Breaking Barriers
Filipinos believed they originated from Adam and Eve-like ancestors Malakas (Strong) and Maganda (beautiful) — a testament that since time immemorial, Filipinos have valued beauty.
Beauty has been, since the beginning of humanity, essentially a need, a universal quest, said L’Oreal Philippines managing director Yassine Bakkari at a press launch in the beauty giant’s new headquarters in Pasig City.
According to him, in the Philippines, beauty is vibrant and, for Filipinos, beauty is profoundly human.
“The Philippines is a melting pot of beauty, drawing from the country’s unique blend of indigenous tradition, Spanish colonial influence and US cultural impact for over a century,” he said. “Beauty has always continued to evolve and be vibrant in the Philippines. Filipinos always found their ways to celebrate their singularity and their individuality through beauty.”
Beauty, he said, builds confidence and empower Filipinos. “For Filipinos, beauty is a source of empowerment, both in personal self-esteem and also in economic opportunities.”
Beauty in diversity: Even Filipino men into lipsticks
Filipinos are breaking boundaries in beauty, said Bakkari. “They are no longer confined in their skin color, their hair texture or other social standards. They are embracing their natural beauty, celebrating the diversity and turning on to self-care to empower themselves.”
According to him, beauty brand customers now “are looking for brands that make a real and genuine effort to be inclusive, sustainable and responsible. They expect brands to create products or programs that celebrate diverse skin tones, body types or even gender identities.”
Just like the androgynous Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), L’Oreal brands like YSL Beauty espouse beauty even for men. “Because men can also wear something like a blouse, because that is what YSL is all about. We embrace both the masculine and the feminine side of each and every individual,” said Rafael John Dimla, senior product manager for YSL Beauty.
According to him, makeup and skincare use among Filipino men is on the rise, even lipsticks, which is why YSL Beauty also tapped male models for lipstick campaigns.
“Beauty, especially lipstick and makeup, started with females. But we believe that men can be allies, and men also want to feel beautiful. I also want to feel beautiful, right? Hence, we communicate that our products can be used by men. We have women wearing tuxedos in a very fashionable and stylish way, right? Because we use masculine wardrobe to electrify the femininity of women. It was all just about fashion, but it has evolved to another arm of beauty to empower women and men to be the best that they could possibly be,” he explained.
Replying to a DAILY TRIBUNE question about men’s attitude toward wearing lipstick, he admitted that Filipino men are “quite mixed” and that there is still a stigma for wearing lipsticks even for members of the LGBTQ community.
Breaking barriers
The Philippines, said Bakkari, also is an amazing market to watch for many reasons. On the economic standpoint for the second year in a row after 2024, the country is the second-fastest market in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth after Vietnam in Southeast Asia.
For Filipinos, he said, beauty is deeply personal and social, driven by the country’s young and digital native population, with a median age of 25 years old. Two-thirds of the population are below 34 years.
With an average time spent on smartphones of 5.25 hours a day versus 4.3 percent the worldwide average, this makes the Philippines the social media capital of the world.
“Filipino beauty consumers are young and they are socially aware… And this is even accelerated by the rise of social media and digital. In fact, there are 62 million active users, of which 80 percent of the total population are above 18 years old. The Philippines is the seventh biggest market worldwide in TikTok penetration with very engaging hashtags such as beauty talk, hashtag skin talk.”’
Country-wide, the company has an internal penetration of 90 percent. “And if we watch only the A, B, C1, C2, we have 97 percent penetration,” he claimed. “Last but not the least, we have a significant rise of middle class and consumer affluence to reach almost 30 million people by 2027, which is an increase of 21 percent versus 2024, and this is also for us a great base of consumer acquisition.”
According to him, what helps their company reach such position are “our sense of purpose, our training force, which is to create the beauty that moves the Philippines, and this is how we do it. We base our sense of purpose on three strategic priorities.”
First, the company tries to meet the diverse beauty needs of Filipinos through their brands, advocacies and technology.
