The Secret Behind Ever Bilena’s Enduring Success

If there’s one beauty brand that practically every Filipino has heard of, from the highs of our mountaintops, down to the shores of our islands, regardless of social class, income bracket, or even gender, it’s Ever Bilena. The brand has been around for 42 years, and continues to lord it over the market.

In 1983, Dioceldo Sy founded the company, selling nail polish in Divisoria to make ends meet after being unable to finish school. As business grew, he branched out to other cosmetics and steered the ship into the juggernaut it is today, with around 2,000 employees, and products available in department stores, drugstores, groceries, convenience stores, kiosks, online, and through direct selling.

Sy’s daughter, Denice, born 10 years after he started the brand, is now chief sales and marketing officer. She joined the company in 2014, after finishing her studies in the U.S. “I was supposed to stay there longer to work, but my dad asked me to come back. He wasn’t sure if he could keep up with the trends, and wanted someone he could trust. He said, ‘I spent so much on your tuition. Can you come back and ROI me?’” she laughs. 

Denice is posing for the Allure Philippines camera in a hot pink blazer and white dress. She moves around her predominantly baby pink and white office with ease. Her space is accented in all manner of girly touches—a furry, pink heart-shaped throw pillow here, a little stuffed corgi there, and even a doll encased in a clear, protective box, and outfitted in, most tellingly, a fuschia pantsuit strikingly similar to her blazer. Everything is youthful and fun and fresh—not unlike the vibes that Denice herself gives off, nor the direction that Ever Bilena is taking today.

Keeping it current

As the new guard, Denice is on a mission to keep the brand relevant, while still respecting its legacy. “According to the 2024 figures of Euromonitor International, we are the number one local beauty brand in the country. The biggest challenge is to keep transforming every time with the preferences of the current market,” she says. Back in the day, her father would study the makeup looks of celebrities on TV. Denice, on the other hand, looks to TikTok. It was she who pushed for social media and digital marketing, making the transition from more traditional forms. She staffs her marketing team with Gen Z members, and steers the company’s sustainability efforts. She has introduced new products and lines, while still paying homage to what she calls the “OG products.”

Ever Bilena Matte Face Powder. Photo: Kieran Punay.

It tickles Denice that, after all these years, these same “OG products” can still go viral in the Tiktok era. Their face powder, in particular, trended recently on the app. “There were young high school and college students talking about how much they use it!” Denice shares.

Many of their best-selling products, such as the face powder and the eye pencils, have actually retained the same formulas they’ve always had, albeit updated for skin benefits and packaging. “We added UV filters and vitamin E in the face powder, but aside from that, it’s still the same formula. A lot of our core products still do very well and have not slowed down. We try as much as possible not to touch them because customers look for those same formulas they have used all these years.” To cater to the younger, more experimental market, the brand plays around with trendier products, such as their Pillow Pop blush, or their best-selling tinted lip balms.

Focused on the future, rooted in the past

It’s an interesting balance that Ever Bilena has to strike—one that straddles the intersection between legacy and innovation. Innovation has, in fact, been added to the official company values, together with inclusivity. “Our campaigns are more inclusive now,” Denise points out, “even the shade ranges that we choose are more considerate towards different skin types, different skin tones.”

Legacy, on the other hand, is something Denice says she doesn’t feel pressured about, but rather inspired to continue. What she feels is the pressure to make the right decisions for the company, and all of the employees who are part of it. “They are the ones who really gave the company life for the longest time, even before I joined it.”

The local beauty industry is definitely more competitive now than it was in 1983, but Denice welcomes that. “It keeps us grounded and reminds us to never be complacent,” she shares. “We also respect the industry even more, because we see how much work everyone is pouring in to make Filipino beauty an exciting place.” It’s of utmost importance however, that Ever Bilena remains a leader, as it has been all these decades. “There’s so much history in this company,” she says. “We try to respect that as we bring it into the future.”

Photographers: Excel Panlaque (Denice Sy), Kieran Punay (products).