Introducing ZEESEA, a Chinese cosmetics brand that embodies natural brilliance. Their high-quality, fashionable, and artistic products empower young women to embrace confidence, individuality, and spontaneity.
Join me on this passionate journey of self-expression and vibrant living. With careful research, I bring you ZEESEA, a brand that offers valuable insights.
Try their excellent products(Best Seller List) and discover their quality, innovation, and artistry 😊
Where is ZEESEA Cosmetics From?
ZEESEA is an original Chinese cosmetic brand founded in 2011 and is part of Hangzhou Zisehai E-commerce Co., Ltd. It was registered as a trademark under Hangzhou Laifei Cosmetics Co., Ltd. on July 2, 2012.
With advantages in supply chain, marketing, production, and distribution, ZEESEA quickly gained popularity in Japan, creating a trend known as “Chinese style” after its launch in 2019.
Since then, they have embarked on a remarkable journey, partnering with the National Gallery and leveraging the timeless works of Picasso. Through these collaborations, ZEESEA® has successfully integrated the essence of great artworks into their exquisite cosmetics.
Official Site
Instagram Official Account
Other Chinese Cosmetics Brands Worth ExploringWho is the Owner of ZEESEA?
In 2012, Hangzhou Laifei Cosmetics introduced ZEESEA, a brand that revolutionized the beauty industry with its innovative product concepts.
Having experience in manufacturing for European and American beauty brands, ZEESEA has a unique advantage in the cosmetics industry.
Their target audience mainly consists of young women aged 18-34, so they understand the importance of product aesthetics and the need for uniqueness and innovation. ZEESEA’s products stand out in terms of their visual appeal and distinctiveness.
Discount Code:
Use the Exclusive Code:thechinaboss when you buy from Zeesea Store, you will get 15% off.
Is Zeesea Cruelty Free?
Animal Testing Regulations in China
Since June 2014, Chinese companies manufacturing “general” cosmetics are no longer obligated to submit product samples for animal testing to the government.
Instead, they have the option to perform their own product risk assessment using ingredient safety data, including the use of scientifically valid non-animal test methods approved by the European Union.
Animal Testing Laws and Cosmetic Distribution in China
Understanding China’s Animal Testing Laws
China’s animal testing laws vary based on how and where cosmetics companies distribute their products within the country.
- Mainland China: Animal testing requirements primarily apply to cosmetics sold in physical retail stores. Companies must register their products and ingredients, which may involve animal testing.
- Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan: Cosmetics can be imported and sold in these regions without animal testing.
- Sold Online: Cosmetics sold directly to consumers through e-commerce platforms have never been subjected to animal testing.
- Cosmetics Made in China: If not sold within China, they were never required to undergo animal testing.
ZEESEA’s Commitment to Cruelty-Free Practices
ZEESEA’s makeup products fall under the category of general cosmetics, which are not legally mandated to undergo animal testing according to China’s laws.
They strongly oppose animal testing and prioritize customer safety, ensuring products meet high standards without involving animals.
- Animal Testing: ZEESEA does not conduct animal testing on its products.
- Raw Material Sourcing: They source raw materials exclusively from companies that do not engage in animal testing, commission such practices, or have future plans to do so.
- Non-Animal Testing Methods: They encourage suppliers to utilize non-animal testing methods for safety assessments and support the development of these methods.
- Patch Testing and Customer Safety: They recommend patch testing before use and advise customers to discontinue use and consult a physician if any irritation occurs.
