CARSLAN (卡姿兰) is a Chinese cosmetics and makeup brand established in 2001. It is best known for its colour cosmetics, particularly foundation, cushion compacts, lipstick, powder, mascara, eyeliner and eye makeup. The brand positions itself at the intersection of Chinese beauty needs, international fashion trends and cosmetic technology.1 Its official website describes CARSLAN as a leading professional Chinese makeup brand that has specialised in high-quality colour cosmetics since its inception, with the original aim of enabling Chinese consumers to access cosmetics incorporating global expertise.1

CARSLAN is a Chinese mass-to-mid-market beauty brand that has evolved from a traditional colour cosmetics label into a company focused on technology and research and development. Unlike brands built primarily around skincare, CARSLAN’s historical centre of gravity has been makeup. Its current product architecture encompasses face and base makeup (foundation, cushion, powder, BB products, primer), lip makeup (lipstick, lip essence, treatment-oriented lip products), eye makeup (eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, eyebrow products), selected skincare lines and limited-edition collaboration collections. The official catalogue prominently features product families such as Black Magnet (黑磁), Double-Core (双芯), Liu Guang (琉光) and various “cat” foundation and cushion lines.1

Foundation and early innovations

CARSLAN traces its establishment to 2001, when the CARSLAN Group was founded as a Chinese cosmetics business with an emphasis on professional makeup. Founder Tang Xilong (唐锡隆) sought to create high-quality makeup products that would allow Chinese consumers to access cosmetics meeting global standards.2

In 2002, the brand introduced one of its earliest signature innovations, the Double-Core lipstick (双芯口红). This concept combined two lipstick cores in a single product and became integral to the brand’s identity. CARSLAN subsequently incorporated the “double C” motif into its branding, representing the two cores of this signature lipstick. Lipstick thus became part of the brand’s visual and technological identity rather than merely a product category.2

Manufacturing and marketing expansion

In 2003, CARSLAN established a production base in Guangzhou, China. The Chinese official site records the original facility as approximately 30,000 square metres, while the international site describes the earlier production base as exceeding 20,000 square metres; this discrepancy reflects descriptions of the facility at different stages of development.1

The brand signed Hong Kong actress Zhang Baizhi (张柏芝) as a spokesperson in 2004, a move the company regards as significant in the development of celebrity endorsement within Chinese cosmetics marketing. Between 2008 and 2012, CARSLAN worked with several prominent Asian entertainers, including Joey Yung, Jolin Tsai and Elva Hsiao, campaigns that helped associate the brand with contemporary Asian pop culture and fashion.1

Expansion into base makeup

A pivotal development in CARSLAN’s history was its expansion from lipstick and traditional colour cosmetics into complexion products. In 2014, the company introduced what it described as China’s first customised-skin-tone cushion CC cream, nicknamed the “Snail Cushion CC Cream” (蜗牛气垫CC霜). According to the company’s own historical account, the product achieved a sales rate of approximately one box every six seconds.1 This launch illustrated a strategic shift towards being recognised as a full-face makeup specialist rather than solely a lipstick brand, a strategy that eventually produced extensive foundation, cushion, powder and primer families.

CARSLAN’s product philosophy combines technology, fashion and Asian consumer needs. The company cites technology innovation as a core driver of its development, emphasising internally developed R&D capabilities, professional laboratories and manufacturing technology.1 A recurring theme is the creation of makeup suited to Asian skin tones and beauty preferences. For example, CARSLAN specifically describes its base-makeup development as focusing on products better suited to Asian consumers, distinguishing its approach from simply importing Western makeup concepts into China.2

CARSLAN increasingly presents itself as a beauty technology and manufacturing company. Its Chinese site highlights 10,000 m² of innovation R&D laboratories, over 230 global researchers, 171 authorised Chinese patents and a large integrated intelligent manufacturing and research base. The company describes this infrastructure under the concept of “大·研·精”, emphasising large-scale manufacturing capability, research and innovation, and precision quality; these figures are company-reported.2

The international site states that CARSLAN established an Italian R&D laboratory in 2021 and a Japanese R&D laboratory in 2023, whilst also recruiting European R&D experts.2 This international R&D structure supports the brand’s effort to combine Chinese manufacturing and consumer knowledge with international cosmetic expertise.

Base makeup

Base makeup is arguably CARSLAN’s most strategically important category today. The current catalogue includes liquid foundations, cushion foundations, powder foundations, loose powders, pressed powders, makeup primers, BB products and sunscreen-makeup hybrids. Current product families include Black Magnet (黑磁), Liu Guang (琉光), Black Obsidian (黑曜) and various ampoule foundation and cushion products.2 The Black Magnet line, for instance, is marketed around oil-control and long-wear performance.

