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Filipinta: Behind The New York-Based, Filipina-Owned Brand Inducing Nostalgia

Filipinta: Behind The New York-Based, Filipina-Owned Brand Inducing Nostalgia

These products for the modern Pinay draw inspiration from iconic snacks from our childhood

 

 

Makeup has the ability to make us feel things. For Hana, a young mother and multimedia designer based in New York who left behind life in Manila, beauty products make her feel closer to home. Filipinta Beauty, her brainchild with co-founder Jasel, was actually an accident. 

 

In an exclusive interview with Wonder, the creative director of Filipinta reveals, “I wanted to add a personal project to my packaging design portfolio, and I've always wanted to create a brand with a purpose. Makeup [is] something I've been interested in for a long time, and I wanted to merge that with my passion [for] packaging and product design.” 


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Filipinta’s array of products heavily induces nostalgia—from the ultra moisturizing Iced Gems Body Butter to the endearing Haw Balm and the high-shine Iskrambol Gloss Collection. These products, which catapult Filipino beauty on a global stage, draw inspiration from iconic snacks ingrained in Philippine culture (and our childhood!).

 

Iskrambol Gloss Collection, $28

Haw Balm, $5

 

Upon doing a test market in the Philippines, even before its official launch, the brand was sold out in an hour! “That's when we realized we were onto something,” shares Hana.

 

There’s no denying that Filipinta’s products are as quirky as can be; case in point, the 3-in-1 Ice Cream Balm. Encased in a sorbetes tin packaging, you’ll find a fish-shaped lip balm inside, reminiscent of every Filipino’s experience of opening a tub of ice cream, then seeing tilapia. (And this is why we have trust issues, Lola.)

 

 

A De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde alumnus, Hana’s background in design has given Filipinta its unique brand identity. For one product, the FLAMES Eyeshadow Palette, it features nine romantic shades—for when you’re over neutrals. It’s inspired by the ‘90s childhood game, F.L.A.M.E.S, an ode to a time when coming-of-age meant connecting to dial-up internet and up-to-sawa telebabad.

 

 

With products that proudly celebrate Philippine culture, it’s Hana’s way of feeling closer to home. She shares, “One of the reasons why I decided to create the brand is because I've been extremely homesick. Filipinta really helped me alleviate that because it reminds me of the life I had back in the Philippines, and how blissful yet chaotic it is!”

 

Lumpia Eyeshadow Palette, $20

BaLming Lip Balm, $8

 

Meeting Filipinos in the diaspora because of Filipinta has sparked appreciation for our unique culture. Hana notes, “A few Filipinos that have visited my booth told me they haven't been back to the Philippines in years, and seeing the Filipinta products made them smile and reminisce. I'm very thankful it invokes such emotions in our people.”

 

For individuals who want to create their own beauty brand but don’t know where to start, Hana gives simple but practical advice: do your research. “We made a lot of mistakes at the start because the brand grew so quickly, so make sure you know what you're getting into! We are actually developing a series called Beauty and The Brand, where we spill the secrets on how to create your own makeup brand,” she reveals.

 

 

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As a young mother of two and a small business owner, Hana’s life can get pretty hectic. She does her best to commit to a balancing act by doing a lot of scheduling and planning. She reveals, I usually design and conceptualize in bed while breastfeeding my youngest, or while I'm homeschooling my eldest so we're both sitting at the table.”

 

She adds, “I would do things an hour at a time—I'll pack orders for an hour in the morning, create products after lunch for an hour, then create concepts or designs in the afternoon before cooking dinner. It's definitely a lot of work but I make it work!”

 

Hana’s passion project she started in 2019 is now a thriving beauty brand with a tight-knit community—from all over the world—rallying behind it. 

 

Get to know more about Filipinta on filipinta.com. Stay updated by following the brand on Instagram and Facebook

 

 

Product Photos Filipinta Beauty 

Art Matthew Ian Fetalver

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