How a makeup artist came up with a vegan, cruelty-free & eco-conscious cosmetics brand

Taruna Sharma

The thought of having a brand of her own which was not only cruelty-free but vegan and eco-conscious struck Kajol Bafna after she finished her professional makeup artistry course. While she worked on several projects, Kajol was out hunting for a job at a couple of brands. It was during this period that she decided to research a bit and see what all’s available in the Indian market.
To her utter dismay, she didn’t find many good Indian brands that catered to Indian people exclusively. “There were many makeup brands but none of them was made in India for Indians. That’s when I decided to launch my own brand, made in India, made for every Indian skin tone,” says the CEO and founder of Boss Lady Cosmetic.
On why she chose to call it Boss Lady Cosmetic, Kajol says not only is it unique but is loaded with power and confidence. “The thought behind the name is simple – giving someone that confidence, that platform to be who they are and letting them own it. It’s my personal belief that in order for someone to be truly happy and at peace, it is important for them to own who they are no matter what their sexuality, colour or body type is. I just hope that when someone wears a Boss Lady product, they feel just like being it,” avers Kajol.
Excerpts from an interview:

When you say Boss Lady Cosmetic is India’s first ever vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable makeup brand, what stands behind this claim?
Our ingredients and brand ethos help us stand behind the claim of being 100 per cent vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable. However, I would like to add that we have just begun our journey of being sustainable and aren’t there yet but we’re confident that we would be so in the future. Our ingredients are plant-based and we are 100 per cent transparent about them on our website and boxes. Our products undergo in vitro testing – a type of lab test that do not require any animal suffering and the best part about being vegan is that animal testing is not required. We have strict FDA laws to adhere to regarding our ingredients and testing which help strengthen our claim. And we are also PETA approved!

Boss Lady Cosmetics

Where is your R&D unit located? How much of research goes into individual ingredients and products before these are launched into the market and where do you procure the ingredients?
We outsource our manufacturing to a factory based in Mumbai. I wanted to make sure that the logistics did not add to our carbon footprint and having everything made in the city where the business is based enables us to do it. The brand does couple of focus groups to ensure that the products are meant for every Indian skin tone by having people with different skin tones and types be a part of the group.
I personally conduct my research by being on field, taking surveys and talking to makeup wearers and sometimes, non-makeup wearers. All our ingredients are sourced from local or regional vendors.

What beauty products are on offer?
We have matte lipsticks called the BAREly There Love Pens in 12 shades, two highlighters which are unique to us due to this holographic non-chunky formula and our newest launch, Play Stix which are 20 matte and metallic multipurpose makeup sticks made for makeup on the go and to experiment with!

How do you keep yourself relevant and ahead as being vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable comes at a cost?
Our pricing puts us in an affordable luxury category which enables us to give consumers a unique experience right from the purchase to unboxing. We make sure we put out content that’s not out there and unique to the brand which consumers can relate to. And, of course, making sure our quality is top-notch, on par with international standards.

Who is your target audience and what is the market share of vegan cosmetics?
Our target audiences are definitely people who love makeup, experimenting with makeup choices, vegan and animal friendly communities, the LGBTQIA community and more.

How do you reach out to your customers?
Social media, networking and e-mailers.

What are your future plans…
A new collection is in the pipeline which is just as exciting as all our other products. A more thorough effort into being sustainable and mindful and making sure we revolutionise the Indian beauty standards.