Blame it on India’s diverse topography and its rich spectrum of skin tones, finding a make-up brand that truly works can feel like a challenge. It is not just about matching the weather, which in Chennai can swing between hot and humid, but also about finding shades that seamlessly blend with your natural colour.
It was this very challenge that got Priya George Lakshman thinking, as she observed how her make-up products from abroad, actually performed across Indian conditions. “I would wear these products while on a trip and all would be fine, but once I got here, I realised how it melted, it started feeling heavy,” she says. That is when she began working on her brand, Svam Beauty, which she describes as high-performance make-up that works beautifully in real Indian conditions.
At the launch of the brand and the lip crayons and liners, Priya’s dance teacher, kathak exponent Jigyasa Giri shares an interesting anecdote; about how Priya chose to also examine how dance make up has been used over the years, and the need to come up with alternatives.
Priya George Lakshman at the launch of Svam Beauty
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“While we traditionally wear a ‘pancake’ base on stage which is the only product that we thought can withstand how much we sweat onstage as well as look good to a large audience, Priya suggested we experiment with the makeup she was developing; from foundation, blush, primer, lip crayons and liners. We went through several experiments and figured out the sequencing. For the last few shows, most of our base makeup has been from Svam beauty,” she says, adding how important it is for dancers to feel comfortable with makeup onstage.
For Priya as well, dance has played an important role in her makeup journey and how it led to her first tryst with makeup as a child. “As an artist, I firmly believe that makeup is like art. It always feels like working on a painting…something that always excites me to work on,” she says.
When I meet Priya at the launch of the brand, she points to her face and says that the make-up she is wearing has been developed and tested rigorously over the last three years. “Despite being such a fast-growing beauty market, many of us have had to compromise with makeup that doesn’t suit our skin tones, having to mix and match to arrive at perfect shades, or simply using formulations that were created based on western trends. As an Indian brand, I first take into consideration our realities and then work on what works for us best. Every shade is calibrated for us,” she explains. For Svam, Priya has worked with formulators in Europe and South Korea, and she says at factories, which manufacture for a host of global make-up giants.
Trial run
I give their first launches, the Svam All Day Definition Comfort Matte Lip Crayon, and the Svam All Day Definition Comfort Matte Lip Liner (with vitamin C, peptides and hyaluronic filling spheres, manufactured in Germany), a spin. There are 10 shades (with names like Born To Lead, Game Changer, and more) are a mix of both dark and light colours that suit a range of skin tones. I pick Fearless and Free, described as a sunlight clay brown shade, best suited for those who prefer a dark lippie for daily wear.
On first application, the crayon, worn without a layer of lip balm, glides smoothly, and takes a couple of minutes to dry. The product is fragrance free, and despite being a matte crayon, does not feel as drying. Throughout the day, the product stays on for a good four hours, and remains transfer and smudge proof. While I choose to do a touch up after lunch, there is still quite a bit of product left on my lips which makes it long-lasting.
Priya says that Svam, which is vegan, dermatologically tested and cruelty-free, has been developed in line with EU cosmetic standards and aligns itself with the Sephora Clean Ingredients guidelines. “I am taking this a step forward and have conceived our own quality assurance as well – the SVAM Intelligent Clean™ framework. For instance, while the Sephora guidelines allow for a bit of fragrance, I have completely taken it off our products to make it more accessible for those with sensitive, irritation-prone skin,” she explains.
Over the next few months and into the coming year, Svam is set to expand its lineup with a range of new launches, including foundation, skin tints, kajal, highlighter, and blush. While her early launches, the crayons and lip liners are available only on the Svam website, Priya is looking at a presence on beauty e-commerce retailers like Nykaa and Tira in the future as well.
Inspired by her tryst with stage make-up, which is designed to endure heat, sweat, and stage lights, Svam endeavors to create everyday products that work just as hard.
Prices start from ₹1,199 onwards
Published – April 17, 2026 01:39 pm IST