More than the lightweight and medical-grade face and eye shields he sells online under the Kleng Protect brand, Kleng Totanes’ journey from being one of Metro Manila’s most sought-after makeup artists to what he has become today is a story of hope and resilience amidst a disruptive health crisis with no end yet in sight.
By Alex Y. Vergara
Like countless individuals directly involved in the beauty and grooming industry, veteran makeup artist Erwin Oning, aka Kleng Totanes, hasn’t been spared from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overnight, Kleng, who claims to have done the faces of such boldfaced names as Karen Davila, Vicki Belo, Kylie Verzosa, Christopher de Leon, Mayor Isko Moreno, Todd English and even business tycoon Lucio Tan, has seen his thriving practice evaporate. Soon enough, however, he has found an alternative source of income that also involves the face, but in a totally different way.
He discovered online selling and the limitless earning potentials it offers. These days, as the government is set to mandate the wearing of face shields inside various forms of public transportation, including airplanes, he has been busy promoting and selling Kleng Protect (P380/piece), a lightweight, “medical-grade” and reusable face shield made of 100-percent virgin cast acrylic.
Kleng also claims that his products are as “clear as glass,” which most eyeglass wearers know is a big help to them in terms of ensuring their quality and clarity of vision. The visor is also screwed on the adjustable strap for added durability. And since they’re all locally made and assembled, the products provide much-needed employment further down the line.
“Anyone can wear it—from medical front liners to people in the food, hospitality and beauty industries. Yes, even makeup artists like me. Since it’s not that expensive, even regular employees can afford it,” he says.
If you want a cheaper and smaller alternative, Kleng also offers Kleng Protect eye shield (P280/piece). But how did he end up in this business in the first place? As Kleng tells it, it came about due to necessity and opportunity.
Like many people in the creative business, Kleng, who decided to go home to the province in early March, tried his best to remain positive during the start of the lockdown. But there were times he couldn’t help but grapple with occasional bouts of stress and anxiety, as he started dipping into his savings while sheltering in place with his elderly mother and their next of kin in Bicol. In due time, his savings were depleted, but the pandemic still showed no signs of slowing down.
“I tried to remain positive and grateful that all of us are well,” Kleng, a regular contributor to this magazine, shares. “But it was very hard during the beginning. I took solace in prayer. Every night, before going to bed, I prayed the rosary with my nephews and nieces.”
Having accepted the fact that there won’t be any need for his services while events are on hold, Kleng busied himself instead by growing vegetables in their garden while looking after his mother. Even if there were occasional demands for his services, he was too afraid to say yes, he says, for fear of compromising his health and that of his family.
It was then that he started to dabble into online selling. “While I was still in the province, I tried selling my pre-loved makeup products online. Fortunately, there were plenty of takers. The proceeds somehow helped augment my income,” he shares.
The initial success of his online venture inspired him to take it to the next level. But in order to do so, Kleng realized that he had to return to Manila where both market and range of products to sell are bigger and more diverse compared to the province.
“Although the opportunities are endless in Metro Manila, competition is also stiff,” says Kleng. “Part of being a creative online seller is knowing what relevant products to sell. How does one stand out in such a crowded field? If not quality food, you should offer something related to health and safety. Something people really need during this time.”
Soon enough, one of his former clients got in touch with Kleng asking him if he’d like to be part of her sales team selling high-end face masks. Kleng agreed and before long did a Facebook page dedicated to items he’s peddling online, including the luxury face covering.
Word spread quickly not only among potential buyers but also among Kleng’s friends that the makeup artist has now ventured into online selling. It was then that another friend asked him if he was interested in selling face shields.
But since the market was starting to get flooded with such items, Kleng wanted to try the face shield first to know if it was really worth his time. He bought one and wore it himself. Satisfied, he then took a picture of himself wearing the lightweight and medical-grade transparent barrier.
“To my surprise,” he gushes. “Less than an hour later, I was flooded with inquiries. Friends and strangers wanted to know where they could get the product. Several weeks since I started selling it, the orders have still kept on coming. I wasn’t much into social media before. But after that, I’ve proven for myself how effective it still is as a platform to sell stuff.”
The brand Kleng Protect came about a bit later. While he was a chatting with Canada-based friend Rommel Manlangit, better known in Toronto’s Filipino gay community as “Mama Rommel,” Kleng mentioned the face shields to him. Tapping into their creative minds, the two were finally able to come up and agree on the brandname Kleng Protect.
“At first, I wanted to call it Kleng Bouclier (French for shield) to upgrade its brand image,” recalls Kleng with a laugh.
But after talking with Rommel, Kleng realized that no one “except perhaps one percent of the market” would know what it means. From a marketing standpoint, Kleng also realized that the simpler the word, the more relatable and effective the brandname is in pushing the product among potential buyers.
“Apart from bouclier, we played around with words like guard and defense until we finally settled on protect,” he says. “To make it further stand out, we added my name to it—Kleng Protect.”
But Kleng isn’t done yet. In fact, he’s just starting, as he plans to further upgrade the product by working on the stickers and packaging. Who knows what other relevant products are waiting to be sold online under the Kleng Protect brand? All these became possible because Kleng, instead of losing hope and wallowing in self-pity, chose to view the situation with clarity and sense of purpose.
For inquiries, contact Kleng Totanes on Instagram @klengprotect, his Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/mylavadasdetour or his Facebook account @KlengTotanes
