Female Founded: Kulfi

What inspired you to launch Kulfi, and what gap were you trying to fill in the beauty space?

Kulfi was born out of both personal frustration and possibility. I didn’t grow up wearing makeup, and when I finally stepped into beauty through roles at Estée Lauder and IPSY, I was struck by how joyful it could be - but also how little of it reflected my skin tone, my culture, or my story. Even with access to shelves of product, I couldn’t find a shade that truly matched me.

I realised there was a gap not just in shades, but in how beauty could make you feel. I wanted to build a brand that centered joy, celebrated culture, and truly celebrated people who looked like me - not as an afterthought, but as inspiration.

How did your personal experience growing up influence the way you shaped Kulfi’s identity?

A lot of Kulfi’s identity is shaped by lived experience - mine and the team’s. Even the name ‘Kulfi’ is deeply personal. It’s a South Asian dessert that reminds me of some of my happiest childhood memories - hot summer days, running around with friends, sharing Kulfi. For me, it symbolises joy, nostalgia, and community - and that spirit runs through everything we create.

Each product has a cultural and emotional anchor. For example, Free the Brow was inspired by the contrast I noticed growing up: how lovingly we treated the hair on our heads with oils and rituals, while facial hair- like thick brows - was often stigmatised. I wanted to flip that narrative and create something that nurtured and celebrated brows the same way we care for our hair.

And colour inspiration? It comes from the vibrancy I saw growing up - like watching my mom wear bold, beautiful saris. Translating those shades into eyeshadows or lip products is our way of honouring that visual language and making it wearable for today. Kulfi is a blend of those cultural cues and real-life memories turned into modern beauty.

Can you share some of the key milestones or challenges you’ve faced in running Kulfi, and how they have shaped your journey as a female founder?

One of the biggest milestones for me was simply launching - especially during the pandemic. We launched on our own website in early 2021, having developed everything remotely. Just getting to that point felt monumental. A year later, launching at Sephora was a huge moment - having a best-in-class retailer believe in your vision and support a brand like Kulfi so early on was deeply validating. And now, launching in the UK with Space NK - another beloved retailer known for spotlighting cult brands - feels like the next chapter of that journey.

As for challenges, one that comes up often is this question around who our consumer is. We’re frequently asked, ‘Is Kulfi only for South Asians?’ It’s a question I find limiting - because the consumer doesn’t think that way. Kulfi was born from a South Asian perspective, but the products and the joy we celebrate are for everyone. You don’t see that question asked when the founder isn’t a woman of colour. It’s something I’ve had to push back against while staying rooted in who we are.

Another challenge - and opportunity - is visibility. As a single founder, I run both the operations and the external-facing brand. In beauty, male founders often stay behind the scenes, but women - especially women of colour - are expected to be front and centre. I embrace that, because representation matters. I want people to see that someone who looks like me can build a brand from the ground up. But there are still only 24 hours in a day, and balancing that visibility with everything else required to run the business is definitely a challenge. 

How does the beauty and wellness sector continue to energize your creativity?

What energises me creatively is less about watching industry trends and more about looking inward - at our community, our culture, and the stories we want to tell. We’re constantly asking: what do our customers need? What lived experiences can we translate into joyful, meaningful products or campaigns?

What feedback have you received from consumers, and how does it influence future product development?

We always start with what the consumer needs. We’re constantly in conversation with our community through surveys, testing, and feedback loops. That ensures our products deliver on performance first, and then we layer in the playfulness, storytelling, and cultural cues that make a product feel distinctly Kulfi.

Take Lassi Lips, our staining lip oil. It was born from community feedback - after we launched our lipstick, people told us they wanted something equally hydrating and comfortable, but with longer wear. So we formulated a first-of-its-kind lip oil that leaves a beautiful stain. From there, the name and story took shape. It launched in summer, and the juicy, vibrant shades reminded us of sipping a chilled glass of lassi on a hot day - sweet and refreshing, in flavours like Rose and Sweet. 

We're always looking for the cues our community gives us - whether it's a request for more olive undertones (which are still so underrepresented in beauty), or messages saying, ‘I never found a shade match until Kulfi,’ or ‘I didn’t think I could pull off blue eyeliner until now.’ That feedback tells us we're doing what we set out to do: make beauty more approachable, joyful, and inclusive.

If you could choose one product you think we all need to experience, which would it be?

If there’s one product you have to try, it’s Zari Eyes - our cream-to-powder eyeshadow. It’s one of those one-and-done formulas that’s effortless to apply, but makes a major impact. The texture is dreamy, it blends beautifully with just your fingers, and the reflective finish catches the light in such a stunning way.

I always say - if you walk into a room wearing Zari Eyes, someone will definitely ask you what you’re wearing. It’s that kind of showstopper, but still easy enough to swipe on in under five minutes.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Kulfi, and how do you envision the brand evolving in the rapidly changing beauty and wellness landscape?

We want to continue building Kulfi as a global brand that leads with culture, community, and joy. That means deepening our presence in the UK, expanding to new markets thoughtfully, and continuing to innovate around products that feel both innovative and inspired.

What advice would you give to other female founders looking to enter the beauty space?

Build something that feels personal - because that’s what will set you apart, even in an industry that can feel oversaturated. There’s so much noise in beauty, it’s easy to feel like you need to move fast or do everything at once. But thoughtful, intentional growth will always take you further.

Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision. And don’t be afraid to ask your community for input - they’ll often be your clearest guide and greatest source of inspiration.