Brought together by the internet and TikTok, Ayn Bernos, Rica Salomon, and Kai Javier are set to color the town pretty with their beauty brand, Kayu Beauty.
Contrary to what one might think, not all that springs forth from the internet is an intangible. With a lot of life lived online, especially over the course of the challenging and concerning two years, the virtual plane has become more than just an extension of reality rendered in bits and bytes, as well coded in 1s and 0s. More than just an escape into the void, this is where discoveries are made, economies sustained, and connections fostered, all of which directly affect life as we know it. And for a group of friends formed on social media, this is where their new chapter begins, one that is brimming with possibilities and potential.
“The internet brought us together and now we’re about to make real world things happen,” writes Kayu Beauty, the newest Filipino beauty brand raring and ready to color the local market with their point-of-view. From dominating our FYPs, the coming together of some of our favorite follows on TikTok, Ayn Bernos, Rica Salomon, and Kai Javier, is both a dream come true and a pursuit of passion and advocacy. The best part? It is inspired by you. Yes, you.
“We made something,” Kayu Beauty writes the brand on the first wave of their introduction. A cross-section of interests in the scope of beauty, one that comes from a professional artist, a connoisseur, and a consumer, Kayu Beauty is a makeup brand anchored on purpose above everything. This time, they see you first.
Say Hello To Kayu
While the local beauty market is considerably thriving, what with a growing list of Filipino-made and Filipino-owned brands, as well as of collaborations that really put a focus on the needs specific to us, there is still admittedly a lot of gaps to be filled. And Kayu Beauty not only intends to address that, but mostly importantly, offer solutions and products that are first and foremost made for the Filipino. “Now, why is it called Kayu Beauty? So, it actually started when Rica and I were brainstorming about the name. She wanted to put up a makeup brand, I wanted to continue with my advocacy, and we came up with Kayu, short for kayumanggi,” details Ayn Bernos in a TikTok video.
@aynbernos Reply to @jkgy13 so excited for @kayubeauty ?? #InspiredByYou ♬ original sound – Ayn Bernos
“However, I’ve been frustrated for a long time na afterthought kasi ‘yung morenas sa mga campaigns. It’s like we’re the background person,” she furthers, her lifelong purpose of championing the morenas really expanding skin positivity this conversation. “So, when we created the makeup brand, we wanted to make sure na you know, we have the space we always wanted.” The result is an inclusive brand that is committed to creating products inspired by you, which is already evident in their campaign images that are more than anything, thoughtful and diverse. From range of skin tones, tropical climates, as well as of daily habits, goals, and aspirations, all these are the main considerations for everything they do at Kayu Beauty.
@kaijavier When ur the only Gen Z member in the team ? @kayubeauty ♬ Major Bag Alert – Damickey Lillard
“Now, that doesn’t mean it’s exclusive to morenas or anything like that,” the TikTok star, beauty queen, and entrepreneur clarifies. “It just means that, yay, we advocate for everyone, especially you guys, kayu. Kayu na rin.”
One Kiss Is All It Takes
Set to launch on February 19, Kayu Beauty finally revealed the first set of products to herald their foray into the beauty game. And it all starts with a kiss.
@rica.salomon Kayu Beauty swatch party! Kayu Kiss Lippies will be available on Sh0p3e & L4z4d4 at P349 each ?
♬ original sound – Rica Salomon
“Meet Kayu Kiss. The classic bullet lipstick, inspired by you,” the makeup brand shares on their social media pages. “Designed to own permanent real estate in your everyday bags, our flagship collection comes in six wearable shades. We have a soft moisturizing matte lipstick to suit every skin tone, every mood, and every whim.” Described as a light velvety formula that grazes the lips like a feather on every glide, the cheekily christened lip products (Send Nudes, Luv You A Latte, Papa Don’t Peach, Clay With Me, Left U On Red, Watcha Pink) are buildable, flattering, and designed for pure comfort.
Listen, this isn’t just mere lip service, because clearly, Ayn Bernos, Rica Salomon, and Kai Javier, together with Landamme Vivas and JR Rodriguez, have put it in the work to make this dream a reality for no one else but you. See, good things can come from the internet. And this time, it just got real.
CONTINUE READING: HERE’S HOW YOU CAN MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TIKTOK ACCOUNT, ACCORDING TO AYN BERNOS
