Founded by lifelong friends, the award-winning ESQA is Indonesia’s first vegan cosmetics brand, focusing on affordable luxury and premium ingredients. From eight SKUs at launch to nearly 250 today, the company has grown into a beauty powerhouse through first-mover innovation, modern inclusivity, and an international mindset. 

“The local industry felt outdated, with very conventional beauty norms,” says Co-founder and CEO Cindy Angelina. “We wanted to merge vegan formulations with local relevance,” adds Co-founder and CPO Kezia Trihatmanto. The result was a brand with masstige positioning – offering upscale products at accessible prices – that has won a dedicated customer base and international recognition. “Many of our products introduced first-in-market formulations,” Trihatmanto says. “It is important to us not just to follow trends but to lead a movement.” 

The company has cultivated a premium presence across selected retail chains, including Sephora, Watsons, and Sociolla, allied to the strong online footprint of a digital-first brand. Now, ESQA is eyeing strategic partners to support its expansion. Malaysia is a natural first step, thanks to the brand’s halal-certified products, similar demographics, and an existing customer base, but the company is also targeting markets further afield – including the U.S. – as part of its five-year plan. “We believe Indonesia is ready to take the world stage, especially with its beauty products,” says Angelina. “Our goal for ESQA is to become a modern beauty powerhouse, from Indonesia to the world.” 

Read selected extracts from the interview below. 

Q: What motivated you to build the brand? 

Cindy Angelina: We have been friends since childhood and went to the same schools all the way through college. We spent our college years in Los Angeles, California, at Pepperdine. Growing up, we were both obsessed with fashion and beauty. I vividly remember running to Sephora after school to check out the latest products. At the time, the U.S. beauty industry was vibrant and fast-moving, and vegan ingredients were becoming a major trend. 

After completing our studies, we returned to Indonesia and saw a huge gap between the local beauty industry and what we had experienced in the U.S. We could not find products we liked because we had been exposed to high-quality, vegan, and trend-driven formulations. ESQA was born out of our frustration that no products in the market spoke to us. 

Kezia Trihatmanto: I also have extremely sensitive skin, and many products caused reactions. Vegan formulations tend to be safer because some animal-derived ingredients can trigger allergies or irritation. We wanted to merge vegan formulations with local relevance.  

At the time, Gen Z and millennials were growing in influence, yet no beauty brand truly connected with them or captured their attention. ESQA was our way of proving that a local brand can be innovative and inclusive, with a full shade range, not just two or three lighter shades. We wanted to be modern and ethical. 

Q: How do you describe ESQA today, and what mindset continues to shape the business? 

CA: We believe great innovation is often born during challenging times, and companies that adapt quickly and correctly come out stronger. That mindset helped shape where we are today and continues to guide our strategy. We must always stay innovative, not only in our products but in everything we do. We have to be bold with our decisions, even the craziest ones, if that is what it takes.  

Q: How do you view growth opportunities within Indonesia’s beauty market? 

CA: Indonesia is a large country with a huge population, but the infrastructure, especially in second- and third-tier cities, is not fully developed. ESQA is a masstige brand, so we can only enter a selected number of offline doors. Right now, you can find our products in major modern retailers like Sephora, Watsons, Sociolla, and some local cosmetic stores in second- and third-tier cities. 

Online is easier. We were born as an online brand. Currently, on Shopee and TikTok Shop, we are among the top eight makeup brands online. In categories such as eyes, blush, and skin tint, we are among the top three brands. The opportunity is still huge, and we hope to expand to other countries as well. 

Q: How do you approach product development today? 

CA: We launched with only eight SKUs. 

KT: Now we have almost 250 SKUs, including all shade ranges. We are very mindful and strategic with our launches. We do not want to contribute to fast beauty and waste. We avoid monthly launches and focus on true innovation, ideally three to four launches per year. 

Q: What sets ESQA apart in an increasingly crowded beauty market? 

KT: We were the first vegan brand in the country, and many of our products introduced first-in-market formulations. It is important to us not just to follow trends but to lead a movement. We recently won an award for a product I created about eight years ago. It still stands the test of time.  

CA: Customers return because they love the quality of our products. Most of the awards we receive are voted on by real customers. Product quality is extremely important to us. 

Q: How is sustainability, a defining value for Gen Z customers, reflected in your operations? 

KT: Sustainability begins with our products: vegan formulations, clean ingredients, and halal certification. We avoid overproduction and focus on intentional launches, so we do not contribute to fast beauty. Accurate forecasting is essential because we want to avoid waste and dead stock. 

We also launched refill systems. Customers can keep the original compact and only replace the refill, which helps reduce packaging waste. We are continuously working to improve sustainability even further. 

Q: Where do you ultimately want to take ESQA? 

CA: Our goal for ESQA is to become a modern beauty powerhouse from Indonesia to the world. We want to be known as the leading Southeast Asian brand with high-quality, innovative, and environmentally responsible products.  
 
KT: We are creating a sub-brand, which will launch in February 2026.