Lovi Poe’s love letter to women
As far as beauty perception is concerned, entering showbiz was a rude awakening for Lovi Poe.
It was the mid-2000s, and she was a teenage hopeful. She was landing roles, booking jobs. Surely, people must be thinking that she was good enough, that she was pretty enough. And then she would sit in the makeup chair, and watch people cake her face up with foundation a couple of shades lighter than her actual skin tone.
“The standards were different back then. You had to have lighter skin. I used to get negative comments because I was deemed too dark. People had a difficult time finding the correct shade of foundation for me. Or they would intentionally make me lighter, so I would look ‘more pleasing’ to people,” she told Lifestyle.
That did a number on her, Poe admitted. She felt “unpretty.” And before long, she was nitpicking, finding new things in her body to feel insecure about. “I used to wear push-up bras—like, really padded ones—every day. I used to have a stack of those, I swear!” she recalled, half-embarrassed about her revelation.
But years later, it finally hit her. The actress realized it was about time she put her foot down, and started advocating for herself and the kind of beauty she has. No more light foundation, for starters.
“Eventually, I was like, ‘Enough.’ I knew I had to embrace who I truly am,” said Poe, who used to get admonished when she dared speak up and say, ‘No.’ “I was stubborn, so I would get scolded when I went against the things people wanted me to do.”
Sweat-proof
It was tough. But it proved to be one of the best decisions she made for herself. Now, she fully embraces her being a morena. And it’s heartening to see, she said, that more and more darker-skinned Filipino women are celebrating their features, regardless of prevailing standards or what they were told growing up.
“Thank God, I followed my heart. It was a gradual process and it took quite a while for me to forget about what other people have to say about me. But in the end, I let go and let God, and embraced myself … because that’s what’s going to make me different,” she said.
That’s why Poe, 33, couldn’t help but get emotional at the recent launch of her new makeup line, Love, You by Lovi, which she developed with the cosmetics brand Ready Set Glow. Her younger self, she said, would have never imagined something like this happening.
“This is such a big deal for me. Because I know there are many people like me hearing voices around them telling them they’re not beautiful,” she said.
The collection includes five products: the Me, Myself & I lippie—a balm, high gloss, plumper, and treatment all in one—comes in six colors, including a shade of brown called Moreyna; the Heart in Bloom cream and powder blush duo is housed in a two-layered compact; the Love & Light contour and highlighter is designed as a dual-ended stick; the Statement Setter trio includes a brow pencil, a gel, and a spoolie; and lastly, her favorite, Skin Poetry, is a spray-on body shimmer that doubles as fragrance.
And what better way to test her products than wearing them on set? Taping the action series “FPJ’s Batang Quaipo” last year and earlier this year was a particularly good test because her role involved doing fight scenes and a whole lot of running.
“I had to come up with something that wouldn’t melt from all the sweating,” related Poe, who confessed that she also puts on a touch of makeup while working out.
“Honestly, I wear blush while in the gym—‘yung sakto lang, for some glow,” she said, laughing.
Inclusive
Because she believes makeup should enhance one’s beauty and not merely cover up flaws, Poe wanted the products infused with various skin-nourishing ingredients like jojoba oil, argan oil, aloe vera, vitamins E and B5, and hyaluronic acid.
But more importantly, and staying true to her goal, the makeup line’s palette of mostly bare or neutral shades is inclusive. And by “inclusive,” Poe doesn’t just mean catering to a wide variety of skin tones, but catering to everyone who wants to use the products.
“It’s for everyone—whoever you are, whatever you are,” she pointed out. “I really think putting on makeup is a form of self-expression. We have our own style, our own tastes when it comes to makeup. And no one should stop you.”
The products, which are available on readysetglow.ph and other major e-commerce platforms, can be bought separately, or as a limited-edition set that comes with a journal/planner containing words of affirmation and “love letters” to herself and everyone else.
After all, beauty isn’t just about physical appearance, but also happiness that comes from loving and being kind to one’s self. And Poe wants users to have that extra boost of confidence whenever they’re about to put on their makeup.
“Being a woman, a human, is difficult enough. We just want to step out of the house and feel comfortable. We want to give joy to others. But how are we going to do that if we’re not happy within?” Poe said.
“In a room full of people, the one that always stands out to me is the one who’s happy, the one whose aura lets you know that she has come to terms with herself.”
