I’d be lying if I say that I don’t support skin lightening products. Even though it’s important to feel comfortable in our own skin and promote acceptance of different forms of beauty, there are external factors that may bring down a person’s confidence that I believe people should consider – and I’m speaking from experience. I don’t want my skin to become as white as snow, but when I ended up getting really uneven skin tone after forgetting to apply sunblock and after I got into a really bad road accident that left me with dark scars, Kojie.san became my go-to brand and I am not ashamed to admit this.

As a Kojie.san user, let me share this quick story about the brand, what made them thrive for 15 long years in the market, and what they stand for through a recent sculpture added at the lobby of their Laguna plant.

Okurimono

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This massive, multi-piece metal sculpture created by modern Filipino visual artist Jinggoy Buensuceso for the 15^th anniversary of Kojie.san is a representation of the boldness and commanding way this beauty brand has made an impact on the industry, starting with a bar of soap and a then-unfamiliar main ingredient. Providing a stark contrast to the serene white space that it occupies, Jinggoy’s sculpture Okurimono, features dramatic distortions reminiscent of crumpled pieces of paper in arresting shades of black and red. A single and striking large red circle sits alone on the opposite wall. Lovingly named Red Moon by the artist, the piece is a silent and steady witness to the dynamism of Okurimono.

Okurimono is not just a reflection of Kojie.san’s journey to success, but also of its brand philosophy on beauty and what it stands for. Proudly proclaiming this, Kojie.san officially launched Command Beauty in 2019, to encourage women to create their own definition of beauty instead of letting society set the standards for them. Which is, to be honest, a breath of fresh air vs typical “white is beautiful” messaging that you’d see in other brands.

For many years, women have been limited to what others tell them about what being beautiful is, but today, beauty can mean many things – beauty means diversity and democracy. It can mean what you want it to mean. You can define it based on your own understanding, inhibitions and experiences—just like art. It’s up to us whether or not to indulge the meaning that the artist shares.

 “Art speaks to your inner self, you define it based on your own understanding, inhibitions and experiences. There’s no single way of appreciating an art piece, in the same way that Kojie.san believes that there is no single way to be beautiful. In fact, you should create your own definition,” says Jazz Burila, Kojie.san CEO and founder. “This is why I feel Jinggoy’s work is the best representation of Kojie.san.”

If Okurimono is the brand, Red Moon is the Kojie.san woman. One who commands beauty, who takes control, and who is steadfast in defining her own worth – exactly as Kojie.san the brand has done 15 years ago and will continue to do so.

Okurimono actually stands for gift in Japanese and I think the name is also fitting as Kojie.san now shares a gift in the form of discounted products for their consumers in celebration of their 15th year in the market. This is currently available via their e-commerce pages so I would suggest that you make the most out of it if you agree with their message! 🙂

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