In a saturated beauty market, Malaysian beauty brands are proving that homegrown talent can compete with international companies. In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the headquarters of buzzy beauty brands like Chuck’s, Olumes and Lumi Beauty are churning out a host of high-quality makeup and skincare products, decking out storefronts with captivating pop-ups, and changing the game with creative campaigns. With a blend of local culture and a keen eye for global trends, these beauty brands have experienced immense success throughout Malaysia, setting the standard for what it means to be at the forefront of one of the most lucrative retail industries in the world.

Chuck’s

Since its inception in 2019, Chuck’s has become more than a skincare brand, it has become a representation of a lifestyle. As the creation of Malaysian influencer and entrepreneur Jane Chuck, the brand has an innate ability to fascinate self-care enthusiasts with its captivating brand storytelling, which only complements its range of high-quality products. The brand was inspired by Korean skincare philosophies, initially launching with its now-signature Self-Love Face Masks. Since then, they have expanded to include soothing honey creams, oat cleansers and the aptly named Very Important Sunscreen.

What is most impressive about Chuck’s is its strong, intentional brand identity. From the beginning, the brand has strived to go beyond skincare products — it is about creating a persona and a community. In 2023, Mandy Gioh, Chuck’s creative director helped oversee the opening of the brand’s first physical store at The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur, which features exclusive in-store promotions and merchandise. As Gioh once observed, the beauty industry is a competitive landscape, and the key to differentiation is by investing as much into brand messaging as it is about effective products.

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The brand’s campaigns are a prime example of how it successfully blends creativity with commerce. In September 2024, Chuck’s launched a campaign in collaboration with Samsung. The ad recreated a K-mart style scene, where a shopper used the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6’s latest AI translator to browse the Korean-labelled products of the convenience store. Looking at the colourful cartons along the shelves, Samsung’s AI translator revealed that the products are not actually food items, but skincare products instead. In conjunction, Chuck’s created a K-mart experience at their store, designing their storefront to look like the mini-mart, complete with Korean convenience store packaging on their popular skincare collections.

Cuura

Founded by Sarah Shah Nor, Cuura is a natural skincare brand with a simple approach: effective skincare solutions sourced from organic ingredients. The idea for Cuura’s creation stemmed from a deeply personal experience. In 2017, Nor was diagnosed with postpartum eczema, which subsequently inspired her to explore gentle skincare options. At the time, she gradually realised that there was a gap in the market for skincare products tailored to sensitive skin in Malaysia.

Cuura’s first product, the Pure Beauty Oil was designed for those suffering from dry skin, eczema or psoriasis. Dubbed the “Miracle Oil Serum” by Cuura’s loyal customers, the formula contains essential oils like moringa, sweet almond and Japanese knotweed extract to seal in moisture and reduce fine lines. Continuing on from the beauty oil’s success, Nor has since expanded her holistic skincare line, with bestsellers like the calendula-infused Dew Drops essence and the Glo Nectar health drink, blended with vitamin C, rice bran and pomegranate.

In line with their mission to create products that are as ethical as they are effective, the brand ensures that over 80 percent of its ingredients are natural or plant-derived. Nor also emphasises Cuura’s commitment to halal standards, sourcing locally whenever possible. As she said in an interview for the New Straits Times, “Cuura is just pure labour of love and ethics.” In addition to their boutiques at The Exchange TRX and KL East Mall, Cuura also has a lush standalone skin spa in Bandar Baru Bangi. The spa promises a relaxing retreat with their Basic Glow or VIP Glow treatments, complete with hydrodermabrasion pore cleansing and collagen boost therapy.

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Kittie Yiyi Beauty

Launched in 2021, Kittie Yiyi Beauty is the eponymous makeup line by Malaysian influencer and designer, Kittie Yiyi. Known for her whimsical and expressive fashion designs, the beauty brand also reflects the same creativity and vibrancy she is known for in the fashion world. The brand’s defining feature is its embrace of unconventional colours that cater to the bold and expressive, often experimenting with statement shades of yellow, pink and blue.

Originally from Puchong, Malaysia, the young creative told Vulcan Post that she had always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. Her off-kilter style quickly led her to debut on the runways of Nanjing Fashion Week in 2015, and Vancouver Fashion Week in 2016. It was the pandemic, however, that caused Kittie to pivot from fashion to beauty. “Clothes had become so unnecessary during the pandemic,” she told Vulcan Post. Her first collection, the Cross The Line Eyeliner was a nod to the striking winged eyeliner look she often dons. Inspired by children’s stationery, the eyeliner comes in a bubblegum pink colouring pencil component, and features unconventional hues like a bold magenta and a glittering silver.

