Florasis: Beauty Steeped in Culture《花西子：懷少年初心，敬百年匠心》
Written by Lisa Fang
Translated by Deborah Lau-Yu
Photography by Picni Studio
花西子 FLORASIS LIPSTICK. Photo credit 爽爽 Picni Studio
古時女為悅己者容；時至今日，女人愛美是為取悅自己，挑彩妝產品不再單看色調，更著重原產地及材料，法國、意大利、日本、韓國是首選，但可有想過中國也有佳作？「東方彩妝，以花養妝」是人氣彩妝《花西子Florasis》的品牌理念，四年裡，不只風靡中國，亦席捲美國，時尚達人Lisa與我們探索《花西子》匠心傳承中國千年古方養顏智慧的堅持。
花西子 FLORASIS cosmetic Collection. Photo credit 爽爽 Picni Studio.
「欲把西湖比西子，淡妝濃抹總相宜」
“Comparing West Lake to West Beauty, both are charming in light dress as well in bright”.
第一次親身接觸到《花西子》這個品牌，是好朋友送給我一件小禮物，一盤花西子的《百鳥朝鳳》浮雕彩妝盤。打開的一瞬間我忍不住Wow的一聲，沒錯，實在是嘆為觀止，大大小小的彩妝接觸過不少，但真的第一次這樣被一件化妝品震撼到，九色格子裡，精緻的雕刻出傳統中式百鳥朝鳳的圖案，美到讓人捨不得下手。當時正在孕期的我，對各種美妝護膚品成分很是在意，難得又遇到顏值這麼高的一件化妝品，便趕緊網上搜索做了一番功課。
原來是西湖之城杭州土生土長的國貨品牌，怪不得第一次聽到《花西子》這個名字，就立馬想到了蘇東坡這句「欲把西湖比西子，淡妝濃抹總相宜」；而西子，則是指中國古代四代美女之首 --- 西施。兩相結合，不難看出品牌對於東方女性的美好祝願：無論濃妝豔抹或是略施粉黛，都如西施一樣美麗。願東方彩妝，以花養妝」，這是花西子的品牌口號，所有產品都是以天然花卉草本精華為主要成分，不含任何孕婦慎用成分。明星主打產品不僅有這盤《百鳥朝鳳》，還有以木芙蓉、芍藥、雪蓮花、突厥薔薇油《花露胭脂》，養純古方所製的雕花口紅，其中網紅的《絲綢之路》鏤雕粉餅和散粉系列則包含了蠶絲粉、珍珠粉、山茶花、桃花，氣墊則參考復刻了慈禧太后的「玉容散」秘方，加入了白睡蓮、芍藥精華等等。一番查閱下來，終於可以放心大膽的去用了。而幾次使用下來，又不禁感慨何稱得上「內外兼修」：粉質優秀，設計漂亮，使用體驗感與性價比都很好。至此，東方韻味滿滿的中國品牌《花西子》給我留下了深刻的印象。
花西子 FLORASIS. Photo credit 爽爽 Picni Studio
As a discerning shopper, and a member of Fete Chinoise who is passionate about my heritage, I am constantly looking for culture in the everyday. One day, a good friend of mine gifted me a small little package, and that was my first time I was introduced to the brand, Florasis (“Hua Xizi” in Chinese). The moment I opened it, my breath was taken away by its beauty. I never imagined a makeup palette could be this beautiful. The name of this special palette is “A Phoenix Worshiped By Hundreds Of Birds,” and its case is embossed with patterns of phoenix and birds. I have personally used various curated brands of beauty products, but it’s the first time I was amazed by a piece of cosmetics and consider it collectible. The exquisite carvings in the nine-coloured grid is reminiscent of ancient Chinese sculptural work, like that of work done on jadeite stones. The traditional Chinese pattern of birds adoring the phoenix is so special and beautiful, that I expect others to be reserved from using it, not wanting it to disappear. And in addition to the aesthetic design, I am also selective about the ingredients in skincare and beauty products that I use, so I was eager to find out if Florasis would qualify in my safe-to-use list, which led me to thoroughly research about the brand and its philosophy.
