The Best Summer-Ready Finds from Hollywood-Loved AAPI Beauty Brands
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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Ayurveda and gua sha are just a few ancient rituals that have made their way from the East into Western beauty routines in recent years, and we can thank many Asian American and Pacific Islander-founded (AAPI) companies for that. To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month this May, we’ve rounded up some of the best Hollywood-loved beauty brands created by entepreneurs who are authentically honoring and sharing their culture and heritage.
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Ahead, see a handful of the best AAPI-founded and -owned beauty labels to support now and forever. From cosmetics founded by celebrity makeup artists to star-loved skincare, shop our favorite picks perfect for spring and summer below, including from Sephora, Thirteen Lune, Ulta, Nordstrom and other major retailers.
Tatcha
Tatcha founder Vicky Tsai created her company after finding inspiration and healing from Japanese beauty rituals while exploring Kyoto. It’s known for its proprietary Hadasei-3 complex of twice-fermented rice, green tea and algae, a concoction “rooted in the nutrient-dense Japanese diet, largely considered the healthiest in the world.”
The brand counts Hollywood makeup artist Daniel Martin (who has worked with Meghan Markle, Michelle Yeoh and Priyanka Chopra) as its Head of Education & Artistry. His top picks include the Water Cream, a moisturizer that “feels like a burst of water on the skin. It hydrates underneath makeup and works especially well with any type of foundation on top of it.” He also loves the Liquid Silk Canvas ($54): “Think of this as the makeup magnet for longwear foundations. This primer locks down foundation for hours of wear without oxidizing your foundation color.”
Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas
Tower 28
One of the few beauty brands to earn the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance, Tower 28 was founded by longtime beauty executive Amy Liu as a way to address her sensitive skin while creating a brand that served all skin tones. The brand only uses clean, non-toxic ingredients that won’t irritate the skin — you won’t find allergens or irritants such as fragrances (not even natural ones), mineral oil, talc, solvents, phthalates, nanoparticles, parabens and sulfates, to name just a few. Tower 28 also complies with European Union regulations for cosmetics, so none of the 1,300-plus banned ingredients are here, either.
In addition to supporting organizations such as Heal the Bay and Stop Asian Hate, the company supports BIPOC-owned small clean beauty businesses by way of its Clean Beauty Summer School, a 10-week virtual mentorship program. Shop the brand’s best-selling facial sprays, tinted sunscreen foundations, lip glosses (a favorite of Olivia Rodrigo and Khloe Kardashian), OneLiner (spotted on Hailey Bieber), cream bronzers, mascara and more at Tower28.com, Sephora and Credo.
Tower 28 SOS Skincare Set
Good Light
Founded by fashion editor and entrepreneur David Yi, Good Light aims to make everyone’s skin glow by strengthening the skin barrier with effective, cruelty-free and sustainably-sourced ingredients (like meadowfoam seed oil, meshima mushroom, squalane and hyaluronic acid). The brand is manufactured in South Korea and doesn’t use any of the 1,300 ingredients banned by the E.U. It donates one percent of sales to True Colors United, a nonprofit organization committed to ending homelessness among LGBTQIA+ youth. Shop Good Light at its website and at Ulta in stores and online.
Good Light Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion
The Things We Do
Hollywood-loved aesthetics nurse injector Vanessa Lee debuted her Downtown Los Angeles beauty bar, The Things We Do, in 2019 to bring the East’s beauty routine scene to the West. (Jessica Alba, Cardi B, Kourtney Kardashian and Lucy Hale are among clients.) The medispa has since expanded to Venice and her hometown of Chino Hills (a third outpost is coming to O’ahu), and it also offers a skincare line of face oils, nourishing sleeping masks and moisturizers, serums and more to address hyperpigmentation, acne, dryness and other skin concerns.
The Things We Do Liquid Lift Sleeping Mask
Youthforia
Recently seen on Shark Tank, Youthforia was founded in Hong Kong during the pandemic by entrepreneur Fiona Co Chan, whose skincare testing process includes sleeping in her playfully-packaged products. The eco-conscious brand doesn’t use fossil fuels and instead uses at least 90 percent naturally-derived and renewable ingredients. The result: nourishing and sustainable products that work with the skin’s natural pH, protect from environmental pollutants and leave the skin looking and feeling healthy.
