Kim Kardashian made her solo TikTok debut in style on April 25 and already has a mammoth following of 3.1 million. Her debut video, which features her trusted glam team comprising Chris Appleton and Mario Dedivanovic, has raked in 2.3 million views and 438.4k likes at the time of writing.
The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star isn't new to TikTok's social media platform. She joined the app five months ago on a joint account with her 8-year-old daughter North West, whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West. But Kim Kardashian's solo endeavor has created quite the stir amongst other TikTok users.
Kim Kardashian makes TikTok debut with Chris Appleton and Mario Dedivanovic
The 41-year-old reality TV star's inaugural video on the platform is a tribute to her longtime trusted glam squad, comprising hairstylist Chris Appleton and makeup guru Mario Dedivanovic.
The cheeky clip shows the two men standing with their respective tools in hand as a trending audio track asks,
"So you're an artist?"
They reply in the affirmative, nodding confidently.
The follow-up question then enquires:
"Are you good at it?"
In response, the video cuts to a glammed-up Kim Kardashian sporting a sleek slicked-back ponytail courtesy of Appleton and a nude make-up look by Dedivanovic.
The actor, donning a black snake-print leather dress, then went on to strike a few signature poses as Key Glock’s Ambition for Cash played in the background. Kim Kardashian was later spotted in this exact look at the annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington DC, along with beau Pete Davidson.
Mario Dedivanovic has been Kim Kardashian's make-up artist since 2008, when a photographer friend enlisted his help for a shoot with her. Kim was on the precipice of what would become a meteoric rise to stardom at the time.
In an interview with People, Dedivanoic delved into why the pair worked so well together:
"We think the same exact way and we have a very similar aesthetic and our aesthetic has evolved together through the years. We both kind of naturally evolved our style of makeup. She has a total total trust in me so rarely does she ask me what am I gonna do or question what I’m doing. She just feels her most pretty when I do her makeup."
Kim Kardashian also puts her trust in her hairstylist Chris Appleton. While interviewing Appleton for G*y Times, Kim mentioned:
"I’ll lean to you for the confidence because I know with you… there’s very few people I could say I don’t really need a mirror. I can just sit in the chair, do my work and not really pay attention, not pick my head up and know that no matter what you choose to do, it’ll look good and I’ll feel confident – and that’s really rare."
In an episode of her flagship show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kim had expressed discomfort in creating content for TikTok. She claimed that she was not a good dancer, making it hard for her. Her time constraints also played a role in keeping her away from the platform until November 2021.
However, since then, she has created several TikToks with North and the latter's cousins Penelope (Kourtney' Kardashian's daughter) and True (Khloe’ Kardashian's daughter).