Vegan Beauty Brand FAE Launched in India
FAE – Free and Equal Beauty – a vegan, cruelty-free beauty label has been launched in India by Karishma Kewalramani. With consumers of the fast-growing beauty industry in India becoming more aware of their choices, FAE promises to be the ideal choice for those who believe in the long-term benefits of “Conscious Beauty”. The focus at FAE Beauty is on inclusivity and their mission is to build a brand that brings innovative, inclusive and transparent products to the market without compromising on the quality of ingredients or the overall ‘oomph’ factor of a makeup brand. The brand offers five matte lipstick shades that can double up as cheek or eye tints and is said to be specifically built for the vast Indian colour palette of skin tones. Their products are assured to be vegan as well as cruelty-free without any parabens or fragrances.
FAE’S founder Karishma Kewalramani wanted to champion the idea of inclusivity in the Indian beauty industry after observing a serious gap for products made for women of colour. Having worked as a consultant in San Francisco, returned to India to discover that foundation shades or lipstick palettes are rarely developed to suit the Indian skin tone. Building on her experience by interacting with renowned make-up artists and working behind the scenes at Lakme Fashion Week and Top Model India, she put together a team of people who were equally passionate about breaking stereotypes and making the beauty industry more inclusive – resulting in the launch of FAE.
FAE Beauty promises to provide a truly customized experience through their range of buildable beauty products that allow control and versatility during application. These lipsticks are said to go on as an understated wash of colour upon a single swipe of application, which can be built to a dynamic-bold lip with additional applications. The more you apply, the darker the shade that complements diverse skin types and tones.
Smears and smudges of colours coupled with black and white packaging are intended to give a sense of an alternative beauty brand that creates products for everyone. Featuring real Indian profiles set against vibrant backgrounds, each product packaging claims to have its entire ingredient list printed on every carton – some of which include castor oil for dry or chapped lips, shea butter to protect from UV damage and caprylic capric triglyceride to keep lips hydrated. The models chosen to represent the brand also bring contrasts in skin colours and textures, with different body types to breaking away from conventions and thus truly represent the diversity of India.
Each purchase of the Buildable Matte Lipsticks comes with a pack of goodies that include a custom-designed sticker sheet and a faux matchbox containing a miniature FAE Devanagari Charm that can be styled with necklaces, earrings, bracelets or your favourite piece of jewellery. The lipsticks are available on the brand’s own E-commerce portal as well as on Nykaa.