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This is an excerpt from MEGA November 2025 Beauty Blog
If you’ve ever dipped your lumpia in banana ketchup when you were a kid and thought, “how great would it be to have a lip gloss in this exact shade”, you’re not alone. There’s at least one person who thought the same thing and actually made it a reality, and then some. Filipinta is a US-based conceptual makeup brand that’s quietly, but surely carving its own corner in the beauty landscape. The woman behind the brand? Filipina product and packaging designer and author, Hana Acabado.
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In a time where digital virality undeniably affects the success of a business, Hana says that while she’s aware of its importance, she doesn’t rely too much on it and her craft is still her top priority. “I just stay true to my art and not stress about going viral. I just love making new products and sharing my process, and if it becomes popular, then great! I never aim for it because I have a hard time pleasing the algorithm anyway so I just post whenever I want.”
The 34-year-old co-founder and creative director has no intentions of breaking the mold— quite the opposite, she’s (literally) creating her own. With her intricate craftsmanship, not only is every beauty product from Filipinta a work of art that’s good enough to display, but a morsel of Filipino culture. She creates and assembles each product by hand in small batches. Every product feels like a time capsule of the good ‘ol days, almost like a puzzle piece in a tapestry of joyous childhood memories. Case in point: besides her viral banana ketchup lip gloss creation, she’s also created Aswang lip potions, Adobo lip oil, and even an ice cream cart lip balm set à la manong sorbetes-style, complete with the pandesal ice cream sandwich.
And while nostalgia plays a big role in getting eyes on Filipinta, and one can easily dismiss it as just a novelty brand, she avoids the pit of being “just a gimmick” by focusing more on something that has authenticity and longevity: a community. “I prioritize connecting with my audience and I’m eternally grateful to them because they’re always so supportive!” Moreover, she just simply wants to champion Filipino culture on a global stage and provide even a fraction of comfort to those that feel homesick, something she herself still experiences even after years of living in the US. “I hope I continue to showcase our rich culture through the products for many, many years to come!”
Hana doesn’t just carry the Filipino spirit in her physical products—she does so also in the intangibles. She shares that she still keeps Filipino values close to her heart with how she runs her business. “I always carry with me the value of hard work, being proud and loud about who you are, and not stopping until you reach your dreams!” Read on as Hana paints us a picture of her creative process, how her struggles as an immigrant helped with the birth of the brand, and her dream collaboration.
If you had to give an elevator pitch of your beauty brand, Filipinta, what would it sound like?
Filipinta is a conceptual makeup brand that celebrates the Philippines!
Besides the level of creativity and detail put into every piece, nostalgia plays a major role in your brand. Why do you think it’s such a powerful tool in making people gravitate towards the products?
Everyone likes to look back on memories that bring them joy. When I came to the US, I had the worst homesickness (I still do) and turning my memories into art was the only way I could cope. A lot of Filipinos outside the motherland have the same sentiment.
For those who might be curious, how do you get around being able to produce products inspired by famous brands and logos?
They are derivative works/parodies!
Discover Hana Acabado’s journey with Filipinta Beauty in MEGA’s November 2025 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Images from: HANA ACABADO
