Is the Golden Age of China’s Leading Girly Makeup Brand Over?

Flower Knows is one of the defining names in China’s “girly” makeup category. As the brand marks its 10th anniversary with annual revenue of more than 1.7 billion yuan (about $254 million), criticism has arrived before the celebrations have even begun.

Recently, leaked images purportedly showing new products from Flower Knows’ “Snow Ballet” collection sparked controversy on Chinese social media. Users complained that the brand’s signature dreamy, maximalist packaging now looked cheap and plasticky, and that its design standards had fallen sharply. Some even said the products looked like knockoffs of Flower Knows itself. For many longtime fans, the brand’s golden age is already over.

And many are blaming Proya.

Proya, one of China’s largest homegrown beauty groups, took control of Flower Knows in May. Two months later, the brand’s board underwent a major reshuffle. Of its two founders, one stepped down as chairman while the other left the board. Hou Yameng, general manager of Proya brand has since taken over as chairman.

Flower Knows had already faced criticism for repeating itself while its founding team remained in charge. But after this series of changes, such a visible decline in the perceived quality of its new designs inevitably raises suspicions that this could become another case of a large beauty group ruining an independent brand.

The key to Flower Knows’ success has always been something difficult to quantify: its aesthetic sensibility. The brand created an elaborate fantasy world around makeup and turned cosmetics into collectibles. Its products are affordable, but they have never looked cheap. That appeal cannot be reduced simply to a “girly” aesthetic, nor has Flower Knows ever been a brand bought only by teenage girls.

Many of its best-loved products showed a subtle but remarkably precise command of design details. The new collection still uses themes, motifs and colors familiar from previous Flower Knows releases. Yet when it comes to the details, a seemingly small difference can change everything.

Flower Knows has now been consolidated into Proya’s financial statements. Proya recorded 445 million yuan (about $66 million) in investment gains related to taking control of the brand, helping drive a sharp increase in the group’s net profit attributable to shareholders in the first half of the year.

But behind those strong financials lies a harder question: Can Proya keep the dream that Flower Knows created alive?