Youthforia Pregame Setting Spray
Patrick Ta
Shay Mitchell, Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski are just a few of celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta’s starry clients. The Vietnamese-American entrepreneur founded his namesake brand in 2019 to share his glamorous beauty experience beyond the A-list world.
Patrick Ta Major Major Dimension II Rose Eyeshadow Palette
Em Cosmetics
After being named Lancôme’s first Vietnamese-American ambassador in 2010, pioneering beauty influencer Michelle Phan debuted her own line, Em Cosmetics, in 2013 with L’Oréal. She eventually bought her brand back and relaunched it in 2017, focusing on effortless makeup bag essentials with skincare benefits.
Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion Tinted Lip Luminizer
Ranavat
After visiting India for the first time as an adult, Michelle Ranavat wanted to create a way to celebrate and share her culture. The result is her namesake skin and hair care brand inspired by Ayurvedic beauty rituals — think clinically-tested, botanical-powered products such as the Brightening Saffron Serum, the Renewing Bakuchi Crème and the Regenerative Veda Bond Complex Shampoo. (Mindy Kaling, Gywneth Paltrow and Hailey Bieber have used Ranavat.)
Ranavat Renewing Bakuchi Creme
Kinló
Founded by Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, Kinló specializes in skincare and sun care formulated for melanin-rich skin. After discovering common misconceptions about melanoma in Black and Brown skin, Osaka decided to create a brand dedicated protect the skin against 978 percent of UV radiation without the ashy finish. It uses non-nano, 100 percent mineral sunscreen, reef-safe SPFs and vegan- and cruelty-free ingredients.
Kinló Summer Suncare Essentials
Pink Moon
Pink Moon was founded by Lin Chen as a way to share her Chinese heritage. Inspired by astrology, reiki, aromatherapy, crystals and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the skin-care and wellness brand offers gua sha facial tools, rose face mists and perfume oils infused with rose quartz powder (the stone represents self-love and compassion) and creamy clay cleansers co-created with astrologer Evelyn Zuel.
Pink Moon Rose Quartz Magic
M2Ü NYC
Created by Taiwan-bred beauty executive Amy Chou Granger (who previously worked at L’Oréal and Estée Lauder and who holds a masters degree in engineering from MIT), Gen Z-focused vegan makeup brand M2Ü NYC offers affordable cosmetics with skin-care benefits, such as colorful eye pencils infused with hydrating jojoba oil and vitamin E, pearly luminizers with hyaluronic acid and more, all under $12.
M2Ü NYC Eye Crayons
Emilie Heathe
Makeup artist and beauty industry veteran Emily H. Rudman created clean beauty brand Emilie Heathe as a way to reconnect with her Korean heritage. The company incorporates Asian-inspired ingredients into its nail and lip products, and the stylish packaging nods to architectural design.
Emilie Heathe The Hot Toddy Trio
House of M
After Vietnamese founder Anne Oliver discovered the mood-boosting effects of saffron while battling postpartum depression, she harnessed its power into her vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand, House of M. The line features the Saffron Miracle Serum, the Silk Night Concentrate, the Clean Skin Polish and the Glow Jelly Mask ($35-$98), all formulated to leave the skin looking radiant, reduce redness and balance sebum production. (Chelsea Handler has used the brand.)
House of M Saffron Miracle Serum
Pili Ani
Founded by Filipina mother-daughter duo Rosalina Tan and Mary Jane Tan-Ong, Pili Ani’s hero ingredients are the hydrating and glow-giving pili nut and elemi oils sourced from the Asian country’s trees. Among its best-sellers is the Deep Detox Volcanic Exfoliating Mask, which uses harvested mineral-rich ash from Mt. Mayon (the Philippines’ most active volcano) and Amazonian clay to cleanse, exfoliate and detoxify the skin. Celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross and social media star Bretman Rock love the brand.
Pili Ani Deep Detox Volcanic Exfoliating Mask
Glamnetic Natural Lash Extension Kit
Thai entrepreneur and artist Ann McFerran created Glamnetic to simplify the lash application process. The brand’s magnetic eyeliner and false eyelashes stick together seamlessly to instantly enhance your peepers.
Glamnetic Natural Lash Extension Kit
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