A new cosmetic startup, Orcé Cosmetics, is catering specifically towards Asian Americans and challenging Asian cultural beauty standards at the same time. Yu-Chen Shih, the founder and CEO of Orcé Cosmetics, aims to provide products that allow all “Asian women [to] feel empowered, valued and confident,” according to Ocre Cosmetic website.
In an interview with KPIX5, Shih expressed her struggles in the past with finding a foundation that matched her darker Asian complexion. She added that when she first came to this country, she quickly discovered how different Asian American beauty standards are compared to those in the East and West.
In Asian countries, such as Japan and Korea, looking “pure” and “light” is heavily promoted. So, makeup carriers tend to offer whiter shades. Asian Americans, however, favor more of a “bronzier, golden look,” according to KPIX5.
Even in Western brands like Sephora, it is hard to find shades with the correct undertone for Asian American complexions. Foundations from Western cosmetic brands are usually made with pink undertones, which are more “suitable for Caucasian skin.” Therefore, Asian Americans who desire this ‘in-between’ are out of luck.
Shih saw this lack of representation in this market and created Orcé Cosmetics. It is the first ever makeup line specifically designed for Asian Americans. It includes a full range of shades with golden and warm undertones instead of pink. The ingredients are composed of Tahitian pearl extracts and Chinese herbs that help with hyperpigmentation and breakouts, which are common skin problems most Asian Americans struggle with.
“Asian Americans, we have one of the highest spending powers in the country, four times that of millennials, and no one is paying attention,” Shih said in her KPIX5 interview.
Shih, a Malaysian-Taiwanese, grew up in Singapore. “I was always criticized for being too dark, for being too fat, and I want to challenge this, I want to challenge this idea that only a certain skin tone is beautiful,” Shih told KPIX5.
According to its website, Orcé Cosmetics allows Asian international women to not have to compromise when it comes to makeup style and suitability. Since their company launch earlier this year, their sales have tripled. Now based in San Francisco, Orcé Cosmetics is currently developing more products to expand its line of makeup, according to KPIX5.
“I think it’s time for people of Asian descent to feel included in this conversation,” Shih said in an article by Rose Inc published February of this year.
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