Always a friend to puppies 🥰
I honestly believe that the quality of the cosmetics themselves have soured since she left her brand. I do love her aesthetic and have nothing personal against her. I just like the eyeliner, shadows and awesome lipstick- even Lolita as it was such a great color on me. I wish her the best because everyone in life deserves to grow and change to be better people, I am no exception. And I’ll continue to use KVD eyeliner as long as it has the same quality matte deepness of the original black eyeliner formula. I hope the brand gets their shit together.
Its such a shame that its so common when a brand gets bought that the quality dips. I guess they just think they have enough brand value that they can afford it. But it slowly chips away at trust, its a shame
@@underskinYT I completely agree. And thank you for your in depth and well researched videos on the subject of beauty and fashion. It is truly educational and well written journalism.
I don't get the love for her eyeliner? There's drugstore japanese eyeliners that are 3000% better
I started in the big beauty store when Kat Von D was at the pinnacle of popularity. That was over 7 years ago. I still have my Shade and Light, Alchemist, Lolita, Saint and Sinner palattes. You will have to pry those from my cold dead hands. 😂
I could not be more jealous
Her shade and light palette is an integral part of my makeup collection. Great neutral palette.
Im so glad you found something you love 🩵
My friends and I were obsessed with the Lolita liquid lipstick in college, so I’ll always have a small place in my heart for this brand. The eyeliner is still one of the best on the market imo, but it’s not a brand that excites me or aligns with my view of myself anymore
That eyeliner was everyone's bst friend. I remember being in uni and trying to get my hands on it and failing, I was so upset hahah
Immediately click whenever you post! My fav channel
And two videos this month, its a miracle hahah
I love this channel and am so happy to see subscriptions rising! 🙏You put so much research, care, education and editing in all your uploads- a real treat to listen/watch. 🎉💖
Slowly but surely going up! Im so proud of the community we have here 🥰
I was just a tween/teen during the rise of KVD, perpetually broke, and by the time I had the money to invest, the brand had killed itself. I'm still a little sad about it but the eyeliner is quite good and I've heard good things about the new foundations.
Isn’t that always the way? We are either young and broke or too old to be able to engage with the cool stuff. Or just a brand ruins itself
I was in my 20s when the brand was really at its height, and didn’t know much of Kat’s personal life/controversies, but the products were so fun and excellent quality. I wore the liquid lip shades Lolita and Vampira all the time, always got complimented and asked what I was wearing. I can understand some of the backlash over shade names (Celebu- was 100% uncalled for) but do think social media blew the others a little out of proportion, I get the connotations but at the end of the day it’s just makeup created by a tv/Internet personality - not a politician, teacher, doctor, etc.
I purchased mini sizes of my favorite lip shades when the initial rebrand happened but the quality just wasn’t the same. I’d really love to see the brand get back to its 90s/gothic/edgy roots but it may be too far gone.
I think Fenty and Colourpop offer comparable products though.
Yeah I think you're right. Someone else commented about 'hell bent' and that is honestly a little tame to have had a scandal over, while others are much more justified. In general though with her aesthetic and the connotations that brings I do think she is more susceptible to scandal, which though isn't her fault inherently, was obviously damaging to the brand. (by this Im of course referring to her accusations of satanism/witchcraft before she converted and now inauthenticity after she converted which just never gave her space to not discuss her beliefs)
God I miss vampira so much😭
this is so late but i remember the tattoo liner reviews! one girl posted she got into a car crash and her eyeliner still stayedddd. it convinced me to get it but i didnt buy it until a couple of years later around 2019. and when i finally got it, it was a complete waste of money lol. quality of her products definitely went downhill and since then, i have never brought a KVD product.
You just unlocked a whole memory I forgot that I had 🤣
Omg, I have bought the eyeliner for the exact same reason. And same for me, it was such a bad quality, that was the reason why I never bought anything from them again. Before that I was terribly disappointed in the Saint & Sinner palette as the colors looked different on my skin.
I remember dying when they rebranded to Kindness, Vegan Beauty, and Discovery (and doing good) Vegan Beauty.
Who got paid to come up with that?
Yeah, it’s really stupid
good on her for having the balls to speak her mind
Found another delulu
It should be amazing that an actual swastika tattoo didnt kill the brand, but it isn't to me. That says as much about the fans of the brand as it does about Ms. Von D.
