Just like Pakistan’s fledgling wellness industry, local makeup brands are gaining momentum. These new formulations have been specially designed to suit skin tones, offer value for money, while offering quality ingredients and packaging.
While the exchange rate has helped, local brands now compete with their international counterparts, matching it pigment for pigment. Consumer demand has resulted in existing textile and retail brands moving towards beauty, as well as making room for new entrants into the beauty market.
Local focus: 5 fragrance brands on our radar
Here is a selection of some of the products available:
ZERO makeup
Beauty and hair expert Nabila Maqsood has launched a range of unisex products under her label, ZERO Makeup, with a focus on minimalist beauty.
Starting with the popular Face Perfecting Palette launched a few years ago, the brand has since grown to include a blur pen for both men and women, a foundation and an eyeliner duo/ mascara
The Instagram page, which has nearly 200,000 followers, often features makeup tutorials from Nabila herself, for those who want to better understand how to use the products.
The product line ranges from Rs 2,900 to Rs 8,900.
Zhoosh Makeup
Started in 2016 by a fashion consultant, Rabia Umair Abid, the brand has since grown to offer liquid and cream lipsticks, cream blushes, lashes and more.
The brand, which has more than 100,000 Instagram followers, became more popular during Covid when it started offering dupes for Huda Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics with its long-lasting lip formulas.
The product line ranges from Rs 450 to Rs 4950.
Local focus: 5 skincare brands on our radar
Sapphire beauty
Massarat make-up
This veteran beauty expert was one of the pioneers in launching a makeup line in Pakistan, while aiming to be a true Halal and cruelty-free beauty brand.
The brand, which boasts nearly 260,000 Instagram followers, offers everything from a wide range of silk foundations to lipsticks, blushes and more. A wide variety of colors are available and the products are specifically formulated for Asian skin tones.
The makeup line ranges from Rs 300 to Rs 4,500.
Luscious Cosmetics
An affordable brand in the market, this cult brand offers stunning pigmented products with quality formulation. With nearly 240,000 followers on Instagram, this independent beauty brand debuted in 2007 and bills itself as vegan and cruelty-free.
The makeup line ranges from Rs 550 to Rs 4,300.