In this English language episode of《Good Morning, VOGUE China》, VOGUE China Editor-in-Chief, Margaret Zhang, and VOGUE Business China Associate Editorial Director, Yiling Pan, zoom in on China's burgeoning homegrown beauty scene - otherwise known as C-Beauty. Greater support of buying local during the pandemic kicked off a surge in consumer interest in C-beauty brands, who have spent the past few decades leveraging their manufacturing capabilities and digital agility to steadily grow their market share. What are the key drivers in this growth? What do C-Beauty brands need to do to make a lasting impact at home and abroad? Margaret and Yiling sit down with two special guests, one of China's leading makeup artists, Valentina Li, and internationally renowned makeup artist (and jury member of Vogue China's inaugural Beauty Awards), Isamaya Ffrench, to discuss these key questions.

VOGUE China presents “Good Morning, VOGUE China”: your window into Chinese creative culture through the lens of fashion. From captivating conversations with industry giants and upcoming fashion disruptors to exclusive insights into the China market, industry trends, and local social phenomena, stay tuned on wherever you get your podcasts, in both English and Mandarin. 🎧

Key timestamps:

00:56 What we’ve been up to

02:48 Development of the Chinese makeup and beauty market

10:57 Valentina Li’s journey as a makeup artist

15:01 Change in the beauty landscape

16:25 How social media has reshaped makeup aesthetics

17:49 The evolution of Chinese beauty brands

23:19 Valentina’s future plans for a personal brand

24:21 Taking C-Beauty international

27:42 Isamaya Ffrench on the role of beauty and fashion

30:14 Being aligned with society through beauty

34:50 Isamaya’s key learnings from working with a variety of brands

40:20 A sense of discovery for inspiration

41:46 Isamaya’s impressions on C-Beauty

45:04 Advise for Eastern brands going West

55:16 Margaret and YiLing’s C-Beauty picks