| Category | Professional Makeup |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Seoul, Korea |
| Listing | Listed on KOSDAQ (237880) |
| Latest revenue | Revenue KRW 328.9bn in 2025 |
| Hero SKUs | Kill Black Liner & Cushion |
Brand History
CLIO was founded in Seoul in 1993 as one of Korea's first 'professional makeup' brands — offering pro-grade products at open-sell prices when the market was still dominated by international labels. It became known through eyeliner: the Kill Black range, with an ultra-fine tip and strong water resistance, became the default tool for Korea's cat-eye trend.
In the 2010s cushions and lip tints drove a second growth phase, and China became the focus of overseas expansion through cross-border e-commerce, daigou and Watsons — a fixture on K-beauty must-buy lists. Revenue hit KRW 330.6bn with KRW 33.8bn of operating profit in 2023; growth slowed to 6.3% in 2024, then revenue fell 6% to KRW 328.9bn in 2025 with operating profit down to KRW 16.4bn. Management frames the decline as a deliberate channel reset — cutting low-margin TV shopping and Daiso — in exchange for margin recovery. Whether that trade holds depends on overseas markets taking over growth.
Hero Products
Three-Year Financials
| Year | Revenue (RMB bn) | YoY | Net profit (RMB bn) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3,306 | +21.0% | 273 |
| 2024 | 3,514 | +6.3% | 272 |
| 2025 | 3,289 | -6.4% | 132 |
Brand-level：CLIO's 2025 revenue was KRW 328.9bn, down 6%, which management frames as a deliberate cut of inefficient channels (TV shopping and Daiso); the operating margin recovered from 1.4% in Q1 to 8.7% in Q4 — lower revenue, better structure. Overseas revenue was KRW 149.7bn, with China and Japan the main markets.
Source：CLIO 2025 annual report (DART); company investor relations; trade press
Company Coverage
- 2026-032025 revenue KRW 328.9bn
Down 6%, with operating profit of KRW 16.4bn (-33%), which the company attributes to a deliberate channel cut.
Source：CLIO 2025 annual report - 2025-11Margin recovers quarter by quarter
From 1.4% in Q1 to 8.7% in Q4 as the channel mix improves.
Source：Company disclosure - 2025-06Overseas under pressure
Overseas revenue KRW 149.7bn, down 4%, with China and Japan the main markets.
Source：Company disclosure
Editor's note: CLIO is one of the few colour companies willing to shrink deliberately during a growth phase — trading revenue for margin is logically right, but the window is short: if overseas does not take over within two years, contraction becomes habit. Its card is the tool-like nature of professional makeup, which outlasts trend-driven colour.