Power couple Mario Miguel Bautista and Shirleen Albino Bautista found the perfect endorsers for their Ishin Skin Gluthatione, Lotion and Soap in the popular “Maria Clara at Ibarra’s” duo Barbie Forteza and David Licauco.
Immediately after signing up the two, Ishin Skin products were
Not only do Barbie and David have flawless skin and gorgeous looks, Mario Miguel was impressed by the Kapuso stars’ drawing power and dedication as endorsers.
“We are very happy with our celebrity endorsers Barbie and David. They really resonate with us,” said Mario Miguel, ”They are very active in promoting our brand in their social media platforms and more than anything else they are also users of our products. Our inquiries and users have increased. When they had a fans day at Ayala Malls, it’s such a big hit and we gave free Ishin samples to their fans.”
An electrical engineer who holds a masters of engineering from UP, Mario Miguel and his wife Shirleen used to hold corporate jobs before finding fulfillment running their own skin care business.
“My wife and I are both business oriented. The first business that my wife and I started together is actually as distributors of the very first Glutathione Brand coming from the USA. Back then the price was very high at almost 3K pesos and the profit was very small at only P50 to P100. Glutathione was unknown in the market,” he related. “It’s natural for us to gravitate toward beauty products. We are always on the lookout on how to innovate and bring down the cost. Ishin was started because we wanted to bring a very affordable glutathione product by purchasing everything in bulk / tons. From 3K at 30 capsules now the price is down to P350 to P500 for 60 capsules.
“We now have a total of 3K distributors nationwide plus more abroad.”
In just a relatively short span of time, Ishin became popular
During the pandemic, the brand enjoyed consistent growth and reached other countries as well, including Italy, Spain and the UK, as well as in Hong Kong and Bangladesh.
“We plan to expand our product line. We started Ishin Skin with three new products: premium lotion, scrub and soap. All are formulated in Korea and manufactured in Japan,” said Mario Miguel, “We also hope to extend our presence in other countries. Right now while there are distributors there they are more focused on Filipino based communities.
“Our Bangladeshi market is very strong and the locals have embraced it. We plan to replicate that success in other SouthEast Asian and Middle East countries.”
Aside from having Barbie and David as their celebrity endorsers, Mario Miguel and Shirleen also maintain a social media presence and have tapped influencers to spread the word on how good their products are.
“We are very active in the online world. We have a significant following in Tiktok at 1.3 million for Shirleen and 180 thousand for me,” related Mario Miguel. “We have also had various social media influencers that we closely work with who actively promote our product. My father, Mario Bautista, is also a member of the entertainment press and we plan to maintain our close ties with our friends there.”
Despite their busy careers and hectic schedules, the couple have maintained tight family ties with their children and parents.
“No matter how busy I am, I always find time for my family as they come first. I always schedule a date with my wife at least once every two weeks,” related Mario Miguel. “I also schedule a separate date with my kids at least once a month. We all go to mass as a family every Sunday to thank the Lord for all His blessings then we dine out. I also take time to play with my kids during the weekends. I schedule a playdate with my young one Miguel and I take him to various play places and we play computer games. My young lady Jane likes anime and Japanese restaurants so we go out on dates there.”
Love for family and dedication to career are just some of the values Mario Miguel learned from his father, eminent film reviewer and Malaya Business Insight entertainment columnist Mario E. Bautista.
“My dad has taught me the value of gratitude to the Lord and generosity to others. We are all active volunteers in the Marriage Preparation Foundation of the Center for Family Ministries that conduct the Discovery Weekend for couples who are intending to get married,” he said.
