By Zsarlene B. Chua
A STACKABLE palette that lets you bring your contour, blush, and eyeshadows wherever you go, with each compact fitting together like a deck of cards in your bag, is what Vice Cosmetics’ VxLierge collection offers. Created alongside beauty content creator Lierge Perey, the new magnetic palettes reflect her appetite for experimenting with color in a collection shaped by her own preferences and her years of reviewing makeup.
The collection includes six blush palettes, three brontour (a portmanteau of bronzer and contour) palettes, three eyeshadow palettes, eight lip liners, and six lipsticks. Some of the shades are created for those who like bolder looks — from a true cool-toned brown lipstick to smokey eyeshadow colors — the antithesis to current “clean girl makeup” movement that’s all about pared down instead of loud.
For Ms. Perey who has built a following on TikTok through detailed beauty reviews, the collection is a chance to bring her ideas to life.
“I am a perfectionist and I really wanted my ideas to come to life. I am very grateful to Vice Cosmetics for helping me make this dream come true,” she said in a press release.
While this isn’t the first time Ms. Perey has been the face of Vice Cosmetics, as she has endorsed several product lines including the Perfect KIZZ Velvet collection last year, this is the first time she had a hand in creating a collection of her own.
The collaboration is the product of a year of development, with Lierge working closely with Vice Cosmetics co-CEOs Ana Samaco and Cathy Lao. The process involved repeated swatching sessions to see how colors appeared on different skin tones. The team even made an extra trip to China for a week to ensure the shades were right.
“She pushed us in terms of colors, textures, and even the cases. She is very meticulous and I admire that in her,” Ms. Samaco said.
The packaging was just as carefully considered. Slim and magnetic, the palettes can be stacked together in different combinations, with a mirror placed on top. Users can bring only the products they need or assemble a larger set, making the collection portable without sacrificing choice.
During the launch on Oct. 15 in Makati City, Ms. Samaco and Ms. Lao told BusinessWorld that the magnetic clamshell packaging was a labor of love and a proof of “trusting the process.”“You should’ve seen what it looked like when it first came,” Ms. Samaco said. “We had to take our time sampling until we got it where we wanted it — sleek and as thin as we could get it.”
Each magnetic palette strikes a balance between heft and convenience. Despite its plastic body, it has a weight that lends it a more luxurious feel. The absence of hinges makes the palettes easy to slide apart, while the magnets are strong enough to keep them securely stacked — even three palettes high — without fear of the whole tower tumbling to the floor.
Then there’s also a curated-yet-customizable palette. Vice Cosmetics told BusinessWorld that instead of offering individual shades where consumers will have to construct their own palettes, the brand opted for curation. The idea, they said, is to make “customization less intimidating,” whether for someone just starting with makeup or a more experienced user looking to explore different combinations.
This is aligned to the brand’s approach to make beauty more accessible.
“I think that as a brand, one of our contributions to the beauty industry is that we are able to provide high-performance formulas at affordable prices,” Ms. Samaco said.
Ms. Lao sees the collection as a response to consumers who are increasingly confident in expressing themselves through beauty.
“Filipino consumers are now more experimental when it comes to beauty,” she said.
For Lierge, the partnership also represents a leap of faith on the brand’s part. “I really appreciate Vice because they took a risk and they believed in me,” she said.
Vice Cosmetics is also looking beyond the Philippines’ shores as it rides the wave of Filipino beauty. Ms. Lao and Ms. Samaco confirmed plans of having overseas distribution by next year (“Definitely in the US,” quipped Ms. Samaco), just in time for celebrating their 10th year in the business.
The VxLierge collection is now available. Each palette costs P695 while the lip products are P395.
Zsarlene B. Chua is a former BusinessWorld reporter. She is all about skincare, makeup, and video games — and occasionally food. Contact the author at zsarlene.chua@gmail.com.