ONE thing that I can never leave the house with is a lip and cheek tint. It’s like a staple for me. It’s convenient, goes well with any occasion, and is really easy to apply. The problem with most lip and cheek tints, though, is that with long term use, it can irritate your skin, dry out your lips, or worse, darken it.
I love, love, love lip and cheek tints, but searching for the “perfect” tint is both difficult and expensive and sometimes disappointing. Little did I know that my search for the best lip tint would end in my hometown, Davao City, and I bought it in Aldevinco Shopping Center for just 110 pesos.
Yes, ladies, you heard it right. A long-lasting and non-drying lip and cheek tint that is easy to blend, does not taste bitter, and comes in a lot of shades – 10 in fact – is affordable and made locally here in Davao.
KJM Cosmetics makes these lip tints from all-natural ingredients. This vegan brand started in 2015. The entrepreneurs, KJMCosmetics Ltd. Inc., are proudly Davaoeños, born and raised in Davao. Using only the best and safest ingredients, KJM lip and cheek tints are also FDA-approved.
Not surprisingly, KJM gained popularity across the country and even caught the eye of some celebrities like PBB teen Maris Racal who is now their brand endorser. Not bad for a local brand, right?
I’ve been using KJM lip and cheek tints for nearly two years now. While there are a lot of good brands in the market that I do try every now and then, I would still go back to KJM because its non-drying formula and wide color range suit my lips and morena tone very well. And because it comes in 10 shades, there’s a perfect shade for every skin tone out there.
It’s also perfect for that “drunk blush” look that celebrities like Nadine Lustre often use in her makeup looks, as the color pay-off is really good, buildable, and easy to blend on moisturized skin.
In an interview, the makers of the brand said that their products were born out of their love for makeup. Having been dissatisfied with tints from commercial brands in the market, the makers spent months trying to come up with the best formulation of a lip tint that would be smooth and blendable without the bitter taste – which are the usual cons of tint products.
They first tried it with their friends and relatives. After receiving good feedback, they decided to introduce it to the local market. Not long after, tint lovers hailing from as far as Luzon raved about KJM Cosmetics as it quickly gained popularity on social media sites like Instagram.
The beauty brand sells their products at Sonia’s shop in Aldevinco as well as online. They, however, said that one factor that makes this business challenging is fighting counterfeit products. So, ladies, make sure you’re buying the real thing.
The makers say that for a local brand, even without selling in commercial markets, having competitors is actually healthy for their business as it makes them continuously strive to give only the best for their customers.
“Due to the love of our clients, we craved for more and more improvement of our products. We give value to the product, so it will be our clients money’s worth... We make our customers our first priority,” said KJM Cosmetics Ltd. Inc. in an interview.
They say that it makes them proud to see KJM Cosmetics, a locally made product, gain such popularity across the country. As to the secret behind their success, KJM Cosmetics had only one thing to say: “The product itself brought success to KJM.”
As for me, the success of a good quality product made by my fellow Davaoeños is always a well-deserved status.