Leah Salterio

UK-trained beauty expert puts up new clinic

February 1, 2025 Leah C. Salterio 164 views
Chris
Chris Pino (extreme right), mom Whena Pino, actor Tonton Gutierrez and other guests at Ensorcell Beauty opening
Chris1
Ensorcell Beauty owner and beauty expert Chris Andrea Pino
Chris2
Chris Pino with celebrity guest Tonton Gutierrez

A STATE-of-the art beauty clinic, Ensorcell Beauty, opened Tuesday afternoon, with actor Tonton Gutierrez as one of the special guests who graced the event at Greenhills Mall in San Juan.

Tonton, however, is not an endorser of Ensorcell Beauty, but only among the many guests of owner and sole proprietor Chris Andrea Pino, the beauty expert whose newest beauty business venture is located at Greenhills Mall, San Juan.

At Ensorcell Beauty, it’s not just about how you look, but also how you feel. That is the motto of Chris, who is not a rookie when it comes to the beauty industry. In fact, her first training in semi-permanent makeup procedures under PhiAcademy London was undertaken when she was still in college at 19 years old.

Chris has also previously worked as a beauty content creator and an advisor to up and coming beauty brands that sell makeup and skincare products. Her social media following reflects the fact that people look to her for product recommendations and beauty tips even after she quit her side hustle as a content creator to pursue entrepreneurship full-time.

While her other businesses are doing well, Chris wanted to challenge herself even further this time by setting up sole proprietorship of Ensorcell Beauty.

“Although having co-owners has been very beneficial for me, as an entrepreneur I wanted to see what it would take for me to go solo and build my own brand from the ground up,” Chris maintained.

Seven years ago, Chris’ mom, Whena Pino, also a beauty expert, asked her daughter if Chris wanted to have her lips done as she used to have dark lips. The procedure was “life changing” for Chris.

“When I partnered with my mom, and my best friend (Regina Florida), I really believed in their vision,” said Chris. “My mom was the one who pitched the business to me. She wanted a boutique type of aesthetic clinic, where we can really talk to the client about their needs and the customer cam have the focus of the staff basically.

“Unlike other big aesthetic clinics where everything is merely transactional a lot of times. My mom wanted a small aesthetic clinic where we can give back to the client about their needs. That was all well and good, except that I wanted to take it a step farther.”

In the Morato clinic, Chris offers the niche market very private treatments. “People who don’t want to go to the mall or be seen, can go to our clinic,” Chris offers. “They don’t want to be seen when they had something done to their eyes or lips.”

Chris also offers the wellness aspect in the treatments being done. “Aside from how you look, it’s also about how you feel, that’s why we are also into massage, relaxation and rejuvenation.

“With the aesthetic services that we offer at Ensorcell Beauty, we also focus on the rejuvenation and relaxation aspect. That’s why we have massage with our facials and the spa aspect.”

Chris was inspired by her personal milestone when in 2024, she sealed an exclusive distributorship with a fast-growing luxury personal care brand Highs Canada, a brand known for carrying high-end foot, hand and body care products.

“The moment I sealed the agreement to exclusively carry this sought after brand who has five-star hotels like the St. Regis and Ritz Carlton using their products abroad, I felt I had proven to myself and my peers that my business acumen is not just a fluke but something that I can rely on for big wins such as this. I knew then I was ready to try something new on my own,” Chris shared.

At Ensorcell Beauty, you can experience Highs Canada coffee spa products the way it was envisioned by its founder since the studio not only carries the coffee spa products, but is also the first and the only one in the Philippines so far to have Highs spa chairs.

The spa chairs have the comfort of a luxurious recliner and are equipped with foot and hand spa basins that have built in water heating.

“I want customers to feel good and that’s why aside from investing in the best products, I also want to invest in a spa chair that they can stay on for hours on end without feeling fatigued,” Chris explained.

“I had this customized to have a thicker back rest and we even equipped it with charging sockets so you don’t have to worry about your gadgets running out of battery while you’re here.”

