Justine Felizarta, Angelia Ong, KC Halili

When a dreamer decides to make a dream come true, the first task is to create a semblance of it being real. For wide-eyed student Momoi Supe, the dream first took shape in his 25-square-meter apartment, giving out an innovative eyebrow treatment called microblading that he discovered in Singapore and mastered in Dubai to his friends and referrals.

He gained a loyal following, as well as a reputation that precedes his supposed career path in interior design, prompting him to recognize this part-time venture is a dream coming true.

Banking on the traction that followed his services, Momoi needed to create a cosmetic brand that showcases his craft as one that is already established, renowned, and distinguished. And so began the manifestation of his dream, with a fated encounter with Design for Tomorrow long before his full transition from design to the beauty industry. This collaborative connection got rekindled at the precise moment when the brand evolution needed to happen.

Momoi was a pioneer in the eye beauty industry with his introduction to microblading and eyebrow aesthetics in the Philippines. Seeing this as the foundation of his work, this became the overall theme of the brand identity, incorporating lines and the act of dotting that mirrored the microblading procedure.

In the process of creating the identity of Strokes Beauty its subsequent cosmetic brand marketing, this pioneering spirit was brought up as being essential to the brand’s expression, noted by his desire to transition from a humble operation in a small apartment to a fully-fledged retail store in premier locations such as Greenbelt & Shangri-la. To reflect this, an already mature identity that exudes professionalism and elegance is created.

The expertise of Momoi grew over time from offering brow beauty services to providing high-caliber beauty products, elevating Strokes Beauty into a true beauty brand. Furthermore, his craft has garnered the attention of quite a significant share of the male market as well, which hinted that a new direction is to be taken.

To capture this in its cosmetic brand marketing, the yin yang symbol is incorporated into the custom wordmark, signifying the relationship between brow beauty and skincare, as well as the androgynous nature of Strokes’ captive target audience. Graphically the wordmark and the S initial were inspired by the dots, curves, and lines of the microblading process. These elements were then applied to a suite of collaterals, product packaging, signages, and communications.

The evolved brand identity puts Momoi Supe’s virtuosity, expertise, and professional accomplishments, demonstrated not just in the logo but also in the packaging design and social media communication, signaling to the Philippine beauty industry that a new wave of beauty is in motion.

Having earned her Diploma in Dermatology and Master of Science in Clinical Dermatology in London, wellness expert and health advocate Dr. Kristina Reyes engaged Design For Tomorrow in 2012 to create a skincare and beauty brand from the ground up. The local skincare and beauty industry then was not only a crowded sector, but there was also a prevalence of low-price and mid-quality offerings that saturated the market.

How Dermatology Marketing Was Utilized For Luminisce

DFT studied the market, profiled potential customers, and mapped out the industry for untapped opportunities. We then advised the founder not to go into the mid-to-low category and instead narrow the focus on a premium segment that demands high quality and is willing to pay for it. It was a risky strategy.

Business Name Generation

Once the strategic foundation is defined and approved, DFT embarked on creating the brand from scratch, starting with the name – Luminisce is an abbreviation of luminescence, which promises healthy, glowing skin. Sleek and stylish typography paired with a sophisticated icon design creates a brand with a perception of being established yet exudes modernity, luxury, and timeless elegance – cornerstones of the dermatology marketing strategy chosen to encapsulate what Luminisce offers.

Luminisce quickly established itself as a worthy challenger in the sector and, over a decade on, has grown to be one of the leading brands in the industry. The brand gained a loyal following, won esteem and awards and carved a trusted reputation for quality and innovation.

Product Packaging Design

DFT was recently engaged once more to work on their dermatology marketing strategy, this time to update product packaging, marketing collaterals and took over the Luminisce Instagram account to bring in consistency and fix some brand drifts over the years.