From Thailand with love(For makeup)

(From left) Celina, Nikki and Cheska Nolasco with Ayala Malls The 30th’s Mariana Zobel de Ayala (2nd from right)

One look at their perfectly polished faces, and it’s easy to see why sisters Cheska, Celina and Nicole Nolasco chose Thailand-based cosmetics line Beauty Buffet as their first venture as business partners.

“We all love makeup!” said the three sisters, in unison, at the recent opening of their first Beauty Buffet branch in Ayala Malls The 30th in Pasig City.

“And Thailand has always been our favorite [travel destination]. Every time we go there, we always go to Beauty Buffet,” added 25-year-old Nicole. “Their products always work for us.”

The three said they felt the need to finally bring Beauty Buffet, which has 230 stores in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, to the Philippines, after observing how the local market had become saturated with Korean beauty products.

“Personally, I love Korean products—but they have winter,” said Cheska, 31.

“Yes, if you use them in Korea, they’re fine; but here, they tend to make the skin oily,” added Celina, 29.

As its name suggests, Beauty Buffet combines the concept of food and cosmetics, both through its wide product selection and the store’s interiors.

Beauty Buffet offers cosmetics appropriate for Asian skin

“Not only do our products smell great—since they are made from actual food ingredients—the natural components are also optimized to benefit the skin,” said Cheska. “If we watch what we eat, we should also be meticulous about what we put on our skin.

The products are divided into four brands: The Bakery, Gino McCray, Lansley, and Scentio. These four lines, said the Nolascos, give Beauty Buffet its edge, since they allow the store to cater to women of all skin types and all ages.

“We have everything for everyone,” said Nicole.

The Bakery targets younger customers, usually teenagers who are just starting to use makeup; Gino McCray is more for professionals looking for a “serious” brand; Lansley is a skincare line which helps one maintain healthy skin with minimal effort; while Scentio has the complete body care package, from sunblock lotions, body butters, and even sleeping packs that come in different “flavors.”

Operating under a franchise agreement with LimNolasco Beauty Trading Corp., Beauty Buffet Philippines is set to open seven more stores by the end of the year. Their second store is expected to open in Uptown Place Mall in Bonifacio Global City, while the rest will be in Makati City and Quezon City.

Beauty Buffet is also the Nolasco sisters’ first venture into retail cosmetics. Prior to opening the store, they each put up their respective businesses: Nicole has an online store; Cheska is an interior designer; and Celina sells gelato.

For these three women, however, Beauty Buffet is more than just their business—it’s a way for them to bond and spend more time with each other, too.

“We grew up very close, in a tight-knit family,” said Cheska. “I moved out recently because I got married, so this is my bonding time with them.”

“And because we’re sisters, we accomplish things much faster,” Celina added.