In the same interview, Kittie shared her vision for the brand’s identity. “I want to encourage people to be who they want to be,” she said. “I want people to feel joy just like how kids draw and paint freely without any worries on how people judge their artwork.”

This childlike wonder is imbued in her other beauty releases. Their latest release is the Puffy Flush Blusher, a range of two-toned pink shades which come in a distinct pastel palette lined with soft fluff and stamped with the brand’s quirky bee mascot.

Lumi Beauty

With the K-wave showing no sign of slowing in Malaysia, it is no surprise that Lumi Beauty has become a fan favourite in the Malaysian skincare industry. Founded by Chryseis Tan, Lumi Beauty started as a project during the pandemic and quickly blossomed into one of the country’s most popular beauty and skincare brands. According to theSun, the Vitamin Glow Super Serum (the brand’s first-ever product) sold out within 10 days of its pre-order launch in September 2020.

To develop some of Lumi’s most-loved products, Tan told theSun that she works closely with a skincare lab in Korea to develop unique, patented formulations, often revising them until they meet her standards. “At the end of the day, these are products that my family and I use,” she said in the interview. “It’s critical that they live up to my vision of using botanical-driven ingredients and creating a luminous glow.”

Tan’s dedication has paid off, with bestsellers like the Rose Set Glow Hydrating Mist and Bakuchiol Skydew Cloud Moisturizer claiming top spots at Beauty Insider’s 2024 Awards.

For Tan, innovation is the key to Lumi Beauty’s continued success. The brand set a precedent for the skincare industry in Malaysia when they introduced skincare vending machines filled with an array of sunscreens and skincare bundles to select malls and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In early 2023, Tan launched The GlowHouse KL along with founder Kim May Chee of blow dry salon Cocodry, and founder Tan Boon Yao of fitness studio Babel. The all-encompassing wellness lounge is home to Lumi Cafe, a sherbet-coloured casual spot serving delicious coffees and small bites. Dedicated skincare lovers can also shop Lumi Beauty’s products at their in-house vending machine.

Olumes

The origins of skincare brand Olumes is a tale as old as time — during a visit to her grandparents’ home in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, co-founder Aerin Gabor noticed that her elderly relatives had remarkably flawless skin. Gabor soon found the source of the skin-saving effect: the Kalalit tree. Native to the Bornean rainforests, the tree is believed to have revitalising effects on the skin, and has been used by the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun people of Sabah for centuries.

After more experimentation and research, Gabor established Olumes in late 2019, with the launch of The Refining Lotion and Satin Cream, both containing Kalalit water extracted from sappanwood. As Gabor once shared to Vulcan Post, Olumes’ products represent “Borneo in a bottle,” blending the island’s natural remedies with plant-based ingredients like plant stem cells, ceramides and phytosterols. The efficacy was evident — the brand’s Satin Cream moisturiser took home Beauty Insider’s 2021 Award for Best Pore-refiner. In recent years, Olumes has invested in formulating their patented FCS Complex, a potent mixture of polypeptides and hand-harvested marine botanicals from the Celebes Sea in Semporna, Sabah. The FCS Complex is a key component in their Celebes Serum, designed to lighten sun spots and refine uneven texture.

Also essential to Olumes’ cultural and natural roots is their commitment to sustainability. Their Kalalit water is only extracted from small branches so that the trees can regenerate in the future. According to theSun, Olumes co-founder Ika Yahiya also heads the brand’s Save the Rainforest initiative, which donates a portion of their sales to rainforest conservation organisations. “We believe that we don’t only play the part of improving complexions, but also to better the treatment of our planet too,” she said.

The company’s growth, coupled with its dedication to sustainability and ethical sourcing, makes Olumes a brand to watch in the global beauty market.

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Syedewa Cosmetics

Makeup artist-turned-entrepreneur Syed Mohamed Fahmi Syed Shabthar founded his cosmetics company on the notion that all humans instinctively want to be beautiful. This belief is what has created success for Syedewa Cosmetics, since their launch over a decade ago. Their product formulations, packaging and collection range are all carefully designed to ensure that customers do not just look their best, but feel their best as well.

