Beloved Filipino Makeup Brand Sunnies Face Makes Long-Anticipated U.S. Debut
When a beauty brand available only in Asia counts scores of top American beauty tastemakers among its most vocal supporters, it has clearly tapped into something special.
Philippines-based cosmetics company Sunnies Face has never been sold in the U.S. — until now, it’s been distributed only in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and its home country — and yet it has amassed an impressive list of followers globally, including Pati Dubroff, Hung Vanngo, Fiona Stiles, Allan Avendaño, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Katie Jane Hughes. Sara Tan Christensen, co-host of the “Gloss Angeles” podcast and current Beauty Director at Refinery29, wrote a feature about the brand for Bustle back in 2018, when it debuted, and has proclaimed her personal love for its hero product. Sunnies Face was an instant smash hit in the Philippines: On launch day, the brand’s website hit nearly 3 million views, causing it to crash.
After years of pleas from the aforementioned beauty trendsetters and other devoted fans, Sunnies Face finally brings its buzzy lip color stateside with a direct-to-consumer U.S. retail launch via its own website, sunniesface.com.
For its initial entry into the American retail space, Sunnies Face is offering only its Fluffmate “weightless matte lipstick” in 15 shades designed to flatter a range of skin tones. It’s a cruelty-, paraben- and fragrance-free formula, and was also the brand’s solo product when it first launched. (The brand has since expanded to offer a full range of color cosmetics and some skin care items in its Asian markets; it has plans to make these available in the U.S. as well, aiming to release the entire line throughout 2023.)
“We wanted to ensure that every person who picked up a Sunnies Face product would find their true match, no matter their skin tone,” said Georgina Wilson, one of the five Sunnies Face co-founders, via a press release. “Many people do not realize that Filipinos account for a wide range of skin tones and when creating these products, it was without question this would be a pillar.”
