The story of Happy Skin is unlike any other. Born before the democratization of beauty knowledge and the widespread acceptance that Filipino beauty is, not just cool, but worth paying a premium for, Happy Skin had to wade in uncharted waters before finding its footing, to say the least. Today, beauty insiders refer to the brand almost with reverential awe, recognizing its growth and what it has done for F-beauty. Happy Skin’s CEO, Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez, tells The Beauty Edit how they did it.
The Beauty Edit: It’s been 11 years since Happy Skin was launched. How did it all begin?
Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez: I actually started Happy Skin when I was in Myanmar. I was with Unilever then, handling Southeast Asia and Australia for face care. I was seated in the Singapore office, but my husband was then in charge of Unilever Myanmar. Since I was also newly married, I was traveling back and forth between Singapore and Myanmar. It was the first year of our marriage, yet we only saw each other maybe two weeks a month. That went on for almost a year, and that was when I realized I needed to start something.
Before I started Happy Skin in October 2013, everything was conceptualized while I was seated in Myanmar. Our main graphic designer, who was a big designer in Manila, was also there because she had to fly with her husband to Myanmar. The whole concept of Happy Skin was born there. She was really the one who helped me conceptualize all those names: Shut Up and Kiss Me and Don’t Get Mad, Get Even.
With nine years of experience in skincare, why launch a makeup brand and not a skincare line?
If I had the choice, I would have launched a skincare brand, not a makeup brand.
But when I did my research, I felt like I didn’t have enough know-how and money to do it, even though I did have so much background on the subject. At that time, there was no local brand that had a premium feel in the cosmetic world. There was no local product that you could proudly whip out of your bag.
But the main problem was that people didn’t use makeup because they felt it would damage their skin. The market back then was so different. Before, only those who like dolling up themselves were the ones who used makeup. Now, 13-year-olds wear makeup, and it’s no big deal. So I said, “Okay, why don’t I infuse makeup with skincare?” One, it’s because that’s really the heart of what I know, and second, I wanted to change that impression.
In the photo are some of Happy Skin’s recent releases: a makeup brush collection made in collaboration with beauty creator Marj Maroket, and a new face-sculpting microcurrent device.
What was the unique struggle of being the first to do something like this?
The struggle came from its uniqueness because we were introducing a very new concept to makeup. It was so hard for me to explain the concept to all our suppliers. For the first launch of products for Happy Skin, all our suppliers were from Japan and Korea. When I told them that I wanted to add active levels of hyaluronic to makeup, they would tell me, “Why? It’s a waste of money.”
Back then, skincare makeup wasn’t a thing. Everyone thought it was a waste of money to add active ingredients to makeup. It was hard to get that idea in. But I really wanted to make sure that even for sensitive skin, it works. It’s not as simple as making something hypoallergenic. It should have a long-term effect when you use it on your lips—a total moisturizing effect that lasts even after you wipe off the lipstick.
The market back then was so different. People didn’t use makeup because they felt it would damage their skin.
What was the public reception like when you launched?
To the public, we had a very good reception because the concept and the products were intuitive. But there was an obvious lack of love for Filipino brands—that was the other struggle. It was a very different time. People were asking us, “Why are you expensive when you’re just a local brand?”
At the same time, people had the impression that we were an international brand, but that was really part of the brand strategy. We wanted to make it feel like Happy Skin is an international brand, not because we wanted to say we’re international, but because we wanted to say we’re of the same quality, and that’s why we are in the same places as them.
Is this also why you’re priced quite higher?
This is the reason why we’re a little bit more expensive—strategy and formula. We are now in the top 5 of all e-commerce channels and the top 10 in Watsons Beauty—and no one is priced higher than Happy Skin. We have maintained that skincare ingredient through the years, and it’s always on an active level, and you always get charged a premium for that. We may try to avoid doing so much packaging, but with the skincare ingredient, we don’t compromise on that. It’s something you can tell your grandmother and your daughter to use. It cuts across ages because the skincare part is so strong and you can put your trust in it.
There was an obvious lack of love for Filipino brands and people were asking us, “Why are you expensive when you’re just a local brand?”
When you were starting, were the advantages of being first apparent to you? Did you think, “Oh, we’re going to be the pioneers of F-beauty”?
No, no way. A lot of the smart women will tell you, “Yes, this is the plan, this is the goal, this is the framework, and this is how I got here.” I just wanted to create a makeup brand, a beauty brand, that Filipinos would be proud of. Something that I would recommend to my friends, something that Filipinos would share with their friends in the Philippines and internationally. That was the vision for Happy Skin. I didn’t think we were going to be pioneers or that we were going to change the game.
