Born and raised in Langkawi, the duo launched Chinie’s in 2016, starting with a soft launch before opening their first retail space in 2017. Since then, they have grown the brand to four outlets: two in Langkawi (Pekan Rabu and Pantai Cenang) and two in the Klang Valley (Nu Sentral in Kuala Lumpur and IOI City Mall in Putrajaya). Running the business full-time, founders Kanchan, 32, and Vandana, 29, continue to reshape Malaysia’s beauty landscape by bridging the gap between affordability and quality.
“I used to shop only at Sephora but as a student, affording multiple products at once was a challenge. During my graduation trip to Europe, I discovered high-quality brands such as Kiko Milano and Flormar, at budget-friendly prices. It made me question why Malaysia did not have such options. That curiosity turned into action when my mother lent me her credit card, and I bought products to sell at my father’s department outlet. Within a month, everything was gone!” shared Kanchan.
“At the time, drugoutlet brands had limited shade ranges and luxury brands were not accessible to everyone, our goal was to bridge that gap, high-quality makeup that does not break the bank,” said Vandana.
Selecting right beauty brands
“We personally try and test each item, alongside our family, employees and local makeup artists. As makeup artists ourselves, we understand the importance of undertones and shade ranges. Inclusivity is key, we ensure no customer leaves feeling excluded,” said Kanchan.
“Luxury brands set the standard, but we seek alternatives that offer the same finish without the steep price tag,” she added.
“For foundations and concealers, we observe how they react to different skin types. Some oxidise, some separate in humidity and others last all day. We only stock formulas that perform well across various conditions,” Vandana explained.
Affordability vs quality
“We are the importers, sole distributors and official retailers of the brands we carry, eliminating middlemen costs. We also place bulk orders across multiple brands in neighbouring regions to cut transport costs, which benefits our customers and the environment,” she said.
“Many brands we stock focus on quality rather than celebrity-driven marketing, which helps keep prices down while maintaining high standards,” said Vandana.
Trust is everything in the beauty industry.
To overcome scepticism, Chinie’s relied on customer education and transparency. It encouraged customers to switch products, compare them to high-end alternatives and see results firsthand.
With a team of just three, the sisters took bold steps to build credibility, including launching a second outlet in Kuala Lumpur within a year, even before breaking even.
Within two years, Chinie’s became the go-to destination for budget-friendly, high-performance beauty products.
Over the years, Malaysian beauty trends have evolved significantly.
Another shift is the demand for clean beauty and ethical sourcing.
The influence of social media and viral beauty trends is undeniable.
Balancing physical and online expansion
With the rise of e-commerce, Chinie’s has found a way to balance physical outlets and online platforms such as Lazada, Shopee and Zalora.
“We create platform-specific promotions such as bundle deals in outlets to encourage product discovery and flash sales online for deal-seekers. Social media buzz often brings customers into our physical outlets to test products before purchasing,” Kanchan added.
Commitment to sustainability
“We actively partner with brands that prioritise responsible sourcing and cruelty-free practices. We also focus on clean formulations and minimise our carbon footprint through bulk ordering. We encourage customers to bring back used products for proper disposal,” said Kanchan.
With their keen eye for product selection, customer-centric approach and commitment to ethical beauty, the sisters continue to redefine Malaysia’s beauty landscape, one affordable, high-quality product at a time.
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