花西子 FLORASIS. Photo credit 爽爽 Picni Studio
Florasis is a Chinese cosmetic company, born in the West Lake region of Hangzhou. The Chinese name of this new brand, “Hua Xizi”, serves a great purpose to convey its brand message to consumers. “Hua” means “flower” and “Xizi” means “beauty of the west” which comes from a famous poem from renown ancient poet SuShi. In the poem, he compares the beauty of West Lake to a maiden, Lady Shi from the West (considered the most stunning of the Four Great Beauties) — both were always divinely beautiful and delicate in appearance in all seasons and weather, rain or shine.The whole name means that the flower can nurture your skin and you can become as pretty as Lady Shi. The incorporation of this significant work in Chinese history is a meaningful connection between the brand and culture. In recent years, China has witnessed a surge in young consumers’ interest in domestic brands and products that incorporate Chinese traditional style and culture throughout their products. Following this trend, Florasis creates makeup products suitable for oriental women's skin by extracting natural flower and herbal extracts inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine and wellness, and leveraging modern makeup manufacturing technology. In addition to its superior quality, the culturally-based design of its packaging connects with the essence of the brand, and presents a strong brand image and mission.
The main ingredients of all Florasis products are made of natural floral and herbal extracts, and do not contain any ingredients that would cause caution or worry for pregnant women. As a new mom, this is important to me, as what I apply to my skin not only impacts myself, but might be in contact with my children when I hold them. In fact, many of the traditional natural ingredients are known to have beneficial aspects, reflecting the holistic approach of wellness in Chinese culture. For instance, the “Phoenix” palette and the carved lipsticks are made with ancient recipes containing wood hibiscus, peony, snow lotus, and turk rose essential oil, which are known to help balance the body, eliminate toxins and maintain hydration. The “Silk Road” loose powder series contains ingredients such as silk powder, pearl powder, camellia, and peach blossom, accompanied with an air cushion that is carved with reference to Empress Dowager Cixi’s "Yu Rong San" secret recipe including white water lily and peony essence.
After using the product several times, my skin felt smooth and improved. The powder was very refined, the design was beautiful which made the experience wonderful, and the price was just right. Florasis truly delivered its brand philosophy in its product details --- bringing out the oriental beauty from within.
“Florasis truly delivered its brand philosophy in its product details —- bringing out the oriental beauty from within.”
花西子 FLORASIS. Photo credit 爽爽 Picni Studio
後來漸漸了解到，《花西子》真的是不一般，一個在認認真真做中國自己特色的彩妝品牌。從傳統的古方成分到各式東方經典元素，無不將東方文化與美傳遞其中：陶瓷口紅取源於宋朝定窯白瓷，潔白瑩透，輔以蓮瓣紋飾，寓意吉祥美好，取藝於東方微浮雕的瓷藝雕花，展現了《天工開物》中七十二道製瓷工序場景，致敬傳統製瓷匠心；而寓意「永結同心」的同心鎖口紅，則以雕花敘述了中國古代四大浪漫情事之一的「張敞畫眉」的場景，口紅的顏色則以「硃砂鎖」、「醉梅鎖」、「絳仙鎖」、「丹霞鎖」、「檀心鎖」這類傳統又詩意的方式來表達。
From a business perspective, Florasis has had extraordinary success! It has been a big hit across China since 2018. During the Tmall Double 11 festival in 2019, Florasis’s turnover reached $14.2 million (RMB100 million) within just one hour, making it one of the leading domestic brands to enter the "billion yuan club." This new Chinese beauty brand simply has its own unique personality and superior presence, helping it stand out in an oversaturated market. From traditional ancient recipes, natural herbal ingredients to infused with oriental design elements, all of their products convey the oriental culture and beauty:
The ceramic lipstick is derived from the white porcelain of the Ding kiln of the Song Dynasty, white and translucent, supplemented by the lotus petal pattern, which symbolizes the auspicious and beautiful.
Art from the East micro-relief porcelain carvings show the 72 porcelain-making process scenes in "Heavenly Creations", paying tribute to traditional porcelain-making craftsmanship.
The concentric lock lipstick, which means "forever knot and one heart", narrates the scene of "Zhang Chang Hua Mei", one of the four major romantic affairs in ancient China, with carved flowers. The colors of the lipstick are "Cinnabar Lock", "Drunk Plum Lock" and "Cyan "Xiansuo", "Danxiasuo" and "Tanxinsuo" — all of which are very traditional and poetic ways to express beauty.
