Chinese makeup brand Carslan is developing more mid-end and high-end products, aiming to become one of the top global makeup brands in Europe and the United States in the future. Founded in 2001 in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Carslan recently launched a research and development center in Milan, Italy. The company said it pays particular attention to R&D, and it cooperates with top designer teams at home and abroad to strengthen its brand's impact and stand out from the crowd. Earlier this year, Carslan acquired an Italian cosmetics brand to enrich its portfolio. The company did not disclose more details on the acquisition. Carslan’s main products include foundation, eye makeup and lipstick. Carslan also invited designers from renowned studios and those who previously designed products for Hermes and Dior to design special packaging for its lipstick, lip gloss and foundation. Such products were showcased at an exhibition in Paris in July.
In 2020, the export value of China’s cosmetics sector reached USD4.2 billion, which was about one-fifth of the import value in the sector, but the export value is on the rise, said the General Administration of Customs. “Different from the cheap labor advantage in the past, Chinese-made products have gained an increasingly better reputation globally in quality, packaging and design. More foreign consumers are showing interest in Chinese culture and buying Chinese products,” said Tang Xilong, President of Carslan. “Competition in the domestic cosmetics market has been fierce, and Chinese consumers put a lot of emphasis on quality, a rational price and diversified makeup. If we can provide good services to domestic consumers, our international competence will become stronger,” Tang said. “Carslan’s main consumers are office employees who pursue a quality lifestyle,” he said.
Tmall, the e-commerce platform of Alibaba Group, has also launched a series of favorable policies to help domestically made makeup products to sell in overseas markets. Consumers in some Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia can purchase makeup of Chinese brands with complimentary crossborder delivery. In the past few years, China’s cosmetics industry has seen booming growth, and a number of trendy domestic brands such as Perfect Diary and Huaxizi have emerged and gained popularity. Last year, sales of cosmetics such as makeup, skincare, perfume and personal care products in China hit CNY862 billion. Between 2015 and 2020, the compound annual growth rate of the market in China reached 16%, according to the Shenzhen, Guangdong province-based Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, the China Daily reports.
