Chinese Livestreamer EastBuy Pivots to Beauty Private Labels as Influencers Depart

Chinese live-commerce operator EastBuy recently debuted its first self-owned color cosmetics product, the EASTBUY Matte Lip Glaze. Retailing at 65 RMB ($9) with promotional prices reaching 49 RMB ($6.80), the product features eight-hour wear and a sensitive-skin formula manufactured by global contract giant Cosmax. The development process took eight months, with the product management team evaluating over 400 sample iterations and changing manufacturing partners mid-cycle to refine texture and skin-feel.

Five days prior to the product debut, EastBuy released its fiscal year 2026 earnings guidance, projecting full-year revenue between 5.6 billion and 5.8 billion RMB ($780 million to $808 million) and net profit between 520 million and 550 million RMB ($72 million to $76 million)—representing an 85-fold increase over the 6 million RMB recorded in the prior fiscal year.

Crucially, Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) generated from private-label goods reached 52.8%, crossing the 50% threshold for the first time. Amid a series of high-profile departures among top livestream hosts and diminishing organic channel growth, EastBuy is actively transferring the consumer trust built through its agricultural and food products into the beauty sector.

A Calculated Expansion into Color Cosmetics

EastBuy's entry into color cosmetics represents a deliberate category expansion rather than a sudden pivot. As early as March 2026, the company's private-label brand EASTBUY introduced personal care items including sheet masks, hand creams, and facial cleansers. On launch night, sheet mask sales exceeded 500,000 units and hand cream sales surpassed 30,000 tubes, confirming customer appetite for the company's personal care offerings.

Over the subsequent six months, EASTBUY completed regulatory filings for 47 distinct SKUs spanning skincare, body care, haircare, oral care, lip care, and color cosmetics, partnering with at least 12 tier-one contract manufacturers (OEM/ODMs). Rather than investing in proprietary manufacturing facilities, EastBuy replicated its food supply chain model: outsourcing production to specialized industry leaders. Nox Bellcow manufactures its sheet masks, Jiaheng Home Chemicals produces cleansers, Cosmax handles color cosmetics, while Aobao and Ischia produce body washes and shampoos, respectively.

In the first half of fiscal 2026, the company expanded its quality control staff by 70% to 80% and doubled its product management team. For the new lip glaze, formulators incorporated active ingredients such as squalane and ceramides alongside an elastic film-forming system to optimize longevity.

This disciplined development cycle mirrors EastBuy's approach to flagship food products like Wuchang rice and black pork sausages. At 65 RMB ($9)—and 39–49 RMB ($5.40–$6.80) during promotions—the lip glaze is positioned in China's mid-tier beauty segment. It sits below premium domestic brands like Florasis (99–129 RMB) and international beauty giants (200–300 RMB), while maintaining higher price points and quality standards than unbranded white-label goods. At a time when three heritage Chinese beauty brands face bankruptcy and liquidation, agile retail platforms are leveraging direct-to-consumer relationships to capture market share.

The distribution strategy reflects a long-term focus on direct consumer retention. The lip glaze was initially released through the EastBuy Member Store WeChat mini-program rather than its main storefront on Douyin, TikTok's Chinese sister app. By H1 FY2026, EastBuy's proprietary app contributed 18.5% of total GMV, delivering higher repeat purchase rates despite smaller scale than mainstream social video platforms.

To support product discovery, the company launched a dedicated beauty livestream channel, "EastBuy Beauty Pavilion," which generated over 10 million RMB ($1.4 million) in single-day GMV during China's 618 mid-year shopping festival. Offline, EastBuy established its first physical experience store in Beijing's Zhongguancun tech district, complete with color testing stations—a crucial touchpoint for color cosmetics where tactile trial drives purchasing decisions.

Host Departures Accelerate the Private-Label Pivot

EastBuy's transition toward proprietary products was catalyzed by structural changes in its core business. Following the departure of flagship anchor Dong Yuhui in July 2024, FY2025 revenue fell to 4.392 billion RMB ($610 million), with net profit dropping nearly 99.7% to 5.735 million RMB ($800,000). Subsequent departures of key hosts culminated in a broader turnover wave in early 2026.

To reduce reliance on individual creators, founder Yu Minhong declared a strategic shift toward product creation over talent management. That directive now underpins EastBuy's business model. In the second half of FY2026, revenue increased 50% to 59.1% year-over-year while net profit surged over 170%, driven by private-label merchandise sales rather than third-party brand commissions.

Other major Chinese live-commerce agencies are executing similar pivots to monetize traffic into brand equity: MineMedia launched "Mine Choice," Qianxun incubated personal care line "Rong Huxi," Yowant established feminine care brand Domyway, and Make Friends backed menswear label "Reload."

However, while peers primarily rely on co-branded products or celebrity endorsements, EastBuy has scaled its private-label portfolio to nearly 1,000 active SKUs, generating over half its revenue. In contrast, new channel initiatives launched by former executives remain limited to traditional commission-based promotion without proprietary inventory.

Beyond the initial matte lip glaze, EastBuy has finalized regulatory registrations for additional launches, including a glass-shine lip gloss and ultra-thin eyebrow pencils scheduled for late summer releases, with sunscreens, eyeliners, and cleansing oils in formulation. This comes as China's new cosmetic rules cut red tape and accelerate global innovation, allowing efficient operators to move from compliance to shelf launch more quickly.

As the Chinese cosmetics market transitions from host-driven promotion to product-led branding, EastBuy's trajectory demonstrates how live-commerce platforms can leverage supplier partnerships and quality assurance to build lasting proprietary beauty brands.