Thai Beauty Brand Subi Launches Hair Setting Mascara for Digital-Age Women
Thai beauty brand Subi has launched a hair-setting mascara designed to combat frizz and flyaways in Thailand's humid climate, created by three co-founders who identified the gap after finding existing products unsuitable for local condition
Subi Hair Setting Mascara has become an essential product for women seeking a quick beauty fix, solving problems like frizzy hair and flyaways in a convenient, pocket-sized format—essential for the digital age where time is precious. Co-founders Lily Chaemmankhang and Junior Rattanasuntorn, who work in content creation and regularly shoot photos and videos, constantly battled messy hair, especially frizz and flyaways triggered by Thailand's hot, humid weather. They searched for products to address these issues, but existing market offerings failed to meet their needs in terms of convenience, staying power, and compatibility with Thai hair texture. While traveling abroad, they discovered hair setting mascaras popular in some Asian countries, but testing these products revealed they weren't designed for Thai climate conditions.
This inspired the creation of Subi brand. Co-founder Mew Thanawatsakchaseree, who has experience working in large organizations handling business strategy, brought strategic thinking to complement Lily and Junior's beauty and fashion expertise. Market research revealed Thailand's beauty industry is in growth phase, with cosmetics market value expanding from approximately 70 billion baht 20 years ago to 400 billion baht today, growing 6-7% annually. The rising T-Beauty trend and Thailand's recovering tourism presented an opportunity to build a Thai brand that develops products from genuine consumer needs, appealing to both local consumers and foreign tourists seeking Thai beauty products as souvenirs.
Subi, which stands for "Simple But Iconic," aims to develop easy-to-use products that save time on personal grooming while maintaining distinctive character suited to modern lifestyle. The brand's first product, Subi Hair Setting Mascara, is designed for convenient, anywhere use without requiring hair spray or styling gel. The brand emphasizes distinctive, eye-catching packaging because today's consumers seek products that are convenient to carry and use anywhere, not just functional ones. Subi officially launched in July 2025 using a marketing strategy focused on creator and influencer communities, receiving overwhelming response. Within months, Subi became a contender for "Favorite Item of the Year 2025," with several products selling out and prompting pre-orders. The brand currently sells through online channels and retail partnerships.