Lip makeup

Lip products remain central to CARSLAN’s identity. The brand’s history is closely linked to the Double-Core lipstick, and the current catalogue includes Double-Core lipstick, Water Kiss lipstick, Mist Kiss lipstick and tinted lip essence.1

Eye makeup

CARSLAN sells mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow and eyebrow products. The brand has historically invested heavily in this category; in 2015, for example, it launched a dual-ended mascara with a 2.5 mm brush head, positioned as an innovation in precision eye makeup.2

Skincare

Although makeup remains its core identity, CARSLAN has expanded into skincare, offering peptide-oriented and premium nourishing skincare lines.2

CARSLAN is a Chinese brand attempting to internationalise outwards, rather than a Western luxury brand entering China. The international website explicitly describes CARSLAN as a Chinese cosmetics company focused on professionalism, fashion and internationalisation, aiming to bring fashion and beauty to women worldwide.2 Its internationalisation strategy includes international R&D personnel, Italian and Japanese R&D laboratories, international fashion partnerships, colour and design collaborations, and overseas e-commerce and retail presence. The English-language site currently sells lip, eye and face makeup internationally.2

CARSLAN frequently uses collaborations to connect makeup with art, fashion and popular culture. In 2019, the brand collaborated with the artistic IP associated with Gustav Klimt.2 That same year, it partnered with Pantone, releasing a limited-edition lipstick based on Living Coral, Pantone’s 2019 Colour of the Year.1 In 2020, CARSLAN developed a collection inspired by Dunhuang, incorporating Chinese cultural imagery into cosmetics.2 These initiatives demonstrate a strategy of combining international fashion language with Chinese cultural references rather than imitating Western beauty aesthetics.

CARSLAN’s identity has evolved considerably since 2001. The early brand was strongly associated with celebrity endorsements, affordable makeup, lipstick, eye makeup, traditional retail and mass-market Chinese beauty. The modern brand places greater emphasis on R&D, cosmetic technology, intelligent manufacturing, high-performance complexion products, international aesthetics, youth culture, Chinese cultural creativity and premiumisation. This reflects an evolution from a traditional Chinese cosmetics brand into a technology-driven contemporary beauty brand.

The CARSLAN logo was inspired by the Double-Core lipstick. The two interlocking or stacked C forms symbolise the two cores and represent the brand’s ambition to become a Chinese-born, internationally oriented cosmetics company. The logo thus connects the company’s visual identity with one of its earliest product innovations.2

CARSLAN has historically been strong in celebrity and entertainment marketing, working with major Asian entertainment figures to establish emotional recognition among younger consumers during the expansion of China’s cosmetics market.1 Over time, the marketing model has broadened to combine celebrity endorsement, fashion, technology, cultural IP, social media and product innovation, making the modern brand less dependent on a single celebrity-centred identity.

CARSLAN marked its 20th anniversary in 2021 with a strategic brand upgrade coinciding with increased emphasis on R&D, international laboratories, manufacturing technology, professional makeup expertise and brand modernisation. The Italian R&D laboratory was established that year, reinforcing the internationalisation strategy.1

The current Chinese website presents CARSLAN as a mature, technology-oriented cosmetics brand. In 2025, the company stated it received the designation “China’s No. 1 domestic colour cosmetics brand” (国货彩妆第一品牌) from the China Association of Fragrance Flavor and Cosmetic Industries, based on 2024 mainland-China omnichannel retail sales. This is a company-reported industry recognition rather than an independent universal ranking. The same page lists 2024 recognitions including a Forbes China beauty-industry ranking and JD.com domestic beauty awards.2

CARSLAN’s trajectory mirrors the broader transformation of Chinese consumer brands from competing primarily on price and distribution towards competing on technology, design, branding and product experience.

The brand is fundamentally Chinese in origin but deliberately utilises international fashion, R&D and design resources. Its historical DNA is rooted in colour cosmetics rather than skincare, with strong expertise in complexion technologies. Product innovations such as the Double-Core lipstick, cushion CC cream and precision mascara have become part of the brand story, whilst collaborations with Pantone, Klimt and Dunhuang illustrate its strategy of connecting global fashion and art language with Chinese cultural identity.1

There is a distinction between CARSLAN as a consumer brand and the entities operating it. The official Chinese site identifies Guangzhou Carslan Enterprise Management Co., Ltd. (广州卡姿兰企业管理有限公司) within its corporate ecosystem, while the international site identifies Wuhu Xinmeiyi Cosmetics Trading Co., Ltd. as the company associated with its international operations. CARSLAN is therefore more accurately described as a brand or business group rather than a single legal corporation across all markets.1

1. 卡姿兰（Carslan）官方网站-专研高品质彩妆25年
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