Bela Padilla’s Business Advice for Fellow Beauty Entrepreneurs

While best known for her appearances on the silver screen, Bela Padilla admits that she isn’t one to stick to a solitary forte. “I get antsy if I’m not moving,” the actress admitted. “That’s why [aside from being an actress], I also eventually became a writer and director. I’m not comfortable doing just one thing.”

This month, she adds another feather to her cap: as a beauty entrepreneur for her namesake line, Bela by Bela.

The much-awaited launch brings the actress further into the field of beauty. And as a constant onscreen, this pivot comes as no surprise. “[Beauty] is what I know, it’s what I’m familiar with,” she said.

While one might expect the actress to follow a complicated beauty routine, the opposite is in fact, the truth. “I have very sensitive skin,” Bela revealed. As a woman with PCOS, the actress has had to streamline and simplify her beauty routine. “I don’t like trying [too many new] things on my face because I’m very reactive. So what I know, I use constantly. In fact, my skincare hasn’t changed in the last two years because that’s what works for me right now.”

With this guarantee, Bela pushes forward with the launch of her fundamental must-have beauty products: her cheek tint and lip balm. The Bela by Bela collection currently boasts two products: surprisingly sparse for some, but definitely well thought out.

“The formulation took 15 months to develop,” she revealed. “We made sure that it would be safe for pregnant women, even children. It’s very moisturizing and even with my sensitive skin, I haven’t had any breakouts or negative reactions to it, though I use it every day.”

Both the cheek tint and lip balm are color-adapting, meaning they vary in hue depending on where and to whom they are applied. Bela mused that she’s likely to introduce more colors and products in the future, but from a business standpoint, it would need to be in collaboration with other artists and creatives.

“I’m a cheek-tint and lip balm girlie, so that’s definitely what I’m going to keep focusing on,” she explained. “But if we do release other products, it will have to be in collaboration with other people because that’s not my expertise.”

As an entrepreneur, it’s obvious that Bela takes a humble approach to her business. The actress isn’t one to shy away from delegating tasks or admitting ignorance. “I openly say when I don’t know something,” she said. “When I want to learn something, I ask. I always try my best to be the most curious person in the room and I think my business partners can see that I’m genuinely interested in what we put out.”

In fact, Bela continues a fruitful relationship with all her previous business partners, flying them in from across the country to celebrate current and future successes together.

And though the actress-cum-beauty entrepreneur has years of experience as a brand ambassador for others, she’s realized that now, she wants something of her own. Championing her beliefs and infusing her ethos into a brand has been revitalizing for Bela, who believes that every entrepreneur should be their own advocate.

“You should be your own champion; you should be able to defend your product and love it as much as you wish other people do,” she advised. “And definitely go for something you know. I wouldn’t put my name on something I don’t use.”

Ultimately, Bela’s belief is as simple as this: sometimes all you need are cute pink cheeks, and your day is going to be great. Veering away from buzzwords such as “empowerment,” the businesswoman said she just wants people to feel good when using her products. Due to their simple, straightforward nature, Bela offers consumers a no-fuss, no-muss approach to feeling and looking good.

“[After all], empowerment should come from what’s inside you, not what’s on your face,” she mused. “My products are just supposed to make you feel like yourself still, but at your most beautiful. I want people to feel pretty without having to put so much on their face because we shouldn’t need that many products to feel good [in the first place].”

Bela also shared a few makeup tips, telling us the best way to use her cheek tints, which she laughingly describes as “potent.”

“It’s super tipid (money-saving),” Bela laughed. “One tube lasts me six to eight months. All you need is one very small dot because the color is very pigmented.”

She, along with her trusted makeup artist, Tess Martin, says the cheek tint can be applied in a multitude of ways. “On Showtime, I put my sunscreen on first, and then [Tess and I] put the cheek tint, wait a few minutes for the color to show, and then apply foundation on top. That’s the most ‘natural’ way I do it,” Bela shared. “If I’m doing normal errands, it’s just sunblock followed by cheek tint; on days when I do full glam, I put foundation first, loose powder second, and then the cheek tint on top.”

Bela by Bela is available on Tiktok Shop and will soon be available on Shopee and Lazada. Cheek tints retail for P349 while the lip balms retail for P379.