WHEN Pink Sugar launched recently its entire line of cosmetics before a large group of beauty enthusiasts, the energy inside Stella Woodfire Bistro at Bonifacio Central Square was indescribable. I have never seen anything like it.
It was lunchtime and everyone was hungry but we were swatching while eating. Pink Sugar’s owners, brothers Laveen Mirpuri and Rohit Mirpuri, had the foresight to make table centerpieces out of the makeup along with some candy and marshmallows.
The whole process of creating the line—which includes two lipstick collections, lip and cheek tints, powder blushes, BB creams, powder foundations, eyeshadow palettes, concealers and eyeliners—took eight to 11 months from conceptualization to product development.
“The market is changing. We now have college students and young professionals who want makeup that’s not expensive but is packaged well. They want the boxes to be fun and pink but they want sleek packaging for the products. They are looking for pigmented and long-wearing cosmetics,” Laveen explains.
The brothers, who are Filipinos of Indian descent, already had a successful line of body mists also called Pink Sugar before they ventured into cosmetics.
Laveen admits he looked at and studied international prestige brands in the process of creating Pink Sugar.
“We wanted something playful but elegant. So our boxes have bright patterns but when you open them, the vessels are black or metallics. The eyeshadow palettes are called Eye Candy, the blush powders Sweet Cheeks and the eyeliner Honey, I’m Good.”
The prices start at P299 for the HD Lipsticks. The most expensive item is the eyeshadow palette at P699 but you get 10 colors.
Of course, I am most interested in the lipsticks. The Creamy Mattes come in 10 shades, most of them quite bold. My favorite from this line is Catfight, a neon pink which pulls a bit purple on me. Fans of red lipstick will go for Bombshell, a tomato red.
The HD Lipsticks come in 14 colors that younger girls will love. Naked and Sugar are nudes that anybody can wear, with the latter slightly lighter. My favorite so far is Rebel, a dark red.
I’m very excited about the Sugar Tint Lip and Cheek Tint (P349), which is more like a liquid lipstick than a tint in that it dries to a matte finish. But the truth is, I haven’t had time to do swatches. I only swatched one or two colors on the back of my hand. A friend of mine bought Pink Passion and she loved it.
The Our Lil’ Secret Concealer (P299) has also received good reviews from those who have tried it. Laveen says his personal favorite is the It’s Awesome BB Cream, which is, well, awesome.
“It’s the only BB cream formulated for the Filipina complexion. It’s a great product and I am very proud of it.”
All products are cruelty and paraben-free. They contain skin-friendly ingredients like green tea, aloe vera and ginseng.
Laveen also announced “Project Sugar,” which signals Pink Sugar’s openness to collaborations with brands and personalities. For instance, if I wanted to come out with my own lipstick line, Pink Sugar could help me do that, from manufacturing to selling.
Pink Sugar Cosmetics are available at The SM Store in SM Aura Premier, SM Makati, SM City Marilao, SM City Manila, SM City Fairview, SM Mall of Asia, SM City Clark and SM Lanang Premier Davao; Watsons at Ayala Center Cebu and www.beautymnl.com. For information, follow @pinksugar on Instagram and Twitter, or go to http://pinksugar.com.ph.
- E-mail the author at luckydinna@gmail.com.
