FERCA Beauty Wants to Be Your First Makeup Bestie
There's a very specific memory a lot of us share: sneaking into your mom's vanity, or your older sister's makeup bag, and trying on a color that was way too bold for a first attempt. FERCA Beauty is building an entire brand around that memory, just with formulas that won't overwhelm you the way that stolen red lipstick did.
We caught up with Bryan Lim, FERCA's Marketing and Product Development Manager, to talk about what the brand is actually trying to do in an already crowded F-Beauty space.
The Nostalgia, Modernized
FERCA's whole premise, according to Lim, is being "your gateway to the beauty world", a reference to how most of us actually started with makeup, not the polished, algorithm-fed version of getting into beauty that exists now.
"We used to steal makeup from our moms," Lim said. Back then, the colors were intensely pigmented, often too much for someone just figuring out what they liked. FERCA's approach flips that: more desaturated, more buildable pigments, so first-time users can control how much color shows up rather than being stuck with what the product gives them.
It's a deliberate response to how saturated, no pun intended, the beauty market has become. "We wanted to strip it down back to the basics," Lim said.
Built for the Philippines, Not Just Localized to It
FERCA isn't just a global formula relabeled for the local market. Lim was specific about the brand accounting for Philippine weather from the start: easy to wear, non-sticky, made to hold up through a tropical, humid day rather than melt off by noon.
And then there's the price point, a flat ₱199 per SKU. Lim was careful not to frame this as a "cheap alternative", the brand's angle is that these are "elevated basics," using skincare-grade ingredients inside color cosmetics. He pointed to specific examples: lip glosses formulated with peptides, and cheek products built around camellia seed oil, ingredients you'd expect in a skincare line, not a ₱199 tint.
Why Maroon, in a Sea of Pastels
FERCA's brand color is a deep maroon/burgundy, a clear departure from the pink-and-pastel palette most new beauty brands default to.
Lim was upfront about the reasoning: as a newer name in the space, FERCA needed a color that could command attention without losing the feeling of being approachable. "It feels like it commands attention in the beauty space, since it's very saturated. But at the same time, it feels very inviting," he said.
It's a small decision, but a telling one, most first-time or budget-friendly brands play it safe with softness. FERCA is betting that boldness and accessibility aren't mutually exclusive.
No Rush to Flood the PH Beauty Market
Perhaps the most notable thing Lim said wasn't about a specific product, it was about restraint. FERCA has no interest in being the kind of brand that releases something new every month just to stay visible.
"If we don't want to be like those brands that keep pumping out products, even for you as a consumer, you'll get so overwhelmed," Lim said. Instead, the brand is positioning itself closer to a friend than a feed: "Hey bestie, we have a new thing you might want to try" — occasional, considered, not constant.
For 2027, Lim confirmed the brand has releases planned, with a working theme of "elevated basics" continuing into next year, and launches potentially starting as early as Q2. He didn't go into specifics beyond that.
What's Next
Lim hinted, without fully confirming, that FERCA may be looking beyond color cosmetics, with backing from a larger parent company that gives them room to develop additional concepts. Nothing concrete was locked in during our conversation, so consider this one to watch rather than an announcement.
For a ₱199 brand asking to be your gateway back into beauty, FERCA's bet is clear: fewer launches, more intention, and formulas built for the country it's actually selling in.
Follow FERCA Beauty for their next release, and follow @phbeautyreleases for more F-Beauty founder conversations.
