20 Best Asian-Owned Beauty Brands
Stock Your Shelves With These Asian-Owned Beauty Brands — You'll Be Glad You Did
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There's a common theme present among many beauty founders of color: when you aren't seeing yourself enough in an industry worth billions, you set out to make yourself (and others like you) feel seen. This is also true in the case of some of our favorite Asian-owned brands like Glow Recipe, CTZN, Live Tinted, Hero Cosmetics, and more, which celebrate the cultural rituals and indigenous ingredients that have been passed down for centuries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East — but are so often commercialized by western countries.
Take Charlotte Cho, for example, who founded online K-beauty retailer Soko Glam to celebrate her Korean heritage and the beauty products it has inspired, or Priyanka Ganjoo, who recently launched Kulfi Beauty as a nod to her South Asian heritage.
Of course, it's not just K-beauty you should be familiar with; there's so much more to explore when it comes to Asian-owned beauty brands. From Japanese-inspired brand Tatcha to celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta's namesake brand, we've rounded up our favorite Asian-owned brands worth supporting now and forever.
Em Cosmetics
The Brand: Founded by YouTube beauty pioneer Michelle Phan, Em Cosmetics was created as a way to encourage all beauty enthusiasts — beginner or pro — to express themselves and rethink what beauty means.
What to Buy: Em Cosmetics Heaven's Glow Radiant Veil Blush ($35)
Then I Met You
The Brand: Founder Charlotte Cho helped heighten the popularity of K-beauty when she first introduced her brand Soko Glam a decade ago. In the years following, Cho launched Then I Met You after being inspired by "jeong," a Korean concept that refers to a deep connection or attachment shared between two people.
What to Buy: Then I Met You Birch Milk Refining Toner ($32)
CTZN Cosmetics
The Brand: CTZN was founded by three Pakistani siblings, Aleena, Aleezeh and Naseeha Khan. Born in the U.S. and raised in the U.A.E., the sisters set out to combat the lack of Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern representation in the beauty industry by creating a lineup of inclusive, genderless products that work on all skin tones. Their nude lipsticks, which come in 25 shades, are now considered beauty must-haves.
What to Buy:CTZN Cosmetics Nudiversal Lipstick ($25)
Tatcha
The Brand: Founded by Vicky Tsai, Tatcha is essentially a love letter to Japanese culture. The products are inspired by age-old Japanese beauty secrets that take a "less is more" approach to skin care.
What to Buy: Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer ($68)
Live Tinted
The Brand: Live Tinted was founded by South-Asian beauty influencer Deepica Mutyala, who created the brand to make sure every skin tone felt seen and represented.
What to Buy: Live Tinted Huestick ($24)
Cocokind
The Brand: Cocokind was founded by Taiwanese and Chinese entrepreneur Priscilla Tsai, and it's quickly gained a cult following online thanks to its sustainable packaging, plant-based ingredients, and affordable price points.
What to Buy: Cocokind Texture Smoothing Cream ($20)
Ellis Brooklyn
The Brand: A fragrance lover at heart, Bee Shapiro founded Ellis Brooklyn in 2015 after working as a columnist at The New York Times. The idea for her brand came about when she was inspired to create a fragrance with safer, less toxic ingredients than competitors.
What to Buy: Ellis Brooklyn Myth Eau de Parfum ($100)
Glow Recipe
The Brand: With its Instagram-friendly packaging and high-quality natural ingredients, founders Sarah Lee and Christine Chang created Glow Recipe with the intention of making skin care more fun and inspiring.
What to Buy: Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum ($42)
Wander Beauty
The Brand:Co-founder Divya Gugnani created Wander Beauty with the busy consumer in mind. Most of the brand's products have multitasking abilities for everyone out there who doesn't have the time (or energy) to go through a 10+ step routine before heading out the door.
What to Buy:Wander Beauty On-The-Glow Blush and Illuminator ($42)
Woo
The Brand: Woo is the namesake brand of celebrity tattoo artist, Dr. Woo, and its gentle-yet-efficacious products focus mostly on — you guessed it — tattoo aftercare.
What to Buy: Woo Aftercare Treatment Kit ($42)
Kulfi Beauty
The Brand: Newly launched Kulfi Beauty was created by Priyanka Ganjoo, who previously worked at beauty heavyweights like Estée Lauder and Ipsy. Ganjoo launched the brand after recognizing that South Asian individuals are often underrepresented in beauty.
What to Buy: Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajal Eyeliner ($20)
Peach & Lily
The Brand: Created by Alicia Yoon, Peach & Lily is a retailer with a dedication to Korean beauty products, although the brand has also launched a line of their own products focused on empowerment and transforming the skin.
What to Buy: Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum ($39)
Jin Soon
The Brand: Famed manicurist Jin Soon Choi founded her own collection of quick-drying nail polish shades made for busy women who are fans of long-lasting, eco-friendly polish options.
What to Buy: Jin Soon Encore Nail Polish in Ardor ($18)
Saturday Skin
The Brand: Sidney Beck founded Saturday Skin as a way to easily introduce Korean skin-care secrets to those who might be unfamiliar.
What to Buy: Saturday Skin Pore Clarifying Toner ($30)
Jason Wu Beauty
The Brand: Fashion designer Jason Wu founded his namesake beauty brand on the idea that beauty should be effortless.
What to Buy: Jason Wu Beauty The Bush Tamed Eyebrow Soap ($14)
Mishti Makeup
The Brand: Created by Bengali-American influencer Mishti Rahman, Mishti Makeup is a playful makeup brand that aims to make you feel good in your own skin.
What to Buy: Mishti Makeup First Date Lip Crayon ($22)
Hero Cosmetics
The Brand: Co-founded in 2017 by Ju Rhyu, Dwight Lee, and Andrew Lee, Hero Cosmetics is known for its affordable acne patches, which have become a staple in many a skin-care routine.
What to Buy: Hero Cosmetics Mighty Acne Patch Duo ($7)
Tower 28 Beauty
The Brand: Tower 28 was founded by Amy Liu, with clean products catered to consumers with sensitive, acne-prone skin.
What to Buy: Tower 28 Beauty BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Cream Blush ($20)
Asutra
The Brand: Founded by Stephanie Morimoto, Asutra is a self-care brand offering over 70 organic, natural products including essential oils, body scrubs, and bath salts.
What to Buy: Asutra 2.5% Retinol Anti-Aging Serum ($15)
Patrick Ta
The Brand: After building up of roster of celebrity clients like Kehlani, Kourtney Kardashian, and Gigi Hadid, makeup artist Patrick Ta launched his own line of beauty products designed to help those who wear them feel confident and free in their own skin.
What to Buy:Patrick Ta Monochrome Moment Silky Lip Crème ($24)
