Support Asian-American-owned beauty brands
Since the pandemic began, there has been a steady increase in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination in the U.S. Social media has given Asians a platform via #StopAsianHate to share their own experiences with racism plus stand up for the elderly and vulnerable populations who are constantly affected. But unfortunately, many incidents continue to go undocumented.
If you'd like to help, there are many ways you can support the Asian community. You can donate to organizations like Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Asian Mental Health Collective to end hate crimes and discrimination.
In the beauty world, there are many Asian-Americans who have founded brands, and there are inspiring stories behind them all. Below, we have rounded up 20 standouts who excel at making their customers feel their very best.
20 Asian-American beauty brands to shop now
Ellis Brooklyn
Ellis Brooklyn MYTH Eau de Parfum: available at Ulta Beauty and Sephora Founded by New York Times beauty columnist Bee Shapiro, Ellis Brooklyn was named after her daughter Ellis because she wanted to create a nontoxic fragrance formula. With the help of renowned perfumer Jerome Epinette, she started creating natural formulas in upstate New York. MYTH Eau De Parfum has key notes of ambrette seeds, jasmine and musk.
EM Cosmetics
EM Cosmetics Fine Liner Brow Pencil By Michelle Phan: available at Amazon YouTube beauty vlogger Michelle Phan created EM cosmetics because she was inspired by how makeup could be a medium for self-expression. Growing up in a Vietnamese-American immigrant family, Phan said she saw how her parents struggled and worked hard, which made her want to become an entrepreneur. This brow pencil is pigmented and can mimic real brow hairs. It is available in five shades.
Peach & Lily
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum: available at Ulta Beauty
In 2018, Alicia Yoon, a New York licensed aesthetician, launched the Peach & Lily Collection. Having grown up in the U.S. and South Korea, Yoon was always interested in Korean beauty culture and had struggled with severe eczema, which made her more interested in creating gentle, soothing skincare products that work on sensitive skin. Their glass-skin serum keeps skin hydrated and smooth to appear luminous.
Henné Organics
Henné Luxury Lip Tint: available at Credo Beauty and Amazon Laura Xiao always had an appreciation for beauty in simplicity and created this luxury lip care brand inspired by Sweden. Henné means "her" in Swedish, and her line is dedicated to the modern woman. The Luxury Lip Tint has a combination of three oils (coconut, castor seed and jojoba) and comes in six shades.
Glamnetic Lashes
Lucky Magnetic Vegan Eyelashes: available at Ulta Beauty and Amazon Founder Ann McFerran, who grew up as an immigrant from Thailand, found joy and confidence in makeup, so she created magnetic and stick-on lashes that are easier to use. Lucky lashes have a natural-looking length and can give you a natural-looking cat-eye.
Jason Wu Beauty
Jason Wu Eau de Parfum: available at Amazon and SkinStore Taiwanese born New York–based designer Jason Wu founded Jason Wu Beauty because he believes that beauty should be effortless and chic. His line of clean beauty embraces diversity and donates 1% of net sales to Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). This perfume has notes of pink pepper and fig.
Patrick Ta Beauty
PATRICK TA Major Glow Body Oil: available at Sephora and Amazon As a first-generation Vietnamese-American, Patrick Ta grew up learning that his parents came to America to give their children a better life. As a makeup artist, Ta created beautiful looks for his clients and wanted to make that accessible to everyone by launching his beauty line. This scented body oil moisturizes your skin and makes you glow. It's available in three shimmer finishes.
Velour Beauty
Velour Lashes No Trim Natural Lash Collection: available at Amazon and Sephora Founder Mabel Lee grew up in an Asian household and knew the importance of working hard. Velour lashes don't require any trimming and became very popular for Zoom meetings during the pandemic. These no-trim, natural-looking lashes are available in six styles. They can be reused up to 25 times.
