Shein Makeup Sold Under Different Name at Kruidvat Stores
SHEGLAM makeup products, owned by Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, are being sold at Kruidvat stores in Belgium without clearly indicating the brand’s connection to the controversial retailer, according to a VRT NWS investigation. The lipsticks and concealers sit on shelves alongside other cosmetics with no visible indication of their Shein origin, raising questions about retail branding transparency and consumer awareness.
The Launch and the Hidden Connection
SHEGLAM was launched at Kruidvat in Belgium on 16 April 2026 as an exclusive partnership, available in selected stores and through the retailer’s webshop, according to a press release from Wavemakers PR. The brand, founded in 2019 by Sylvia Fu, has grown into a global beauty label popular among Gen Z and young millennials, with products priced between €5.99 and €8.99.
The brand has also expanded across Europe, becoming available at Kruidvat in the Netherlands and at dm stores in Germany, as reported by infranken.de. The German expansion was flagged as controversial when it was first announced, with Manager Magazin reporting on the concerns raised by competitors and consumer advocates.
Shein’s Troubled Reputation
The lack of transparency about SHEGLAM’s connection to Shein is particularly significant given the parent company’s controversial track record. Shein is not transparent about its production conditions and does not disclose the locations of its factories. Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Public Eye have accused Shein of modern slavery.
A follow-up investigation by Public Eye found that Shein delegates responsibility for labor conditions, product quality, and legal compliance largely to manufacturers and subcontractors. This allows the company to dismiss problems like extremely long working hours, missing contracts, and inadequate safety measures as supplier errors rather than its own failures.
“That’s very easy when something goes wrong, because then the company can always say they have nothing to do with it,” said Hannelore Hillesum of the Belgian human rights organization WSM (We Social Movements), speaking to VRT NWS.
Hillesum suspects the branding strategy is deliberate. “I suspect it’s a marketing strategy to hide the connection with Shein,” she said.
Consumer Safety Concerns
Beyond labor practices, product safety has also been a concern. A 2025 study by four European consumer organizations found that 70% of products from Shein and Temu do not meet EU safety standards, with a quarter deemed outright dangerous.
“A consumer should not have to conduct years of research to know whether a product they buy is free of human rights and environmental violations,” Hillesum told VRT NWS. “Consumers can do their utmost to buy ‘clean’ clothing, but it’s almost impossible to see the forest through the trees.”
Kruidvat’s Response
Kruidvat defended its decision to stock SHEGLAM products. In a statement to VRT NWS, the retailer said: “For Kruidvat, it’s paramount that the products we sell always comply with applicable European laws and regulations. We have assessed SHEGLAM as a brand separately on product safety, compliance, sustainability, human rights, and governance. Based on that, we decided to include the brand in our assortment.”
The retailer also noted that the introduction makes “a popular international beauty brand accessible to our customers.”
The Broader Question of Transparency
According to the Schone Kleren Campagne (Clean Clothes Campaign), Shein scores very poorly on key pillars including transparency, living wages, and the right to freedom of association. The SHEGLAM situation highlights a broader question about whether consumers have the right to know the corporate ownership of brands they purchase.
Hillesum emphasized that the responsibility lies with producers. “On the other hand, we see that with Sheglam products it’s not clear they come from Shein. And other companies also sometimes conceal the actual circumstances in which a product is made. Consumers then don’t know what they’re buying. The responsibility therefore lies with the producer.”
As SHEGLAM continues its European retail expansion, the question of whether consumers should be told about the brand’s Shein connection is likely to remain a point of contention. For now, shoppers at Kruidvat may be unknowingly purchasing products from one of the most controversial companies in the fast-fashion industry.