Yeah I had to look up his religion because of their buddhism excuse, and it's a little vague, but honestly I think it would've been worse if he went with her into Christianity given how the Nazis used Christianity in the war
Thank you! Amazing video ❤❤❤
Thank you, Im glad you liked it :)
Must admit back when I watch the Ink shows I didn't realise Kat von D was popular enough to launch/be given a successful makeup line. Was the show huge in the US?
I would also like to know this, it's a surprising choice for French Sephora to go for an American reality tv star
(I say that it's french loosely, Im well aware its primarily american-based, but thats the perspective since its with LVMH), I have a whole video on their beginnings
@@underskinYT Yeah, I'm sure France have their own edgy goths! XD
I fell in love with Kat Von D cosmetics when they were at their peak. As someone who enjoyed the alt scene then and now, it truly was unique in what they offered compared to other brands in Sephora and ulta. Black lipstick was incredibly hard to find back in the day but guranteed KVD had you in clutch.
It's a cow to find a good black now!! I used to love Illamasqua black lipstick but I cant get it easily any more and its a pain
So Glad I found your channel ❤ I just subscribed 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you so much! Welcome 🥰
Great video
thank you so much
Love your vids, always enjoyable & interesting ❤
Thank you so much!
Kat Von D was one of the best beauty brands ever!! The colors where so unique no luxury brand even came close. It’s left a huge hole to me in the beauty industry. Now that she is gone I stopped caring for makeup.
Thats such a shame, I'm so sorry you feel that way
Reigna Rebelde is a brand I saw at Target some time ago that used similar tattoo aesthetics and Chicana naming/elements. No clue as to quality, but their stuff is cute, and has more of the OG KVD energy than the current KVD brand.
I didn't know the brand so I had a quick google and yeah, very similar but different packaging, how is the product?
More of these videos please
Itd be my pleasure 🥰
they can do whatever they want with the brand for me as long as they bring back the old formula for the lock-it powder foundation,,, PLEASE
That was so famous, but it made my eyes tear so badly that I really didn't pay much attention to it, was surprised it was discontinued actually
@@underskinYT me too honestly, now you can get it online only on two shades but it doesn't hit the same. i just need the refill pan lol
@@_scorpianina I need that and a jade roller to take down the puffiness of the irritation ahahah
I like the rebrand without her and the products are great the dazzle sticks and glitter gels
Which rebrand, the first or second?
Omg I love this song!!
I love to pop and lock and jam and break
Honestly the brand is so boring they really should give it all the way up
But theres definitely potential there. I am really of the opinion that so much of beauty follows trends so closely that it can be hard to really distinguish brand from brand, I like brands with a bit of flavour, a perspective
I not gonna lie Kat von d foundation the most full coverage foundation ever in market I use it as my concealer to client it becomes beautiful
Agreed . It’s the best I’ve ever tried for full coverage and oily skin
If a product works, that really the best thing
Unfortunately they discontinued it😢
@@tiyya91 so sad for that🥲
Her makeup is fantastic. Can’t wait to buy my next eyeliner
Im goad you found product that you love 🥰
The strange (non) rebrandings were really confusing, to be honest. I was very drown to the aesthetics of the company but was boycotting due to Kat von D. Once she was out I wanted to go and finally try some of their stuff, but the strange changes and confusing launches left me scratching my head. What was the point of this company at that point?
I would have renamed it to KVB Kenzo Vegan Beauty (D and B are similar enough to even keep the logo to some extend), kept the edgy aesthetics and tattoo affiliation, and started a series of collaborations with famous tattoo artists. Bury Kat under other artists, and keep the tattoo artistry theme. That could have been a banger.
I love the KVB idea, I agree that the rebrandings were just weak, but they know they have a real visual differentiator which helps so much for visual space, so I think theyre fearful of losing that. But again, like you said, they could've got around that with collaborative collections with other makeup artists, so its similar but not the same, and then perhaps as time goes on other famous goth-adjacent people, Dita Von Teese, Violet Chachki, Elvira, or even club kids would've been amazing, imagine a Jenkin Van Zyl or Charles Jeffrey Loverboy or Daniel Lismore collaboration
@@underskinYT Exactly. The edgy subcultures are rich and numerous, it would have been a while to run out of options (and they could come unexpectedly, like Bambie Thug unexpectedly winning Irish Eurovision preselections. Just imagine a collab with them).
The way I ran to buy her original foundation, I have NEVER been able to make it work, no matter what products I've use with it, heartbroken
Ah thats a real shame, it's annoying to spend so much only to be disappointed
Why is "hell bent" controversial? Where im from it just means very determined
idk maybe it was a slow news day
"Bent" can mean gay
@@BittersweetMayhem yeah, but not in that context?
omg can you PLEASE touch on Iman or Fashion Fair?
