The hardest thing about getting a manicure should be picking the shade du jour. For Kiki World, an innovative Los Angeles-based beauty brand, the process of colour creation is unlike anything on the market today.
With today’s shoppers constantly spoilt for choice, decision fatigue is a very real conundrum. At the other end of this spectrum of choice, often for choice’s sake, is landfill from excess waste. While COVID-era beauty birthed a slew of customer-centric beauty technology experiences, from skin analysis to try-on technology, Kiki’s peel-off, odourless formula, use of artificial intelligence (AI) and mission of sustainability are what set this community-led nail colour brand apart.
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In Kiki’s world, shades are created by members, for members, in real time without a marketing department that manufactures trends. Guided by this ethos, founder Jana Bobosikova sheds light on her philosophy towards self-expression, the symbiotic relationship we have with technology and the power of building an authentic community.
Power to the people
“Our goal with Kiki is to empower expression, online and offline,” Bobosikova declares.
“We live in a world where brands or designers tell us what to want and buy. Our aim is to create a world where we ask our members what they want and create it with them.”
Kiki World’s progressive strategy of encouraging members to vote for their desired shades has not only shifted power back into the hands of consumers, it has also fostered a like-minded community of nail art aficionados.
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Perfecting the polish
For most, a manicure begins with a trip to the nail salon. Or, for the more audacious, a cautious application of press-ons at home. After six to eight weeks, it’s time to bring out the acetone and switch things up—that is, before you cringe at your unsightly damaged nails. It’s a quintessential routine we know all too well and a fate we’ve been seemingly resigned to.
The Pretty Nail Graffiti by Kiki seeks to disrupt this entire process. Armed with the unorthodox notion that swapping the colour of your nails should be spontaneous and fuss-free, Kiki’s iconic nail pen was conceived. With optimised user function at the top of their list, the Kiki team designed a ‘nail pen’—a custom-tooled aluminium body with an air-tight mechanism and a retractable marker-type brush for ease of self-application. The odourless nail polish can be peeled off as it’s designed to be applied and changed on the go, just like lipstick.
“While most of the industry is invested in acrylics and acetone, we chose an ultra-clean, 17-Free formula that is easy to apply and remove,” shares Bobosikova. Apart from maintaining the health of your nails and satisfying your aesthetical whims, members can return and refill their Pretty Nail Graffiti pens—effortlessly being a part of a more sustainable, circular consumption system.
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Liberate and innovate
From gaining valuable feedback from members to crafting virtual experiences, Kiki’s ‘Beauty by you’ philosophy has allowed the team to create purposeful products that empower their customers.
“Once we’ve gathered their insights, we challenge ourselves to revert to founding principles and utilise the latest manufacturing innovation. In the midst of this, we also think deeply about the holistic experience we want our members to have,” shares Bobosikova.
“In the coming years, I hope to see more genuine innovation and less commercialised products. Be it a company or a creator with an audience, using technology to drive innovation and transparency is definitely a step in the right direction,” she adds. Backed by innovation and maintaining a bona fide connection to its community, Kiki World optimistically materialises what the future of beauty could be.
