Nyx Cosmetics founder Toni Ko debuts new beauty incubator with collection from RuPaul alum

By

Robin Driver

Published
Oct 5, 2019

Cosmetics entrepreneur Toni Ko has returned to the beauty industry with the launch of her latest company, Bespoke Beauty Brands, LLC (BBB), which debuts with KimChi Chic Beauty, a color cosmetics collection from RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Kim Chi.

 
Ko, who founded Nyx Cosmetics in 1999 and sold it to L’Oréal in 2014 in one of the largest beauty acquisitions in history, is pitching BBB as a “new age beauty incubator,” looking to revolutionize the cosmetics industry “one brand at a time” through partnerships with “influencer entrepreneurs.”
 
For its first launch, the LA-based company has teamed up with drag queen and Instagram star Kim Chi, perhaps best known for her participation in the eighth season of award-winning reality TV series RuPaul’s Drag Race.

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The KimChi Chic Beauty collection includes eight creamy glitter eyeshadows, three high-gloss liquid lip glosses and a limited-edition 18-color eyeshadow palette, playfully dubbed Rainbow Sharts.
 
The palette’s packaging features exclusive art by Harry Hambley, creator of Ketnipz, a genderless pink cartoon bean who boasts more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
 
Products can be bought separately or as part of a bundle. The Rainbow Sharts palette is priced at $28, while both the eyeshadows and lip glosses will sell for $9 each.
 
“There's no standard when it comes to who, what, when, where or how you apply your makeup,” said Kim Chi in a press release, describing the collection’s philosophy. “Our only rule is to have fun, and add color to the rainbow of your life. Unleash your inner beauty!”
 
KimChi Chic Beauty launches via a dedicated e-commerce website on October 16.