Aakriti and Shaunak Chhaparia, an ex-Star TV (Hotstar) manager and a McKinsey & Co. alumnus, respectively, started La Mior in Surat, Gujarat, in 2018 as a clean and vegan skincare products manufacturing business. The company offers vegan lipstick, eyeshadow palettes, highlighter, filter, airbrush powder, foundation, moisturizer, etc.
Aakriti and Shaunak Chhaparia, the founders of La Mior, have set out on a mission to disrupt traditional beauty norms by offering a wide range of clean and vegan skincare products. Founded in 2018, the brand aims to become the leading vegan brand in India within the next five years.
The couple initially chalked out a plan for a D2C brand to sell vegan products, but discovered a significant gap. While looking out for manufacturers, they noticed a dearth of homegrown manufacturers in the market.
“While the absence of a dedicated manufacturing facility was not the main challenge, the scarcity of suitable players presented us with an opportunity to establish our own facility,” the duo explained in an interview with SMBStory. The journey began with a pool of Rs 90 lakh from their savings which helped them start their R&D lab in 2018 where they hired professionals for research.
Aakriti told SugerMint, “Initially, we only did research, developed clean and high performance formulations for good two years, before we started conceptualising the brand. It was in 2021 that we formally launched La Mior, a PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand.”
How did the idea first come to the duo? “It was merely a manifestation of constraints that we come across in our day-to-day lives,” says Aakriti, adding, “For instance, most women do not wear makeup on an everyday basis with the fear of compromising on the quality of their skin while working women and mothers do not have more than 10-15 mins to put themselves together before going out. So we made makeup products that are quick to use, easy to apply, long-lasting, travel-friendly and fuss free, under the ambit of a sustainable brand that strives to be as carbon neutral as possible.”
The homegrown brand is free of harmful chemicals like parabens, sulphates, drying alcohols, formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers, talc, triclosan, chemical sunscreens.
“Our consumers can be assured of absolutely clean products that are apt for sensitive and acne prone skin too. They are formulated with 0.5% or less fragrance, to ensure that a sensorial experience is created for the users,” she revealed.
With a diverse product lineup and a focus on cruelty-free formulations derived from plants and superfoods, La Mior has gained popularity, generating significant revenue from both private label and white-labeling.
What makes La Mior products special? Aakriti told SugerMint, “Being an ethical brand, our complete product portfolio is 100% cruelty free. Also our products are in sync with modern lifestyle, wherein working women and mothers do not have more than 10-15 mins to put themselves together before going out. We offer products that are quick to use, easy to apply, long lasting, travel friendly and fuss free. La Mior offers makeup products in lip, face, cheek, eye and body categories.”
The duo launched their D2C brand in 2022 with around 100 SKUs.
La Mior offers vegan lipstick, eyeshadow palettes, highlighter, filter, airbrush powder, foundation, moisturiser, etc. It has a manufacturing capacity of around 400 SKUs for other brands. The company aims to leverage its robust manufacturing capabilities for growth through salon partnerships, while also expanding its offline presence across Tier I and II cities in India.
Most formulations for La Mior are naturally derived from plants. The company relies on superfoods sourced from across the world to enrich its makeup and beauty line. According to reports, 40% of La Mior’s revenue presently comes from white labeling and the remaining from its private label. In FY23, the company earned ₹9.6 crore and targets to close the present fiscal year with ₹20 crore in revenue.
“Our brand is growing at a fast pace and we can see that vegan cosmetics hold a strong future,” Aakriti told SMBStory, adding that conventional cosmetics include a lot of chemicals and women are afraid to apply them on their skin. The demand for clean and vegan alternatives is growing as consumers become aware of the health impacts of conventional cosmetics. According to Coherent Market Insights, the global vegan cosmetics market was valued at $14.85 billion and is expected to reach $25.09 billion, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period 2022-2030.
Brands like Renee Cosmetics and Disguise Cosmetics are the competitors of La Mior. It differentiates itself through its robust manufacturing capabilities, which the company aims to leverage for significant growth through partnerships with salons.
La Mior has not raised any funding yet.