“We came in the Philippines 36 years ago and we distribute in the Philippines 17 global brands to cater to the diverse beauty needs of Filipinos. We democratize the best of beauty to the largest number of Filipino consumers through our division, the consumer product division, and we offer the best of healthcare, skincare and makeup with L’Oreal Paris, Garnier and Maybelline New York. Through Lancome and YSL Beauty and other looks, we unleash the extraordinary power of luxury beauty and we elevate the luxury shopping experience. We bring the best of professional hair services with our Kerastase and L’Oreal Professionals…”
New frontiers
Today’s consumers, especially the Gen-Zs, are more and more knowledgeable about beauty ingredients and formulation, Bakkari said.
“We see a growing demand in the country around derma cosmetics, and that is why this year, we launched our fourth division, Dermatological Beauty with the brand Cerave, the number one dermatologist-recommended skincare brand in the world that will address very relevant skin concerns in the Philippines like sun exposure, acne, eczema or psoriasis.”
To cater to customers with different needs, the company also developed different technologies such as a device that enables people with disabilities to apply full makeup.
“By harnessing the power of tech, data, AI (artificial intelligence) and generative AI, we create new codes of beauty and new relationships between our brands and consumers,” Bakkari noted.
“We recognize our unique position and responsibility to drive real and meaningful changes like addressing the impact of climate change, safeguarding natural resources, championing circularity and building community resilience. And last but certainly my most important to all in our sense of purpose is to drive inclusive growth to impact positively local communities in the Philippines.”
The Philippines, said Bakkari, also is an amazing market to watch for many reasons. On the economic standpoint for the second year in a row after 2024, the country is the second-fastest market in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth after Vietnam in Southeast Asia.
For Filipinos, he said, beauty is deeply personal and social, driven by the country’s young and digital native population, with a median age of 25 years old. Two-thirds of the population are below 34 years.
With an average time spent on smartphones of 5.25 hours a day versus 4.3 percent the worldwide average, this makes the Philippines the social media capital of the world.
“Filipino beauty consumers are young and they are socially aware… And this is even accelerated by the rise of social media and digital. In fact, there are 62 million active users, of which 80 percent of the total population are above 18 years old. The Philippines is the seventh biggest market worldwide in TikTok penetration with very engaging hashtags such as beauty talk, hashtag skin talk.”’
Country-wide, the company has an internal penetration of 90 percent. “And if we watch only the A, B, C1, C2, we have 97 percent penetration,” he claimed. “Last but not the least, we have a significant rise of middle class and consumer affluence to reach almost 30 million people by 2027, which is an increase of 21 percent versus 2024, and this is also for us a great base of consumer acquisition.”
According to him, what helps their company reach such position are “our sense of purpose, our training force, which is to create the beauty that moves the Philippines, and this is how we do it. We base our sense of purpose on three strategic priorities.”
First, the company tries to meet the diverse beauty needs of Filipinos through their brands, advocacies and technology.
“We came in the Philippines 36 years ago and we distribute in the Philippines 17 global brands to cater to the diverse beauty needs of Filipinos. We democratize the best of beauty to the largest number of Filipino consumers through our division, the consumer product division, and we offer the best of healthcare, skincare and makeup with L’Oreal Paris, Garnier and Maybelline New York. Through Lancome and YSL Beauty and other looks, we unleash the extraordinary power of luxury beauty and we elevate the luxury shopping experience. We bring the best of professional hair services with our Kerastase and L’Oreal Professionals…”
New frontiers
Today’s consumers, especially the Gen-Zs, are more and more knowledgeable about beauty ingredients and formulation, Bakkari said.
“We see a growing demand in the country around derma cosmetics, and that is why this year, we launched our fourth division, Dermatological Beauty with the brand Cerave, the number one dermatologist-recommended skincare brand in the world that will address very relevant skin concerns in the Philippines like sun exposure, acne, eczema or psoriasis.”
To cater to customers with different needs, the company also developed different technologies such as a device that enables people with disabilities to apply full makeup.
“By harnessing the power of tech, data, AI (artificial intelligence) and generative AI, we create new codes of beauty and new relationships between our brands and consumers,” Bakkari noted.
“We recognize our unique position and responsibility to drive real and meaningful changes like addressing the impact of climate change, safeguarding natural resources, championing circularity and building community resilience. And last but certainly my most important to all in our sense of purpose is to drive inclusive growth to impact positively local communities in the Philippines.”
