Sugar Cosmetics Collaborates with Iconic Bollywood Star to Launch Quench Botanics, Revolutionizing Skincare in India

In a strategic move that underscores India’s booming beauty and personal care market, Vellvette Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd., the parent company of the popular beauty brand Sugar Cosmetics, has joined hands with Bollywood luminary Kareena Kapoor Khan. The partnership aims to elevate Sugar Cosmetics skincare brand, Quench Botanics, with Kareena Kapoor Khan stepping in as a vital strategic investor and co-owner. Foundr Magazine takes an in-depth look at this game-changing collaboration that leverages Kareena’s vast social media influence to catapult Quench Botanics into the limelight.

Quench Botanics: A Journey to Redefine Skincare

Vellvette Lifestyle introduced Quench Botanics, its skincare brand, last year with a clear vision—bringing the best of Korean beauty products and regimens to the discerning consumers of India. Currently, these innovative products are crafted in Korea and are readily available at 1,000 offline retail stores.

Discussions held earlier in the fiscal year paved the way for Kareena Kapoor Khan, the face of Reliance Retail’s beauty platform, Tira, to enter as an investor and co-owner of Quench Botanics. Vineeta Singh, the co-founder & CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, shared insights about this strategic partnership, stating, “What we bring to the table is the education and the distribution, and Kareena brings the passion for the category. That’s why we decided to come together in this joint venture—so she’s coming as an investor and a strategic partner.”

Transforming the Beauty Landscape: From Cosmetics to Skincare

Sugar Cosmetics has carved a niche in the cosmetics market, specializing in colored cosmetics, including lipsticks, eye shadow sticks, and cream concealers. In a vibrant beauty industry where competition thrives with brands like Lakme and Maybelline, Sugar has made a lasting mark. Quench Botanics, on the other hand, ventures into the realm of skincare with a portfolio featuring creams, skin patches, serums, and a range of skincare solutions. Foundr Magazine acknowledges this shift in focus, underscoring the brand’s determination to redefine beauty in India.

The Celeb Factor in Beauty Ventures

Celebrities are increasingly venturing into the world of beauty products, either by launching their own lines or collaborating with established brands. With the beauty and personal care (BPC) market in India projected to reach $30 billion by 2027, it’s evident why stars are drawn to this industry. RedSeer, a prominent consulting firm, provided this insight in a recent report, emphasizing that India’s BPC market is poised for double-digit growth over the next decade.

Vineeta Singh, in an interview, explained the rationale behind this celebrity-driven trend, saying, “India is the only market in the world where the beauty and personal care market is set to grow in double-digits over the next decade. Celebrities see that there will be large brands that didn’t exist five years ago. I feel they’ve realized that partnering with companies, which will create the brands of the future, will help them have a long-term impact, as opposed to say annual endorsement opportunities which are really linked to a celebrity’s career in that given year.”

Sustainable Growth and Investment

Sugar Cosmetics has been on a remarkable journey, marked by a $50 million Series D fundraise led by L Catterton’s Asia fund in May of the previous year. Subsequently, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh became a minority stakeholder in the company in September 2022. Vineeta Singh emphasized that another fundraising round is not on the horizon for Sugar. In a climate where startups are navigating a funding slowdown, Sugar Cosmetics is strategically managing its finances.

“As of now, we are not looking at raising funds. We just raised a round from L Catterton last year. We are also expecting that from next month onwards we will be profitable. The idea is to actually manage our cash flow and working capital as well as our bottom line in a way that we don’t need to raise money in a relatively tougher market,” Singh asserted.

Sugar Cosmetics commenced its journey as a direct-to-consumer beauty brand in 2015 and has since established a presence at over 45,000 retail points across 550 cities in India. With 50% of its sales derived from online commerce, the brand has made significant strides in a highly competitive market.

Foundr Magazine commends this collaborative endeavor, recognizing its potential to revolutionize the beauty industry and elevate the skincare experience for consumers in India.