16 Under-The-Radar Chinese Makeup Brands The 'Xiao Hong Shu' Girls Are Using

By Karmen on 18 Aug 2025

Digital Editor

Soft and flattering Douyin-style makeup looks, and the products used to create them, have been trending for years, but it's only in recent times that the C-beauty boom has taken off in full force.

Case in point: Chinese makeup brands are officially mainstream! JOOYCEE, loved for playful and trend-forward makeup, just opened a flagship store at Wisma Atria. And others like Flower Knows, viral for princess-y packaging; Perfect Diary, a favourite for weightless lip stains; Judydoll, the go-to for transfer-proof lip glosses; as well as the ornately decorated Catkin and Florasis, have become household names, with official online stores and even shelf space at Watsons and Guardian.

But that's just a teensy slice of the C-beauty makeup cake! From cute, minimalist and luxurious to flamboyant and even goth, there's a whole world of Chinese makeup brands with a spectrum of styles and micro aesthetics to get a taste of.

Without further ado, here are 16 lesser-known Chinese makeup brands that deserve a spot on your vanity:

Photo from Flortte, Pink Bear

#1 Flortte

If coquette fashion was bottled and pressed into makeup, it would be Flortte! Their products are the prettiest little things, often embellished with bows, cats and butterflies, and sometimes even topped with dangling charms. Shades lean on the sweet and soft side, and formulations are beginner-friendly.

What to try: Mikko Liquid Eyeliner ($10.44)

#2 Pink Bear

This one's for the girly girls! Pink Bear dreams up the loveliest, unapologetically feminine makeup products like lipsticks that look like chunky bows. Their collabs are top tier too! The recent Butterbear and Hangyodon collections are add-to-cart worthy just for the packaging.

What to try: Colored Lip Gloss ($15.32)

Photo from INTO YOU, Colorkey

#3 INTOYOU

Meet the inventor of lip muds, the cult makeup product in China in the early 2020s. Soft and mud-like to the touch, lip muds smoothen out lip lines with a velvety matte finish, feels lightweight and non-drying, and doubles as blush. The brand recently reformulated its iconic product to include two shades in one. This duo can be used to create Korean-style ombre lips or Douyin-style 3D petal lips.

Keep a lookout for their limited-edition drops that have packaging cute enough to heal your inner child, like the Pixar and POP MART collections.

What to try: Canned Lip Mud ($13.88)

#4 Colorkey

If you're in the market for a long-lasting lippie that outperforms its price tag, Colorkey is the brand to look to. Their lip tints are a cult-favourite for their longevity. They come in different variations from mattes to glazes, and an innovative formula that applies like a gloss but dries matte.

What to try: Watery Matte Lipgloss ($14.39)

Photo from Zeesea, Jill Leen

#5 Zeesea

Love experimenting with bold makeup looks? Zeesea is your match. While wearable, everyday makeup is the more popular look in C-beauty, this brand shakes things up with more statement-making shades. They're housed in packaging that's just as showy, like the foundation bottle with a gold phoenix perched on its cap, and eyeshadow palettes with watercolour-style illustrations.

What to try: Alice Hot Water Cream Primer ($17.99)

#6 Jill Leen

This brand does playful, fun-sized products at low prices - the perfect formula to take your makeup routine less seriously and make it feel more like playtime.

What to try: Crayon Shin-chan Liquid Blush ($9.42)

Photo from Cute Rumor, Red Chamber

#7 Cute Rumor

Can't resist makeup with exceptionally pretty packaging? Prepare to be tempted by Cute Rumor's creations! Their makeup products are fashioned like trinkets that belong in a display cabinet, like lipsticks that look like Alice in Wonderland-themed chess pieces.

What to try: Contouring Blush ($15.39)

#8 Red Chamber

Leaving your cutesy era and entering your adulting era, even if only for a day? Red Chamber will take you there. Elegant and sophisticated, their multi-purpose products are perfect for busy ladies and they come in sleek, minimalist packaging.

What to try: Multi-Purpose Cream Blush ($13.12)

Photo from Caslan, Kaleidos

#9 CARSLAN

This is brand to look to if you're into professional, fashion-forward makeup looks. Their star products are the ultra-fine setting powders that lock in makeup, control oil, and blur imperfections with a soft-focus finish. They come in both loose and pressed powder forms as well as colour-correcting shades.

What to try: Black Magnet Soft Mist Powder ($16.99)

#10 Kaleidos

Made for individual self-expression, and not fitting into a narrow beauty standard, Kaleidos is the rebel of the C-beauty world. Their products are loud in colour and high-impact in finish, perfect for going out of your comfort zone with creative makeup looks.

What to try: Space Age Highlighter ($19)

Photo from Girlcult, Haggard

#11 Girlcult

Where do the goth girlies in China buy their makeup? From Girlcult, of course! And it's not the packaging that has a dark fantasy aesthetic, the makeup products themselves come in eerie, dramatic shades, all the better to conjure your inner witch, vampire or Wednesday Addams.

Even the shade names sound like they came from a spell book: Dementor, Spiders, The Lady in Red, Duplicate Lover, and Lethe Water.

What to try: Love Whisper Matte Lip Stain ($21.69)

#12 Haggard

Haggard has a more soft goth aesthetic with a little indie alternative chic in the mix, like a spooky children's story rather than full-on horror. The eyeshadow palettes mix dark shades with more vibrant hues and eclectic glitters, while the lipsticks come in shades from soft greys and muted maroons to wearable mauves.

You can also expect spooky shade names like Armageddon, Tombstone, Oracle, and Fallen Angel.

What to try: 7-Colour Eyeshadow Palette ($20.74)

Photo from Meking, Timage

#13 Meiking

Meiking's roots are in simple, no-nonsense skincare. They've brought the same philosophy to their makeup line including high quality base products like primers, foundations and pressed powders.

What to try: Oil Control Liquid Foundation ($9.69)

#14 Timage

If your makeup ethos is about subtly enhancing your features rather than overpowering it, this is the brand to look out for. Their thoughtfully created and practical makeup products make it easy to create natural, no-makeup makeup looks with just the right touch of coverage, colour, shadow, and highlight.

What to try: 3-Color Contour Palette ($39.97)

Photo from Colorrose, Cheerflor

#15 Colorrose

This is another brand that creates makeup that you'd want just to own and fawn over, whether you use it or not. Inspired by oil paintings, the products look like tiny works of art, and even the powders and lipstick bullets have intricate embossing. Shades are on the muted side and also lightly pigmented, which may be a good thing for makeup beginners or those who prefer a more subdued look.