TOPAZ HORIZON

Happy Skin is the cutest makeup ever! The makeup line was launched recently and I'm sooo happy that I was one of the lucky few who got to try out the products when the new beauty brand came out.

Here are the products I got: SS Créme, Don't Get Mad Get Even Liquid Foundation, and two chubby sticks of Shut Up & Kiss Me Lippies. I also got Get Cheeky With Me Blush but I can't find it! My kids must've played with it.

What's so special about Happy Skin? It's makeup that actually cares for your skin! The products are infused with skin-caring ingredients like hyaluronic acid (brings up moisture from the deep layers of skin to the surface), shea butter (for healing and moisturizing), Japanese tea leaf (antioxidant that lightens, heals, and reduces inflammation), cherry blossom (locks in moisture), and more.

Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo are the women behind these fabulous prettifiers that pamper skin. Rissa, who's one of the country's supermodels, says, "I've been modeling for more than a decade and I have had every imaginable makeup brand on my face. Many of them instantly prettify you, but the biggest makeup woe is going home with ruined skin."

That is true! That's why I only learned to apply makeup when I was in my 30s (yes, I only learned a few years ago!). Every time I tried makeup when I was younger, my skin would break out in a rash or I'd get pimples! Makeup was never fun for me.

Rissa adds, "Truly good makeup should be your ally—not your enemy—in making you look and feel beautiful."

I think Jacqe and Rissa achieved that with Happy Skin. My ultimate test? I applied the makeup one evening and went to bed without washing my face. Big skin no-no! Whenever I forget to wash my face, I always wake up with a pimple. Always! This time around with Happy Skin? Not one zit. I looked so pretty pa!

Here's my mini review report:
Shut Up & Kiss Me Lippie, P499.

Sorry for the yellow light! I took these photos in the dining room. The colors are not right. Anyway, the Lippies are fat and cute and so deeply pigmented, you only need a few swipes to get your puckers pretty. My lips also didn't get dry. This kinda feels like lip balm actually!

Second Skin Créme, P1,199.

The SS Créme is a liquid foundation that I use when I'm just at home. I use it as my BB cream. I actually use Bobbi Brown BB Cream but ever since I got Happy Skin, I find myself grabbing this tube more!

Don't Get Mad Get Even Liquid Foundation, P999.

This, my friends, is my ultimate favorite Happy Skin product. I use liquid because I'm old. It's kinder on skin that has fine lines and wrinkles. Anyway, again, my liquid foundation is Bobbi Brown but since I tried Don't Get Mad Get Even Liquid Foundation, I've been loving this Happy Skin product instead.

Wanna see me without makeup, just with a sheer layer of Don't Get Mad Get Even Liquid Foundation? Tada!!!
I look perfect!!! And my skin is never perfect! All the years of pimples and scars and freckles and sleepless nights have taken a toll on my skin. Granted, my skin is better now ever since I started using Shiseido Ibuki (review next week) so it's not like my face is super bad. But I am never this flawless looking! And this is just foundation! No concealer! No Photoshop! 

Don't Get Mad Get Even Liquid Foundation, I love you!

I'm featuring Happy Skin founder Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez on my Manila Bulletin column today, by the way! I ran out of space so I'm putting the rest of her interview here:

Me: There's a lot of cosmetics on the market. What does Happy Skin offer women?  

Jacqe: Happy Skin is the first makeup line that offers an entire range of skin-caring makeup! Happy Skin was specially created for women who want to look naturally beautiful but want to make sure that their skin is also cared for — it's for women who don't want to compromise on beauty! All Happy Skin products are infused with special skincare ingredients such as Japanese tea leaf, Cherry blossom, Hyaluronic Acid and Argan oil to name a few. Majority of our products are sourced from Japan where they truly value the importance of skincare. We've been closely working with the R&D team to ensure that women will actually feel the difference of a Happy Skin product! Your skin will feel hydrated, moisturized and cared for!

What are your plans for Happy Skin in 2014?

Oh gosh!!! We have soooo much planned for 2014! We’re really aiming to launch new innovative makeup products like our now much-loved Second Skin crème! The goal is to launch new products that isn’t readily available in the Philippine market but is gaining much recognition in other beauty capitals. We are now in the process of testing and perfecting some of these in time for our summer launch! And also expect new exciting shades and collaborations for our lippies! We’ve been getting a lot of love for our lippies and we want to give our fans more shades to love. 

What about entrepreneurship excites you? Is this something you'd encourage people, especially women, to do?  

I can now say that it's much more challenging to setup your own business than my old corporate job! Nothing compares to the sense of fulfillment I get when I hear back from women on how much they love our products because it really is our sweat, blood and tears!

What I also love about being an entrepreneur is that I get full control of everything, and the turnaround time in launching a product is so much faster! I decide on product formulation to conceptualization to marketing to distribution strategies! When there’s a new idea that we want to pursue, we can do it much more quickly as there are fewer decision-makers.