Kim Kardashian on New Makeup Launch, Ignoring Trends and Bonding with North West Over Beauty (Exclusive)

Kim Kardashian makeup is back in the chat.

On January 26, Kardashian unveils SKKN by Kim Makeup with a collection of must-have nude lip liners, lipsticks and an eyeshadow palette inspired by her iconic look. 

It’s a beauty move her fans have been waiting for ever since Kardashian shut down KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance on August 1, 2021 to innovate and modernize formulas and packaging as well as streamline the shopping experience. 

The beauty mogul, 43, looked back on the 2021 decision in an interview with PEOPLE.

“We had KKW Beauty, KKW Fragrance, and then would have done KKW Skin. The customer would have to go to three different sites in order to purchase products with different shipping costs, different manufacturers, and we’d have three different social media accounts,” Kardashian says.

“I wanted all of my brands to live under one brand so that it was easier for the consumer. Being able to consolidate with better, newer and more innovative products for our consumers was the ultimate goal.”

KKW Beauty was a force in the makeup world. Relaunching might make anyone else nervous, but not Kardashian, who introduced SKKN by Kim in 2022. 

“I’m not scared at all," she tells PEOPLE. "This is the evolution of who I am and the original brand — and it was important that the quality of the product is better, the packaging is better, and I am listening to what my consumers want."

One challenge of relaunching, Kardahian admits, is her “perfectionist” mindset. “I’m always trying to perfect little details when testing lab samples,” she says. 

But mostly, she was driven by the desire to “take all the insights I’ve gathered from over 20 years of getting my makeup done, and from having previous makeup lines, and use it to make the super innovative, user-friendly products!”

SKKN by Kim Makeup launches with a trio of high-performance products. The Lip Liner, $22, comes in 15 velvety-smooth shades from light beige nude to deep chocolate nude. 

“My first drop consists of lip liners because it’s what the fans keep asking for,” Kardashian says. “It is the most requested. I was getting pictures from so many people of their lip liner down to the last little bit, and I am a brand for the fans. I hear you guys!”

It also happens to be Kardashian’s favorite product. “If I had to choose a product to throw in my bag, it would be a lip liner and I would put it with a little lip balm,” she says. 

Kardashian’s makeup brand also features her Soft Matte Lip Color, $32, a full-coverage, soft matte lipstick in 10 shades, as well as her Classic Mattes Eyeshadow Palette, $50, which includes 12 universally flattering nudes.

When Kardashian launched SKKN by Kim, she says, “I chose the name SKKN, not only because it had my initials but most importantly, I want every product to benefit your skin.” 

With makeup, Kardashian said in a release, "my goal was not only to create universally-flattering cosmetic essentials, but also to ensure that our products are clean, hydrating, comfortable, and help improve the look and feel of skin with every wear.”

In an interview with PEOPLE, she adds that her approach to the formulas stems from “just wanting the best products. I know what it takes because I’ve made these formulas before, but now they are even better. If you take care of your skin, the makeup will just glide on so much easier, and you look so much better. The goal is to accentuate what you already have.”

Ever the innovator, Kardashian shares there’s more in the works. “I’ll continue to build out product categories under the SKKN brand.” 

That includes the return of fragrance, she reveals. “Fragrance is in the works — I want the SKKN BY KIM line to evolve to offer products for anything that benefits the skin, including fragrance.”

Kardashian, who is kicking off 2024 in total boss mode (her SKIMS brand just dropped a Valentine’s Day collection), says she sets “intentions and goals throughout the year,” rather than focusing on the phenomenon of new year, new you.

“It’s always a good way to reset if you need that marker. I don’t focus on New Year’s [resolutions] — I like to focus on those that I’ve set along the way and live my life that way naturally.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She’s also not focused on setting any trends. “I try not to feel pressure to follow or create certain trends — I try to just enjoy the process! My style changes depending on the day or the occasion — you never know what’ll happen.”

But she is loving that she has a daughter, North West, 10, to bond over beauty with. 

“It’s great to see how passionate she gets about it — she’s so skilled at special effects makeup. And I love that this is what she is into right now.”