I actually really want to do both, but I think I will start with Anthony Overton if I can find more information because they were literally the first Black geared makeup and of course arent around today, so I'd like to know exactly what went into it in more detail
And Naomi Sims! My mother bought me my first “full face” makeup from the counter at Selfridges for my 6th form ball 🥰
I initially bought cosmetics from Kat because they were branded as Vegan and cruelty free which I loved. Also the products were really good mostly buying liquid lipstick and the eyeliner. After she left the quality did too. I haven’t purchased since. The rebrand rollout was a mess too.
I haven't been keeping up with the beauty industry in a very long time so perhaos this question is irrelevant but - partnering with a personality who was a total left from typical beauty standards like KVD was a huge risk with a HUGE payoff because it was so unique and well conceptualized. Do you think major cosmetics brands like Sephora or Ulta are still doing this? If not, that's a shame as i often feel there's always something special in "going against the grain" if you have a team smart and creative enough to execute it á la KVD
I personally dont think so no. Its been on my mind a lot recently actually how so much of beauty today is trend following instead of trying to create something truly unique. The rounded caps, the pastel-ish colours, yellow, green or pinkish red packaging, its a lot of similar products rn and unfortunately it just looks like few have a real brand identity. I have more thoughts of course, but I think skincare as a trend will come to an end for this reason, I think people will tire of it, and we will see a new wave of beauty brands focused on individuality again (specifically I foresee Jeffree Star doing well from this as well as Isamaya Ffrench and Pat McGrath)
very interesting
Thank you 🥰
I remember as a teenager dreaming of having all products of kat von d it was and still so cool and has a great aesthetic… I still think the best eyeliner of the worlds is tattoo liner and nobody can change my mind
That liner was incredible, but by the time I got my hands on it, I think it was the second formula
Her line is gone from my local Sephora in NYC. I had to buy my favorite lipstick, Nahz Feratoo, on Amazon. I bought 2 at twice the price. Her lipsticks, eyeshadows and foundation is still my favorite.
Its upsetting that its inconsistent enough to drive consumers to Amazon as an alternative
Like many ppl in the comments I was also a fan of the LA Ink show and bought the eyeshadow palettes and brush set, which by the way were animal hair since she wasn’t vegan at the time. When it became vegan the quality changed so much and the drama was getting old so I stopped buying altogether. My last purchase was the butterfly palletes. It’s too bad honestly, I wish they would just change the look altogether and start over?
There is certainly markets for both, plastic brushes versus animal hair, but I think the real problem is the fact that it changed. If it had stayed the same quality throughout, then you probably would never have been disappointed
I was obsessed with her brand in 2013. She was the first make up brand i bought from and would follow her. However, the moment there was evidence about her anti-semitism and her anti-vax instagram posts/beliefs - i immediately stopped buying from KVD. It sucked bc seeing a brand being so unique from the rest was so creative. But for those in the comments thinking people are being "sensitive" should really reexamine who they follow. Your money is going to these people and they then get put on a pedestal where they feel like they dont have to be accountable for their actions. Anyway, now that KVD is no longer associated with Kat Von D, I have re-purchased items. However, i do agree, it isnt the same anymore.
Its a real shame when idols let us down for sure, and certainly also a shame when the formula is changed and its not the same 🫠
KVD had some bangers back in the day, but even if she didn’t shoot herself and her brand in the foot with her anti vax comments (and generally controversial personal life), I don’t think the brand would have lasted into the 2020s even with her at the helm. Everything the brand put out is matte, matte, matte. As a dry skin girl, I never used a lot of her base makeup. Especially with the dewy, clean girl look becoming more common in the 2020s, I don’t think KVD had any interest in adapting to the trends because her personal makeup style hasn’t changed since the 2000s. Even her personal instagram shows this.
Sometimes it’s best not to adapt to trends though, having a personal brand that can be reliable to those who want it can be quite a powerful thing because trends do come and go like the wind. They would’ve probably not seen a lot of growth during this time, but I wish it was okay for companies to plateau a little bit when they need to, though actually LVMH do that really well
When Sephora put the shade and light eye palette on sale I bought 4 of them those matte shadows were the best formula ever..looking like a shiny seal was never my thing. I actually tried a highlighter on my cheeks and I laughed myself out of the room😂😂😂. I tried the makeup by Mario matte palette my eyes got so swollen had to return it the next day. Have a good one❤❤
I really appreciate you bringing out that Lolita is as a HORROR novel.