花西子 FLORASIS. Photo credit 爽爽 Picni Studio
去年，《花西子》更是將大家目光聚集到中國少數民族苗族上來，推出《苗族印象高定係列》，取源於國家級非物質文化遺產，苗族銀飾和象徵苗族文化的蝴蝶圖騰，及傳統東方妝奩，融入苗族蠟染和苗繡元素，打造了又一驚艷系列。作為苗族傳統工藝之一，苗族銀飾的鍛造工藝逐漸面臨失傳的風險，目前被列為國家級非物質文化遺產之一，而我了解到，苗族的銀飾，自古其實是苗家人的婚嫁用品和首飾，古時苗族因戰亂時常遷徙，苗族父母便將家中積蓄換成銀錠，制為銀飾，讓家中女性穿在身上便於一起帶走。家中有女兒的，自出生起便為女兒著手準備銀飾作為嫁妝, 苗銀所象徵的不僅僅是財富，還包含了家人深深的愛及祝福。複雜漫長而精細的製作過程，代代苗族銀匠將畢生精力都獻給了苗族銀飾傳統工藝，《花西子》用新的方式和載體來記載，是致敬也是傳承。在越來越多的品牌和年輕人熱衷於新潮的同時，獨具一格，擔當起喚醒民族魅力的責任，每一件產品我們都能看到東方文化的融入，美好寓意的傳遞，即為傳承，亦為時尚。
Last year, Florasis launched a new product line as a tribute to the Miao ethnic community, a minority group in China, called the "Miao Impression Series". Inspired by the national intangible cultural heritage of Miao people, they used silver ornaments and the butterfly totems symbolizing the culture, as well as traditional oriental makeup incorporating the elements of Miao nationality batik and Miao embroidery to create a stunning series. The traditional craftsmanship of the Miao ethnic group's silver jewellery will soon be forgotten. It is currently listed as a piece of national intangible cultural heritage. I learned that the Miao ethnic group's silver jewellery has actually been used as wedding supplies and jewelry since ancient times. The Miao people often migrated due to wars in that era, and the parents of the Miao people changed their savings into silver ingots and made silver ornaments for the women in the family to wear on their bodies and take them away together. Those who have a daughter in the family have prepared silver jewellery for their daughters as a dowry since birth. Miao Yin symbolizes not only wealth, but also the deep love of the family. The complex, long and delicate production process is incredible, and generations of Miao silversmiths have dedicated their entire lives to the traditional craftsmanship of Miao silver jewellery. Something so special is captured through Florasis, which utilizes its own platform to record history. While more young consumers are keen on new trends, Florasis chooses to take on the responsibility to inspire with traditional oriental culture. Inheritance of culture and passing on the heritage is also fashionable.
“As someone who identifies as Chinese overseas, seeing this excellent Chinese brand rise into the global landscape allows me to feel a sense of pride. ”
花西子 FLORASIS. Photo credit 爽爽 Picni Studio
“人在海外，看到這種優秀的中國品牌，不禁內心生出一種自豪感 。。。”
從中國東方到美國紐約時代廣場的大屏幕，《花西子》帶著東方詩意徐步走來，在海外社交媒體也引領起一波新國潮風格。人在海外，看到這種優秀的中國品牌，不禁內心生出一種自豪感，中國文化上下五千年，文化也是中國品牌背後強大支撐之一。《花西子》內外兼修的匠心產品，獨特的東方美帶著深厚的東方文化開始在國際上被越來越多的人接受與了解，品牌堅持匠心傳承這條路上越走越堅定，實為一件美事。希望《花西子》可以秉承著這份匠心，守住傳統而深厚的東方工藝，繼續用心雕琢更多更好的東方彩妝，將東方美與文化風揚帆。
From the East to the big screens of the West in Times Square in New York, Florasis’ journey and use of Chinese poetry led a wave of new oriental trends on global social media platforms. As someone who identifies as Chinese overseas, seeing this excellent Chinese brand rise into the global landscape allows me to feel a sense of pride. The unique beauty and profound culture of our heritage is emerging on the world stage, and providing a dose of cultural experiences through something as intimate as the powders, colours and creams you put on your skin. With more and more people identifying with the products internationally, I hope that Florasis can uphold this ingenuity, continue to sculpt and innovate in oriental makeup, and continue to inherit and share Chinese beauty and culture.
