Global Market Surfer
CLP
Column[China] "Kanmei Diary," a local cosmetic with quirky colors and ideas, is the talk of the town
- Release date: Jun 01, 2020
- 4234 Views
Cosmetics featuring bold colors inspired by China’s wildlife and landscapes, combined with high quality, are gaining popularity
Guangzhou-based cosmetics maker Perfect Diary, which was founded in 2016 and opened an offline shop in Shanghai in the second half of 2019, is making headlines. Collaborating with China's National Geography, the company's earth-colored palettes (starting at 99 yuan/approximately 1,520 yen) are popular, with images of red clay, deserts and geological formations. Its eyeshadows (from 29 rmb/approx. JPY 444) are based on the color of wild animals such as pandas and tigers, as well as plants in their habitats, which are not conventional cosmetic brands. The brand's cool and modal finishes and its gender-neutral advertisements feature male celebrities wearing makeup. The company's high quality products, which are used in the Milan Collection, are popular with the younger generation.
The brand has become a household name through its e-commerce app and offline shop sales model.
In recent years, domestic manufacturers in China have begun to stand out across categories such as EVs, sporting goods (sneakers), home appliances, and digital devices, competing with products that foreign companies typically do not make. However, in the cosmetics sector, there had been few standout domestic players—until Perfect Diary emerged. The brand has attracted strong attention, especially among younger consumers, with its bold color palettes that are uncommon among Western brands, recreating colors inspired by animals and plants. Its affordable pricing has also been well received.
China ranks first in the world in terms of both e-commerce market size and number of e-commerce users, with an e-commerce penetration rate of around 70%, which is notably high. In the cosmetics industry, a sales model combining e-commerce apps (or brand mini-programs) with offline stores as places to try products is becoming firmly established. Perfect Diary has successfully built its brand recognition using this very approach.
E-commerce penetration
DatarePortal, "Digital 2019"
Retrieved June 26, 2020, from https://bit.ly/3828bEw
-
Author profile
TNC ASIA Trend Lab
TNC ASIA Trend Lab is an information organization run by TNC Inc. that researches and shares trends in Asia. It supports corporate marketing activities by finding insights from trends rooted in the lifestyles and habits of local consumers. http://tnc-trend.jp/
-
Editor profile
Yang Yan
A Chinese researcher living in Japan, he shares the realities of life in China and other countries. While in Japan, he uses an e-commerce app called Aliexpress to shop from China.