Romi Beauty’s founders on creating multitasking products for Asian skin
Arissa Cheo, Yoyo Cao and Lin Ting sat down with Style as the Singaporean make-up and skincare brand lands at Sephora in Hong Kong
There’s a glow to Romi Beauty’s products – a hint of vibrant lip oil here and a dab of smooth tinted moisturiser there leaves you feeling brighter than before. That’s entirely by design, say the Singaporean founders – Arissa Cheo, Lin Ting and Yoyo Cao – who intend for the brand to highlight natural beauty rather than hide it.
“The lifestyle, pace of the city, and needs of the people here are very similar to the market in Singapore,” Cao adds, noting how Hong Kong customers showed strong interest in the brand – which was named after a friend’s child and launched in 2022 – from its earliest days. “They gravitate to something that is lightweight, comfortable on the skin, and that performs well throughout the day.”
“In Singapore we felt there was this gap between skincare and make-up: it either looks good but it’s not good for your skin, or it’s good for your skin – but it doesn’t serve both functions,” says Ting. Romi Beauty’s hero product, the bestselling Dream Skin Tint, does double duty, offering skin coverage as well as sun protection, while the three-in-one Skin Oasis Serum Mist works as a toner, serum and face mist, perfect for prepping the face for make-up or cleansing after a long day.
Everything at Romi Beauty – the name Romi being a Latin diminutive of Rosemary, meaning “dew of the sea” – is designed with Asian consumers in mind, from the olive undertones of the brand’s wide-ranging skin tones, to textures made for the frequent heat and humidity of the climate. Ting explains that coming up with a product that was hydrating but not oily was a prime concern for the founders, who develop their formulations with teams in South Korea.
“Asian consumers, especially in Hong Kong and Singapore, are really moving towards something more value-driven,” she notes, adding that Romi Beauty aims to be “very honest and transparent” about ingredients in its products, which are free of parabens, sulphates, synthetic fragrances and other common skin irritants. “They’re more educated, very ingredient-focused and conscious.”