May welcomes Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
But what is AAPI heritage month about?
This month not only celebrates the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States— but recognizes they are instrumental in its future success as well.
Whether they’re from eastern or southern Asia or the Indian subcontinent, there’s a wide range of rich cultures, traditions & experiences within the AAPI community to be shared.
With that in mind, we wanted to create a celebratory set that gives back.
Behind the scenes of the Heritage Gift Set launch
The collection is called the Heritage Gift Set, and 100% of profits from every box sold will benefit The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), a convener, incubator, and funder accelerating opportunity and prosperity for AAPI communities.
Founded in 2021 by a group of prominent Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, it aims to support an array of Asian American and Pacific Islander causes and create a national infrastructure for a community that has faced an increasing number of racial attacks.
We’re so proud to partner with them because they are a remarkable organization that works tirelessly to provide funding and resources to build the infrastructure to improve AAPI advocacy, power, and representation.
Meet the amazing female Asian founders that made this collaboration possible:
Sharon Pak
INH Co-Founder Sharon Pak wearing Jennifer
Born and raised in border town Rio Rico, Arizona, Sharon Pak is a 30 under 30 entrepreneur and Co-Founder of INH Hair. When Pak, who is a second-generation Korean American, started working in beauty nearly a decade ago, she saw firsthand how underrepresented Asian people are in the space.
It became her purpose to serve and inspire others in the AAPI community. Pak’s career took off in 2014 at ColourPop Cosmetics, where she helped incubate the brand alongside Jordynn Wynn, who she met while attending Pepperdine University on a scholarship.
Sensing a white space in the hair market, Pak left ColourPop and concepted INH with Jordynn Wynn and Kevin Gould. The trio officially launched the brand in May of 2018, and has since grown the company into a multi-million dollar business by making quality, on-trend hair extensions and other hair cosmetics more accessible. Pak continues to use her platform to advocate for the AAPI community.
Fiona Co Chan
Fiona Co Chan is the founder and CEO of Youthforia. Youthforia is best known for creating makeup you can sleep in and creating the world’s first color changing blush oil that went viral on Tiktok. Fiona started Youthforia during the pandemic while stuck living in Asia where she trained as a makeup artist & launched the brand in 2021. Prior to Youthforia, she worked in tech. She’s passionate about creating innovative and fun products while using clean and sustainable ingredients. She was most recently on Shark Tank.
Ann McFerran
Ann McFerran was 7 years old when she immigrated to America with her mother from Bangkok, Thailand. Growing up in Manteca, CA, she then moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA where she graduated with a B.S. in Psychobiology.
However, after graduation, she pursued her passion and became a full-time fine artist. She sold various pop-art and abstract commissions worldwide. During these years, while she enjoyed the creativity that art provided, she also felt isolated.
Having grown up around people different from her, Ann always felt insecure about her small lashes. She felt eager to find a product that she didn’t have to throw away so often, was easy to apply, lasted all day, and looked beautiful.
When she saw a gap in the beauty market for magnetic lashes that actually worked, she sought to develop them on her own. She taught herself everything from product development to marketing and built the brand from the ground up. All of the sleepless nights and hard work finally paid off. One year later, in July 2019, GLAMNETIC was born.
Jina Chang's
Jina Chang's fascination with jewelry began at a young age, but she struggled to find pieces that fit her personal style and budget. Undeterred, she learned to repurpose broken accessories into one-of-a-kind pieces. After graduating from college, Jina decided to take her passion to the next level by selling her handmade creations at local flea markets.
Thanks to the positive feedback from customers, Jina was inspired to turn her hobby into a business. Using all of her personal savings, she created an online presence for Girls Crew by building a website and leveraging social media. Today, Girls Crew is a globally recognized jewelry brand, known for its imaginative and playful designs that empower individuals of all backgrounds.
Amy Liu
For over 15 years, Amy Liu worked as a beauty executive at some of the fastest-growing prestige companies.
But as a longtime eczema sufferer, she couldn’t even enjoy the best part of working in the beauty industry: trying out all the products! Amy saw this white space as an opportunity and set out to create Tower 28, a beauty company inclusive of all skin tones, skin types, budgets, and beauty philosophies.
Toni Ko
Kim Chi is a Korean-American drag superstar who first introduced her game-changing makeup artistry on Rupaul's Drag Race. With her talent and charm, Kim Chi is now making her story with a successful makeup brand and a following of 2.6 million across social media platforms.
