8 of our favourite Asian-founded beauty brands to shop
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Warm weather is finally here, and for you that might mean changing up your beauty routine. It's time to say goodbye to dull, winter skin and hello to dewy, fresh, lit-from-within glow.
The best part? It's easier than ever to put your money where it counts. With the industry ever expanding, you'd be hard-pressed not to find something you love that's also produced by an inclusive brand. The beauty world has come a long way since being dominated by only a select few brands.
North American consumers have slowly but surely boarded the Korean skincare train. Now that it's in motion, even more space has opened up in the skincare and makeup realm for innovation, affordability, diversity and inclusion. With consumers consistently pushing brands to extend product ranges to include all skin tones and complexions, no one is left out.
From up-and-coming brands like Tower 28 to the tried-and-true luxury of Tatcha and Glow Recipe, the Yahoo Lifestyle Canada team has rounded up just some of the best in Asian-owned beauty brands that put inclusivity and honouring age-old recipes and regimens at the forefront.
Did we miss one? Let us know by tweeting @YahooStyleCA!
Tower 28
Founded by Amy Liu, this new clean beauty brand has taken the industry by storm with their compact cream products, dewy skin mist that helps fight redness, and their delicious lip jellies. Made for sensitive skin, their products are crafted from non-toxic, non-irritating, good-for-you ingredients, and aren't tested on animals. Even better? They just added more colours to their best-selling Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer line.
OUR PICK: Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer
SHOP IT: Tower28, $26
Glow Recipe
This brand known for helping create ultra-dewy skin is one of the front-runners in Korean skincare. Founded by Christine Chang and Sarah Lee are passionate about making natural, fruit-powered skincare to bring out your inner glow. One of their most popular products is the Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner, which helps reduce pore size, even out texture, all while giving the skin some much-needed hydration.
OUR PICK: Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner
SHOP IT: Sephora, $45
Tatcha
This cult-classic beauty brand was founded by Victoria Tsai after a trip to Kyoto. Inspired by Japan's penchant for holistic beauty, she built Tatcha, now a household name. The brand's Violet-C Brightening Serum is one of their most-purchased items, along with their Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer, which comes with the cutest little spatula.
OUR PICK: Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer
SHOP IT: Tatcha, $89
Laneige
The South Korean sister brand to Amore Pacific, owned by billionaire businessman Suh Sung-whan, is all about hydration. Its name comes from the French word for snow. Their most popular products are their Water Sleeping Mask, a gel moisturizer for overnight hydration, and their Lip Sleeping Mask, which comes in seven mouth-watering flavours.
OUR PICK: Lip Sleeping Mask
SHOP IT: Sephora, $26
Kulfi Beauty
Kulfi Beauty was born from a desire to celebrate South Asian beauty and empower their community through representation. Founder Priyanka Ganjoo built her brand, named after a type of South Asian ice cream, because she didn't see herself in the beauty industry. Now, she's manufacturing beauty products with her skin tone, under tone and skin concerns in mind. One of their most popular products is called Underlined, their buttery eyeliners that come in all sorts of colours.
OUR PICK: Underlined Kajal Set
SHOP IT: Kulfi Beauty, $85
Aavrani
Holistic beauty and history are at the core of Aavrani, a beauty brand inspired by ancient Indian skincare rituals and natural ingredients. Founder Rooshy Roy's parents immigrated from Kolkata to Detroit in 1986. Growing up in America, Roy was constantly bouncing between cultures. Aavrani honours her duality by uniting both worlds.
OUR PICK: Complete Ritual Set
SHOP IT: Aavrani, $200
Meow Meow Tweet
It doesn't get much cuter than the packaging and a brand name like Meow Meow Tweet. The brand was founded by Tara Pelletier and Jeff Kurosaki, the artist behind the brand's quirky package designs. Starting with making soap at home, the brand has grown to sell natural insect repellant, deodorant and facial products.
OUR PICK: Lavender and Bergamot Deodorant Stick
SHOP IT: The Detox Market, $21
Live Tinted
The clean, vegan and cruelty free brand started as an online community for inclusivity and has exploded into an incredibly popular beauty brand after founder Deepica Mutyala went viral with a video showing her using red lipstick to cover dark circles. Her colour-correcting Huesticks are now some of the most popular multi-purpose products on the market today.
OUR PICK: Huestick in Rise
SHOP IT: Live Tinted, $31
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