Discover the legendary collaboration between Kareena Kapoor Khan and Lakmé, a partnership that epitomizes elegance and innovation in Indian beauty. This iconic alliance showcases Kareena's unique style and charisma, perfectly complementing Lakmé's diverse range of products.
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In today’s saturated beauty market, celebrity collaborations have evolved beyond being mere brand ambassadors; they're strategic anchors that drive aspiration, trust, and storytelling. When a renowned personality represents a makeup brand, it’s not just about star power; it’s about cultural resonance, emotional connection, and aligning with values that consumers admire. Let’s explore why this works, how Lakmé has leveraged celebrity ties, and how yours could too, starting with Kareena Kapoor Khan’s iconic partnership.
Kareena was the right strategic pick because her public persona precisely matched Lakmé’s premium-mass positioning: glamorous enough to lift the brand’s aspirational credentials, but familiar enough to feel reachable to middle-market buyers. Signed as the face of Lakmé Absolute around 2011, she didn’t just headline TV commercials; she anchored Lakmé Fashion Week appearances and, crucially, helped translate red-carpet looks into sellable hero SKUs (the 2018 “Kareena Kapoor Khan by Lakmé Absolute” collection is a direct example). That productization, turning a celebrity look into defined lip, eye and face items gave retailers a clear merchandising story and gave Lakmé an elevated price tier it could credibly own without losing mass reach.
Beyond positioning, Kareena’s influence was operationally useful: her signature style created repeatable how-to content (bridal glow, camera-ready foundation, bold lips) that Lakmé could deploy across counter demos, short-form tutorials and festival collections formats that drive immediate trial and purchase in India’s occasion-led market. Her multi-channel visibility (runways, TV, glossy editorials and social) delivered both PR moments and measurable retail activation footfall, premium shelf space and strong sampling conversion, making her not just a face on a poster but a revenue-driving partner for the brand.
Their long-standing collaboration, which can rightly be described as Kareena Kapoor Khan and Lakmé: India’s Most Iconic Beauty Partnership, consistently translates red-carpet glamour into shoppable reality, turning runway reveals and TVCs into clear, repeatable looks consumers could buy and recreate. Here’s a look at some of Lakmé’s most iconic campaigns featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, spanning red-carpet glamour, creative product rollouts, and stylistic content that helped define the brand’s makeup narrative:
At the Lakmé Fashion Week Spring 2015 finale, Kareena Kapoor introduced the Lakmé Absolute Lip Pout, a matte lipstick resembling a crayon with six vivid shades, including bold fuchsias, tangerines, and reds. These were designed for high-definition lip contours and were clearly inspired by runway glam and Kareena’s own style aesthetics. Vogue India highlighted the playful nature of the range, noting it as a “playful twist to the sculpt range” and recommending creative ways to wear it, such as lip blending or a dual-tone effect.
The campaign stood out by blending high-fashion theatrics with accessible retail execution. Kareena’s runway reveal added a layer of aspirational storytelling, while the packaging was bright, convenient, crayon-style and replicable styling tips encouraged repeat usage and social sharing. The campaign captured both trend-focused attention and everyday usability.
Though not formally documented in mainstream media, this campaign became legendary among viewers for its bold appeal. Kareena’s intense, kohl-eyed gaze and tagline, "Kajal jo samay ko maat de," created one of Lakmé’s most memorable ad moments of the digital era. As one Redditor fondly recalled:
“The Lakme ad with tagline ‘Kajal jo samay ko maat de’ went viral before going viral became a thing.” It became a cultural touchstone, referenced and recreated in beauty conversations long after its release.
This campaign redefined Kareena’s role from mere ambassador to collaborator. At the Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018 finale, she introduced her own makeup collection, “Kareena Kapoor Khan by Lakmé Absolute” under the theme “Shades of a Diva”. The line featured pout definers, cheek and face contours, eye and brow definers, and mascara, packaged with black-and-gold luxe styling and personalized shade descriptions. Kareena described it as among her most personal projects:
“There are different shades of me: the glamorous showstopper; the edgy cover girl; the chic fashionista; the fun-loving Bebo.” This launch served as both a product and an identity narrative, allowing consumers to express facets of themselves through the lens of Kareena’s curated persona.
Kareena also fronted the Lakmé Absolute Perfect Radiance Serum television commercial, reinforcing the brand's messaging of effortless glow and skincare efficacy. Though direct access to the video was limited, multiple sources note that the ad positioned the serum’s radiant-enhancing benefits in a premium-lighting, close-up format—suggesting luxury and skin confidence.
The campaign tapped into the aspirational side of skincare-makeup hybrid innovation, promoting a product that combines skincare allure with makeup impact. By featuring Kareena, the brand underscored trust, elegance, and the kind of healthy radiance consumers admire in their beauty icons.
Over multiple seasons at Lakmé Fashion Week, Kareena consistently closed the shows with memorable, on-theme makeup statements:
Each of these campaigns showcases a different dimension of Kareena’s collaboration with Lakmé, from performance-based claims and iconic imagery to creative ownership and legacy-led activations. Together, they demonstrate how a long-term ambassador can drive both brand identity and product narrative through evolving campaign contexts.
Celebrity partnerships make product claims believable. In makeup, shoppers worry about shade, finish and longevity, things a static ad can’t prove. When a well-known star appears in close-up tutorials, red-carpet shots, or candid product clips, those technical attributes become visible and convincing, which lowers hesitation and speeds trial and purchase.
They also simplify discovery and make campaigns culturally useful. A celebrity-led launch gives merchandising and content teams a clear hero SKU to promote, and their personal styling can be translated into region-specific tutorials, bridal palettes, or festival-ready edits that match local buying moments. That focused signal helps e-commerce carousels, in-store displays, and short-form content cut through the noise faster than generic product pushes.
Finally, these collaborations move the needle for both retail partners and digital metrics. Brands see higher footfall, better shelf positions and more opportunities for pop-ups and artist demos; online, celeb content drives shoppable views, AR try-ons and user-generated posts that broaden proof across skin tones—reducing returns. When the relationship is long-term and includes co-created lines, the celebrity becomes part of the brand’s identity, turning one-time buyers into repeat customers.
Kareena Kapoor’s work with Lakmé proves how the right celebrity can transform a makeup brand’s image and sales. Her campaigns turned products like Lip Pout or Perfect Radiance Serum into must-have beauty staples by showing real, aspirational looks consumers could recreate. Partnering with a famous face like Kareena helps your brand gain credibility, connect with diverse audiences, and create lasting impressions through ads, events, and digital content. With Tring, finding and collaborating with top celebrities becomes simple, ensuring your campaigns reach the right audience and drive real results.
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