Kulfi is The Makeup Brand Everyone Needs to Know About in 2024
Their lip oil sold out multiple times...
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise.
For most of her life, founder Priyanka Ganjoo didn’t vibe with makeup. It felt unrelatable. She never saw people like herself in big beauty campaigns. And so much of it seemed to be about catering to the male gaze. It wasn’t until Ganjoo was in her late 20s and working on the business side of beauty companies like Estée Lauder and Ipsy that she asked herself, What if makeup felt instead like a source of happiness and self-expression?
Her answer to this what-if: Kulfi, her line of clean and colorful eye, lip, and complexion products. “I wanted to bring joy back into makeup,” she says, “to create something playful and approachable.” Ganjoo injected South Asian culture into the brand, starting with its name (kulfi is a popular Indian ice cream). Peep reviews of all of my favorite products below too.
“Bringing that product to life was a healing moment for me—someone who was bullied for my thick brows and constantly tried to pluck them into oblivion,” Ganjoo says. “Seeing yourself and people who look like you being celebrated can be transformative. That’s why what we’re doing is important.”
Keep reading for a quick review of why we <3 Kulfi so much, plus a run-down of my favorite products.
Why We Love Kulfi:
- Celebrates and infuses South Asian heritage in every product
- Has a strong brand message around creativity and self-expression
- Each product only uses clean ingredients
- Everything is under $30
- The colorful packaging matches the fun, bright products. inside
I have one of these staining lip oils in every single one of my bags at this point because I refuse to ever be without one. It's quickly become one of my favorite lip product of, idk, kinda ever?! It gives a glossy sheen upon initial application, but as it slowly dries down, I'm left with a light stain that lasts a few hours (just like what happens when you sip a lassi drink). I also love the shade range—Black Cherry and Tamarind are ideal for fall and winter, but Rose and Carmel also make fab nudes for my medium skin tone.
Inspired by zari (shiny silver and gold threads woven into clothes), these cream eyeshadows give my lids a shimmery sheen that doesn't crease. Often, I'll pat this on my eyes as a base, then go over it with a powder eyeshadow to amp things up. But when I need a quick eye look, these come in clutch. I just swipe it on with my finger and instantly I've got a ~look~.
Not surprisingly, Kulfi's first complexion product knocked it outta the park on the shade range. With 21 shades in a mix of undertones that suit a variety of skin tones, this formula is filled with soothing and moisturizing botanical extracts that my skin loves (hence why we gave it a Clean Beauty Award this year). With a tiny dab, it quickly hides active pimples, hyperpigmentation, and dark circles without feeling too heavy or looking cakey.
The first product Kulfi launched were these eyeliner pencils, which honor the Indian tradition of creating kajal in the kitchen to ward off the evil eye. It comes in vibrant hues like teal and clay, inspired by South Asian textiles. And they're one of the best eyeliner pencils I've ever used, actually. They glide in with opaque color in one swipe, then do not budge for eight or more hours, even in my waterline which is notoriously fussy.
Ganjoo wants Kulfi to help challenge traditional beauty standards too. This brow gel smooths down hairs and holds them in place (very well and without being crunchy or goopy), but it does so without messaging that there’s only one ideal eyebrow shape or style that should be considered beautiful. FWIW, I've taken this brow gel on nearly every trip I've went on in 2024, because it's not only easy as hell to swipe on, but makes my eyebrows look and feel so damn good, all thanks to a slew of moisturizing oils.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
Readers Also Read
58 Best Gifts for Men, From Thoughtful to Cool
The 55 Best Gift Ideas for Women, Period
Unique Gifts That Your BF Will Actually Like
62 Trendy Gifts for Tween Girls That Can't Miss
