Kim Kardashian’s Shocking Face Evolution
Published on May 29, 2019. Updated October 12, 2022Kim Kardashian has been in the spotlight since she was first known as Paris Hilton’s friend on The Simple Life. Her fame has skyrocketed in the last few years and we can’t help but notice a significant shift in her appearance from her earlier days in Hollywood. Kim Kardashian has always been an absolute beauty, but she’s definitely changed throughout the years. Follow along as we recap Kim Kardashian’s shocking face evolution:
March 2006
One of Kim Kardashian’s earliest years in the spotlight was in 2006. In March of this year, she attended a party at the Hollywood Social and it’s clear this was the beginning point of her Hollywood glow up. She appears to be wearing a heavy smokey eye and her foundation appears quite cakey. Her hair is thin and has baby hairs around the frame of her face. It’s clear here that Kim has the bones of being one of Hollywood’s most iconic beauties, but she just needs a little help in the makeup department.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)October 2006
Later in the year in 2006, there weren’t many changes in Kim’s appearance. She was still opting for a heavy smokey eye as her go-to event makeup and hadn’t yet mastered the art of applying foundation. Her hair, however, had a slight shift throughout the year! She’d clearly got extensions by this point and changed her style to a more modern middle part.
(Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)April 2007
The following year in 2007 is when we began to see a shift in Kim’s appearance and the way she was applying makeup. Her skin appeared brighter, clearer and more flawless. She also began straying away from her super heavy grey smokey eye and swapped it out for something a little different with a pop of blue. She also changed her hairstyle and opted for bouncy curls.
(Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for T-Mobile)November 2007
Kim Kardashian’s earliest drastic change came when she stepped out in November 2007 beginning to look like the polished version of Kim K we recognize now. She’d clearly mastered foundation application by this point and has smooth, clear and contoured skin. She also updated her eye makeup look with strategically placed eyeliner and mascara. Her hair still had a few flyaways, but her curls were beginning to look more refined and flowy.
(Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)March 2008
In March 2008, Kim stepped out for a Keeping Up With The Kardashians launch event looking absolutely gorgeous. Her makeup was lighter and brighter, and it’s clear she had begun “baking” her face which is an iconic Kardashian makeup technique. Her eye makeup had become drastically lighter opting for whites and silvers to brighten her eye instead of dark greys and blacks. As for her hair, she styled it in a shorter style with bouncy waves but had a few baby hairs framing her face that we’d slowly see disappear over the years.
(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)September 2008
In September 2008, Kim’s appearance changed once again as she appeared to channel her bohemian side. Her hair was styled straight in a middle part with braids and her outfit definitely had a boho feel. As for her makeup, it’s definitely improved! Her skin is poreless and bright and her lashes are long and spidery: a classic Kim K look. 2008 marked the year she began working with her makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, and it’s clear he did wonders for her.
(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)August 2009
The following summer, in August 2009, Kim K stepped out with an entirely new look that was shocking to many! Previously, we’d always seen Kim with long, dark tresses, but she proved with this look that she can totally pull off blonde too. The honey-dipped hair color works beautifully to highlight the golden tones of her skin and bring light to her chocolate eyes.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)February 2010
By February of the following year in 2010, Kim had reverted back to her signature look with jet black flowing tresses. Her makeup appears quite similar to previous years, but it’s clear she’s opted for a darker brow and a heavy matte foundation. 2010 was a major breakthrough year for Kim where she landed several huge endorsement deals that would turn her into a household name.
(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)February 2011
In February 2011, Kim had upped her beauty game to the next level. Here, she’s photographed with dramatic, spidery lashes and a carefully curated navy smokey eye. She’s also opted for a foundation that appears a little dewier and natural than previous years. Her hair is highlighted with flattering shades of caramel and styled to perfection in loose, bouncy waves for a full glam effect.
(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)October 2011
By October 2011, Kim looked quite similar to the version of her that we recognize now. She’d begun to favor sleek hairstyles, like this ponytail, and found a way to remove all her baby hairs that previously made her appear somewhat disheveled. Her makeup has been applied to perfection with long, voluminous lashes and glowing skin. 2011 was a big year for Kim, especially after her highly publicized 72-hour marriage to Kris Humphries.
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)February 2012
In February 2012, Kim slightly shifted her makeup look again. This time, her focus was on heavy, spidery lashes which were very reminiscent of the Twiggy era of beauty. She styled her hair in a middle part with a slight bouffant poof on the crown of her head. 2012 was the beginning of the rumors that Kim and Kayne were dating, which would be confirmed later in the year.
(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)June 2012
In the summer of 2012, Kim stepped out for an appearance in Las Vegas looking absolutely radiant and sunkissed. Her hair was styled with loose, beach texture and her makeup was simple and bright. She was getting quite a bit of attention during this phase of her career as she began dating Kanye West. The two would go on to marry and start a family together in the years to come.
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)April 2013
By April 2013, Kim Kardashian was pregnant with her first daughter, North West. She carried a little weight in her shoulders and cheeks, but for the most part, pregnancy didn’t have much effect on her appearance. She wore her hair in a bohemian updo and allowed some strands to hang loose. As for her makeup, Kim rocked a bright scarlet lip to match her dress which was a surprise seeing as she rarely strays from her go-to nude lip.
(Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)August 2014
2014 was the year that Kim became the official Mrs. Kardashian West in an intimate Italian ceremony in Florence. She was photographed in August 2014 at a SiriusXM event. Her skin looks flawless and her cheeks chiseled with contour and a pop of peach. As for hair, she wore it sleek and natural with a slight ombre transition into auburn, which was a huge hair trend in 2014.
(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)March 2015
In March 2015, Kim K shocked everyone when she stepped out with platinum blonde hair which was a look she’d never done before. While this isn’t one of our favorite Kim K looks, we can definitely appreciate the attempt. By this point, Kim had begun heavily experimenting with contour and filler, which is clear with her perfectly chiseled cheekbones and facial structure.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)May 2016
By May 2016, Kim had reverted back to her natural jet black tresses. With Kim, blonde never seems to stay long and is typically a phase before she goes back to her natural color. This time, with a few warm highlights and face-framing layers. She kept her makeup matte and contoured and rocked a light, bronze smokey eye.
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Webby Awards)May 2017
In May 2017, Kim stepped out at the Met Gala with freshly cropped locks. She wore her makeup natural and strategic with contoured cheeks and golden tones on her eyes. By this point, Kim had solidified her relationship with Mario Dedivanovic who quickly became Kim’s partner-in-crime when it came to makeup and beauty. We especially love this makeup look because it’s soft, feminine and minimal.
(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images For Entertainment Weekly)June 2018
In June 2018, Kim attended the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week looking as primped and polished as ever. The Kim Kardashian we know today never steps out looking any less than perfect, which is exactly how she looked at this event! Her skin was contoured and dewy, her eyebrows perfectly sculpted and her lashes long and voluminous. She wore her hair in long, thick beach waves.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)November 2019
Lastly, Kim was photographed at the 2019 E! People’s Choice Awards wearing a much more subtle and neutral look than many were used to. After her 2019 Met Gala “wet look” she used minimal eye makeup and a more neutral shimmery lip gloss for her People’s Choice Awards look. She looked great!
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