They Owe Us $25,000: Our Story With Kult App And Why It’s Time to Stand Up

July 2024: When It All Began

In July 2024, after several successful orders and what seemed like the start of a promising partnership, we traveled to India to meet @sokultsokool (Kult). We sat face-to-face with the owner Karishma Khokhar and all her staff at the time and made one thing clear: We are a small, self-funded beauty brand, and being paid on time matters.

Kult placed a $25,000 order. We hand-poured, hand-packed, and lovingly shipped every product. And then we waited.

But when the invoice was due?
Nothing.
No payment. No apology. No returned stock. Only broken promises and, eventually, complete silence.

Why $25,000 Matters

To some companies, $25,000 may seem like a rounding error. To us, it was nearly everything.
That unpaid invoice forced us to pause launches, delay plans, and hold our breath as a small independent brand.

The hardest truth? Kult placed the order knowing they couldn’t pay. And they did it anyway.

We Were Not Alone

As we began sharing our experience, the messages flooded in.

We discovered Kult owed money to:

• Staff and team members in India

• Bloggers and influencers

• Other beauty brands and suppliers

We weren’t just fighting for ourselves anymore, we were part of a larger pattern of artists, creators, and businesses left unpaid.

This is not just our story. It’s the story of an entire community tired of being last in line.

The Bigger Problem: Late Payments in the Beauty and Creative Industry

Unfortunately, Kult’s behavior is not unique.

Across the beauty and creative industries:

• Artists wait 60, 90, even 120 days for payment.

• Creators are promised exposure, but not paychecks.

• Brands chase overdue invoices only to hear excuses or go ignored.

This system exploits the passion and vulnerability of small creators, influencers, and indie brands, and it has to stop.

A Warning to Others

We have now learned that Kult has rebranded and relaunched, with no explanation, no accountability, and no payment to the people they owe.

If you are an artist, brand, influencer, or supplier considering working with them, we urge you: 👉 Do your due diligence.
👉 Ask the tough questions.
👉 Protect yourself.

We say this not out of anger, but out of responsibility to help others avoid the same pain.

Turning Pain Into Power: Our Call to Action

We turned our IG profile picture pink, in solidarity with every artist, influencer, and maker who has ever been paid last, or not at all.

This is our line in the sand:

✅ 30-day payment terms, minimum.
✅ Respect is not optional.
✅ We will no longer stay silent.

Kult did not break us, they made us stronger. And we will continue to stand up for what’s fair, not just for us, but for everyone.

Join Us: Let’s Raise Our Voices Together

To the brands, artists, and creators reading this:
They can ignore one voice, but they can’t ignore all of us.

Share your stories. Tag your friends. Raise awareness. Together, we can push for an industry where creativity is valued, and paid for.

A Personal Statement From Karla Rose, Founder of Karla Cosmetics

*“I went through this when I was working as a makeup artist. I never thought I would experience it again, this time as a business owner, brand to brand.

Karishma, do the right thing. Pick up the phone. Pay what is owed, to me and to everyone else you’ve left behind.”