The Highs foot and hand spa experience is marked by luxury, because they include products to address various skin types. Foot and hand care is not just an afterthought because each coffee spa variant can target a specific skin concern such as sun damage, keratosis pilaris, or even sensitive skin.

Massage is also an important part of the experience and that’s why all our therapists are highly trained in that aspect.

Since the pandemic, Chris has been constantly doing her own research on whether or not she should come up with her own skin care line. “I’ve been in talks with suppliers from different countries,” she disclosed.

Last year, Chris attended a convention of suppliers in Bangkok, Thailand. “I saw the booths of Highs Canada and I saw their tea, like jasmine and matcha. The sensorial experience after you see it, then smell it and try it, the cream was so soft to moisturize.

“I tried their cream. A lot of creams are not emollient enough for those who have dry skin. I have chronic dry skin in my feet. Aside from the cream smelling good, it actually works and those are the kind of products I want to sell. One that really works.”

Chris’ Ensorcell Beauty entered into an agreement with Highs Canada as the only distributor of the products in the Philippines.

“I am very empathetic with business owners. I am also trying to sell the story of Highs Canada, owned by Kelly Chang, who’s very passionate about her products. She’s a permanent resident of Canada, where her whole family lives.”

Chris had her chairs custom-made by Highs Canada. Customers can opt for something with massage or with foot spa service.

Aside from foot and hand spa services, Ensorcell is also proud to carry results-based treatments that not only focus on the aesthetics, but also prioritize skin health and overall well-being.

They include oxygen facials, lymphatic drainage massages, LED (light-emitting diode) light therapy, HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) and radiofrequency treatments.

Chris was looking for a word that best encapsulates beauty when she finalized the name for her beauty clinic. “Ever since, I get so hypnotized by beauty,” she explained. “Nababaliw ako when I see something related to beauty.

“I can talk about beauty for hours on end about different treatments, procedures, treatments or procedures that one can get from specific things. Ensorcell is another word that means to enchant or to be bewitched by something.”

Chris herself does the semi-permanent makeup procedures which are only available by appointment and are usually fully booked a month in advance. Ever since she started posting her works on social media, her lip tattoo and dark lips color correction services have become her bestselling service.

“Nothing beats experience when it comes to doing semi-permanent makeup tattoos well and that’s why I’m the only technician in our studio that does these specialized services,” said Chris. “I want to ensure everyone gets the same quality every single time.

Chris previously worked in a political landscape. “Working for someone, it’s always their vision that matters,” she said. “No matter what I did, research, pitching for something, it was always what they wanted at the end of the day.

“I realized the entrepreneurial spirit in me is more so about trying to relate with other people in terms of my personal vision of creating a community. That’s my beef against other beauty company who maintains a certain gate-keeping aspect.

“They are not very transparent in the treatments they did. That has been a culture that has been done. If the provider or expert is not transparent in terms of selling you a service that is not fit for your skin tone or skin type, there’s a culture like that that perpetuates. I hope I get to challenge that kind of cultural things in the beauty industry.”

Ensorcell Beauty has it Celluma that treats acne, wrinkles, aches and pain, as well as body contour. Their Asclepion Mediostar is for (laser) hair removal, skin whitening, skin rejuvenation, skin tightening and acne treatment.

They also offer laser whitening through carbon peel, skin remodeling, pigmented lesions, tattoo removal and vascular lesions.

How does Ensorcell Beauty plan to differentiate itself from other beauty businesses? “We’re promoting a holistic outlook on beauty,” Chris said. “It’s not just supposed to be about how you look, but how you feel about yourself and how healthy you and your skin feel.

“Health is wealth and we hope to expand in the future to have more procedures that cater to this comprehensive approach when it comes to beauty.”

Visit Ensorcell Beauty at GH Mall 5th Floor in Greenhills San Juan. Follow @ensorcellbeauty on Instagram for more details.

AUTHOR PROFILE