Interview: Indian superstar Katrina Kaif on Kay Beauty – ‘Makeup should be empowering, not overwhelming’

If you have ever watched a Bollywood film, you don’t need any introduction to Katrina Kaif. The Indian mega-star is one of India’s most seasoned actors with a following to match – Katrina Kaif has starred in over 40 films and has since forayed into the world of makeup by co-founding her brand Kay Beauty, which launched in the UK in 2025, becoming the first South Asian brand to join the Space NK circuit.

Founded by Katrina Kaif alongside retail partner Nykaa in 2019, Kay Beauty is built on the pillars of performance, care, and inclusivity. With a signature focus on natural, soft finishes, the brand offers lightweight, effortless makeup that celebrates every version of you. The brand has since developed a cult following in India, and has seen immediate success in the UK. Katrina wanted to create a brand that not only celebrated and honoured the many South Asian skin tones, but also something that was joyful, empowering and intentional. The result is a beauty brand that transcends borders.

Here, we speak with the actress and entrepreneur about building Kay Beauty, her film career and creating a brand that is more than just makeup.Katrina, what inspired you to create Kay Beauty?
Kay Beauty was born from a deeply personal desire to create makeup that performs beautifully while truly celebrating individuality. I wanted to build something that honoured South Asian skin tones, our textures, our vibrancy, while still feeling modern and globally relevant. It was equally important to me that the brand never felt intimidating. Makeup should be joyful and empowering, not overwhelming, and that intention shaped everything, from how we develop products to how we speak to our community. At its heart, Kay Beauty is a celebration of self-expression, diversity, and the belief that beauty should reflect who you are, not who you are told to be. As the brand continues to grow, my hope is that it becomes more than just makeup. I would love for it to be a platform for confidence, creativity, and community, something people genuinely connect with and feel proud of.

Where did your love of makeup come from?
I have always been fascinated by makeup. I found it both empowering and transformative, a medium that allowed me to express different sides of myself in a deeply creative way. My earliest memories of beauty are closely tied to film sets. I would spend hours in the makeup chair, watching artists craft different looks for my characters, and I was genuinely curious about every step of the process – how they layered products, balanced textures, and how even the most subtle changes could completely shift a look. Eventually, I started doing most of my own makeup for films and stage shows. That journey is really where my love for makeup deepened. It became less about simply looking good and more about understanding how makeup feels on your skin and, in turn, how it makes you feel from the inside out.You are best known for your incredible film career. How does makeup help you in your craft, whether expressing yourself on the red carpet or getting into character on screen?
In film, makeup is storytelling. It helps you step into a character — sometimes dramatic and expressive, sometimes understated and subtle — and it becomes part of how an audience perceives who that character is. On the red carpet, it is something different entirely. It is about expressing your mood and personality in that particular moment. I have always believed that makeup should enhance rather than mask. Whether on screen or off, it is a tool for confidence and self-expression, and when you feel comfortable in your own skin, it truly shows. Red carpet makeup is also about finding the right balance. A nude lip with a bold eye, or a striking lip with more defined eyes — it all depends on the look you are creating and the story you want to tell.

You have been known to do your own makeup on films including Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Ek Tha Tiger. How did this come about, and did you carry any of those learnings into Kay Beauty?
Yes, I have always been very hands-on when it comes to my makeup. Over the years, working closely with extraordinarily talented artists on set, I naturally grew more curious and involved in the process. On certain films, such as Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Ek Tha Tiger, I had a very clear vision of how I wanted my characters to look. Sometimes the brief called for something extremely natural and believable, and I genuinely enjoyed creating that myself. After spending so many years on set, you naturally begin absorbing everything — how products layer, how they hold up under strong lights, what fails to hold up in the heat, and what starts to feel heavy after long hours. At a certain point, I felt I understood my face well enough to create most of my own looks. Those experiences directly informed Kay Beauty. Kay Beauty recently announced a collaboration with celebrated couture label Falguni Shane Peacock. Can you tell us how this partnership came about?
I have known Falguni and Shane for many years, and I have always had a deep admiration for the way they approach design. There is such genuine respect for Indian craft woven into their work, alongside a quiet confidence in taking it to a global stage. Every time I have worn one of their creations, it has felt both powerful and incredibly considered. When we first began talking, the idea of working together emerged very organically. We spoke a great deal about how makeup, much like couture, has the ability to completely transform how you feel. They brought their extraordinary world of textiles, metallics, and structure to the table, and our creative challenge became how to translate that couture language into makeup that feels intuitive and wearable, while still retaining that sense of artistry and glamour. It never felt like two brands coming together. It felt more like two creative worlds that had already been speaking the same language.