It was intended as one!
Kat is so blatantly anti-black. I’m glad she’s cancelled. And welcome back Aunty Underskin we missed you love!
I just learnt about the scandal in which she defended that guy at her store who refused to work on darker skin tones. I wish I had known to include it
I thought it was because that particular style of tattoo wouldn’t translate on a deep skip tone since colour and white ink don’t show up as well on deep skin so the tattoo artist didn’t want to tattoo on people who may be disappointed with the results but I’m not 100% sure.
@@annhatchet3799a good artist who makes the effort can make their art style work on all skin tones. With darker skin tones you just need to work with contrasts and layers. They're just lazy and anti-black
@@annhatchet3799That is not an excuse
Her perfume was the best and still is for a vegan perfume. Really sad it's been discontinued
I wish I could have smelled it. Right now Ive been obsessing over Rbow’s perfumes
@@underskinYT it was amazing, there are a few on sale on ebay. Whether they are real or fake I don't know.....
8:38 its kind more of a mystery...a mystery as to why tf lol
🖤🖤🖤
🩵🩵🩵
Yes failed rebrand, I get not wanting to destroy your existing market but the people purchasing KVD have no idea she isn’t involved.. My mom still uses the Lolita lip color so I mentioned the rebrand/buy out of Kay Von D to her just a few weeks ago and she was totally shockes, had no idea & thought Kat was still involved herself.
Yeah I dont think she is bery happy about it herself. Them still using her initials is a little misleading
kvd vegan beauty has some good products. i love their foundation - mine is almost over and i can't find it anymore :(
Im so glad you have something you enjoy
@@underskinYT thank u bby ♡ love your channel
@@isathemonica love you too
@@underskinYT love ya ♡
💙💙💙
🩵🩵🩵
I am not sure about your research on this topic because as someone who was heavily involved with the beauty industry at the time, her downfall definitely came because of her antivax comments. You gloss it over as a ‘minor scandal’ here, however the reality is at the time it created such a huge uproar in the beauty community, many influencers stopped using her stuff, there were many campaigns in beauty groups all over the internet to boycott her products. Because the sales plummeted so much, Sephora had to yeet her out and rebrand. When the rebrand happened, new KVD PR people came online to promote the rebrand and there was only one question people were asking; “Is the antivaxxer Kat still involved with the brand or not, cause if she is you can rebrand as many times as you want, we will still not buy”.
So yeah, it wasn’t just a minor scandal, it actually created one of the biggest downfalls of any beauty company I’ve ever seen.
I always try to check as many statistics as I could to be accurate, and according to what is available, their downfall really had already been well underway by June 2018 when the antivaxx scandal happened and in fact really they hit their peak in searches in 2016 during the Jeffree Star scandal. So really, if anything that was the tipping point for the company and the many scandals since just encouraged the decline to continue as opposed to them being the catalyst as you suggest. But, in the end, it's all about perception, right? So if thats what began the end for Kat Von D to you, then thats also a factor into it because you as a customer project that brand perception onto its dealings and it's that that impacts your spending. I will say though, that it's my perception that her antivaxx and antisemitic scandals have had a more lasting impact on the company and especially with KVD after the rebrand, as you said people were asking, but I do try to refrain from including my opinion because I like to be as objective as possible in these videos
As a tattoo artist I really can’t stand Kat Von D
As a queer Jew, I just wish they had changed the initials. Them not doing so demonstrates to me that they care more about the clout that comes with the initials than they do about the customers themselves. Until they change the name, I won't be purchasing from them.
I mean they seemingly werent trying to distance themselves from Kat as a person, so I think in their minds the whole antisemitism scandal wasnt a big enough factor to change their decisions (which is quite telling imo)
I think it should have been renamed Kendo Vegan Beauty.
Not a bad idea
Maybe I didn’t understand … taking the marketing teams account of how Sephora partnered with her with a grain of salt bc used she/her pronouns? I don’t get it..
The head of Sephora, at that time was a man, that’s why the misuse of pronoun is suspicious. They cannot be talking about the same person, so either it was a different person at Sephora, or the story was made up, or the person just made a mistake.
@@underskinYT ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh … boom boom gotchu. Keep comin with that 🔥🔥. All the way here for it.
