Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa continues to make strides with her lifestyle brand, SOLÁ.
On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the former beauty queen unveiled Ora, her new body care line.
The launch event took place at Eesome, a cafe and retail concept shop located in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
During an interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Kylie discussed the inspiration behind her product, the lotion.
She explained, "We are a shapewear company, and this basically has the same benefits on your skin. So it firms, it helps relieve stretch marks, it sucks up everything that needs to be in place."
Read: Kylie Verzosa reflects on SOLA's successful first year
Bryan Lim, SOLÁ's head of product development, added, stating, "It's always been in the, like, ethos when we started SOLÁ na... We wanted to expand as a lifestyle brand."
He added, "So it doesn't limit it to, like, apparel lang or even beauty. We're still pretty new in the market, so it's just a year.
"And we've already expanded to so many things, so... It's really, the vision is to be, like, a lifestyle brand."
KYLIE VERZOSA: INSPIRED BY HER TRAVELS
Kylie talked more about the benefits of Ora: it firms up, moisturizes, and brightens the skin.
She said, "Ora is the first firming lotion that's non-greasy, that smells really good. It's inspired by the scents I wear every day on vacation, on the beach.
"One's fun and feminine, one's flirty, one's relaxing, and one's very musky. It's a universal scent. So, yeah, it's like our first venture into the beauty industry, and I hope you guys can try it."
But why is it called Ora?
The name, according to Ora, is a clever twist on the word "aura," which symbolizes the energy and vibrancy surrounding an individual.
She explained, "Inspired by 'aura,' like the 'aura' around you, how you feel, your energy. We felt like it was a perfect mix with SOLÁ.
"So, it's a play on words of Aura, like the vibrancy that you have. Because we believe that if you feel good inside, mag-radiate outside.
"So, this one, when you try Ora, you're gonna feel, smell good, feel good, and it will even firm your skin."
Kylie was actively involved in the product development, revealing that the scents were inspired by her recent travels.
Bryan threw in, "The traveling helped in narrowing it down. Parang what scents did she really like during her travels? Like, what inspired her?
"Parang what scents did she gravitate towards? Kasi there's this thing she does when she travels.
"She has some specific scent. So parang these scents reminded her of, like, those travels."
The lotion comes in three unique scents: Mood, featuring earthy wood and ocean breeze notes; Mothership, with lush white florals and a spicy twist; and BRB, offering a tropical coconut aroma.
Each is priced at PHP585 on Shopee and Lazada.
What is Kylie's favorite scent?
Kylie answered, "BRB is one of my favorites. I love going on a vacation, on a holiday, and I love the coconut scent. I love the coconut scent.
"So this is inspired by going to the beach, relaxing, by a favorite scent of mine. So it's very coconut and milk.
"And it's like on a vacation. And something I always say when I'm on vacation is like don't disturb me guys, BRB. Yeah."
CREATING ORA BY SOLÁ
PEP also asked Kylie and her team about how Ora came to be.
Bryan mentioned that the development started simultaneously with their conceptualization for SOLA, but the formulation process demanded a considerable amount of time.
He said, "Since it is a cosmetic product, we really want it to be backed... like yung claims niya, backed by science.
"So that really took a toll on our timeline. Kasi we really wanted it to actually do something."
When asked about what makes the product stand out, Bryan proudly revealed its hardworking formula.
Ora packed with ingredients—like peptides, CoQ10, and niacinamide—known for preventing stretch marks, cellulite, and dryness, while leaving the skin firm, radiant, and hydrated.
Bryan told PEP, "It has pretty high-end skincare ingredients we found in high-end brands and more expensive formulations.
"But we really want everybody to try the benefits of firming body lotion. So we have star ingredients for firming, which is coenzyme Q10 and our own peptide complex.
"So that's a formulation of different peptides to help with anti-aging or firming. Then we have brightening effect, which is given to us by the niacinamide in the formulation.
"For niacinamide, it's not about lightening the skin, but just enough to lighten dark spots in our body. So that can come from body acne or stretch marks or cellulite.
"And then for moisturizing, we have coconut oil, sunflower oil, and glycerin."
He added, "Those ingredients together make our product unique. Because usually with these, you would have to find the lotion that moisturizes.
"You would have to find the lotion that brightens. You would have to find the lotion that does the firming.
"So what we want is Ora firming body lotion to inevitably blend seamlessly with your routine. So of course, everybody's busy.
"You want less fuss. So at least with this, we address three issues with this one product."
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