Got Multi-Toned Lips? New Luxury Makeup Brand Vedi Beauty’s Got You With Richly Saturated Lipsticks

Growing up health-conscious in San Francisco and dealing with health issues, Nikita Magan, founder of Vedi Beauty, who had a stroke as an infant and has cerebral palsy, became exceedingly deliberate with the beauty products she used.

She says, “I vividly recall stepping into a popular beauty store and struggling to find a nude lipstick that met my criteria: hydrating, lightweight and fully pigmented, with ingredients I could pronounce.”

Of Indian descent, Magan struggled in particular to locate lipsticks that met those criteria for her two-toned lips and golden skin. She points out many lipsticks don’t provide even color on people with melanated skin that have lips with multiple tones because the lipsticks aren’t pigmented enough. As a result, the color can appear differently in different areas of multi-toned lips.

“I wanted a formula with rich pigmentation that wasn’t matte, but had a weightless, hydrating feel and glided on smoothly for an even application,” says Magan. “Finding the balance was the key.”

Vedi has stepped into the beauty industry to deliver that balance. To get it right, it took five years in development before Magan launched the brand in April. Vedi’s debut collection contains six vegan satin lip crème shades lipstick priced at $28 and tested on multi-toned lips: soft mauve Namaste, rich beige Sahara, deep berry Gulabi Rose, burgundy Devi, fuchsia Rani and pink Pink City.

“India has the largest growing population, and golden skin tones come in various shades of gold,” says Magan. “Women with golden skin and two-tone lips need beauty products that cater to their unique needs. Indian beauty is on the rise, and as we become the largest consumers, there’s a growing need for beauty that caters to our specific skin requirements.”

Realizing the market potential, Indian and Indian American founders have introduced an increasing number of beauty brands in recent history that often respond the preferences of Indian consumers and feature Indian-inspired ingredients, especially in haircare and skincare. Makeup is a less well-trodden category.

Magan says, “Five years ago, there were no brands catering to people who look like me. Now, while there are more options, none truly consider both skin and lip tone.”

Vedi’s lipsticks are housed in gilded tubes adorned with its brand logo that’s a modern take on Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge. Vedi (vay-dee) is named for the Sanskrit word for “knowledge.” Its lipsticks are formulated with organic sunflower oil, avocado oil and cocoa butter for hydration. They also contain vitamin E for antioxidant protection. Out of the gate, the bestselling shades have been Pink City and Gulabi Rose.

“Five years ago, there were no brands catering to people who look like me. Now, while there are more options, none truly consider both skin and lip tone.”

The development process was a family affair. Not officially a member of Vedi’s team, Magan’s mother helped her evaluate formulas and shades. Magan and her mom sported the shades around the clock to check their wear and chose formulas purposely to suit a wide age range. Magan was in her 20s at the time of development, and her mom was in her late 50s.

Based on her research, Magan determined younger consumers gravitate to neutral pink lipstick colors, while older consumers appreciate deeper colors and lightweight formulations that won’t bleed or settle into cracks on the lips. Vedi partnered with an American manufacturer to enable Magan to have a close relationship with it and visit its facility.

“Our formulas are made with high-quality organic oils and waxes and finding the right lab took a long time because I wanted to ensure they could bring my vision to life,” she says. “Each product is cruelty-free, and every detail down to the packaging was carefully refined.”

At the moment, Vedi’s lipsticks are sold exclusively in direct-to-consumer distribution via its website, but Magan hopes to place it in retail soon. To showcase the brand’s versality to consumers and retailers, its social media content showcases women with a broad range of skin tones in its shades.

Magan positions Vedi as at the intersection of beauty and self-care. “Not only have I overcome a stroke, but living with the aftermath of it, seen as an invisible disability, as well as living with cerebral palsy from birth has profoundly influenced the creation of Vedi,” she says. “My disability has given me a unique perspective on the importance of self-care, health-conscious choices, and resilience.”

She continues, “Health and knowledge have always been interconnected for me because I truly had to understand what I needed. This led to the concept of ‘informed beauty,’ meaning understanding what you need for your health is a form of beauty.”

For now, Vedi will stay focused on lipsticks. However, Magan envisions it eventually moving beyond them. “We plan to expand into other categories in the future, but only with products that are meaningful and necessary,” she says. “We aim to be on the forefront of luxury makeup for women with golden skin and two-tone lips, celebrating diversity and inclusion.”

Magan declines to share how much Vedi cost to launch or project the sales it expects to achieve this year. She says, “We are currently self-funded and plan to remain so for the foreseeable future in order to maintain creative freedom and produce products we truly believe in.”