Hero Cosmetics
Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch: available at SkinStore and Amazon Ju Rhyu spent two years in South Korea, where she discovered the acne patch. From there, she created this company, and all her suppliers still come from Korea. The Mighty Patch contains hydrocolloid to protect and heal blemishes overnight, and each package contains 36 individual patches.
Supernal
Cosmic Glow Oil: available at Supernal Melissa Medvedich, a former NYC-based creative director, created Supernal because as a Chinese-American, she saw the importance in representation and wanted to create a high-quality botanical skincare line. Cosmic Glow Oil has vitamin C and omegas 3, 6 and 9 that nourishes all skin types.
Tower 28 Beauty
BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Cream Blush: available at Credo Beauty and Sephora Chinese-American founder Amy Liu wanted to create a beauty brand that was 100% clean, vegan and dermatologist- and allergy-tested. It symbolizes community, healthy fun and clean living. BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Cream Blush is a multitasking tinted balm safe for use for all skin types, including those with blemish-prone or sensitive skin.
U Beauty
U Beauty Resurfacing Compound: available at Violet Grey, SkinStore and Amazon Founder Tina Craig believes that beautiful skin doesn't need to be complicated, so she created a line of beauty backed by science and high-performance ingredients. U Beauty opts for simple routines instead of 10-step ones. This one-and-done Resurfacing Compound can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, brighten, firm and protect your skin from the environment.
Glow Recipe
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops: available at Sephora Korean-American Sarah Lee and Christine Chang created Glow Recipe inspired by the Korean approach to beauty by using ingredients like watermelon that they grew up using. Their holistic approach to skincare is inspired by their grandmothers. Their Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops is vegan and reduces hyperpigmentation.
Tatcha
Tatcha The Essence Plumping Skin Softener: available at Sephora First-generation Taiwanese-American Vicky Tsai created Tatcha based on Japanese beauty culture, where skincare is considered an important part of self-care. The Essence Plumping Skin Softener has Tatcha's signature Hadasei-3 to restore healthy skin.
Then I Met You
Living Cleansing Balm: available at Amazon First-generation Korean-American Charlotte Cho created this brand inspired by the Korean concept jeong. Jeong can be defined as a type of love that can be directed to everyone and everything in the world. The Living Cleansing Balm can clean your skin while nourishing it with antioxidants and Vitamin E.
Allies of Skin
Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment: available at Amazon Nicolas Travis is a Singapore-based businessman who launched this brand in 2016 with products rich in nutrients for today's busy individuals. Travis has a strong understanding of skincare, having studied biomedical and pharmaceutical science. This Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment can repair damaged skin while keeping it hydrated and protected all day.
Ranavat
Luminous Ceremony Cream Cleanser: available at Credo Beauty First-generation Indian-American Michelle Ranavat created this luxury botanical skincare line inspired by modern ayurvedic treatments practiced by Indian royalty. The brand donates 2% of proceeds to The Desai Foundation, which helps to empower women and children through health and community programs. This facial cleanser contains manjistha, an Ayurvedic herb that can cleanse and detoxify skin.
pūrlisse
Watermelon Energizing Aqua Balm: available at Amazon Chinese-American Jennifer Yen created pūrlisse as a fusion between Asian wisdom and modern philosophy. Yen's purpose for the brand is to give people a reason to believe in their own skin. This gel cream provides deep hydration for all skin types, including those with dry or sensitive skin.
J.Cat Beauty
Aquasurance Compact Foundation: available at Ulta Beauty Victor Chang created this makeup brand filled with colors. Chang believes that affordable products should not mean a compromise on quality. This compact foundation provides a flawless complexion without clogging your pores and is available in 12 shades.
NYX Professional Makeup
NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Vegan Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner: available at Ulta Beauty and Amazon
Korean-American businesswoman Toni Ko founded NYX cosmetics in 1999, and it's acknowledged by PETA as a cruelty-free brand. It was named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night. Their waterproof eyeliner can help you achieve a cat-eye that won't budge all day, and it's available in two shades.