Hince
Hince is a South Korean design-led makeup brand operating under VIVAWAVE Co. Ltd., offering premium accessible color cosmetics (base, cheek, lip, eye) to K-Beauty enthusiasts and younger beauty consumers worldwide via DTC e-commerce and an exclusive India partnership with Reliance Retail's Tira.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMapo, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hince does
Hince is a South Korean makeup brand founded in 2018 and operated by VIVAWAVE Co. Ltd. (주식회사 비바웨이브), headquartered in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The brand sells a curated range of color-cosmetics products organized into four main categories — BASE (foundation and cushion products), CHEEK (blushers and highlighters), LIP (lipsticks, tints and glosses), and EYE (eyeshadows and brow products) — with signature SKUs including the Raw Glow Dewy Ball Lip & Cheek, Raw Glow Gel Tint, Nu Blur Tint, and Second Skin Mesh Matte Cushion. Individual products are priced between approximately 10,800 KRW and 34,000 KRW, placing Hince in the premium accessible tier of K-Beauty.
The company's core commercial proposition is a design-led, mood-narrative aesthetic that emphasizes enhancement over concealment, aligning with K-Beauty trend techniques such as blurred lips, aegyo sal, and softer brows. Hince distributes through its own e-commerce site (hince.co.kr), which ships internationally to more than 25 countries, and through curated social channels on Instagram, YouTube, and KakaoTalk. In January 2026, the brand entered India exclusively via a partnership with Reliance Retail's Tira omni-channel beauty platform, providing online and physical-store coverage across 98 percent of Indian pin codes.
Hince has raised approximately $13.2M across three disclosed funding rounds (2019 seed from Bass Investment; 2020 from Hana Ventures and Smilegate Investment; 2021 from CJ Olive Young, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, and Premier Partners). The business operates with a lean team of 11–50 employees, generates revenue primarily through one-time direct product sales, and has no disclosed app, proprietary technology platform, or AI/ML capabilities documented in the available sources.
Hince firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hince
- Legal name
- 주식회사 비바웨이브 (VIVAWAVE Co. Ltd.)
- Website
- https://hince.co.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hince is a South Korean design-led makeup brand operating under VIVAWAVE Co. Ltd., offering premium accessible color cosmetics (base, cheek, lip, eye) to K-Beauty enthusiasts and younger beauty consumers worldwide via DTC e-commerce and an exclusive India partnership with Reliance Retail's Tira.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hince industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Color Cosmetics
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lip Makeup (Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Stain, Lip Balm-Tint) (CRABACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Face Makeup (Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter) (CRABACAA), Eye Makeup (Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, Mascara, Brow Products, Eye Primer) (CRABACAB), Makeup Palettes & Sets (Curated Palettes, Gift Sets, Multi-use Kits) (CRABACAF)
Keywords
Where Hince is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mapo
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hince business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct Consumer Product Sales: Hince generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of K-Beauty makeup products via their e-commerce platform and retail partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual makeup products including lips, cheeks, eyes, and base |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Hince product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hince designs, manufactures, and sells a full line of K-Beauty color cosmetics across four categories — BASE (foundations and cushions), CHEEK (blushers, tints, balms), LIP (tints, glosses), and EYE (eyeshadows, brow shapers). The brand sells directly through its own e-commerce platform and exclusive international retail partnerships, with a portfolio anchored by cult favorites such as the Raw Glow Dewy Ball Lip & Cheek, Nu Blur Tint, Raw Glow Gel Tint, Second Skin Mesh Matte Cushion, and Signature Brow Shaper.
Product overview
Hince is a South Korean makeup brand (distributed by VIVAWAVE Co. Ltd.) known for its modern minimalist aesthetic and mood-narrative makeup philosophy. The brand offers a comprehensive range of K-beauty makeup products organized into four main categories: BASE (foundation/cushion), CHEEK (blushers/highlighters), LIP (lipsticks/tints/glosses), and EYE (eyeshadows/brows). Key products include the popular Raw Glow Dewy Ball Lip & Cheek, Raw Glow Gel Tint, and Nu Blur Tint, which embody the K-beauty trends of blurred lips, natural features, and diffused application techniques. Hince operates through its official Korean website (hince.co.kr) with international shipping capabilities and has expanded into the Indian market through Reliance Retail's Tira platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Raw Glow Dewy Ball Lip & Cheek A lip and cheek product that delivers a dewy, glowing finish for a natural makeup look; positioned as a best-selling K-Beauty hero SKU.
- Nu Blur Tint A blurring lip tint engineered to create a soft, blurred lip effect central to Hince's mood-narrative, natural-feature philosophy.
- Raw Glow Gel Tint A gel-based lip tint from the Raw Glow line delivering a raw, glowing lip finish for natural-feature K-Beauty looks.
