Happy Birthday, Hello Kitty! See the 16 Best Feline Interpretations and Collaborations

by Renée Tse November 1, 2016

Karl Lagerfeld’s purrrfect cat Choupette may be fashion’s kitty du jour (she has her own Instagram account, a beauty collab and is adored by the Kaiser himself), but let’s face it, she’s got nothing on the one and only, Hello Kitty. Sure, she’s technically not a cat and actually a British girl (in a cat costume?!?), but we can’t deny the fact the feline has taken the world by storm, one collaboration at a time.

First introduced back in 1974 on a coin purse, Hello Kitty has come a long way with the many theme parks and hot collabs (Ladurée, OPI, Sephora, M.A.C–the list goes on) that have since been created in her honour. She’s even published a book of colourfully-illustrated stories a couple of years ago in honour of her 40-year milestone. How many cats have done that? Not many, that’s for sure.

But it’s the latest beauty partnership that’s got every ’90s girl in a frenzy. In honour of Hello Kitty’s birthday today, ColorPop and the international icon have teamed up to to launch an ultra affordable collection of highlighters, eyeshadows and the brand fave, Lippie Stix. We’re talking prices that range from $5 to $8. This beauty collection is what Hello Kitty fans’ dreams are made of.

It’s hard to believe that in just 40 years, Hello Kitty has not only become an ambassador and a fashion icon, but a household name. Honestly, this ~~cat~~ stylish girl has pretty much done it all. With her iconic face splashed across everything from day-to-day products (i.e. toasters, televisions, iPhone cases, etc.) to kitty-fied airplanes (complete with Hello Kitty-themed meals, soap dispensers and even aprons on the stewardess) to maternity wards (yep, she went there!), we round up the 16 best Hello Kitty things around the world. Hey Choupette, it’s time to step up your game because you’ve got some catching up to do. #justsaying