The collaboration has been described as The Great Gatsby meets Indian glamour. How did you ensure the collection appeals to a global audience?
From the very beginning, we wanted the collection to feel timeless and elevated – something that could travel beyond borders while remaining deeply rooted in Indian artistry. The aim was to balance glamour with restraint, so that it feels sophisticated rather than overwhelming. Indian design carries such richness, craftsmanship, and attention to detail, and when it is presented with confidence and modernity, it resonates universally. We focused on shades, textures, and finishes that feel flattering across a wide range of skin tones and sensibilities, while keeping the soul of the collaboration unmistakably Indian. It was never about diluting our identity, but about presenting it in a way that feels contemporary, refined, and genuinely accessible to everyone.

You have spoken about wanting Kay Beauty to be welcoming, celebratory, and empowering. How do you ensure this in practice, and what do you hope buyers experience when they try your products?
That intention was there from the very beginning. We always wanted Kay Beauty to feel like a space where everyone is comfortable – where you see yourself reflected, whether through our shade ranges, our campaigns, or simply the way we communicate with our community. For us, it always comes back to three things: performance, care, and inclusivity. The products have to work beautifully, but they also have to care for your skin, and they have to feel genuinely relevant to who we are. Beyond the products themselves, initiatives like Kay Konversations and Kreate with Kay Beauty are very close to my heart, because they allow us to spotlight different voices and nurture emerging talent. When someone tries Kay Beauty for the first time, I hope they feel confident and at ease. I hope it feels effortless, like makeup that works effortlessly for you. And more than anything, I hope they feel seen and celebrated.When Kay Beauty launched in the UK, it became the first Indian brand to join the Space NK circuit and was an instant success. What drew you to bringing Kay Beauty to the UK?
The UK felt like a natural and meaningful next step for Kay Beauty, particularly given its vibrant South Asian community and the deep cultural connection so many people there have to beauty and Hindi cinema. We also wanted to bring something genuinely new to the UK beauty space. Kay Beauty reflects the richness of Indian beauty – its colours, its rituals, its sense of expression – but presented in a way that feels modern and global. To see Kay Beauty sitting alongside some of the world’s most respected names, and to be the first India-founded brand at Space NK, was a truly proud moment of representation. Space NK has helped us close a meaningful gap in the beauty space by bringing makeup that caters to South Asian skin tones to their shelves, making that representation more accessible. They have also embraced our culture with real sincerity. What matters most to me now is seeing the brand continue to resonate in an authentic way. This is only the beginning of our journey in the UK, and one we are very excited to keep building.

India has such a rich heritage when it comes to beauty. Did you draw on any traditional rituals or ingredients when developing your formulas?
Kajal is such an iconic part of South Asian beauty — something so many of us have grown up with. For our community, there is a genuine emotional connection to kajal, so when we set out to create ours, it had to go far beyond pigment alone. I wanted a formula that offered 24-hour wear, glided on smoothly, and blended with ease. We infused it with chamomile and ceramides, two ingredients known for their soothing and nourishing properties, so that it delivers both performance and care in equal measure. In this reimagined format, it feels at once nostalgic and entirely new.You have had a remarkable career in Indian cinema. Now, as a cosmetics entrepreneur, how has that journey shaped your personal style and your relationship with beauty?
My journey in Indian cinema has shaped my relationship with beauty in a very organic way. Spending so many years on set, working with different directors, characters, and makeup artists, gave me a profound understanding of just how transformative makeup can be – not only in how you look, but in how you feel. Every role demanded something different, and that experience taught me to appreciate the power of subtlety just as much as the power of glamour. Over time, my personal style has become much more intuitive and grounded. I am drawn to makeup that enhances rather than masks, and that feels comfortable enough to truly live in. Today, beauty for me is about confidence, ease, and authenticity: choosing what feels right for you, rather than chasing any fixed or imposed idea of perfection.

Finally, beyond makeup, how do you approach wellness in your daily life?
Self-care, for me, is all about balance. I have always believed that consistency matters far more than extremes. I love beginning my day with a considered skincare routine and some form of movement – whether that is yoga, Pilates, or strength training – because it keeps me focused and energised throughout the day. I also deeply value eating fresh, wholesome food. In an increasingly fast-paced world, protecting your mental space has never been more important. I try to carve out time to rest, to disconnect, and to do the things that genuinely make me happy. It is not about being perfect. It is about feeling good and looking after yourself in a way that is sustainable and that you can actually maintain over the long term.

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