Through their unwavering commitment to cruelty-free practices, ZEESEA aims to provide customers with ethical and safe cosmetics they can enjoy with peace of mind.💓
Brand Story
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand Name | ZEESEA |
| Description | Cosmetics brand dedicated to providing high-quality makeup products with a “fashionable, cutting-edge, and artistic” label for young women. Aims to bring China’s makeup concepts and color schemes to the international cosmetics stage. |
| Market Expansion | One of the first Chinese beauty brands to venture into overseas markets. Became the first Chinese makeup brand to capture the mainstream beauty market in Japan within a year. |
| Endorsements | Notable endorsements from Japanese singer and actress Mika Nakashima, Japanese comedian Kazuya Kojima, AKB48 member Yuki Kashiwagi, Japanese beauty blogger nanakoななこ, Japanese YouTuber and competitive eater “Oogui” (Gross Eater), and four-panel manga web author Yuka Kinoshita. |
| Recognition | Honored by Amazon as the “Cross-border Transformation Seller of the Year” in 2020. |
| Amazon Japan Sales | Top-selling domestic cosmetics brand on Amazon Japan (November 2020 data). Eyeshadow and mascara categories both ranked first on the sales charts. |
| Offline Sales in Japan | Highest number of points of sale among Chinese cosmetics brands. First to enter Matsumoto Kiyoshi, a popular Japanese drugstore chain. Eye makeup category quickly rose to the top of the sales rankings. Liquid eyeshadow became the top-selling product in the eye makeup category, with 10,000 units sold out within two weeks. Colorful mascara received rave reviews, with some shades selling out. Offline sales network in Japan now covers nearly 4,000 stores. |
Social Proof
| Social Media Platform | Followers | Total Posts | Average Posts per Week | Traffic to Website | Views | Collaboration Bloggers | Hashtags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19,800 | – | – | 42.31% | – | – | – | |
| YouTube | – | – | – | – | 150 videos (5.39 million views) | AlyciaMarie (8.25 million followers) ($546-$1,173) | #ZEESEA |
| MarinaLuxious (263,000 followers) ($205.4-$440) | |||||||
| 127,000 | 300 | 4 | Yes | – | LIPS (リップス)-コスメ・メイク動画 (884,000 followers) ($3,568-$5,802) | – | |
| Takahashi Rin (651,000 followers) ($2,627-$4,272) | |||||||
| TikTok | 6,168 | – | – | 2% | 40 million views (approx.) | Sheryl Surara (5.702 million followers) ($9,123-$13,000) | #ZEESEA |
| Vivian (440,000 followers) ($704.8-$1,057) |
On TikTok, Collaborating bloggers mainly come from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan.
It is evident that ZEESEA focuses on different target users on each social media platform. YouTube mainly targets users in Europe, Instagram targets users in Japan, and TikTok primarily focuses on users in Southeast Asia.
Through differentiated operations, unique brand characteristics, and a comprehensive marketing strategy, ZEESEA has successfully carved out its own niche in the international market.
Research, Development, and Quality Assurance
ZEESEA has a research and development team of over 100 people, including 30% makeup engineers with over 20 years of experience and 70% makeup artists with international brand experience. ZEESEA also collaborates deeply with top global supply chains such as Italy’s Yinteli, South Korea’s Cosmecca, and France’s Cosmetmanja to explore the power of beauty technology.
The international “quality and craftsmanship” also provides strong product guarantees for ZEESEA’s global expansion. All ZEESEA products launched in Japan undergo rigorous testing by BOKEN, an authoritative testing agency recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
With BOKEN certification, the quality of ZEESEA’s entire product line meets the highest standards of the Japanese beauty market, with testing standards for heavy metals, methanol, and formaldehyde exceeding those of most products in the Japanese makeup category.
Innovative Design and Award-Winning Collaborations
ZEESEA has a design team of over 100 people with cutting-edge design concepts. The team consists of professional designers who have worked for international brands such as PORSCHE, Hennessy XO, and Skalli (French jewelry), and has won numerous advertising awards.
In September 2020, the ZEESEA × British Museum collaboration won the internationally renowned Red Dot Design Award, known as the “Oscars” of the design industry, for their Egyptian Queen Compact Powder and Anderson Cat Eyeshadow.
Key Milestones
- Brand image upgrade in 2017
- Launch of the Van Gogh series in May 2019, including lipstick, lip gloss, cushion foundation, compact powder, and eyeshadow
- Collaboration with the British Museum to launch the “Mysterious Egypt” series in June 2019 (Egypt Series, Alice Series and Crystal Eyeshadow Palette are all super popular online.)
- Release of the “Cupid Angel” series in collaboration with the British Museum in August 2019
- Popular Chinese idol Wang Linkai became the first spokesperson for ZEESEA’s lip makeup in August 2019
- Launch of the Picasso series in November 2019, paying tribute to the greatest artistic genius of the 20th century
- UNIQ member Li Wenhan joined ZEESEA as the spokesperson for their base makeup family in April 2020
- Launch of the Alice series in collaboration with the British Museum in July 2020
- “Brand Going Global” strategy initiated in December 2020, expanding to international e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and entering Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Japan’s largest drugstore chain
- In May 2021, ZEESEA’s global expansion gained attention from domestic and international media, with coverage from outlets such as People’s Daily, 21st Century Economic Report, Southern Daily, Southern Metropolis Daily, and Time Weekly. The topic of “Supporting Chinese Cosmetics Going Global” by ZEESEA reached the top 3 trending on Weibo.
