For Lovi Poe, coming to terms with her looks didn’t happen overnight. She recalled being criticized in the past for being “too dark” and, consequently, having to wear heavy makeup just to lighten her skin color for onscreen roles.
That’s why the proud morena is the last person to imagine that one day, she would have her own makeup line that matches one’s natural beauty instead of changing it.
Under the beauty brand Ready Set Glow (RSG), the actress and film producer has poured almost 20 showbiz years worth of learnings about beauty and self-acceptance in Love, You by Lovi.
The “inclusive” makeup line boasts of products like Love and Light, a dual-ended stick that is both contour and highlighter; Me Myself and I, an all-in-one lippie that serves as balm, treatment, gloss, plumper or “long-lasting pink stain”; Heart in Bloom, a cream and powder blush duo; Statement Setter, a brow trio consisting of pencil, gel and spoolie for grooming; and Skin Poetry, a body shimmer spray. RSG products are available at SM Stores and Watsons nationwide, as well as on e-commerce sites like Shopee, Lazada and Zalora. (You can check Ready Set Glow’s official social media pages for details on where or how to purchase).
Under the beauty brand Ready Set Glow (RSG), the actress and film producer has poured some 20 years worth of showbiz learnings about beauty and self-acceptance in her ‘inclusive’ and ‘multi-functional’ makeup line Love, You by Lovi.
“I felt like my younger self would never have imagined this to happen. I got a lot of flak when I was starting out (in showbiz) because I was too dark and that made me feel so ungrateful,” Lovi, who entered showbiz when she was 15, told The STAR during a media interview.
“Imagine, my first series, for me to be called beautiful, they wanted to lighten my skin and paint over my skin with light foundation.”
Lovi is joined by RSG executives, led by businessman Steve Haw, as well as other special guests at the grand launch of Love, You by Lovi.
For her, makeup should help in embracing one’s natural self. “That’s why this is such a big deal for me because I know there are a lot of people who have these voices around them, telling them that they’re not beautiful because people set standards for beauty. But no, it’s only you who can define your own beauty,” she said.
When asked by this paper about her own journey to self-acceptance, Lovi shared, “Oh my God, it was very gradual, little by little. Even up to this day, I have my moments where I have to snap back to reality, especially with social media and all the beauty standards that you see. You have to remind yourself, like every time, to embrace yourself, and that’s why we came up with Love, You.”
She said that the line is a “love letter to yourself,” a reminder that they are beautiful just as they are.
Her makeup line also speaks to her journey of self-acceptance in other aspects of life. “Before, trust me, I would buy a lot of … I have a stack of bras, sorry, which are push-up bras, like major padded ones. I swear to God, I used to wear that!” she laughed.
“Then one day, you know what, sinara ko na siya and I’ve never touched them again. Now, I’m like, braless, hahaha! You know what I mean? I’ve accepted.
“But it takes time to realize na parang, ‘You know what? Forget what people say. I have to embrace myself for who I am.’ Because that’s what makes you different. We forget that.”
Lovi’s past experiences have since taught her to shed those layers that didn’t serve her or allow her to appreciate herself — warts and all. “Of course, there are so many people that I look up to, we look up to certain icons, beautiful people. But then we should not forget what makes us unique and what makes us different is, you know, what will make us shine.”
Her decision to work on a makeup line also stems from wanting to create something that suits everyone’s needs.
“It was a long process, we had to test everything. With the help of RSG, we finally found the right ones. There were a lot of great products, but we had to pick the best ones. What I love about this, it’s very inclusive for all different types of skin color and looks. There are a lot of variations.”
Personally, she had to ensure that her makeup line could withstand the long working hours required by film and TV shoots.
She first tested it while shooting for the ABS-CBN series “Batang Quiapo.” She recalled how her character, Mokang, was always running and perspiring in scenes, causing her makeup to melt off. “That’s why we could come up with the solution with the help of my makeup artist on set. We came up with a cream and powder so it would last long.”
Meanwhile, when asked about her must-have makeup products, Lovi shared her Top 3 essentials: One is for the brows “because I think it defines your face.” Second is the blush “to make you glow, to make you have that pop color.” Third one is a lippie “to add glow and joy.” However, her favorite product from Love, You is Skin Poetry because it’s skin care that works as a spritz. “It’s something that I didn’t expect to have in my makeup line because sometimes we neglect our bodies. We forget that we can also make our bodies glow, not just our face,” she said.
Nevertheless, Lovi stressed that makeup is just one way to express beauty, but true beauty radiates from within.
Her own definition of what’s beautiful has also evolved over time. “My definition of beauty from when I was a kid… it has gone deep. Because before, you couldn’t avoid having a certain look you wanted to copy. We had our idols. My definition of beauty then was Britney Spears. Well, she’s still my definition of beauty,” Lovi said.
“But now, my definition of beauty is from within. You know what I mean? It’s like when I see a girl or a guy, anyone actually, who has this aura of happiness and joy, I find that beautiful. The aura of positivity. That, for me, is beautiful.
“I respect people who take care of themselves, have abs, and all these things because they work hard for them. But for me, it’s the inner glow — that’s what really makes someone beautiful.”
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