Product Review: Maharlika Cosmetics
Makeup is its own form of art and despite the mass production of it, small businesses are still very much appreciated for keeping the initial idea that makeup is important for its social and cultural impact. High-end brands produce tons of makeup every day, but not many cosmetic lines are made with as much love, passion and social impact as Asian-American brand Maharlika Cosmetics. Maharlika Cosmetics was founded by Sabrina Davis, a stay-at-home Navy wife and mother. She is inspired by the beauty of Southeast Asia and is all about eco-friendly, inclusive makeup. As Sabrina herself described it, the brand is created for the purpose of challenging colonized standards of beauty and showing the beauty industry that Asians come in all colors. This line is designed to underline the true beauty of women of color. The products come in a gorgeous box with a distinct design style, sunset orange and bright yellow shades, as well as the signature pineapple symbol. The wrapped box filled with beautiful items was irresistible. Beautifully packaged items were unsurprisingly enticing, asking to be tried on as fast as possible.
The Mango Butter Scrub is in a small, sparkly jar that contains the most fragrant lip-scrub I’ve ever tried. As the Philippines is the 9th largest producer of sugar in the world, this scrub that contains 3 types of sugar (demerara, muscovado and turbinado) is exquisite in its results. Especially in this chilly weather, my lips get chapped to the point where I give up looking for ways to deal with them. This mango butter scrub is a great exfoliator, and is not harsh on fragile skin of the lips. I would recommend it for those looking for an aromatic, effective, yet soft scrub for your lips. The uniquely designed banana-shaped lip balm is one of my favorites, in this cosmetic line. The balm is soft and designed as a banana on key chain with a green tassel. It is also easy to carry around, which is great since we all know that a good lip balm is always a necessity. A mesh goodie bag comes along with the products, which can be easily repurposed for anything, such as snack pouch, toiletries bag and many more. It is a plus towards more a sustainable lifestyle that we should all strive for, which is applauded.
The false eyelashes are gorgeous, and very soft to the touch. They are fluffy, yet not overly long. They are also lightweight, which is perfect for those who don’t wear eyelashes often. They have to be trimmed based on your eye length, which is to be expected from any eyelashes products.
The lip gloss is called “Perlas ng Silangan” or “Pearl of the Orient”, which is a perfectly fitting name for the shiny, opalescent and alluring color of the gloss. Despite preferring the more trendy matte lipstick over gloss, I thought this gloss looked fantastic, which is pleasantly surprising. The lip tint called “Darna” looks very bright in the bottle, but goes on your lips as a natural red color that highlights your lips. Both those products are packaged in beautiful tubes that look sophisticated and royal, bedazzled with golden details. I am very happy to see that the products’ cultural background inspires their design.
Overachieves Magazine takes pride in supporting Asian female entrepreneurs and their businesses. This sustainable and eco-friendly cosmetic line is truly unique in design, styles of products and the meaning behind them that connect many Asian women to their roots. I hope this brand will succeed ever more in the future and bring change to the beauty industry.
