Kulfi Is Officially Sephora’s First South Asian-Owned Makeup Brand

Main Match seems to have everything going for it, but the road to this momentous launch at Sephora as the retailer’s first South Asian-owned makeup brand was nothing short of a feat.

As a member of the 2021 Sephora Accelerate program, Kulfi has grown exponentially under the helm of Priyanka Ganjoo, who is not only the brand founder and CEO, but a highly experienced veteran within the beauty industry, having worked at companies like Estée Lauder and Ipsy. “I struggled for years to find a concealer that matches my skin tone and undertone perfectly,” she says, when asked about the inspiration behind Main Match. “My personal challenge resonated with so many others in our community and inspired me to launch a concealer that would be our perfect or ‘main’ match.” 

While Ganjoo nods to the fact that the success of the Kajal Eyeliners inevitably created some pressure for the brand’s “second act,” she tells Allure that “centering our community has kept it real.” Over the challenging course of three years (and countless supply chain delays), the Kulfi team invested in the help of over 300 customers and followers to ensure that the concealers exceeded all expectations in terms of serving often underrepresented undertones (a main pillar of Kulfi) and addressing concerns such as dark circles and hyperpigmentation.

The 12 shades the team landed on in the end are named after make-believe Kulfi flavors: Ice Ice Berry, Coco Crush, Rose Rush, Extra Elaichi, Pome Pome, Mango Drop, Glossy Guava, Cherry Pick, Falooda Fizz, Lychee Licks, Kesar Pista, and Sunny Sitafal. As promised, they encompass warm undertones (e.g. olive, golden) that meet the unique needs of Kulfi’s customer base.