It can be mesmerizing to just watch Coleen Garcia pose for the photographer. Her bouncy curls are the stuff of online hair tutorial envy, not to mention her Coke bottle figure—she’s tiny where most want to be tiny and gifted where most prefer to be gifted. But it’s her smile, coupled with her kind eyes topped with naturally thick eyelashes, plus her pristine skin, that gives off the happy glow of a radiant bride.
Her beach wedding to Billy Crawford is set for next summer, and there is no trace of a frazzled fiancee. It is then apt that local beauty brand Happy Skin partnered with such a relaxed bride for its first bridal collection inspired by the naturally glowing look brides opt for during their wedding day.
The collection carries four lipsticks—two moisturizing matte lippies in a timeless sepia (#Goals) and nude pink (Yas Queen) and two liquid matte lippies in pink mauve (Fierce Kiss) and pink brown (The Big Day), a new blush compact, two gel polish shades, Bridechilla is a cool milky pink and Queen of His Heart is a medium pink, and of course, the secret to any good “natural” glow, a highlighter. Yes, I Dew! Fresh Glow Highlighter Pen in Pearl is a click pen type that can be stored in one’s bag or purse.
At the launch, Happy Skin treated guests to a photoshoot with their beloveds shot by renowned fashion and wedding photographer Pat Dy, wearing the latest shades of the collection, and decked in Jewelmer’s famous South Sea pearls. Style Smarts chatted with Coleen during the launch got to talking about makeup, marriage, and the right mate. Read on for the one on one:
Ronna Capili Bonifacio (RCB): How are you preparing for your big day?
Coleen Garcia (CG): Everything that we’ve been doing in line with the big day we’ve been coursing through our wedding planner and that has really been convenient for us because we’re both really busy and we don’t work in the same show any more so we have different schedules that we have to follow. Our schedules have been really hectic and the wedding planner has been such a big factor in piecing everything together.
RCB: How are you preparing for your look?
CG: I changed my diet, actually. I’ve been eating healthier because I’ve been trying to go for that natural look that you can really only get when you take care of the inside before you get it on the outside. So I’ve started from the inside and I’ve been trying to stick to eating less sugar, less carbs, eating more greens. It’s really, really hard! But I feel that my energy has improved and I feel so much healthier and so much lighter.
How did you feel when Happy Skin approached you? What was going through your mind?
I was really kilig because I’m a really big fan of their products. I don’t like heavy makeup at all. I used to be those common brands that everyone buys but I realized that for someone who doesn’t like to wear makeup, but I have to because of TV and movies, I’ve been transitioning and been going for the more lightweight products.
What I really like about Happy Skin—which I didn’t know at that time was local, I mean if you look at the packaging I thought it came from the States or Europe—I started buying their products and trying it out because it’s lightweight. I especially love their lipstick colors, the shades are really nice, the application is so easy because of the crayon shape, and once you’re wearing it, it’s just so light and it doesn’t dry your lips. And it feels light, it doesn’t feel heavy but at the same time you don’t have to keep reapplying. (She uses “Crushing on You” for everyday and “Hot Stuff” when she wants something dark—eds.)
So when I found out it’s local, I became even more impressed because they became so big and they attracted different kinds of markets. So that’s one reason why I really look up to everyone behind the brand. When they asked me to do this shoot with them, I was really kilig. It was definitely a yes for me, I did not hesitate at all.
Do you know what kind of look you want to do for your wedding?
I just want to keep it light, I want to be myself that day. I want to be that girl who doesn’t really like to wear a lot of makeup. Apart from that since it’s a beach wedding and weddings can be kind of long, I don’t want to wear anything too thick and I don’t want to feel lapot, for lack of a better term. In the pictures I don’t want to look oily or cakey so I just really want to keep it light and natural.
On your days off or when you’re just going to hang out with Billy, what makeup would you wear?
Normally I really don’t wear makeup but if I have to, like just a little bit, I would curl my lashes and CG: put mascara on, because my eyelashes really help in opening up my eyes and making me look awake. And I’d put on a lip crayon that kind of resembles my lip color but a little bit better, a bit more flushed. That’s it!
What are you looking forward to when it comes to married life?
I’m looking forward to working with Billy as a team. Making all our decisions together, to not letting it be about me any more but letting it be about us. Pretty much just to surrender our relationship to God also and see where that takes us.
Have you ever had misunderstandings, especially during wedding planning?
Everybody has misunderstandings but when it comes to planning the wedding, actually no. We’re both pretty easy to talk to, we have the same taste in pretty much everything and there are some things that he or I would insist on and the other person just wouldn’t mind. There aren’t really any big factors that we disagree on. It’s been a breeze so far.
How about preparing to become a wife, are there any things you’re looking forward to? Or preparing for?
Actually ever since I got into this relationship with Billy, I’ve been fearing that, because I’ve always been an independent person. So when I was living independently, I was scared of being with someone and not be able to do what I wanted to do or to focus on what I wanted to focus on. But ever since I got into this relationship with Billy, it actually made me feel more liberated. It made me feel more free. I guess it was easier for me to find myself because he’s there to guide me as well. And he is more mature than I am in terms of age, he’s 10 years older than me. There’s so much that he’s gone through already, especially in the business so there’s so much things he helps me with and guides me with. If anything, it’s helped me so much, I’m only looking forward to us getting married.
For example, as far as being allowed to do things goes, Billy has always been very OK with me being free and making my own decisions. It’s just my personal choice to always ask for his opinion. We work best that way.
What’s your advice for brides?
Every bride is different and some brides could use a little help and there is no shame in that. It’s best to really turn to the people who are best at what they do, which is what I did. I didn’t really go for the top of the top, but I looked for suppliers who were more me. Who complement my taste and personality. I ended up assembling the team of my dreams and I’m just looking forward to how everything will turn out because I’m giving them the full freedom. I don’t want to clip their wings, I don’t want to hold them back. There’s a reason why I chose every single person in the team. So I’m just excited how they’re going to make it come out together as a team.
So there are brides who are like that, and there are brides who like to do everything on their own. If you need help, there’s no shame. You can pull your pride down a little bit for that. Because everybody needs help. But if you want to keep it simple, keep it simple. At the end of the day, you just shouldn’t give in to anybody’s pressure, because there will be people left and right, trying to whisper to your ears trying to make your wedding go a certain way that isn’t your way. You just have to pick yours and your future husband’s way, and of course, don’t let the stress get to you. Because there are a lot of couples, sad to say, who get engaged and because of the planning process, end up breaking up.
Don’t let the stress get to you, remember after all, that you guys are celebrating your union. And that’s the important part. The wedding is a big party, it’s formalizing the agreement. The big picture is you’re getting married, you’re attaching yourself forever to the person you’re meant to be with so it should be about that.
Happy Skin is available stores located at Alabang Town Center, Glorietta 3, Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, SM Aura Premier, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Place Manila, Mega Fashion Hall, Robinsons Magnolia, UP Town Center, Trinoma, SM North EDSA, SM City Clark, SM City Pampanga, and SM City Cebu. It’s also available at happyskincosmetics.com and zalora.com.ph.
