Niv Della founder and CEO Nina Dizon-Cabrera
Niv Della Beauty Innovations, the Filipino startup that operates D2C beauty and skincare brands Colourette and Fresh Formula, recently completed a US$2 million investment round from DSG Consumer Partners and Foxmont Capital Partners.
Established in 2015 by entrepreneur-turned-content creator Nina Dizon-Cabrera, Niv Della plans to use the proceeds from this round for product development and launching new campaigns.
e27 spoke with Dizon-Cabrera to learn more about the company, its brands, and its growth plans.
Edited excerpts:
Can you share more about how this funding will be allocated across various strategic initiatives? Are there any new products or lines in the pipeline?
Our high priorities for this would be accelerating product innovation, building up our team, and strategic marketing efforts to reach new customers.
We are doubling down on our future core, our complexion products. This month, we’ll be releasing the second instalment to our Face Base line—Second Base, an everyday concealer that complements First Base, our everyday skin tint.
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In addition to this, we’re working on other product categories that will elevate Colourette into a full-face makeup brand.
How does Niv Della plan to continue innovating and staying ahead of beauty trends in the Filipino market?
Staying true to our Filipino roots is a core part of Colourette’s DNA, and this is seen in all aspects of the brand, from product development and visual merchandising to our marketing campaigns.
As such, we consistently engage with our community to deeply understand their day-to-day lives and preferences regarding the products they use. This allows us to anticipate better and respond to our customers’ needs.
With products now available in 80 physical stores and a partnership with 7-Eleven, what are the next steps in expanding your retail presence?
Retail will be a core growth accelerator for us, especially in the next two to three years. We aim to pilot new formats in offline retail to offer our customers a refreshing online-to-offline omnichannel experience.
How do you plan to enhance your market presence both locally and potentially in other Southeast Asian countries?
We focus on making our mark in the Philippine market in the short to medium term. Our unique brand identity and ramp-up in new product development will allow us to unlock exponential growth locally.
Colourette and Fresh Formula are known for their inclusivity. How do you ensure your products cater to diverse skin tones and preferences?
We create products for Filipinos by Filipinos—this is a core ethos for the company, which is translated into our product range and formulations. Specifically for our First Baseline, which is now the most inclusive local skin tint on the market, we have thoroughly studied the spectrum of Filipino skin tones, even going as far as shade matching over 1,000 faces to ensure that we have a true colour match for everyone.
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During the formula testing phase, we conducted various torture tests on our products by partaking in our consumers’ daily activities, such as commuting, exposure to the sun, extreme humidity, and other activities that are part of the day-to-day Filipino experience.
Can you share more about your diverse marketing campaigns and how they contribute to the inclusivity and empowerment of the Filipino community?
We acknowledge the lack of representation in most beauty campaigns recently, so we started an annual Colourette Go-See initiative where everyone is welcome—all ages (18 and up), all shapes, all sizes, and all genders. This 2024 Go-See had almost a thousand attendees, most of whom were our community members who felt empowered to become part of our campaigns. This gives everyone an equal shot and a platform to be seen and feel seen.
What are your long-term goals for Niv Della, and how do you plan to achieve them while maintaining your core values of excellence, innovation, and inclusivity?
Our core values drive everything we do, and leaning on this as our North Star always allows us to stay true to what we believe in while unlocking our company’s growth potential. We envision Niv Della as one of the market leaders in the beauty category as we gear towards 10x growth in the medium term.
What are some of the biggest challenges Niv Della faces in the beauty and skincare industry, and how are you addressing them?
Of course, the landscape is becoming increasingly cluttered and competitive, as is the same trend globally. We respond to these challenges by staying true to our brand DNA, which is creating products for Filipinos by Filipinos because this resonates with our market and what we believe will allow us to grow continually.
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Image Credit: Niv Della
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