Vice Cosmetics is targeting a new generation of beauty consumers—primarily Gen Z and millennials—who balance busy lifestyles with a demand for value-driven, high-performance products. These are customers who expect makeup to endure long commutes, humid weather, and packed schedules, while still being affordable and versatile enough for everyday use.
Vice Cosmetics is addressing this with its new philosophy, Make Up For Life.
Now in its eighth year, the local beauty brand co-founded by Vice Ganda in 2017 is evolving beyond its original Ganda for All identity, which championed inclusivity and diversity with shade ranges catering to morena skin tones.
While that commitment remains, co-CEOs Cathryn Lao and Anami Samaco say the brand is evolving to meet the needs of customers whose lives—and beauty routines—have changed over the years.
“Our customers have grown, and so have we. We still champion inclusivity, but we also want to make products that you’ll keep in your top shelf—something you can use every day, for every stage of your life,” Lao said.
Samaco describes the shift as “subtle but intentional.” While the brand retains its signature pink branding and accessible price points, the focus now is on high-performance products that can withstand the Philippine climate and daily hustle.
“When we started, we were disruptors in the market. Now, we want to be the products you reach for every single day. Longevity is important to us. We don’t just want to go viral, we want to last for decades,” Samaco said.
That emphasis on performance and accessibility has helped solidify the brand’s bestsellers, such as the Do It All multi-use tint, smudge-proof lip liners, gel liners, and setting powders. Lao noted that these “hero products” often sell out within days of restocking.
“Sometimes the demand catches us by surprise. We’ve sold 25,000 pieces of one product in a single day,” Lao said.
One of the brand’s latest launches under the Make Up For Life philosophy is the Perfect Kizz: Velvet Blur Lip Shapers, created in collaboration with content creator Lierge Perey. Known for popularizing Vice Cosmetics’ lip liners online, Lierge was a natural choice for the project.
“Lierge has always been a fan of our lip liners. She’s effortlessly authentic, and she loved the idea of creating a velvet formula that gives a diffused, Korean-inspired look but stays put in our weather,” Samaco told Manila Standard Life.
The Perfect Kizz collection introduces a softer, velvety texture designed for a blurred lip effect while maintaining the brand’s signature long-wearing quality. It includes individual lip liners as well as paired sets featuring a matching bullet lipstick.
Lierge collaborated closely with the Vice Cosmetics team in selecting the shades and creating lip combos, opting for wearable nudes and softer tones suited for everyday wear.
“She helped us pick the colors, the combos, everything. It’s a mix of shades that reflect current trends—easy-to-use, everyday colors, not overly bold,” Lao said.
The executives also shared that the pandemic played a key role in the brand’s shift in strategy. Before 2020, online sales made up just 15 percent of business; today, they account for around 65 percent. Vice Cosmetics leaned into virtual launches and social media engagement to maintain customer loyalty, and the approach has paid off.
“Our core audience shifted during the pandemic. Now it’s a mix of Gen Z and millennials who know what they want. They want high-performance products, but they also want value. And when they find something they love, they share it online,” Lao said.
That organic sharing has been a major growth driver, often outpacing traditional influencer marketing.
“Most of our top products went viral on their own because people genuinely loved them. We see TikToks from everyday users saying, ‘This is my holy grail,’ and suddenly it’s sold out everywhere,” she added.
Since the pandemic, Lao and Samaco have been leading the brand’s day-to-day operations toward a more mature identity that can stand independently.
“Our early years were about making a statement. This new chapter is about staying power—creating makeup for life, not just for a moment,” Samaco said.
For now, the focus remains on strengthening the Philippine market before looking overseas.
“There’s still so much opportunity here. We’ll keep building our hero products, refining what works, and making sure we’re evolving with our customers,” Lao said.
