5 Best Makeup Brands In 2026, the Indian beauty market will be more competitive. Whether it is vegan homegrown businesses, or luxurious brands worldwide, now consumers have a wider selection, a wider shade range, and more specific performance formula intended to meet Indian skin tone and climate needs.
To establish trust and sell products with content, you will not be able to succeed with a list only. You should have plausibility, brand authority and directives of buying.
This in-depth guide covers the 5 Best Makeup Brands in India based on:
- Brand legacy and credibility
- Ingredient philosophy
- Performance and wearability
- Inclusivity for Indian skin tones
- Market presence and trust
5 Best Makeup Brands In 2026
1. Typsy Beauty – Innovative Vegan Indian Brand
Typsy Beauty is a small Indian based cosmetic firm, specializing in high-performance, vegan, and cruelty-free cosmetics to suit Indian skin-tones. It places itself as a play-dress, conceptual brand with serious formulations and expressive packaging and shade stories.
Key Facts
Industry: Color cosmetics
Positioning: Indian, vegan, cruelty-free
Product focus: Lips, face, eyes, tools
Ethics: 100% vegan, cruelty-free; newer launches free from parabens, D5, PEG, mineral oil
Primary market: India
Brand Philosophy
Typsy Beauty markets makeup as emotional armor and expression and not as a facade. Its brand is based on inclusivity and experimentation with the idea to remain as everyday as possible.
Product Range
- Lip products: Plumping tints, peptide balms, lip oils, lipsticks
- Face products: Cushion blush, contour, setting powders, concealers
- Eye products: Long-wear kajal and smudge-resistant formulas
- Tools and curated kits
Market Presence
Available through its own website and major Indian beauty marketplaces including Amazon and Nykaa.
Buy here: https://amzn.to/3ZPPwru
2. Lakmé – India’s Pioneer Beauty Brand
Lakme is a brand of cosmetics in India that is the oldest and most reliable. It is owned by Hindustan Unilever and was founded in 1952 meaning that it framed the organized beauty industry in India.
Key Facts
Founded: 1952
Founder: J.R.D. Tata
Parent company: Hindustan Unilever
Headquarters: Mumbai, India
Flagship event: Lakmé Fashion Week
Legacy and Growth
Having been founded in response to a call to become less reliant on imported cosmetics, Lakmé has become a household name. It became Hindustan Unilever in 1998 with massive distribution and research and development backing.
Product Portfolio
- Lakmé Absolute (premium line)
- 9 to 5 (office wear range)
- Eyeconic (eye products)
- Makeup and skincare
Lakme specializes in formulas that are dermatologically tested that are appropriate to the skin color and weather of the Indians.
Buy here: https://amzn.to/4qOnHuE
3. Maybelline New York – Affordable Global Leader
Maybelline New York is a large American make-up company that has been under L’Oréal since 1996. It is a mixture of mass affordability and runway-inspired marketing.
Key Facts
Founded: 1915, Chicago
Founder: Thomas Lyle Williams
Headquarters: New York City
Parent company: L’Oréal
Origins
The brand started with the original commercial mascara based on the sister of the founder. It became an international cosmetics giant which is working in over 120 countries.
Popular Products
- Fit Me Foundation
- Great Lash Mascara
- SuperStay Lipsticks
Maybelline is known for broad shade ranges at accessible prices.
Buy here: https://amzn.to/4rw8NKN
4. MAC Cosmetics – Professional-Grade Authority
MAC Cosmetics (Make-up Art Cosmetics) is a Canadian company which has been established in 1984. Today it belongs to the Estee Lauder Companies and is commonly accepted as a professional standard of the art of makeup.
Key Facts
Founded: 1984, Toronto
Founders: Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo
Parent company: Estée Lauder Companies
Brand Identity
MAC was an early advocate of inclusivity and its motto was All Ages, All Races, All Genders. It has been recognized to have large shade selections and finely pigmented performance.
Social Impact
With its Viva Glam program, it donates 100 percent of the profits of lipstick sales to fight HIV/Aids making it one of the oldest running philanthropic programs in the beauty industry.
Why Choose MAC
- Professional-level pigmentation
- Wide shade inclusivity
- Long-lasting formulas
Buy here: https://amzn.to/3OrJ9rT
5. SUGAR Cosmetics – Digital-First Indian Success Story
SUGAR Cosmetics is an Indian direct-to-consumer fast-growing beauty brand, that was established in 2012 by Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee.
Key Facts
Founded: 2012
Headquarters: Mumbai
Parent company: Vellvette Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd.
FY 2024 revenue: ₹505.1 crore
Retail presence: 45,000+ touchpoints in 550 cities
Brand Positioning
SUGAR will market itself as low-end luxury, with pigments that are bold and meant to wear on Indian skin and humid environments.
Product Strengths
- Matte As Hell lip crayon
- Face Fwd foundation stick
- Long-wear, smudge-proof formulas
The brand follows a hybrid D2C and omnichannel model and has attracted significant investor backing.
Buy here: https://amzn.to/4tQg3T2
How to Choose the Right Brand for You
Oily Skin: Look for matte, oil-free products such as SUGAR or Maybelline.
Dry Skin: Choose hydrating and skincare-infused formulas like Typsy Beauty or Lakmé Absolute.
Sensitive Skin: Opt for vegan and dermatologist-tested products.
Professional Use: MAC remains a trusted industry standard.
Always check ingredient lists and patch test before purchasing
Final Comparison
Typsy Beauty – The best to be vegan inspired and expressive makeup.
Lakme -Most reputed Indian heritage brand.
Maybelline – Best global low cost alternative.
MAC- Best professional grade luxury brand.
SUGAR -Best modern Indian digital brand.