Local Cosmetic Brands That Should Be On Your Face Already
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There’s been an increase of homegrown cosmetic brands that we think anyone who’s in a deeply committed relationship with makeup should be aware of. Here are 5 brands that are currently on our minds.
Photography Tasha Iman
VELVET VANITY COSMETICS
Velvet Vanity launched in March 2016 with the objective of promoting self-love and art through its liquid matte lipsticks. The brand does this by conceptualising each collection to follow a particular theme.
So far, it has three series; The Ultimate Trio, Stuck in the ‘90s, and Princess of China. To sharpen its branding, each collection is then accompanied with an editorial that relates to the respective concept, which the founder, Adlina, believes will help the customers remember the products more since humans are visual beings.
Velvet Vanity’s matte lipsticks are non-drying, it feels as though you’re not wearing anything on your lips, it’s 100% vegan and does not test on animals (100 points for conscious beauty products!).
It’s made of natural products such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil, and the brand is passionately against using harmful ingredients. Each lipstick currently retails at RM59 and is truly worth every ringgit.
Shop Velvet Vanity here. Follow the brand on Instagram here.
BREENA BEAUTY
The reality of wanting to support locally made products but not being able to do so due to its subpar packaging or quality is very real. There’s then the problem of wanting to get the better quality products but the price tags can sometimes be too heavy for a one-time purchase.
Breena Beauty‘s founder, Sabrina, saw this problem as an opportunity to introduce high quality products that were both affordable and packaged in an aesthetically pleasing manner to the Malaysian market.
Since its conception three years ago, the brand has been producing makeup brushes, blending pearls, and velvetcreme liquid lipsticks — which happen to be its best seller. Breena Beauty’s lipsticks are also 100% vegan and sells for RM39 each.
There’s currently a promotion on their online store whereby customers can purchase 3 lipsticks for RM100 — a wonderful bargain.
Shop Breena Beauty here. Follow the brand on Instagram here.
CAN CAN’S HANDMADE
It’s no secret that mainstream advertising and marketing in Malaysia often dismiss the presence of anyone who’s tanner than fairer folks — unless it’s to meet a quota to promote unity, then bring on the dark people!
The story behind Can Can’s Handmade derives from the reality of cosmetic brands excluding deeper skin-tones when creating their shades.
Makeup isn’t about changing how you look, it’s more about bringing out the best of you, a belief that resonates deeply with the brand. It strives to empower its audience to be comfortable with themselves and proudly claims to produce “cosmetics for caramel babes.”
Its Stay-On matte liquid lipsticks are available in two shades – ‘Muse’ and ‘Cherry Bomb’ – and retail at RM69. The products are made using vegan, cruelty-free, and natural ingredients.
Shop Can Can’s Handmade here. Follow the brand on Instagram here.
KAMELIA COSMETICS
Kamelia Cosmetics came to life last year in October. Its mermaid-like aesthetics were created after a theory its founder Kamelia had, “The brand concept was born out of the belief that there is still that little girl in all of us that believes in and appreciates fantasy, femininity, and fun. Kamelia Cosmetics hopes to inspire women to embrace their ‘inner mermaid’, to never stop being creative, dreaming, and having fun through makeup and in life as a whole.”
Its liquid lipsticks are non-drying with a matte finish, it’s long-lasting and highly pigmented. These products are also cruelty-free and paraben-free. There are currently nine shades available — mostly from the nude-tree family — and is priced at RM39 each.
Shop Kamelia Cosmetics at Shop at 22, Bangsar. Follow the brand on Instagram here.
DIDA
DIDA was founded by two friends — Didie and Jamidah — who set out to empower women to feel and look good. As per every cosmetic brand, the difference with DIDA is that it prides itself in producing colours that’ll change its consumers mood after they’ve applied it.
DIDA appreciates and respects the relationships it has with its customers and constantly engages with them to contribute to the brand’s growth and development.
There are various products to purchase from DIDA’s store such as its eyeliners (RM36), iconic eye shadow palette (RM115), and its velvet lip matte lip creme (or VMLC for short), which currently retails at RM45.
Shop DIDA here. Follow them on Instagram here.