Come January 2021 and we’re all about sustainable beauty and clean ingredients. As makeup boxes and skin care regimes are going through an overhaul, it’s inevitable that we will be looking out for newer and more mindful labels to recreate our routines. And with sustainability as the leading light, it’s important to also be conscious of other choices too. Whether it’s cruelty-free options or vegan beauty, whether it’s natural and eco-friendly packaging or innovation in design, it’s about excellence and well-informed beauty that will be taking the spotlight in 2021. And just in time, we have asa beauty, India’s first clean, luxe beauty label that is taking the prime slot as it launches with much fanfare today. If it’s purposeful makeup with a luxe touch – asa is the one to reach out for this year.
What stands out for us with this clean makeup label is how beautifully designed each product is – sliding compacts and multipurpose lip and cheek tints in minimalist packaging. These are carefully-crafted, 92% natural, vegan, refillable, sustainable, free from animal cruelty and luxe. They also come armed with EcoCert certified ingredients, and sustainable packaging made from aluminium that’s 99% recyclable. But the most noteworthy achievement about this label is the fact that it comes with refillable packaging, a new concept for India but a well deserved one for 2021.
Asa is a conscious effort by two women entrepreneurs Asha Jindal Khaitan and her daughter-in-law Sukriti Jindal Khaitan, women who found the one good reason for its existence – the fact that holistic wellness and mindful living need to be part of our collective beauty routines. The two have been closely associated with the Jindal Naturecure Institute in Bangalore and their experience and expertise comes from a space of knowledge and purpose. It’s about luxury that is sustainable and purposeful hence the brand also donates 5% of asa’s proceeds to the Naz Foundation that relentlessly works towards empowering young women through sports education.
What does asa bring to our beauty wardrobe? A whole gamut of beautiful options such as pressed foundations, easy blend concealers, finishing powder, cream correctors, highlighter and luminescing powder. For the lips, we have the hydra matte lipsticks, stunning crème lipsticks and exclusive lip and cheek tints. And to top it all, there’s the everyday mascara for the eyes alongside refillable packs that are available for all the products. We spoke to the founders Asha Jindal Khaitan Founder of asa and Sukriti Jindal Khaitan to get an understanding of how the label works and what it has to offer the world.
Tell us a bit about asa Beauty? How did it come about?
We launched asa for the global Indian women to embrace their true potential, by choosing products that reflect their own commitment to wellness, sustainability and care for the community and environment. We come from a background where we understand the importance of nature-made goodness and a strong desire to make a positive impact in the world we live in.
Through asa, we have created a brand where indulgence is not compromising on ethical and ecological standards. We know that today’s women are looking for purposeful and conscientious existence. With asa, we want to enable this awakening through clean beauty solutions; to look and choose natural makeup by creating conversations and actions around the new ‘normal’ of makeup. We believe a beauty brand can be consciously created, carefully crafted and visually beautiful.
What makes asa Beauty different from other beauty labels?
Both Sukriti and I lead a vegan lifestyle and are strong advocates of veganism. We believe that compassion towards animals does not end with lack of animal testing but also by avoiding the use of animal by-products. asa’s more than 92% naturally-sourced ingredients and formulations keeps us up to date with our sustainability practices.
With a 360-degree approach to clean beauty, we use sustainable metal packaging that can be reused and replenished time after time with our unique Refill programme. The products are made of all-natural ingredients, sourced from across the world and are 100% cruelty and animal-testing free to ensure that beauty comes with no ecological and ethical costs.
We have done extensive research to make sure our packaging is eco-friendly; the paper used for our secondary packaging is 100% recyclable and FSC certified – a certifying body that protects our forests and its species and the rights of the indigenous.
Tell us a bit about the best products in the line-up?
If we had to pick the bestsellers, we would definitely pick the lip and cheek tint, because the product is very versatile and can be applied on-the-go. Even the hydra-matte lipstick is a sure-favourite as it is hydrating and gives an intense colour pay-off as well.
Where does asa Beauty stand on in terms of sustainability?
The main reason behind asa was to launch India’s first clean luxury beauty brand, that is uncompromising on its values of being cruelty-free, and mindful about its social impact and environmental footprint. We wanted to ensure that all our internal processes also support these philosophies. Keeping in mind the copious amounts of plastic used in the beauty industry, we have consciously chosen aluminium as the primary metal as the primary metal for our packaging along with FSC certified paper, which is supported by a unique ‘Refill Programme’. Our aesthetically designed aluminum cased products can simply be replaced with a new refill, eliminating the need to buy a completely new case time and again. Our products are vegan and cruelty-free and our effort is to reduce our carbon footprint by avoiding the use of shrink wrap, bubble paper or plastic films, even during transportation and storage.
What are the future plans for asa?
We believe asa has the potential to become India’s first global clean beauty brand, creating a ‘Clean Awakening’ moment for those who seek the cosmetics of a beautiful, hopeful future. We are also looking to build a platform called ‘The House’ for like-minded people to share their ideas of lifestyle, including art, music, wellness, mental health etc. and most importantly to empower women to look their best, while also feeling their best.
The entire brand range is available on www.asabeauty.com & Nykaa. The makeup ranges from Rs 1,750 to Rs 2,900 while the refills range from Rs 1,250 to Rs 2,450.
Images via asa and their Instagram
Latha Sunadh
Deputy Editor
When she's not trying on a new serum, researching on yet another classic fragrance and sharing lip balms with her 5-year old daughter, Latha Sunadh keeps it reined in with a nice song and a good book. Special skills include obsessing over handmade, home-made and handcrafted luxuries.
Most Popular