- Single Eyeshadow An individual eyeshadow available in various shades for building Hince's softer, diffused eye makeup looks.
- Second Skin Mesh Matte Cushion A cushion foundation featuring mesh technology that provides a second-skin, matte base finish.
- Half Moon Cheek A cheek product shaped as a half-moon applicator for precise, diffused blush application.
- Mirror Dew Gloss A lip gloss providing a mirror-like, dewy shine finish to complement natural K-Beauty looks.
- Cover Master Pink Cushion A pink-toned cushion foundation delivering strong coverage for an even skin complexion.
- True Dimension Radiance Balm A balm that adds dimensional radiance to the skin within Hince's natural-finish aesthetic.
- Signature Brow Shaper A brow product designed to shape and define eyebrows as part of Hince's signature softer brow technique.
Companies that use Hince
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hince technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hince partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Reliance Retail's TiracoreHince officially entered the Indian market through a partnership with Reliance Retail's omni-channel beauty platform Tira. The brand launched as a Tira-exclusive across the retailer's online platform and physical stores nationwide. This partnership brings Hince's curated range of K-Beauty products including the Raw Glow Dewy Ball and Raw Glow Gel Tint to Indian consumers, strengthening Tira's portfolio of international beauty brands as Korean beauty trends gain traction among Indian consumers.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hince competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Glossier: Glossier is a design-led, minimalist beauty brand that built its identity around mood/aesthetic differentiation and DTC-led international growth — analogous to Hince's mood-narrative philosophy and global hince.co.kr shipping model.
- Banila Co: Banila Co is a Korean color cosmetics brand specializing in base makeup (cushions, primers, foundations) with comparable positioning to Hince's base category. Both target similar younger consumers with K-beauty aesthetics.
- 3CE (Stylenanda): 3CE is a leading Korean color cosmetics brand under Stylenanda, offering lip, eye, cheek, and base makeup with a design-led aesthetic closely mirroring Hince's positioning as a trendy, design-forward K-beauty color cosmetics brand.
- ColorPop Cosmetics: ColorPop is a US-based direct-to-consumer color cosmetics brand with comparable price points, lip/eye/face product mix, and trend-driven product launches, making it a relevant international peer for Hince's DTC expansion strategy.
- Rom&nd: Rom&nd is a Korean color cosmetics brand explicitly named alongside Hince as a K-beauty trend innovator. Both target similar demographic with modern, design-led makeup products in lip, eye, cheek, and base categories at comparable price points.
- Fwee: Fwee is a Korean color cosmetics brand cited alongside Hince as a K-beauty trend innovator. Both brands emphasize playful design, lip and cheek multi-use formats, and similar price-point positioning in the affordable-premium tier.
- Peripera: Peripera is a Korean color cosmetics brand cited alongside Hince as a leading K-beauty trend innovator. Both specialize in lip tints, blurred lip looks, and affordable premium color cosmetics targeting young consumers.
- Unleashia: Unleashia is a Korean color cosmetics brand named alongside Hince as a K-beauty innovator. Both target similar younger demographics with design-forward packaging and trending formats across lip, eye, and face.
Broad incumbents
- Etude House: Etude House is a major Korean color cosmetics brand owned by Amorepacific, offering comprehensive makeup ranges including lip, eye, face, and cheek products at competitive price points, with much broader scale and global distribution than Hince.
- Innisfree: Innisfree is a major Amorepacific-owned Korean beauty brand with significant color cosmetics offerings, including cushions, tints, and base makeup. While broader in skincare, its makeup line directly competes with Hince's product categories.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hince social profiles
Digital presenceHince financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hince leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hince funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hince M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hince
What does Hince do?
Hince designs, manufactures, and sells a full line of K-Beauty color cosmetics across four categories — BASE (foundations and cushions), CHEEK (blushers, tints, balms), LIP (tints, glosses), and EYE (eyeshadows, brow shapers). The brand sells directly through its own e-commerce platform and exclusive international retail partnerships, with a portfolio anchored by cult favorites such as the Raw Glow Dewy Ball Lip & Cheek, Nu Blur Tint, Raw Glow Gel Tint, Second Skin Mesh Matte Cushion, and Signature Brow Shaper.
Is Hince a public or private company?
Hince is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Hince founded?
Hince was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hince based?
Hince is headquartered in Mapo, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Hince make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct Consumer Product Sales.
Who are Hince's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Glossier, Banila Co, 3CE (Stylenanda), ColorPop Cosmetics, Rom&nd, Fwee, Peripera and Unleashia. Broad incumbents are Etude House and Innisfree.
Does Hince have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hince.
What industry is Hince in?
Hince's product category is Color Cosmetics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABACAC, Lip Makeup (Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Stain, Lip Balm-Tint), with a secondary code of CRABACAA, Face Makeup (Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter). Its NAICS code is 45612 and its SIC code is 2844.