MANILA -- A year after launching her own beauty brand, Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi marked another milestone for her lip-care line, Asul, with the release of a new shade.
On Thursday, November 27, just in time for the holiday season, Asul introduced its latest hue — Cherry Red — a warm, joyful shade crafted with care.
"When I wanted to develop a new shade, of course, I thought of the holidays. So I thought of a shade that could be very Christmassy but also something that you can wear all year around. So this shade in particular has all the benefits of the previous collections, also with the SPF15, but we put a lot of, like, shimmers. We chose the perfect cherry red shade that could really complement every single skin tone," Cortesi told ABS-CBN News.
"I just wanted to create something that is also very buildable," she said, adding that you can apply just a little, and it naturally enhances your beauty.
Asked if there's a special story or moment behind the latest shade, Cortesi said: "I always felt like red makes me feel super sexy and confident. So I definitely wanted the red to be one of my shades eventually and I feel like Christmas was the perfect moment because it's really like the color of the holidays. I just felt like red is what makes me feel so sexy and bold and fearless. So I also wanted to kind of give this kind of feeling to everyone who would want to wear the shade."
For Cortesi, cherry red is one of the most beautiful colors, as it is bold and stands out. It's also a representation of their growing confidence as a brand.
The beauty queen stressed that Cherry Red also contains the same ingredients of her other lip care products that makes lips soft, plump and protected.
"We made the same kind of ingredients of our previous collection, so it's still very plumping and hydrating, but we added a lot of like glow and shimmers, just to remind you of the holidays and Christmas. I'm still wearing it on my lips and I feel like, it's the kind of shade that you would wear for like a Christmas dinner or like a New Year, but also you can wear it all year around. So I feel like what makes it very special is that kind of shade and glow that gives to your lips," she said.
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Asul founder Celeste Cortesi expands her purpose-driven lip care brand with a festive new shade. Handout
The Asul beauty brand was launched October 2024 with its mission to make lip care "accessible, effective, and seamlessly integrated."
The name came from the beauty queen's name -- Celeste means "asul" in Filipino and "sky blue" in Italian.
Since its launch, Asul has introduced four variants: Shea Butter, Berry Babe, Pink Guava, and Toasted Coconut. Each were formulated to suit diverse skin tones for both men and women, while offering deep hydration with a soft, luminous finish.
As Cortesi describes it, the latest shade is “the cherry on top, made for the season” -- a reminder that beauty is also emotional: warm, shared, and deeply personal.
Just recently, Asul made headlines after donating to victims of earthquakes in Cebu and in Davao Oriental.
From beauty queen to entrepreneur: Celeste Cortesi launches her own lip care brand
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