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Writer's pictureAnjana Rajbhandary

12 AAPI-Owned Beauty Brands You Need to Love and Support

Updated: May 3



May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.


This month, we celebrate all Asians and Pacific Islanders in the country, who have been enriching and strengthening the nation for generations.


If you're a beauty lover, you know the influence of AAPI-owned beauty brands. These iconic brands have created products that have won awards and the hearts of many people. We must thank them for giving us glass skin and luscious, thick hair (thanks to the secret of generations of South Asians).



New York Times beauty columnist Bee Sharipo poured her personal connection and passion into creating a line of nontoxic perfumes, Ellis Brooklyn, named after her daughter Ellis, with the assistance of renowned perfumer Jerome Epinette.


My favorite is Ellis Brooklyn VANILLA MILK Parfum because it's earthy and woody, with the keynotes of creamy milk accord, Madagascar vanilla bean extract, and bourbon vanilla.



Alicia Yoon, a New York-licensed aesthetician, launched Peach & Lily in 2018. The collection was inspired by Korean beauty culture.


Its Glass Skin Refining Serum is considered one of the best serums of all time and is a favorite of Michelle Lee, Allure's Editor-In-Chief. It has a beautiful blend of niacinamide, peptide complex, and hyaluronic acid to brighten, firm, and hydrate your skin.



Vietnamese-American Patrick Ta, a major celebrity makeup artist, took his passion to the next level by creating his makeup line Patrick Ta Beauty, inspiring everyone to feel beautiful.


The major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush is a testament to his vision, offering the best of both worlds with a pressed powder and cream blush for the rosiest cheeks of your life. One of the best investments I ever made, and I get compliments every time I wear this.




Created by Chinese-American Amy Liu, Tower 28 Beauty is 100% vegan, dermatologist-tested, and allergy-tested.


I love its MakeWaves Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara because it gives me the longest and thickest lashes as if I were wearing falsies without irritating my sensitive eyes at all. The brand is all about community, healthy fun, and clean living.




Korean-American Sarah Lee and Christine Chang used their grandmothers' holistic approach to skincare to create Glow Recipe, inspired by their Korean culture.


If you're struggling with dark spots, try Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Brightening Treatment Serum, a powerful yet gentle blend of vitamin C, guava, and tranexamic and ferulic acids to brighten and firm the skin.




Vicky Tsai created the luxury brand Tatcha, inspired by Japanese beauty culture.


Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer is a one-stop shop for deeply hydrated and plump skin that looks and feels healthy. It contains Japanese purple rice, an Okinawa algae blend, and hyaluronic acid. Selena Gomez is a fan of this brand.






Carmen Wong created Kàn Studio based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine.


The soft cashmere face serum is perfect for minimalists. It's a toner, essence, exfoliator, and primer made with niacinamide, encapsulated azelaic acid, purple yam extract, and ginseng to give you glowy, smooth, and firm skin. A portion of the sales goes to the Asian Mental Health Collective.




Fashion blogger Tina Craig created U Beauty to make skincare easy with products that deliver results as promised.


The PLASMA Lip Compound hydrates and softens your lips and makes them appear fuller after one use, as 97% of users reported that their lips looked more voluminous and felt hydrated.




Founder Michelle Ranavat created Ranavat based on the principles of Ayurveda.


RANAVAT Restoring Moonseed Treatment - L'Immortale Empress is a splurge-worthy treatment proven to diminish fine lines and reduce redness and irritation. This balm infuses the magic of heart-leaved moonseed, bala, and Shatavari.




The original beauty blogger Michelle Plan created the skin-loving makeup brand EM Cosmetics.


The brush tip illustrative eyeliner is perfect for drawing precise lines to create the cat eye of your dreams and make it so easy you'll love it. It’s the ideal K-Pop makeup tool.




Established in 1985 in South Korea, Etude is known for making fun makeup so you can unveil your true beauty. "Etude" comes from Chopin's beautiful etudes.


I am still so smitten with my first K-Beauty brand, Dear Darling Water Tint, which gives you long-lasting lip color in five shades. The best part of lip stains is how natural they look on all skin tones, and you don’t have to worry about reapplications at all.




Since the 1990s, Laniege has been creating multitasking products that nourish and strengthen your skin barrier.


One of the best-known K-beauty brands, known for its lip masks, has created this Cream Skin Toner that hydrates and strengthens your skin barrier. Now we know the secret to glass skin. I’m in love with this, and you’ll be too once you try it.





I am excited about Bath & Body Works releasing their AAPI Heritage Month Candle Collection with Linda Song, Senior Perfumer & Fragrance Creator, and Kenneth Chiem, Packaging Designer. My favorites are the Bamboo & Eucalyptus with bamboo, watery eucalyptus & garden lime, and Cherry Blossom Soju with bright cherry blossom, jasmine & a splash of soju.


*All images courtesy of Amazon and/or respective websites.

 

 

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