Entering your early adulthood in 2024? Well, aren’t you a lucky duck, because just about a decade prior, you would be hard-pressed to find local beauty brands you can swear by. Since the 2010s, we have been seeing a healthy proliferation of Malaysian skincare and makeup brands that we can’t help but get behind and dive into.
But that did not come without struggle. Back then, there was a general air of distrust surrounding local beauty brands. Local beauty enthusiasts would not touch them with a ten-foot pole. Yes, that’s how extreme it used to be. Unscrupulous businesspeople took advantage of customers (who really didn’t know better), whispering tempting promises of blemish-free, radiant skin in a matter of weeks. To say that they overpromised and underdelivered is an understatement. Instead, it posed debilitating harm to its users. Complications vary from mercury exposure to the unregulated use of hydroquinone and tretinoin. It became a widespread enough issue that it has made countless headlines locally. In turn, it made the Malaysian public hyper-wary of local offerings.
At this juncture, it seemed like we had reached a point of no return once the damage had set in. Yet leaders in the space took up the challenge as an opportunity to not only restore a sense of faith in the local industry but also to rebuild a stronger, better community. And got to work they did. Slowly yet steadily, individual members of the group dismantled the notion that homegrown brands are not to be trusted. They pull back the curtain through careful product education, tapping trustworthy key opinion leaders with vast ingredient knowledge to disseminate information to the layman, competitive and pioneering formulation, marketing campaigns that appeal to local tastes, and many other efforts to revitalise the image of the industry as a whole.
With each passing day, skeptics and fear-mongers grew unable to deny the new dawn that was coming. From organic reviews singing praises and showing exactly how effective local formulations can be, to infiltrating the ‘shelfies’ of renowned local beauty content creators, it soon became clear that local commodities can stand toe to toe with international releases, if not best them at their own game.
The Proof is in the Pudding
The call to support local enterprises is not new. The government has made concerted efforts to kick start the movement as early as 1984 through the Buy Malaysia Campaign. But alas, it was not en vogue back then. It was instead, much more trendy to lean on the glamour and sophistication that international (or more specifically, Western) brands often lend to its shoppers.
This time around though, the wave is more organic in its energy, stemming from local entrepreneurial drive and even a sense of camaraderie. It began with a handful of ventures in different areas—fashion, beauty, food, lifestyle, you name it. Once this set of pioneers had their proof of success, the rest followed suit. The visual of their triumph has emboldened those with similar aspirations. Soon enough, an entire ecosystem of brands sprung into life and brought along with it a competitive spirit, but also a sense of community.
However, it’s not all hunky dory. Some initiates suffer the failure to launch syndrome, reaching their demise before even hitting their potential peak. This is why endurance takes precedence. Beauty brand founders in town boil it down to this one single common denominator: the relationship with their audience.
For the founder of Velvet Vanity, Adlina Nadirah, this takes top priority. “These connections can transform customers into advocates that champion our brand in the long term,” she enthuses. Come 2026, the makeup brand will celebrate its first decade in the game, which is nothing to sneeze at as far as Malaysian brands go. Under her stewardship, Velvet Vanity quickly rose to become a label that champions local representation (she makes sure that the products are portrayed on the varying skin tones you’re bound to find in Malaysia) and convenience to minimise the barrier to entry for her consumers.
In order to keep up with the tempo, Julius Lim of B&B Labs finds that staying consistent is equally as important. “It’s about doing what we excel at with passion and consistency. And for us, that’s creating microbiome-friendly skincare formulations that are rooted in Asian botanicals and science,” he staunchly posits. It’s not surprising that Lim has managed to stay true to the DNA with little struggle. B&B Labs have already crossed the decade-line, and being a second-generation business owner, he has the added advantage of knowing the trade even before he began.
Survival of the Fittest
You know what’s a real flex? Surviving a crippling pandemic with your business enterprise intact. Even global brands—such as Bite Beauty, Becca Cosmetics, and Makeup Geek—crumbled and folded under the pressure. In the thick of it, weathering these treacherous waters proved to be a trial by fire for business owners. Everyone tightened their purse strings, and self-care became a luxury that many skipped in their shopping lists. For brands that relied on physical presence, this meant that they had to be quick in their digital shift. That in and of itself can be another kind of unchartered territory. Luckily for Adlina and Lim, their brands already existed in the digital realm prior to the pandemic.
It’s a different story for Sarah Shahnor of Cuura. In 2017, she expanded her business profile to include beauty; her focus before that was on running a multi-label modest store in Bangsar called Modvier. When the lockdown hit, she decided that streamlining was the way to go. Her choice? To keep Cuura afloat. This had allowed her to put her heart and soul on the pillar.
As the days trickled into weeks, and weeks into months, it was clear that self-care is important. The giant public migration from curated Instagram content to more off-the-cuff, authentic TikToks also ushered in a new era of branded content production. Educational content has always been valued, but post-TikTok, personality rises to the top. “We are now focused on creating visuals that capture genuine moments and emotions,” says Adlina. Wielding the power of authentic storytelling, Velvet Vanity has garnered quite the cult following that not even losing their 55,000-followers-strong account can dampen.
Once social media presence has been established, the next actionable item on the list for any brand owner would be to interact with their audience. As a consumer, we know all too well that dropping comments can feel like we are shouting into the void—especially when it comes to global brands. That can be quite an isolating experience. The one advantage that these homegrown brands have up their sleeves is their proximity to their target market. “We’re highly customer-centric. We listen to them, and develop products they have always wanted,” Sarah admits. This comes as no surprise, seeing as Cuura has a skin spa that allows entrants to the brand to experience nearly everything that the brand can offer. The physical contact also allows for access to direct feedback.
A New Kind Status Symbol
For Adlina, the comment section is one of her resources for insights. “It helps me identify the customer’s pain points and desires. Then I can create solutions that truly resonate with them,” she adds. Aligning the brand’s values with today’s demand is also imperative. “We are proud to offer vegan and cruelty-free products that are not tested on animals. This commitment to ethical practices resonates strongly with Malaysian consumers who are increasingly conscious of sustainability and animal welfare.”
This is echoed by Lim over at B&B Labs as well. “Single-use sheet masks are not typically planet-friendly, but we’ve designed one that’s made of 100 per cent natural plant fibres that are fully biodegradable and compostable,” he says. In speaking to Sarah, she finds that operating locally has allowed her to come up with truly unique selling points. “It was a huge task, but we have managed to get some of our products Halal-certified. We’re also the first local brand to produce a hybrid sunscreen with broad spectrum.”
Thanks to their (and their peers) all-out crusade to stimulate the local industry, it’s no longer rare to find local offerings in our makeup collections. In fact, the city’s It girls are proudly flaunting their favourites in real life and online. It may be common today, but remember, just a decade ago, this would have been completely ludicrous.
As they ride the highs of their individual careers, they’re setting their eyes on the next big thing for the brands. B&B Labs is considering opening its first concept store; Velvet Vanity is debuting its first flagship store at Elmina Lakeside Mall this month; and Cuura aspires to have its own wellness retreat centre. So if you think that this stability means that these entrepreneurs are taking a respite, think again. The real fun—and work—is about to begin.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA Malaysia November 2024 issue.
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