Most notably, Syedewa Cosmetics is known for their impressive array of lip products. Their Matte Lip Lacquer range boasts 60 different shades, and comes in either a full 5ml or a 2ml mini-version for easy on-the-go use. Although most famous for their lip lines, the brand has also ventured into other aspects of the makeup routine. Syedewa offers versatile Artist Finish Blush palettes fit with two powder and two cream formulas, inspired by colour schemes from iconic cities. Their Artist Finish Sculpt is a two-in-one bronzer and highlighter palette that features a small strip of muted brown colour to serve as a specialised nose contour shade.

With such a wide selection of products, Syedewa Cosmetics experienced a natural progression towards becoming an inclusive and authentic brand. At the time of its founding, Shabthar noticed that many Malaysian beauty brands only catered towards fairer skintones. Although diversity was not his main motivator in starting the company, his belief that makeup should be accessible to everyone allowed the brand to fervently produce effective products. Shabthar still considers himself an MUA to this day, posting tutorials and new releases on his YouTube channel to go back to his core philosophy — that everyone deserves to have fun with makeup.

Tatagaltier

Skincare brand Tatagaltier burst onto the scene in 2020, and quickly made a name for itself through their buzzy beauty serums and aesthetic “clean girl” packaging. Their debut product — the Bulaney Treatment Essence — was a power-packed blend of soothing centella asiatica, hydrating fungi filtrate and healing royal jelly protein from honeybees. Upon its launch, the essence became a crowd favourite and garnered rave reviews across social media, cementing Tatagaltier as a force to be reckoned with in the skincare world.

The brand has only grown more successful with its subsequent releases — reminiscent of haircare brand Gisou, which also uses bee byproducts as a basis for their products. Tatagaltier’s Peach Plump Hydrating Toner contains fermented honey — known for its hydrating and antibacterial properties — leaving the face protected and moist. Similarly, their Bertine Moisturising Gel Cream uses hydrolised royal jelly protein to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Behind the brand’s meteoric rise lies the vision of its founder, Aush Milby, whose passion for both design and skincare led to the creation of Tatagaltier. As he explained, aesthetics creates a strong first impression among consumers, but it is the formulation and effectiveness that seals the deal. For Milby, the secret to the brand’s success is their constant investment in the research and development stage.

This process has led Tatagaltier to greater heights, including beloved limited-edition releases. Most recently, the brand collaborated with Malaysian pop singer Yuna in December. The partnership saw the creation of an exclusive Tatagaltier x Yuna advent calendar, featuring a limited-edition designed bottle of Bulaney Essence, Sunny Seamless Sun Shield, Poppy Acne Patches, and 30ml samples of their “Teh” formulations which will feature in future essence treatments.

Velvet Vanity

For almost a decade, Velvet Vanity is a cosmetics company that has been ahead of the beauty game. Starting with a passion to fill a gap in the Malaysian market for ethical beauty products, Adlina Nadirah dreamt up the vegan and cruelty-free makeup brand in 2016. In line with the trends of the time, Nadirah first launched with a collection of soft matte liquid lipsticks, which helped her rake in RM 20,000 in monthly sales in 2017. From there, the brand experienced a rapid rise to fame, getting a glowing endorsement from former beauty YouTuber Tati Westbrook and landing at stockists like Singapore’s Tangs VivoCity and online retailer Zalora.

Today, Velvet Vanity has a similar-but-different approach. Sticking to its core consumers of eco-conscious beauty lovers, the brand also strives to tap into the pulse of youth culture with new releases. While Velvet Vanity still offers its cult-favourite smooth-finish liquid lipsticks, it has rebranded to a “fuss-free makeup skin care hybrid” principle, in line with some of the most popular trends in today’s beauty industry. It has also migrated to newer e-commerce platforms like Shopee Malaysia and Shopee Singapore. Their liquid blushes are designed in colours of dusty rose and flamingo pinks for a natural flush, infused with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Following in the footsteps of popular products from Clarins, Kosas and Rhode, Velvet Vanity has also created the Peptide Glo Lip Oil, a balm-gloss formula packed with the skin-loving ingredient.

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Looking ahead, Nadirah is focused on continuing to grow her loyal customer base. The brand regularly goes through its social feeds to examine what products their customers desire — a strategy that has worked for them considering their longevity in the business. Velvet Vanity also hosts charming events in an effort to foster community, like their 2024 “Pretty in Pink” bruncheon in celebration of their new liquid lipstick colours.

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