I realized that with Happy Skin, with equity and positioning, we would not be the biggest player because we were not at the right price point for the majority of the Philippine population. Happy Skin will always be a masstige brand. I thought I needed another brand, and that is why BLK came about. I really wanted to capture that price point. I wanted to own the masstige market with Happy Skin and the broader market with BLK and serve different kinds of clients. Two months after the launch of BLK in 2017, new players entered the game.
At that time, less than 25 percent of Filipinos used makeup. Therefore, you really cannot win the cosmetics game with just one brand because you need massive awareness. That’s really what happened that year—when all the other brands came in to talk about makeup, the beauty landscape changed. This was when Happy Skin was already five years old. When BLK entered, Happy Skin grew so much, too.
The first products were ahead of their time. Which of them do you feel put Happy Skin on the map?
I think it’s Shut Up and Kiss Me—the lipsticks—and that’s why we brought them back. We put them on the back burner during the pandemic because everyone wanted tints. But it’s always the product that people remember, and it’s still doing well after 11 years.
What’s the skincare in that product?
It would be cupuacu and hyaluronic acid, so it’s very moisturizing. The first time we made them, no one was using these ingredients in lipsticks. Most lipstick creators didn’t care that they were drying. If there were any moisturizing ingredients, they weren’t highlighted in the marketing, and they would not have the level of actives that would impact your lips long-term.
I just wanted to create a makeup brand, a beauty brand, that Filipinos would be proud of. I didn’t think we were going to be pioneers or that we were going to change the game.
What do you think people get wrong about running a beauty business?
I’ve talked to a lot of beauty entrepreneurs, and the most common mistake is not managing cash flow properly. Beauty is innovation; if you don’t innovate, you die. So, it’s a cash flow game. In beauty, you pay six months ahead, even before you get your products. And you get your money three months after your stocks are sold. That’s why the competitors we had then and the competitors we have now are also evolving and changing.
Did you have any moments when you thought, “Oh gosh, this is it, we’re going to flop”?
No, I’m a very decisive person. Once I decide on something, I push through. I will not think twice about it. Sometimes we can be too ahead of our time, like with cushion blushes. They’re huge in Korea, and yet in the Philippines, we couldn’t crack it. So, yes, sometimes our innovations may be quite advanced, but Happy Skin has to be at the forefront of innovation. We have to set the tone. Our sunscreen is a bestseller online and in retail because we are making real innovations behind it. We’re the first local brand to launch an invisible sunscreen and tinted silicone sun gel.
I think that’s the role of Happy Skin in the Filipino market. There are some hits and misses, but that’s okay. We learn, and a few years down the road, we launch them again when the market is ready.
Beauty is innovation; if you don’t innovate, you die.
Another pioneering aspect of Happy Skin was the brand image and aesthetic. It set the tone for future brands. How important was it to you to have this look and branding?
We make it a point to relaunch every three years. You really have to modernize your brand every time. Our look now is different because it’s more mature and sophisticated. We try to reflect where Happy Skin is in the life stage of its market. When we launched, our market was ours to choose from, so we targeted fresh graduates, a.k.a. the first-jobbers. Five years later, they’re not first-jobbers anymore, and they wanted more sophistication and a cleaner aesthetic. That’s why we also have to adapt and change.
Do dupes or copycats bother you?
I think it’s okay. The beauty world is small, especially in the Philippines. You’re all looking at the same inspiration board. When you travel, you see the same trends and get inspired by the same products. We can’t really say that anyone is copying. So I just think, “Oh, maybe we look at the same thing.” We focus on how we can be innovators in our field and offer something that Filipinos will really value.
As a pioneer in the business, what is your assessment of Filipino beauty brands today?
Filipino beauty is now truly elevated. So many brands have many competitive products. The entry of all these competitor brands is very good for Filipinos. Although I think we still haven’t answered, “What is Filipino beauty?” Because if we want to be innovators, we should create something.
For example, cushion makeup is very Korean—they invented that. The question now is, what can we invent that’s very Filipino? We don’t have that big of a base of consumers to invest in the invention of a product. And to create something truly Filipino, you need to think only about Filipino skin and our weather, which limits us even more. I think that’s the challenge.
What’s next for Happy Skin? Do you see it going into the personal care or wellness spaces like many beauty brands?
We are in a very good place now as a brand, growing double digits year on year. Our innovations are well received, and that excites our team to look into giving Filipinos something more to look forward to. So expect something big from Happy Skin this year!
Happy Skin Lip Mallow Tint
P599, Lazada
Happy Skin Dew Cooling Color Adapt Stick
P599, Lazada
Happy Skin Second Skin Serum Cushion Blush
P599, Lazada
Happy Skin Lip Slip
P399, Lazada
