When it comes to make-up, it’s amazing to see how far the Filipino market has come. More peeps are getting into it, realizing how a simple swipe of color can totally boost confidence. The industry has also become more inclusive, opening it to everyone who needs it. And recently, lots of homegrown makeup brands have blown up, giving us all a ton of options and making makeup accessible to everyone. These Filipino brands are straight-up killing it, showing that we've got what it takes to make everyone feel beautiful, one lipstick, one eyeliner, one eyeshadow palette at a time.
What's even cooler is that behind these awesome brands are badass Filipinas busting the moves. Let's check out the makeup brands taking the Philippines by storm and the visionary women behind them.
Happy Skin
When talking about homegrown FIlipino make-up brands, Happy Skin will always be included in the list. Launched in 2013, the brand quickly became a favorite among makeup enthusiasts due to its punchy design and skin-friendly formulations. Happy Skin sources only the finest ingredients from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to ensure their products are safe even for sensitive skin.
The woman behind Happy Skin: Co-founder Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez, a former marketing executive for a multinational company, knows the struggles of wearing many hats. She is a career woman, a wife, and a mother. She wanted makeup to be simple, easy to use, and good for the skin. Jacqe and the Happy Skin team put in the work that eventually earned awards and recognition. All these while also inspiring others to venture into the local beauty scene.
The bestseller: Happy Skin has a lot of bestsellers, but their Lip Mallow Mousse is a perennial favorite. Not only does this give your pouters an irresistible coat of color, it also has anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and sun-protecting properties.
Happy Skin is available in 10 SM Supermalls branches including SM City North Edsa, SM City Cebu, and SM City Davao.
BLK Cosmetics
Named after the color "black," BLK Cosmetics offers classic, timeless makeup that's simple and uncomplicated. Launched in 2017, BLK provides a no-frills beauty regimen at a more affordable price point than its sister brand, Happy Skin. From brows to lips, BLK offers a wide range of products made with quality materials and packaged beautifully so you will never hesitate to pull it out of your bag when it’s time for a retouch.
The woman behind Happy Skin: When super popular actress, host, singer, and all-time make-up lover Anne Curtis wanted to create her own makeup line, she knew it wouldn't be easy. So when she crossed paths with Happy Skin’s Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez, it was a match made in heaven. Anne isn’t just the face of BLK, she is also its Creative Director. She has a very hands-on approach into the whole business, making sure she is involved in every step of the process. Her vision for BLK is to promote uncomplicated beauty. Anne believes that you don’t need a lot of products. You just need to have the essential ones in your beauty arsenal.
The bestseller: The BLK Airy Matte Cushion Foundation feels like an airy fluid thus making the application feel like a breeze. It comes in six flattering shades that lasts up to 12-hours! It is also infused with 5% niacinamide, so you get to improve your skin radiance and minimize the blemishes over time. BLK Cosmetics is available in 9 SM branches including SM Mall of Asia, SM City Clark, and SM City Baguio.
Colourette
The goal was to empower Filipinos and ensure Filipino representation in ads or even social media. This is what propelled Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera to start her own make-up brand. Colourette started with their Colourtint, which initially became known for its quirky nail polish bottle packaging. Soon, people discovered that it’s a multi-use item that they can use for their eyes, cheeks, and lips. Since then, Colourette continues to specialize in multi-use makeup products that are long-wearing and cruelty-free.
The woman behind Colourette: Nina’s dreams of starting her own make-up brand began when she was still in university. But while completing university might not be in Nina’s future, starting her own make-up business surely is. Since its inception in 2015, Colourette continues to be a strong brand with a loyal following, even snagging an investment from Foxmont Capital Partners in 2022 to take the brand to even greater heights. But what makes Colourette stand out from the crowd is that it’s a beauty brand that listens to its customers. They built a community on Facebook called the “Colourette Club,” where members can freely share feedback about Colourette products. More importantly, it’s where members can also share everything and celebrate life’s ups and downs together.
The bestseller: The multi-use Colourtint continues to be a bestseller even nine years later. It comes in 24 shades and is in either fresh or matte variant! Colourette is available in SM Megamall, SM City North Edsa, and in a number of SM Department Stores nationwide.
ISSY
ISSY, also known as Issy & Co., is a make-up brand that is made especially for those who are frightened by it. The co-founder, Jasmine Ang Chua, and her team all liked make-up but was overwhelmed by the number of products and brands available in the market. This is why their vision for ISSY is clear: they want to create make-ups that don’t intimidate people. The name ISSY is also a wordplay between “easy,” which is what their products aim to be; and “sissy,” which is a variation of the word “sister,” thus connoting close relationships, even a community.
The woman behind ISSY: Jasmine’s family owns a garment business, so it’s safe to say that she has a background in entrepreneurship. She has no background in make-up, though, which proved to be helpful when they started ISSY.. They needed to create a product that would help people like them get better acquainted with make-up and how to use it. Which they did, and did so successfully. An entrepreneur and a mother, Jasmine wanted ISSY to be a clean brand from the get-go. This means that all their products, which are made in Taiwan, are vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and preservative-free. It is their way of empowering their customers to be conscious about and making sure they are aware of the impact of their purchases.
Photo from Issy Cosmetics on FB
The bestseller: For that lit-from-within flush, go for their Crème Cheek Blush. It has a creamy formula but is super lightweight and easy to apply. It also comes in 14 awesome shades!
After years of only being available online, ISSY recently opened its first-ever physical store at the beauty section of The SM Store at SM North Edsa last year! They are also available at SM City Fairview, SM Mall of Asia, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City BF Parañaque, SM City Lipa, and SM City Santa Rosa. They are also available at LOOK At Me in SM Aura and SM Mall of Asia.
Sunnies Face
Here’s another homegrown brand that’s well loved and already making rounds abroad! With its sister brands (Sunnies Studios, Sunnies Specs, and Sunnies Cafe) already having an established following, launching the right product under the Sunnes Face banner was quite the challenge. But when Fluffmate finally was released to the public in 2018, it instantly became a hit. People were lining up for it for hours! Now, Sunnies Face has a wider range of products and continues to stay true to its roots of becoming a brand for the Filipinas (and Filipinos) by Filipinas themselves.
The women behind the brand: Sunnies Face is the brainchild of three women: Martine Ho, Jessica Wilson, and Georgina Wilson. These ladies almost need no introduction as they have graced countless commercials and the cover of magazines then and now. The idea began when the ladies would constantly get asked what lippies they used for the models they shot for Sunnies Studios. The answer was that they needed to make their own. Getting the right lipstick color for their Filipino models because the products available at the time were simply not flattering enough for the Southeast Asian skin. This experience has guided the business since and is the foundation of their brand’s philosophy: beauty that gets you.
The bestseller: The OG product, Fluffmate continues to become a bestseller and has constantly earned awards too! This lipstick now comes in 24 shades and is known for its non-drying formula that is paraben-free, cruelty-free, and fragrance free.
Sunnies Face is available in 4 SM Malls namely SM City Cebu, SM City Fairview, SM Megamall, and SM City North Edsa.
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