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The beauty market in Singapore has long been dominated by foreign brands – French, American, Japanese, and Korean brands are perennial favourites. But in recent years, homegrown make-up and cosmetic brands have started to pop up in local stores and online, with beauty products tailored to combat Singapore’s hot and humid climate and meet the unique needs of a multi-ethnic population. Here are 10 Singaporean cosmetic brands you need to add to your shopping list.

Faux Fayc

Faux Fayc (say ‘fo-face’) creates make-up that caters to an Asian market in a hot-humid climate – just like Singapore. Their inaugural product – the Fauxlash Mascara Duo, a fibre mascara with black lashes instead of the white more commonly found in this product catered towards Caucasian women – launched their company with a bang. Today it has transitioned from an online store to having two brick-and-mortar shops in high-traffic shopping malls.

INGA by 27A

INGA by 27A specialises in doing just one thing – producing the perfect matt lipstick that lasts in warm, humid weather. Created by Singaporean make-up artist Marie Soh, the 10 shades currently available are designed to be long-lasting, moisturising, and most importantly, suited for Asian skin that has more yellow and pink undertones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHXTebOWLHs

13rushes

The most overlooked tools in your beauty arsenal are the brushes that you use to apply your make up. 13rushes produces affordable synthetic make-up brushes that are handmade and hand-trimmed. The brand was created by Tan Yu Hui to take a stand against the animal cruelty that often goes into creating animal hair brushes.

Zahara

The ladies of Zahara created a water and oxygen permeable nail polish that allows Muslim women to leave their nail polish during wudhu, a ritual pre-prayer cleansing where water needs to touch all surfaces of the body. The impermeability of regular nail polish means women normally have to remove their nail polish to pray and reapply again after. Besides nail polish, this halal-certified beauty brand also produces lip and eye cosmetics.

DrGL

Dr Georgia Lee is a pioneer in Singapore’s aesthetics industry and a doctor well-known for her celebrity clientele and her own striking looks. She formulated all the products in her skincare line DrGL, just a small part of her larger beauty empire and her award-winning lipsticks, powders, and blushers that focus on being nourishing as much as enhancing.

Reflections Organics

Reflections Organics is a make-up brand that only produces sustainable, organic cosmetics that are vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free. Their bestsellers include the sun-protection powder and their lip butter and lip glaze range.

Handmade Heroes

Handmade Heroes beauty products are all natural and vegan – no animal by-products are used – and have a cult following in Singapore. Their product range is small and all lovingly handmade, and some of their more popular products include their lip tints and dry shampoo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kKS2q0juV4

Candela Cosmetics

Candela Cosmetics was started by beauty vlogger Erin Alessandra Jung when she was studying in Singapore at the tender age of 16. She could not find products that worked for her sensitive skin and decided to make her own with organic derivatives and without the harsh chemicals. Her products are made in small batches and are all handmade, cruelty-free, and vegan.

SUII Naturals

SUII Naturals is a cosmetic brand that focuses solely on using basic food grade ingredients for their products. They started off with a range of lip products before venturing into face powders that use Thanaka – a product unique to Myanmar and often used by Burmese women to protect their skin and for decorative purposes.

COAT Nail Polish

COAT Nail Polish is not only toxin-free, it’s 8-free – that means it doesn’t contain formaldehyde resin, formaldehyde, toluene, camphor, DBP, TPHP, paraben and xylene. They have a range of fun colours, including two very local names. First is Bak Kwa, which is a dark brown like the barbecued meat, and the second is a lovely pink Jambu that’s reminiscent of a tropical fruit commonly found around Singapore.

About the author

Jaclynn Seah is The Occasional Traveller, a freelance travel writer based in Singapore who loves discovering new places and cultures. See all her travels at theoccasionaltraveller.com

If you click on a link in this story, we may earn affiliate revenue. All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip.
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