Chioture

Brand Overview

Chioture is a Chinese cosmetics brand headquartered in Shanghai that specializes in color cosmetics, including lip products, eye makeup, base makeup, blush, and select skincare and cleansing items. The brand positions itself as an internationalizing label originating from Shanghai, with a product philosophy centered on youthful aesthetics, ease of use, and vibrant color expression.[1] It is recognized as one of the earlier domestic Chinese beauty brands to target young consumers through high cost-performance ratios and trend-focused offerings, establishing particular prominence in lip color, cushion compacts, blush, and multi-functional cosmetics.[2]

Corporate Background and Naming

The brand name Chioture is derived from the combination of “CHIC” and “CAPTURE,” reflecting a corporate concept of capturing global fashion and beauty trends. This etymology aligns with the brand’s Chinese positioning statement, “Global Trend Makeup Hunter.” Rather than operating as a traditional luxury house, Chioture’s business model focuses on rapidly identifying emerging color and styling trends among young consumers and translating them into accessible, user-friendly products at moderate price points.[2] Public corporate records associate the brand with Shanghai Fengyi Information Technology Development Co., Ltd., which was established in 2011. However, official brand histories cite 2009 as the launch year for the first generation of products. These dates are not necessarily contradictory, as they may reflect the distinction between initial product development and formal corporate registration.[2][27]

History and Product Milestones

Early Years and Skincare Origins

According to official brand history, Chioture launched its first-generation products in 2009. Contrary to its current reputation as a color cosmetics specialist, the brand initially focused on skincare formulated around a deep-sea hydration concept.[3][26] This early foundation in skincare preceded its later pivot toward makeup.

Expansion into Base Makeup

In 2014, Chioture introduced its first major base makeup product, a cushion BB cream. This release coincided with rising consumer demand in China for lightweight base makeup, Korean-style beauty aesthetics, and portable cosmetic formats. Brand materials state that the cushion BB quickly became a top-selling item in its category on Tmall, marking a significant turning point in the company’s development.[3]

Lip Color Breakthrough

The year 2015 marked a strategic shift with the release of the Pink Love Lipstick. Official sources indicate this product received the “Lip Product of the Year” award at the Tmall Golden Makeup Awards and achieved cumulative sales exceeding three million units within two years of launch.[4] This success signaled Chioture’s transition from a skincare and base makeup label to a youth-oriented color cosmetics brand, with lip products becoming a core pillar of its portfolio.

Category Diversification

By 2017, Chioture had expanded into both skincare and advanced lip formulations. The Deep Sea Jellyfish Essence Hydrating Mask was marketed with a “Three No” formulation claim: no chemical preservatives, no alcohol, and no fragrance, achieving high monthly sales volumes.[5] Concurrently, products such as the Water Gloss Lip Glaze and Velvet Matte Lipstick earned recognition at the Tmall Golden Makeup Awards, indicating a period of comprehensive category expansion.[6]

Commercial Scale

Official English-language brand materials report that Chioture achieved an omnichannel Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) exceeding RMB 1 billion in 2019.[8] While GMV represents total transaction value rather than net revenue or profit, this milestone demonstrated the brand’s evolution from a niche domestic label to a significant player in online beauty retail.

Recent Developments

Between 2020 and 2022, Chioture broadened its assortment to include products such as the Flowing Line Gel Eyeliner, Enzyme Makeup Remover, Retro Street Cross Eyeshadow Palette, Uninhibited Matte Lip Glaze, Sharp Brow Pencil, SoftFocus Setting Powder, Foldable Quad Eyeshadow, and Yeast Repair Mask. Several of these items received industry accolades, including Meiyi Awards, GGA Gold Awards, and Tmall Golden Makeup Awards.[8] In 2023, the Dual-Ended Lip Glaze reportedly sold over 6.2 million units across all platforms within a single year. During the same period, the brand stated it had amassed over 8.47 million followers across official flagship stores and secured partnerships with more than 8,000 offline retail locations, while also receiving a “Good Beauty Brand” award at CBE China Beauty Expo.[9][10] As these figures originate from brand disclosures, they represent self-reported data rather than independently audited market share statistics.

Product Portfolio

Lip Products

Lip cosmetics constitute Chioture’s most prominent category. Current offerings listed on official channels include Ice Cream Lip Glaze, Silky Mist Lipstick, Matte Lip Glaze, Ice Cream Lip Mud, Watery Lip Glaze, Glassy Watery Lip Glaze, Dual-Ended Lip Glaze, Solid Lip Balm, Lip Care Oil, and Liquid Lip Mask.[11][22][23] International catalogs additionally feature Dual Lipstick, Long-lasting Lip Gloss, Moisturizing Lip Serum, Velvet Shield Lip Clay, Ice-Cream Lip Mud, and Satiny Lipstick.[20][22] Lip products are widely regarded as the brand’s signature category.