Cat Chen
Skylar founder Cat Chen has been inspired by fragrance since childhood. A first-generation American, her parents immigrated from Taiwan when she was 11, settling in the Los Angeles area, where dreaming big is a way of life.
Watching her parents pursue the American dream, she learned that anything is possible with perseverance. Cat founded Skylar in 2017 after her everyday fragrance caused her infant daughter to experience allergic reactions. Though it was thought to be impossible, Cat found a way to make fresh, inspiring scents that are cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, and safe for sensitive skin.
Ready to see what’s inside the Heritage Gift Set?
Never Knotty Vegan Boar Bristle Brush, INH
What we love about it: Our award-winning cruelty-free vegan boar bristle paddle brush was voted by beauty editors as one of the best hair brushes for women! The do-it-all dual bristles make this premium hair brush your mane multi-use hair tool for a happy scalp & hair by conditioning, adding shine, smoothing, styling, de-frizzing & detangling.
No Fly Zone Hair Pomade, INH
What we love about it: This clear, lightweight, water-based, non-comedogenic hair pomade puts texture, shape & control right at your fingertips. Conditioning & softening for a strong yet pliable hold that is never greasy, flakey, or crunchy. Our gentle vegan & cruelty-free formula is sweatproof, buildable, and full of essential oils, proteins & vitamins to nourish your scalp while you style away flyaways.
Pregame Primer, Youthforia
The Pregame Primer is shapewear for your face. Composed of micro-molecules that bend to your unique skin to provide a daily protective shield that holds your makeup in place. This makeup primer uses top-of-the-line, silicone-free texturing ingredients to help diminish the appearance of fine lines for smooth makeup application.
Almond Press-On Nails in Limelight, Glamnetic
What we love about it: This nail set features a semi-transparent, natural base with lime green tips and daisy-motif accent nails. Limelight comes in our fan-favorite shape, short almond.
Rodeo Queen Studs + Ear Cuff, Girls Crew
What we love about it: Saddle up and add some Western flair to your outfit with our Rodeo Queen Studs + Ear Cuff set. This set includes a dainty emerald cactus, a classic white cowboy boot, and an elegantly chained double-banded ear cuff for that wild child style.
Cowgirl Stud Set, Girls Crew
What we love about it: Our Cowgirl Stud set features iconic Western symbols, including a cowboy hat, sheriff's badge, horseshoe, and cowboy boot, all adorned with an array of eye-catching stones. With this beautifully unique jewelry set, you'll be the star of your rodeo and ready to ride off into the sunset in style.
ShineOn Milk Jelly in Coconut, Tower 28
What we love about it: ShineOn Lip Jelly is a clean, non-sticky, moisturizing lip gloss for soft, shiny lips. With a touch of milky pink color, this gloss uses a unique blend of five nurturing oils to soothe and protect lips. Clean, Vegan, and 100% safe for sensitive skin.
Thailor Collection: Blush Duo, KimChi Chic
What we love about it: Wear your heart on your cheeks. Our Thailor Blush is a blush duo that will give you that just-kissed flush.
Comes in a heart-shaped compact with a mirror. Kim Chi Says: “Inspired by my favorite cartoon series (I changed the name slightly because that’s how I pronounce it and also legal reasons tee hee). Feel yourself transform into a magical goddess with these shimmering and blinding shades!"
Discovery Set, Skylar
What we love about it: Five crisp, clean, nature-inspired scents to transport you to your dream destination. Get a glimpse of your future scent wardrobe with the Discovery Set by wearing and pairing these scents together.
A great item to gift to a friend (or keep for yourself) as a send-off on a clean scent journey.
A lot of love went into this ultimate care package:
The small but mighty INH team doing some hand-made packaging for the
Heritage Gift Set launch.
We’re deeply grateful for our partners in this collaboration… Their passion, creativity, and dedication have been instrumental in bringing this idea to life.
We’re thrilled to be part of this collective effort to create a positive impact. Together, we are creating a platform that amplifies the voices, success, and stories of Asian-Pacific Americans, empowering them to thrive and flourish!
We’d also like to express our heartfelt appreciation to our community. Your support inspires us to continue our mission of celebrating women, diversity, and inclusivity. We’re committed to providing you with products that not only enhance your natural beauty but also connect with you on an emotional level and help you feel amazing.
By purchasing our special product launch, you are not only indulging in exquisite Asian beauty products (some of our absolute FAVS) but also making a tangible impact on the AAPI community.
Shop the limited edition box here.
