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As a South Asian American obsessed with all things beauty, I was ecstatic to find out about the launch of cosmetics company Kulfi Beauty — it's even named after one of my favourite South Asian desserts. However, it's more than the name; every part of this brand represents me. The founder, Priyanka Ganjoo, has experienced the same beauty struggles I have. The imagery, shade names, and packageing are playful and full of personality. The models look just like me and exude confidence and individuality. Its ethos of celebrating yourself makes me proud of my South Asian heritage.
The brand's first products are the Underlined Kajal Eyeliners, which Ganjoo created to "not only solve problems that many South Asians face, such as finding products that match our undertones, but also come from our point of view," she told POPSUGAR. Kajal has been used historically to ward off the evil eye, also known as nazar. It is an ancient form of protection, and for many South Asians, our introduction into the beauty world. While many brands have come out with their own takes on kajal eyeliner (and many parts of South Asia have their own, region-specific formulations when it comes to traditional kajal) Ganjoo says they are the first to release them in the US with a South Asian perspective.
I love that the eyeliners are infused with aloe vera and vitamin E, helping the product to glide on easily without tugging excessively at my lids. The texture is almost like a gel liner, where it's soft enough to pick up using an angled brush. Once it sets, the formula will dry down and settle to offer a smudge-proof, waterproof, long-lasting wear.
I also appreciated that I could experiment and go out of my comfort zone with the different colours. I was able to create a sharp wing when I wanted to create a classic look, or I could smudge the liner with a dense brush for a smoky effect — all with one kajal eyeliner. I even used the Underlined Kajal Eyeliners to draw on cute accents like stars, hearts, and complementary geometric lines and dots, which I tried my best to attempt. I wanted to put these kajal eyeliners (and my creativity) to the test, so keep reading to see what I loved about each shade.