To mark International Women’s Day on March 8, AsiaOne will be spotlighting inspiring women from different walks of life. You can find them all here.
In the spirit of celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, we’re shining the spotlight on the women-led businesses that are making waves in Singapore.
From health and wellness brands to art studios and even cafes and bakeries, here are 10 to support.
Glowfully
Glowfully’s story began when founder and former Singapore Airlines’ stewardess Charlene Sim was caring for her mother throughout her chemotherapy journey in 2018.
The experience inspired Charlene to think about what really goes into the skincare products that we use every day.
This spurred her on to create Glowfully — a clean beauty brand that focuses on providing simple and effective skincare catered to Singapore’s hot and humid weather.
From serums to moisturisers, cleansers and beyond, all of the brand’s products are formulated without parabens, phthalates, sulfates and formaldehydes.
byCaxs
Founded by Cassandra Tan, byCaxs is a cosmetic brand in Singapore specialising in premium coloured contact lenses and false lashes.
Originally starting out as an online store in 2017, the brand now has a distinctively bright pink flagship store at Raffles City Shopping Centre — where customers can shop the products directly.
Understanding the need for safety when it comes to coloured contacts, customers will only be able to purchase byCaxs’ contact lenses after going through an eye test — which can be done for free at their physical store.
According to their website, byCaxs became the first Singaporean cosmetic brand to retail on Sephora Singapore’s online store in 2024.
Sigi Skin
Another local clean-beauty brand, Sigi Skin is started by Xenia Wong, who used to study makeup under renowned South Korean makeup artist Jung Saem-mool.
The brand began in 2019, when Xenia was 23, focuses on superfood-infused skincare, and has a wide range of products including serums, moisturisers, lip balms, sunscreen and masks — all of which come in airless packaging to ensure cleanliness and protect active ingredients from breaking down.
While it’s a Singaporean brand, all of their products are made in South Korea.
Cafe Lilac by Whisking Bakes
Cafe Lilac by Whisking Bakes is a home-based business turned cafe located in the heartlands of Lavender.
Run by former Scoot air stewardess Chanel Li, the cafe serves a variety of bakes, sweet treats and drinks — many of which are taro-themed.
Their most popular product is the Orh Nee Tarts, which look like traditional pineapple tarts but with a yam paste filling instead of pineapple jam.
Last April, the cafe was even selected to cater for South Korean singer-actress IU’s concert in Singapore.
Papercranes Design
Papercranes Design is a start-up selling flora and fauna-inspired stationery and lifestyle products designed by founder and illustrator Aerilynn Tan.
In addition to carrying an array of retail items like notebooks, bookmarks, cup sleeves and even earrings, Papercranes Design also holds workshops and art jamming sessions at its studio located in Katong.
Sourbombe Artisanal Bakery
They might look like regular filled doughnuts, but these sweet treats from Sourbombe Artisanal Bakery are actually an innovative combination of sourdough and bombolonis (Italian donuts).
Created by Masterchef Singapore runner-up Genevieve Lee, the bakery offers sourbombes in a variety of flavours — from classics like the OG Cinnabombe and Blueberry Lemon and Thyme to special seasonal creations like Creme Brulee Durian Bombes.
Sourbombe Artisanal Bakery currently has three brick-and-mortar stores at One Holland Village, Wisma Atria and Jewel Changi Airport.
Moom Health
Founded by sisters Mili and Maya Kale, Moom Health is a Singapore-based wellness company focused on providing supplements for modern Asian women.
The brand carries a variety of products targeting different health goals ranging from hormonal balance to sleep and gut health and more.
If you’re unsure of where to start, there’s even a quiz on their website that can help you create your own personalised supplement pack based on your needs, preferences and goals.
According to Moom Health, their products are created by nutritionists, naturopaths (professionals that use natural remedies to treat conditions) and gynaecologists.
Love, Bonito
Whether you’re looking for a casual date night outfit or chic and elegant work ensemble, you’ll probably be able to find it at Love, Bonito.
Perhaps one of the most popular apparel brands in Singapore, Love, Bonito is currently led by co-founders Rachel Lim and Dione Song, and actually started out as a humble blogshop back in 2005.
Now, the brand has physical stores not just in Singapore, but across Asia in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
Activ.co Studio
Run by mental-and-women’s health advocate Nur Annisa, Activ.co Studio is a female-only fitness studio.
With a variety of fitness programmes ranging from personal training to yoga and even pre- and postnatal sessions, Activ.co Studio aims to provide classes for women of every walk of life, allowing them to achieve their fitness goals.
The fitness studio currently has outlets in Woodlands and Tampines.
The Floral Atelier
Helmed by female entrepreneur Lelian Chew, The Floral Atelier is a luxury floral studio based in Singapore.
And if you’re looking for something beyond just buying the bespoke blooms, the company also provides event design services, turning weddings and parties into magical floral wonderlands.
The Floral Atelier is a sister company to The Wedding Atelier — a wedding planning company that specialises in luxury destination weddings.
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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