FRESH from her fabulous Paris Fashion Week sojourn, Heart Evangelista relaunched her makeup collaboration with homegrown powerhouse Happy Skin at SM Aura recently.
“A little trivia: I started with Happy Skin, around two years ago in 2016. Honestly, I was the one that called them to ask if they wanted to collaborate with me. Niligawan ko sila. Because I really love Happy Skin,” recalled Heart, whose real name is Love Marie Ongpauco-Escudero. “I’ve been a fan of the brand because aside from the beautiful colors and color palettes, they actually not just look at the ‘look,’ but they really take care of your skin. That’s why it’s called Happy Skin because it’s good for your skin,” says the GMA actress, 33, last seen on the network’s My Korean Jagiya.
The Happy Skin x Love Marie Moisturizing Matte Lippie collection, composed of Shut Up & Kiss Me Skinny Dipping (P649, a nude pink color) and Shut Up & Kiss Me Heartthrob (P649, a beautiful rich red hue), is the only limited-edition collection that Happy Skin is relaunching.
“It was such a thrill when Heart herself reached out to collaborate with our homegrown brand,” says Happy Skin Cofounder and Chief Brand Officer Rissa Mananquil-Trillo.
“She’s one of the most beautiful faces in the country and she’s a genuine fan of Happy Skin. And that’s important to me.” The matte lippies are packed with Cupuaçu Butter derived from the fruit found at the Amazon rain forest. Prized for its rich content and ability to deliver true healing to dry, damaged skin, it can attract 240 percent more water that allows it to effectively hydrate and plump lips. The butter also absorbs damaging UVA/UVB rays, thus offering natural sun protection.
“Happy Skin X Love Marie is really a labor of love by Heart. She was so committed and did more than what was asked of her. Throughout product development, creating the hand-drawn illustrations herself, and shooting the campaign material, she gives her all in everything she does—always all heart.”
The fashion plate is also an innate artist. She has hand-painted Hermès Birkins, as well as applied her brushstrokes on custom-made gowns by Mark Bumgarner. For the packaging of her lippies, Heart stamped it with her special illustrations.
“From art to makeup, Heart really loves all things beautiful,” Mananquil-Trillo explains. “As the ultimate beauty girl, she understands the power of a good lippie. The right lip color is akin to what paintbrushes are to an artist like Heart—both are vital tools for self-expression.”
Incidentally, Happy Skin also recently launched a nail polish collaboration with actress-singer KC Concepcion, featuring two shades she developed herself—Power (a deep cherry hue) and Beauty (a luxurious apricot color). The next celebrity collaboration is with teen queen Kathryn Bernardo, the #KathxHappySkin collection, featuring a new range of products called Generation Happy Skin.
“Unlike the core line of the brand, Generation Happy Skin is about everyday beauty. It’s for women who understand that even with makeup on, beauty should be natural and simple. Kathryn Bernardo is the perfect collaborator for this because she is the epitome of the belief that simple is beautiful,” says Mananquil-Trillo, a past president of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines.
But Heart will always have a special place in Happy Skin’s heart. “Among all our past collaborations, Heart’s collection was one of the best sellers in the brand’s history. It was also one of the most requested to be brought back by Happy Skin fans—and so we did,” Mananquil-Trillo intimates.
“No matter what happens, I will always go back to Happy Skin. I’ll always want to collaborate with them, not just with lipsticks eventually,” Heart enthuses.
“It’s not just an ‘endorsement’ or what. It’s a relationship. It’s a lifestyle and it’s a relationship with Happy Skin that I love.”