Meet Mango People, Sephora's First Ayurvedic Makeup Brand

Mango People founder and CEO Sravya Adusumilli

For Sravya Adusumilli, launching a beauty brand wasn't part of the plan. "All I wanted was a nude pink lipstick that actually showed up on my pigmented lips, with ingredients that are good for my skin," says the founder and CEO. This quest for an inclusive, non-toxic lipstick shade led to the inception of Mango People—a South Asian-focused makeup line steeped in Ayurvedic wisdom and sustainability.

"Growing up in a South Asian household, my mom always taught me to be mindful of what I eat and put on my body," she shares.

Makeup, Adusumilli tells, was off-limits as her mother was concerned about the ingredients it was formulated with.

It wasn't until Adusumilli started college that she began dabbling with makeup."As a broke college student, buying just one makeup product was quite expensive, let alone multiple to finish your whole routine. So I used to buy one concealer and one shade of lipstick that I would also use on my eyes and cheeks," she recalls.

It was later that she discovered her go-to lipstick not only contained petroleum byproducts but also colors derived from coal tar. "I was mortified," says the 27-year-old.

One would think it shouldn't be such a chore to find an alternative, but finding the right shade of makeup that complements the varied undertones of South Asian skin can be an underwhelming experience.

"I tried to find alternatives. When I did find a brand that genuinely had great ingredients, their shade range was not very inclusive," says Adusumilli. "Most of the shades made me look gray or washed out," she adds.

Mango People was born out of this struggle. Bootstrapped with $10,000 from personal savings, the pandemic-born brand debuted in September 2020 with three products, including the TikTok-loved Multistick.

The mango butter-infused makeup stick features a richly pigmented creamy formula that quickly blends into your cheeks, lips and eyelids for an easy wash of color. The multistick comes in eight shades to match diverse skin tones.

"I wanted to create a line of products where anyone, no matter the skin tone, can find the perfect shade that accentuates their natural beauty—without compromising on performance [and] ingredients," says the chemical engineer-turned-solopreneur.

Mango People The Multi Stick Bundle featuring all eight shades.

Antioxidant-rich adaptogens like ashwagandha, brahmi and triphala, which have long been revered in Ayurvedic medicine, are the star ingredients in Mango People's makeup.

While researching Ayurvedic principles, "one philosophy that really spoke to me is 'if you can't eat it, it doesn’t belong on the skin'," says Adusumilli. "Of course, it’s not meant to be taken literally. But, the idea is that one should be conscious of what they put on their skin as much as what they put inside their body," she explains.

Besides Ayurvedic herbs, the brand formulates with nourishing botanicals and plant oils like apple, avocado oil, black currant, cherry and olive oil.

"If you read our ingredient list, it reads like a recipe," says Adusumilli. "You can recognize 80% of them," many of which can be found in your kitchen, she adds.

Mango People Highlighter in Morning Light

Despite navigating a turbulent pandemic market, where cosmetic sales took a hit due to lackluster demand, the self-funded business reportedly raked in six-figure sales within a year by leveraging social media and word-of-mouth marketing strategies.

Last year, the LA-based brand participated in Sephora's Accelerate program—a beauty incubator focused on supporting founders of color.

Starting this month, Mango People makeup is available on the beauty retailer's website for $27 each—making it the first Ayurvedic makeup brand on Sephora.

"Personally, I have been so fortunate to have grown up with these incredible and effective ingredients and beauty rituals. I wish for everyone to be able to experience and enjoy them," says the beauty entrepreneur.

All Mango People makeup comes in stick format encased in recycled aluminum tubes.

According to Adusumilli, the entire collection is designed to be multifunctional to help streamline consumers' beauty routines, thus minimizing packaging waste that ends up in landfills.

Additionally, the formulas are concentrated and highly pigmented, so a little can go a long way, increasing the time between repurchases.

Each product is water-free, made without petrochemicals and petroleum by-products and comes in recycled aluminum tubes.

"I'm always conscious about my ecological footprint and try my best to live mindfully. I wanted to bring this mindset to Mango People as well, " says Adusumilli.

Mango People Bronzer in Chai

Talking about the brand's role in expanding the conversation around inclusivity and representation, Adusumilli says, "for us, true inclusivity starts with formulation and product innovation."

"We put a lot of thought and effort when it comes to our formulations and shade range," spending a lot of time learning color theory, researching different hues and tones and why certain shades work for certain skin tones and don’t for others, as opposed to many brands where such aspects are often an afterthought, says the founder.

In addition, "the imagery we use on our website and social media consists of a diverse group of models and creators of all skin types and tones," she says.

Mango People The Summer Bundle

Commenting on the direction the beauty industry is taking, as a whole, in terms of inclusiveness and diversity, she says, "we have definitely come a long way.

I'm seeing diversity not just [in] skin tones, but also different skin types, body sizes and people of all ages in so many marketing campaigns."

However, Adusumilli believes there's still work to be done. "While I'm truly grateful to see people that look like me in these advertisements, I think the bigger focus should be on the products themselves. Formulating and designing products that actually are made for people of different skin types and tones," she says.

To that end, Adusumilli suggests employing a more diverse group of chemists at beauty companies. "It’s a simple logic—the chemists who create the products should be as diverse as the individuals that use those products," she says.

"We also need more diverse representation in clinical research and trials"—to further help brands make truly inclusive products that work for people of all skin types and tones, she adds.