Lip service
Universally flattering: Burt's Bees lipsticks in Nile Nude (on the models, left and third from left) and Orchid Ocean are the local best-sellers.
MANILA, Philippines - Did you know,” Clorox Philippines president Marites Dagdag tells me, “A woman consumes six to eight kilograms of lipsticks in her lifetime? And lipsticks are either made from natural ingredients or petroleum wax and there are more lip products out there made of the latter.”
If only for that instantaneous transformation a vibrant swipe of your favorite lippie can do to the way you look and feel, we compromise on the safety — even cruelty — factor.
Clorox Philippines is the Philippine distributor of Burt’s Bees, responsible for one of your first-ever lip balms (mine was the one in a tin pot). In the ‘80s, they responded to the flavored glossy lip balm craze with their lip shimmer — still a hit today — followed by the tinted lip balm only two years ago, followed by lip crayons. It was in the summer of last year that the brand owned up to the marketability of their lip products. They came out with lipsticks, 14 shades of a universally flattering spectrum of nudes, MLBBs and berries all with the claim of eight hours of moisture, as lightweight as their lip balms, and the full coverage pigmentation of your favorite lipsticks. Their best sellers are a perfect nude (Nile Nude) and plum (Orchid Ocean, one of the four latest shades).
“Filipina women tend to like darker berry lipsticks,” Dagdag tells me, adding that their lipsticks now contribute to 20 percent of their sales. Joining Orchid Ocean are Crimson Coast, Doused Rose (a mauve-y pink) and Wine Wave.
Other top hits are (clockwise from top) Lily Lake, Suede Splash, Scarlet Soaked, Brimming Berry, and Wine Wave. Even the packaging is sustainable; the lipstick tube is made of 100 percent polypropylene and contains 60 percent post-consumer recycled resin. Photo by MARJO TAGABUCBA
Lip products are a very crowded category, and the price one pays for going 100 percent natural — this is true with any brand from independent to high end that I have tried — is longevity. Burt’s Bees’ formulation features moisturization from essential fatty acid-packed moringa (this keeps lips soft) and raspberry seed oils (which keeps the skin elastic). It glides on smoothly and seamlessly with a satin creamy finish. Dagdag has tips: “I recommend patting the first layer on, blotting it, and then adding more as you go along to really make it last. The lipsticks are buildable. They don’t form clumps or dry your lips, so you can add as many layers as you want, or combine the colors, too!”
* * *
Burt’s Bees lipsticks are available at SM Beauty Department Stores, selected Watsons, and Beauty Bar. Get them online at Sephora Philippines, Zalora, and Lazada. Follow them on Instagram @BurtsBeesPH.