👏👏👏👏😊
🥰
Not including her husbands controversies which caused a lot of fans to step away? Skimming over her major anti vax and Neo nazi controversies? Mate this video is lacking
Glad you enjoyed it
Her videos are not deep dives into the individual themselves (or all their controversies) they’re of the brand. If you want deep dives into KVD the person, ALL her business endeavors, or scandals I’m sure there’s plenty of videos on CZcams that have gone over those in great lengths
@@deannyc her controversies were a major impact on her brand and how so many people immediately moved away from purchasing, I was looking forward to seeing a video discussing it from that level as under skin does. I'm fully aware of the other deep dive videos but thanks for being facetious 👍
1st
I bought her brand from the beginning. I actually remember which Sephora I was in and what the SA said to me. Had tons of products and loved almost all of them. Went through all the drama and never picked a side. Still support JS and am happy for Kat. Also, I supported her right to not vaccinate. Look at the world now.
Mama Lolita is not a horror book lol. Protagonist is a horrible man for sure but there is no horror theme to be inspired by
It really is horror, the topic is an obviously illegal perverted pedophilloic attraction towards a child. It was literally written as a horror book
I just think people are too sensitive 🤷🏻♀️
Love Kat and always will love Kat especially her aesthetic. I wish she was still in creative control of the brand. She had some awesome products that haven’t been duplicated.
They should just take the L and cut their losses.
I don't know if its being sensitive or if beuaty it such an innately personal thing that people want products from brands that align exactly with their personal views. Beauty is a very politicised industry because the founders are often so front and centre because people respond to a personalised founders story (even if its not true). I dont know of another industry like beauty where whole million/billion dollar companies are so heavily affected by a singular owner unless theyre extremely widely hated or ridiculed
I agree. Bunch of snowflakes
I still think she is part of the brand
I remember going to Kat's book signing back in 2009. I brought some tattoo inspired photography that i had made the previous semester at college to show her bc i had been such a fan of hers on Miami and LA Ink in high school. She was so sweet and complimentary of my work. I also remember being really impressed by her makeup that day, so it was no surprise when I found out she had recently launched a makeup line at sephora.
It really is such a shame how her public image became such a public disgrace. I have friends who have modeled for her shoe line and in her music videos who had positive experiences working with her, and in contrast worked for a tattoo artist who said Kat was obsessed with her in a petty way. I suppose you can't be friends with everyone, and it's hard to know what the full story is regarding that tattoo artist. Honestly, the antisemitism from Kat is enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth long term but i do hope she finds some personal peace and fulfillment post-cancellation. A lot of stuff that would have been normalized as edgy during the height of her popularity in the '00s just does *not* fly anymore and she's paid the price for so much of that edge lord side of her persona being such a big part of her personal brand.
Yeah I agree, the 2000s were quite a toxic place in that regard. Everyone desperate for attention and fame causing so many to do and say stuff to get it, while the general public lapped it up in scandals. It wasn't healthy, it's still not all that healthy now, but a lot of once-beloved people are paying very heftily for it
@underskinYT oh, big time. There's a creator on yt named Vitaly who has been revisiting the MySpace era on his channel, and it's really been blowing my mind how much awful behavior we as a society accepted as normal. The grooming, r*pe culture, racism, and general abuse that people got away with then is really astounding. We have a long way to go, but we've also come a quite a long way in the past decade alone.
@@SusanBSketchy but the celebrities are still the same, so I think thats why we are seeing such a rampant period of falls from grace, just because we (and their managers/bosses) almost permitted them to behave so appaulingly with no consequences for so long because we were so obsessed with money and fame
@underskinYT oh, definitely. However, I feel like in the past several years, we've begun to see a real crack in the public image veneer that many of these celebrities and public figures have gone to great lengths to uphold. It's as if when #metoo became mainstream, people realized that predators and r*pists weren't just shadowy figures in ski masks hiding in the bushes, but real people that have otherwise normal seeming lives. I totally get the cognitive dissonance and disappointment of finding out someone you admired has hurt people profoundly, but the way that some of these public figures have been elevated to golden calf status is quite dangerous. The internet was definitely the wild west in the '00s, but conversely, it is a living record that eventually holds many of these offenders accountable, be it #metoo related, racism, or the glorification of abuse. Certainly helps that more people than ever are finally seeking mental health care and therefore are actively learning how to name and identify harmful patterns that might have previously been written off as normal or quirky. A lot of these problematic people and brands are working overtime to save face and scrub their images, but I'm optimistic that the movement towards mindful consumption will ultimately prevail.