How the Sisters Behind Ctzn Cosmetics Embed Their Upbringing, Culture Into the Brand

Ctzn Cosmetics has managed to spotlight the relevance of inclusivity by redefining the nude lip.

Developed by a few Pakistani sisters, Aleena, Aleezeh and Naseeha Khan, who were being born in Los Angeles but elevated in Dubai, the firm has stood out not only for its ability to match a customer’s shade when it comes to nude lipsticks, but also mainly because of its objective of education and learning and immersing the sisters’ upbringing and society into the goods.

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Growing up, the Khans ended up in no way capable to see by themselves in the makeup campaigns that ended up staying marketed at the time, so they resolved to commence their personal model to not only fit into the splendor neighborhood on their own, but also open up the doorways for other individuals who also felt the exact.

“We just could not connect and it wasn’t relatable in phrases of visuals, but also shade ranges,” Naseeha Khan, who oversees solution progress, told WWD. “We have been constantly mixing items jointly. There were other individuals of coloration who felt the exact actual way. So we preferred to create a area that actually encompassed everybody for each walk of lifetime, that means genders as very well as ethnicities.”

Thinking of their upbringing, the 3 sisters also thought it was vital to distribute cultural recognition via the brand name and its products and solutions.

For just one, they make it a level to put areas they’ve been to on the packaging of their bestselling Nudiversal Lip Duos. Then on their lip liners, each a person is numbered one to eight in distinctive languages. Their favored, having said that, is a segment they coined “Cultutorials,” which is a blend of tradition and a make-up tutorial.

“Especially in a time of terminate tradition, let us not shame persons for not knowing points about distinct cultures simply because maybe they’re not uncovered to it,” Naseeha Khan ongoing. “So let’s just use our system and teach so at minimum if they study one particular new thing from one particular of these bite-sized films, that’s variety of all we want. It helps make us genuinely delighted.”

Ctzn is very best acknowledged for its bestselling Nudiversal Lip Duos, producing an inclusive and genderless line of lipsticks and lip glosses with 25 unique shades of nude. Not long ago, the brand came out with a new collection of pink lipsticks called “Code Red,” meant to “flatter all pores and skin tones.”

In the age of social media, Ctzn has experienced virality with its merchandise, particularly the Nudiversal Lip Duos. In October, the brand’s web site crashed immediately after common TikTok elegance influencer Mikayla Nogueira reviewed and tested out the Nudiversal Lip Duo. Sales were being described to have improved by additional than 12,000 per cent next the influencer’s video clip.

“Things are going on on this system,” Aleezeh Khan, who qualified prospects operations and logistics, reported of their achievements on TikTok. “It’s seriously the new wave and I’m just energized that we’re kind of latest with what is likely on there for the reason that there is so much likely on that platform.”

“From a marketing viewpoint, it also definitely taught me to not undervalue or undervalue TikTok and genuinely just reassess where by we’re expending our marketing budgets,” said Aleena Khan, who leads marketing and branding. “We’ve in fact experienced a major pivot following that instant exactly where it taught us to focus on this application even far more.”

One particular of the reasons why the sisters decided to launch the manufacturer as a family members was because of to their differing personalities, which they consider is a energy.

“We all have our individual silo that we’re essentially excellent at. I sense like that’s also why I feel it does effectively mainly because each and every human being is top some thing,” Aleena Khan said. “I consider which is truly essential for a family business romance to be healthier, and I imagine there’s so significantly much more aid and convenience in executing one thing with men and women you believe in.”

Ctzn sisters Aleena, Aleezeh and Naseeha Khan with Sir John. - Credit: Courtesy of CTZN Cosmetics

Ctzn sisters Aleena, Aleezeh and Naseeha Khan with Sir John. – Credit score: Courtesy of CTZN Cosmetics

Courtesy of CTZN Cosmetics

Very last month, Ctzn appointed renowned make-up artist Sir John, who has worked with the likes of Joan Smalls, Naomi Campbell and Beyoncé, as its main inventive officer. He will work intently with the three sisters on further innovating their merchandise, their brand and pushing their shared messaging on culture ahead.

Over the a long time, Sir John has also turn into an advocate for social issues, these kinds of as equality and inclusivity, which aligned with the eyesight the Khan sisters have and are repeatedly doing work toward for Ctzn.

Searching to the upcoming, the sisters hope to carry on to increase their beauty neighborhood throughout the world, the two online and in-particular person, beginning with revamping the brand’s site to make it additional neighborhood-focused to link other folks around the entire world, furthering their messaging on cultural awareness.

“I imagine we’re a attractiveness brand which is just centered on a little something that I have not found other make-up models aim on,” Aleena Khan said. “We’re just so thrilled that the cultural awareness, neighborhood, world element is a thing that feels so correct to our tale and our upbringing, but a little something that we also sense like is distinctive and required.”

Read through Additional In this article:

Special: Ctzn Cosmetics Appoints Sir John as Chief Creative Officer

Ctzn Cosmetics Web-site Crashes Immediately after Viral TikTok Post

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