11 AAPI-Owned Makeup and Skincare Brands to Shop This Month and Beyond
From Hero Cosmetics to Tower28.
May is AAPI Heritage Month — a time to honor the rich diversity, strength and global impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, especially within the beauty space. Through adversity and creativity, we are constantly witnessing the creation of resilience and rich ideas. This community of individuals continues to inspire and spark meaningful change across industries, including makeup, skincare and haircare.
While the beauty world is making strides toward greater inclusivity, there’s still much work to be done. In celebration of progress and in recognition of those leading the way, we’re spotlighting some of our favorite AAPI-owned beauty brands. From Hero Cosmetics to Tower 28, these pioneers are setting the new standard for what the future of beauty should look like.
Hero Cosmetics
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Hero Cosmetics began in 2017 when co-founder and CEO Ju Rhyu had a bit of an acneic emergency and due to the overload of strong acids on her sensitive skin, she was inspired to create products that were not only gentle for her skin but for all with similar issues and concerns.
Tower28
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“Designed for sensitive skin, but made for all” is one of Tower 28’s philosophies. Founder Amy Liu set out with the mission to create her beauty brand with sensitive skin in mind. Every product in Tower28 Beauty’s portfolio is formulated with the highest degree of integrity and ingredients.
Live Tinted
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Live Tinted‘s journey started in 2015 when its founder, Deepica Mutyala, posted a YouTube tutorial showing how red lipstick can cover dark under-eye circles and hyperpigmentation. Shortly after, she launched Live Tinted in 2017 with an overall ethos of inclusivity.
Patrick Ta
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Celebrated makeup artist Patrick Ta launched his namesake makeup line in 2019 with a portfolio designed after his very own niches and areas of expertise. Ta’s products are made to make you look and feel red-carpet ready.
Ranavat
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Ranavat was launched in 2017 by founder Michelle Ranavat as an homage to her Indian culture. Not only does Ranavant offer a vegan and organic skincare portfolio, but the brand also donates 1% of its proceeds to the Desai Foundation, a non-profit organization in India.
CLE Cosmetics
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Founded by Lauren Jin, CLE Cosmetics (short for “Creative Lass Esthetic”) is a minimalist lifestyle and beauty brand that applies cutting-edge technologies to makeup essentials, resulting in stunningly crafted cushiony textures and formulas.
Sunnies Face
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Since its inception in 2013, Sunnies Face is a beauty brand that has worn many hats. Shaking the space in the Philippines first, founders Jess Wilson, Georgina Wilson, Martine Ho, Bea Soriano Dee and Eric Dee, ideated a beauty brand that offers everything from lip and skincare, all the way down to nail care. The brand’s cult-favorite product is its highly pigmented “Fluffmatte” Lipstick.
Ellis Brooklyn
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Founded in 2015 by beauty columnist Bee Shapiro, Ellis Brooklyn is a fragrance brand known for its modern and luxurious scents. With bestsellers like “Myth” and “Salt,” the brand is redefining what clean beauty looks like in the scent space.
Kulfi Beauty
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Priyanka Ganjoo’s Kulfi Beauty solves a mission for women of color, creating eyeshadow and eyeliner that feature intense color payoff, sans harshness. The South Asian beauty founder is focused on creating products that are built and work for all women.
Glow Recipe
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Glow Recipe‘s Korean-American co-founders, Christine Chang and Sarah Lee, are passionate about caring for the skin. First founded in 2014, the dynamic duo continues to introduce beauty lovers to new and innovative products that become bestsellers overnight.
Cocokind
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Inspired by her struggles with acne growing up, Cocokind‘s Priscilla Thai uses her brand to create accessible and affordable solutions for those who both love skincare and want it to be effective.
While you’re here, check out our round-up of beauty looks from the Met Gala.