Blush and Multi-Functional Cosmetics

Chioture emphasizes multi-functional products designed to streamline application. The Lip & Cheek Multi-Purpose Cream, for example, is formulated for use on lips, cheeks, and eyelids, featuring a lightweight, cloud-like cream texture.[5] Such products cater to younger consumers who prefer streamlined routines where a single item serves multiple cosmetic purposes.[15]

Eye Makeup

The eye makeup range includes gel eyeliners, dual-ended eyeliners, brow pencils, brow tinting products, brow powders, mascara primers, dual-ended mascaras, liquid eyeshadows, and eyeshadow sticks.[6] This assortment provides a comprehensive matrix for eye cosmetics.

Base Makeup

Building on the early success of cushion BB creams, the base makeup line has expanded to include cushions, foundations, concealers, setting powders, and primers. Base makeup holds historical significance for Chioture, as the cushion BB was instrumental in establishing early mass-market consumer recognition.[3]

Skincare and Cleansing

The brand maintains a skincare and cleansing lineup consistent with its original deep-sea hydration heritage. Products include the Deep Sea Jellyfish Mask, hydrating masks, lip care treatments, liquid lip masks, cleansing oils, cleansing balms, micellar waters, and eye-and-lip makeup removers.[7][21][24]

Brand Philosophy and Aesthetics

Chioture’s visual identity is characterized by youthful, sweet, trendy, and colorful aesthetics optimized for social media engagement. The international brand platform promotes the tagline “Color Made For Every Mood,” alongside principles of Everyday Color, Innovative Colors, Comfortable Beauty, and Beauty for Everyone.[8] The brand narrative has evolved beyond conventional beauty standards to emphasize self-expression, encouraging consumers to use color as a medium for emotional expression and identity exploration rather than mere coverage. This philosophy aligns with the “trend capture” positioning embedded in the brand name.[15]

Target Market and Pricing

Chioture primarily targets Generation Z consumers, including students, young professionals, and individuals interested in experimenting with Korean, Chinese, and Japanese beauty trends at accessible price points. The brand does not compete directly with luxury houses such as Dior, Chanel, or YSL Beauty; instead, its value proposition centers on enabling low-cost experimentation with current trends. In Southeast Asian markets such as Malaysia, products are typically priced between RM19.90 and RM49.90 through authorized retailers like Watsons, positioning the brand as affordable yet distinctly branded rather than generic or premium.[9][10] This pricing strategy supports an “Affordable Trend Beauty” positioning that balances accessibility with perceived quality.

International Expansion

While originally focused on the domestic Chinese market, Chioture has expanded into Japan, Southeast Asia, and other international territories.[17] In Japan, the brand operates a dedicated website and distributes through retailers including @cosme, Don Quijote, Ainz & Tulpe, Sundrug, Create, and Sugiyama.[11] In Malaysia, Chioture has entered mainstream brick-and-mortar retail via Watsons, offering approximately 30 SKUs including Blush Stick, Jar Blush, Colour Locking Glossy Lip Glaze, Double-Headed Lip Glaze, Triangular Lip Mud, Moisturizing Lip Oil, and Ice Cream Lip Glaze.[9][12][25] This physical retail presence indicates a strategic transition from a purely cross-border e-commerce model to integrated local distribution, supporting its evolution from a Chinese internet-native brand to a pan-Asian mass-market cosmetics label.

Trademarks and Intellectual Property

Public trademark records indicate that the Chioture mark is held or applied for by Shanghai Fengyi Information Technology Development Co., Ltd. In the United States, trademark registrations filed in 2024 cover goods classes including cosmetics, beauty masks, essential oils, sunscreen preparations, and skincare-related products.[13][16] Earlier international filings also show variant marks such as CHIÕTURE, suggesting early-stage planning for global market protection.[14] These registrations encompass categories consistent with the brand’s current product portfolio.

Competitive Positioning

Chioture occupies a distinct position within the landscape of Chinese domestic beauty brands. Unlike traditional heritage labels or newer ingredient-driven brands, it belongs to the cohort of internet-native cosmetics companies that combined e-commerce, social media marketing, trend responsiveness, and accessible pricing. Compared to traditional luxury cosmetics, Chioture differentiates through faster product cycles, socially optimized packaging, and lower price barriers that encourage trial. Its primary competitive advantages include strong cost-performance, depth in lip categories, rapid trend adaptation, distinctive packaging, comprehensive product coverage, and maturing overseas distribution.[19] However, the brand faces challenges common to mass-market trend cosmetics, including product homogenization amid intense competition from peers such as Perfect Diary, Judydoll, Joocyee, Florasis, and INTO YOU; potential over-reliance on viral hit products; and the need to build sustained international brand equity beyond its existing recognition in China.[18][19]

About Chioture