On a childhood love of makeup, the meaning of belonging, and the family behind the name.
My love for makeup began when I was five. By twelve, I was already dreaming of creating a beauty brand of my own. I didn’t know what it would look like yet, but I knew how much I loved the possibilities makeup held—the colours, the creativity and the excitement of trying something new.
Growing up in Bangkok with Indian roots, I experienced beauty across cultures. Alongside that fascination came a frustration: finding makeup I loved didn’t always mean finding makeup that felt right on my skin.
Over time, that frustration gave my childhood dream a purpose. I began asking a question that would eventually shape Krimaa:
What if beauty began with seeing people as they are?
When a personal experience becomes a purpose
Makeup had always been a source of joy for me. Yet the search for a foundation match could make it feel complicated. A shade might look promising, but the undertone would be off. Something would come close, without ever quite feeling like mine.
As I paid more attention, I realised how many people shared that experience. Different skin tones, different stories, but a familiar feeling of having to make do.
For me, this raised a bigger question about how people find themselves reflected in beauty. India holds such a rich spectrum of skin tones and undertones. I wanted that diversity to help shape products from the beginning.
My studies in entrepreneurship, followed by a master’s in cosmetics and fragrance marketing and communication in Milan, helped me think about how to turn that intention into a business. The dream was becoming more specific: thoughtful, luxurious makeup with Indian skin at its heart.
The belief behind Krimaa
I wanted Krimaa to preserve the part of makeup I had loved since childhood: the freedom to explore.
That could mean finding a foundation you feel comfortable wearing every day, experimenting with a new colour or creating an entirely different look for an evening. There should be room for all of it.
To me, inclusion has to be felt in the experience of a brand. In the shades available. In the faces you see. In how clearly a product is explained and how welcome you feel asking for help.
That is the kind of care I want to build into Krimaa. Education, representation and community all have a place in that vision, because choosing makeup should feel exciting and understandable.
A name that carries my family
Krimaa’s name brings together three people at the heart of my story.
K comes from Khushi, my name. Ri comes from my father’s name, Parivesh. And Maa comes from my mother, Pritima, while carrying the meaning of “mother” itself—a word I associate with strength, care and unconditional love.
Together, they give the brand a deeply personal identity. Every time I say Krimaa, there is a reminder of my family within it.
Building a brand means making countless decisions about what it will become. Its name keeps me connected to where it began.
Bringing the idea to life
VeilMatte Liquid Foundation in 32 shades is the first expression of that vision.
Starting with foundation felt personal because shade matching was part of what brought me here. I wanted to give attention to the differences that matter when a product meets someone’s skin: depth, undertone, texture and finish.
But my hopes for Krimaa reach beyond complexion. I imagine a wider world of makeup that people can enjoy in their own way, with space for different tastes, routines and levels of confidence.
Real skin has pores, texture and smile lines. People have different relationships with makeup, too. I want our products and conversations to make room for that reality, and for the individuality that makes beauty interesting.
A story we will keep writing together
There is something special about taking a dream you have carried for years and opening it up to other people.
Krimaa began with my experiences, but its future will be shaped by the people who become part of it—their feedback, their questions, their ideas and the ways they make our products their own.
My hope is that you find something here that feels personal to you. A shade, a face, a story or simply the feeling that you were considered.
Thank you for being here and taking the time to understand what Krimaa means to me. I’m excited to discover what it will mean to you.
Every Shade. Every Story.
Khushi Khandelwal
Founder, Krimaa Beauty
