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China chic beauty start-up Florasis tops TikTok sibling Douyin’s cosmetics sales chart in 2021

  • Founded as a direct-to-consumer brand in 2016 in Hangzhou, Florasis found fame after top live-streamer Li Jiaqi promoted its lipstick
  • International beauty brands have yet to embrace new e-commerce channels such as Douyin E-commerce, said marketing analyst

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Florasis says it combines traditional beauty rituals and modern Chinese aesthetics in creating its products. Photo: Handout
Yaling Jiang

A direct-to-consumer cosmetics company offering products designed with traditional Chinese aesthetics in mind became last year’s bestselling beauty brand on Douyin – the Chinese version of short video app TikTok – according to rankings released by app owner ByteDance.

Florasis, which sells directly to consumers without going through retailers, dominated Douyin’s e-commerce top 10 chart in the beauty brand category based on the total value of products sold. The rankings, which did not disclose sales numbers, included eight other Chinese brands such as Proya, Kans and Bio-MESO, as well as South Korean brand Pramy.

The popularity of Florasis and its domestic peers reflects the shifting tastes of young Chinese female consumers, who are increasingly willing to try out new brands that cater to their unique demand.

Founded in 2017 in the eastern city of Hangzhou, Florasis is known for selling products built on Chinese heritage, such as a carved lipstick inspired by Chinese relief sculpture that was featured by China’s top live-streamer Li Jiaqi in 2019, and packaging boxes designed with patterns seen in traditional silverware made by the Miao people – an ethnic minority group in the southwestern Guizhou province.
Many have attributed Florasis’ success to Guochao, or the “China chic” trend, which has swept across China’s retail industry over the past few years, riding on a growing sense of national pride. Home-grown products, including electronics from tech firms Huawei Technologies Co and Xiaomi, were among some of the most sought-after products during the most recent Singles’ Day shopping festival.

Douyin said in a separate annual report published on social media platform WeChat on Tuesday that it wants to “promote traditional culture” and “support the growth of Chinese goods”.

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