KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- In recent years, Chinese beauty brands have increasingly found their way into the makeup bags of Southeast Asian consumers. From viral products sold via livestreaming to counters in shopping malls, Chinese beauty products are gaining a stronger presence across the region.
Data showed that China's cosmetics exports reached 7.82 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, up 9.2 percent year on year. An increasing number of Chinese brands, including Proya, Florasis, Judydoll and INTO YOU, are accelerating their expansion into Southeast Asia in search of new growth opportunities.
E-COMMERCE OPENS A GATEWAY TO THE MARKET
Recently, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, a Vietnamese Gen Z consumer, was drawn to a Focallure matte lip glaze while watching a livestream on TikTok Shop. With a few taps on her phone, she placed an order, and the package arrived at her doorstep several days later.
"Chinese cosmetics come in exquisite packaging, and their quality is just as good. It is difficult to find alternatives at the same price point," Nguyen said. Her experience offers a glimpse into how Chinese beauty brands are rapidly gaining visibility among young Southeast Asian consumers through social commerce.
Joanne Lin Weiling, senior fellow and coordinator of the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS, Yusof Ishak Institute, said Chinese beauty brands have clearly moved beyond being a niche presence in Southeast Asia.
Their strongest performance has been in mass-market skincare and color cosmetics, particularly among younger, digitally connected consumers, Lin said, adding that their growing visibility shows consumers are increasingly willing to consider Chinese brands alongside more established South Korean, Japanese and Western competitors.
"This momentum has largely been driven by social commerce rather than conventional retail expansion," Lin said.
In her view, the rapid growth of Chinese beauty brands in Southeast Asia is closely linked to their competitive pricing, fast product iteration and digital marketing capabilities. Chinese brands, she said, are particularly adept at using TikTok Shop, Shopee, livestreaming, influencers and affiliate marketing to generate awareness and convert online interest directly into sales.
"They are quick to identify trends, develop new products and market them through short videos, livestreaming and local influencers," Lin said.
FROM SELLING PRODUCTS TO GOING LOCAL
As their market presence expands, Chinese beauty brands are stepping up localization efforts across products, marketing and distribution channels.
"I believe its long-term success will depend heavily on local adaptation," Lin said.
Chinese beauty brand INTO YOU, which officially entered the Southeast Asian market in 2022, has experienced this firsthand. Li Huageng, head of INTO YOU's overseas business, said the company initially tested its best-selling products and existing product lines from China after entering the region, but quickly found significant differences in consumer demand across countries.
"For example, Vietnamese consumers have skin tones relatively similar to those of Chinese consumers, so there is considerable overlap in best-selling shades. In Malaysia, skin tones are generally more diverse, creating stronger demand for deeper shades," Li said.
"Based on feedback from consumers, INTO YOU has developed products to cater to different usage habits and aesthetic preferences," he added.
Localization is also extending from products to marketing, distribution channels and even organizational structures.
Other Chinese cosmetics companies, including Joy Group, the parent company of Judydoll and Joocyee, are also accelerating their offline expansion. Fortune magazine reported that Joy Group established a Singapore unit in 2024 as its regional hub before opening overseas stores. In 2025, the group's overseas revenue reached 87 million dollars, with Vietnam becoming its largest overseas market.
From testing the waters through cross-border e-commerce and developing localized products to building local teams and expanding offline distribution, Chinese beauty brands' expansion in Southeast Asia is evolving from simply exporting products toward deeper localized operations.
BEYOND THE BUZZ, BRANDS NEED STAYING POWER
As the market expands rapidly, Chinese beauty companies now face another challenge: how to turn online traffic and short-term popularity into lasting brand loyalty.
"The main challenge is converting online popularity into trust and loyalty," Lin said.
She noted that South Korean brands benefit from a powerful cultural ecosystem built around K-pop, films, television dramas and celebrities, while European, U.S. and Japanese brands enjoy brand credibility and consumer recognition accumulated over many years.
Experts believe that as Chinese beauty brands move from rapidly capturing market share to building long-term competitiveness, product research and development and brand value will become increasingly important.
Yan Jiangying, chairperson of the China Association of Fragrance Flavor and Cosmetic Industries, said China's beauty industry has developed a relatively complete industrial chain, while there remains room for further progress in certain areas.
Alongside stronger products, developing a distinctive value proposition that differentiates Chinese brands from their South Korean, Japanese, European and U.S. counterparts will also be crucial.
"What is local can also be international," Yan said. As Chinese culture becomes increasingly attractive globally, she believes integrating Eastern aesthetics and Chinese culture into brand narratives can help Chinese beauty brands develop a more distinctive identity in international markets.
"Products with distinctive cultural characteristics and Eastern aesthetics will have the opportunity to develop differentiated competitive advantages," Yan said, adding that these elements should gradually become part of brands' long-term value systems.
A single purchase