- Chinese musician and all-around idol Wang Linkai returned as the brand spokesperson for ZEESEA in June 2021.
Achievements and Recognition
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic stimulated the growth of online shopping demand overseas, further accelerating the expansion of domestic Chinese beauty and cosmetics brands in international markets.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, the export volume of cosmetics from China in the first three quarters of 2020 reached 752,500 tons, with an export value of 3.139 billion US dollars, surpassing the annual export value of cosmetics in 2018 and 2019.
Overseas
| Year | Market | Sales Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Japan | Achieved nearly one billion yen in sales within a year |
| 2021 | United States | Average monthly sales of over 2 million Chinese yuan |
| 2021 | Developed countries | Expanding focus on beauty and cosmetics markets |
ZEESEA, one of the pioneering Chinese cosmetics brands to venture abroad, entered the Japanese market in 2019 and achieved nearly one billion yen in sales across all channels within a year.
After entering the United States, ZEESEA achieved an average monthly sales of over 2 million Chinese yuan within four months.
In 2021, ZEESEA will set its sights on more developed countries’ beauty and cosmetics markets.
Domestic
Prior to expanding internationally, ZEESEA had already gained popularity among domestic consumers in China. As a new domestic brand that started on Tmall, ZEESEA underwent a brand upgrade in 2017.
Through data-driven operations and brand exposure on the Tmall platform, ZEESEA quickly rose to become one of the top three domestic Chinese cosmetics brands on Tmall in just three years.
In 2019, its sales exceeded 1.5 billion yuan, and it amassed over 10 million fans across various online platforms.
Brand Creative Strategy
ZEESEA’s core creative strategy is to collaborate with major IPs to infuse products with cultural significance. ZEESEA has successfully collaborated with world-renowned cultural and artistic IPs such as the National Gallery in the UK, the British Museum, and Picasso.
These art-inspired IP series have received great acclaim after their launch both domestically and internationally. Recognizing ZEESEA’s excellence, the British Museum granted ZEESEA the exclusive overseas market authorization, making ZEESEA the first domestic cosmetics brand to receive such authorization from the British Museum for international markets.
- ZEESEA × National Gallery, UK – Van Gogh series
- ZEESEA × British Museum – Mystery of Egypt series
- ZEESEA × British Museum – Cupid Angel series
- ZEESEA × Picasso Family – Genius Picasso series
- ZEESEA × British Museum – Alice series
Expanding Horizons
ZEESEA implements a “dual-line driving” strategy both online and offline, domestically and internationally.
In addition to domestic channels such as Tmall, JD.com, Vipshop, Watsons, KK Gallery, and THECOLORIST, ZEESEA has expanded to the international makeup stage through platforms like Amazon, Shopee, and Lazada.
Furthermore, ZEESEA has established a presence in influential offline channels such as Matsumoto Kiyoshi, cocokarafine, PLAZA, and LOFT.
Media Evaluations
ZEESEA’s successful expansion can be summarized with four keywords: “Breakthrough,” “Quality,” “Culture,” and “Penetration.” “Breakthrough” signifies ZEESEA’s bold entry into developed cosmetics markets, achieving explosive growth.
“Quality” is at the core, as ZEESEA’s international product development system and products of superior quality compared to international standards gain recognition from overseas consumers.
“Culture” refers to the creation of a distinctive brand culture through the incorporation of unique IP collaborations, resulting in the concept of “Living Colourfully” and leaving a strong cultural impression.
“Penetration” represents the spontaneous social influence, with international “wild ambassadors” endorsing.
Sum Up
ZEESEA is an emerging cosmetic brand that deserves attention. With its rising popularity and innovative approach, it is worth giving their products a try.
I encourage you to explore their offerings and share your experiences by leaving comments below.
Your feedback will not only contribute to the brand’s growth but also help others discover and engage with the ZEESEA experience.
