Being that it’s not one of Malaysia’s beauty brands run by celebrities in the entertainment industry, you may find Lip & Co. an unfamiliar name.
When Kelvin Tan established it in 2017, he already had the experience of running UB Cosmetics, a beauty brand that supplied to beauty subscription boxes in Europe, UK, US, and Australia.
Likewise, Lip & Co. set its sights on the overseas market, but it hasn’t neglected to create a local presence for itself either.
It may not be as popular as other brands launched by celebrities, but it’s proven itself to be a worthy rival in the global arena of the beauty industry.
It’s Received Global Brand Recognition
5 years ago, UB Cosmetics began building a pretty solid fan base through Bellabox, a beauty box subscription service in Australia. As an example, its UB Tint Stick was awarded the Most Popular Product in Australia by Bellabox’s beauty community.
It’s an achievement that Kelvin is still proud of until today, because the selection process it went through included a pile of featured and highly reviewed products from 20 other brands.
They were up against the likes of NYX, Bioderma, and Nip + Fab, for examples, and Kelvin told Vulcan Post that their shortlisting was a surprise since they weren’t well-known yet at the time.
Upon winning, they then sent out 70,000 Tint Sticks to Bellabox’s subscribers in Australia, and the brand was later selected to be featured in a crossover box in China by Bellabox and TMall.
In 2017, UB Cosmetics was invited to the Emmy Awards’ Gifting Suite & Luncheon in LA. This is where selected companies are able to gift their products to celebrities, and can provide great exposure and recognition for young entrepreneurs.
A year later, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry gave Kelvin’s brand an award at the Top100 International Business Style Awards, one of the most prestigious award events in the domestic and international business community.
Exceeding Its Sales Projection By 400% In 2 Years
From there, there was no slowing down for this humble Malaysian brand. Other than working with renowned beauty tech players overseas, it’s also worked within a team for several notable celebrity brands through an American incubation company.
“I’ve also been offered contracts by Birchbox, the largest subscription box in the US as well as Ipsy when it was owned by Michelle Phan,” Kelvin shared.
So where has all this recognition led his brand to? He recalled to Vulcan Post that within the span of 2 years, they had exceeded their sales projection by 400%, as well as launched in more than 10 countries spanning Europe, UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
Kelvin has always built his beauty brands to be vegetarian-friendly and cruelty-free, and put in work to come up with formulations that were on par with those of commercial brands.
Aside from the recognition received, he credits their sales success to this introduction of their innovative product. “It was also the speed and commitment we were able to deliver that sealed the deal,” he added.
Building A New Brand Fit For The Queen
His clientele includes Malaysian royals and celebrities who make purchases online just like you and me. He named some of their most notable clients, stating that one order was made under H.R.H Raja Permaisuri Agong, and that Datin Paduka Marina had made several purchases too.
“Honestly, I would love to present Her Majesty, our Queen with my latest creation that took more than 7 years of blood, sweat, and a lot of tears for it to become a reality. It’s called The Caim,” he added.
“The product was initially set to be launched early 2020 when I was given a product placement opportunity in Vogue US, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it didn’t happen.”
Proudly, he announced that The Caim is nonetheless set to launch soon, carrying the same philosophies he practises with UB Cosmetics and Lip & Co.
“Despite knowing that it is still an uncertain year due to the global pandemic, I still have faith and hope to thrive during this situation,” Kelvin said.
“We will adapt to the conditions to the best of my abilities and I hope to launch my new brand abroad this year and collaborate with several new homegrown talents.”
He aims for The Caim to follow in the footsteps of his other brands in having a presence in Europe, UK and Australia too.
- You can find out more about Lip & Co. here, and UB Cosmetics here.
- You can read our previous coverage of Lip & Co. here.
Featured Image Credit: Kelvin Tan, founder of UB Cosmetics, Lip & Co. and The Caim
