STARPRENEUR Bazaar at the Fifth at Rockwell

I saw a lot of smiles coming out of vendors from this event. I couldn't blame them because aside from the fact that this is a full bazaar, it's certainly a way to prove that there's a lot of potential for MSME's in the country. This is the STARPRENEUR Bazaar held at the FIFTH at Rockwell in Makati. This is organized by Bela Padilla and Filipino entrepreneurs Ms. Lanie Tañedo and Mr. Dennis Valbuena. If you are familiar with the brand Bela by Bela Padilla, they are the same folks who started her cosmetic, product and perfume line with her a couple months ago. This time, they're working with young Hollywood star and PH showbiz royalty Iñigo Pascual.

Iñigo says "It's something that I wanted to do for a long time. I've dreamt about it since college but I never got to finish my course in entrepreneurship. I've been involved in acting and music, and I wanted something different from that. Before I met them (Ms. Lanie Tañedo and Mr. Dennis Valbuena) I really wanted to start something but I didn't really know what to do and where to start. They showed me the ropes on how to start a business. They also showed me technology because it's different now. You really have to learn what's on trend, and for me, they really are the ones who guided me."

He adds "A lot of the products we have in herzy. is mentholated, and if you just got out of the shower, some complain from the heat, and they're already perspiring. I wanted folks to still feel fresh and clean after trying our products. The difference between men and women is, we want everything to be simple, less fuss, when you try it, it's really nice and smells good. It's easy to use and carry around. The ingredients are also natural, I even styled my own hair with it, and admit that sometimes men are even more vain about hair. We hope you love these products! I hope you love the Brow Serum which they initially designed to grow and nourish hair, last minute, we thought of using it for the brows because people often ask me about it. This was named after my Grandfather, we just turned the Herzig into Herzy to make it easy to pronounce."

Mr. Dennis Valbuena replied "We really appreciate that. Now that you've learned from us, it's your turn to guide others about the business. He was very hands on. We saw his potential right from the start."

At the event, they also took time to talk to entrepreneurs about their businesses and how they started. It was a very nice way for other entrepreneurs to learn from each other and perhaps network so they could also improve their businesses. The Runway Atelier also got their cute models on stage sing and walk for the event. Seeing kids there was super cute!

Here's a short chat we had with him at the venue:

 

 

Meanwhile, I have also managed to use the herzy. products this week and so far, I'm loving the herzy. Hairstyling Stick the most. Like him, I've got pretty wavy hair which gets uncontrollable after a few hours. It made my dilemma of looking well put together easy because you can get rid of those frizzy fly away hair in just a few seconds with it. The herzy. Body Wash not only smells good, but a bit minty. It feels fresh even in the hot afternoons in Manila. They've really made a very promising line of products designed for men (that can also be used by women). Best of all, men don't have to smell like flowers LOL.

 

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There was a bit when Inigo Pascual sat down and talked to other MSME's. The chat included Mr. Dennis Valbuena of DL Wear Private, Mr. Nio Siggaoat and Ms. Valerie Lim of beauty brand Ready.Set.Glow (RSG), Twin CEO's Mark and Spencer Elimanco of LINKIT (who introduced high tech calling cards), Ms. Audrey Ong of Sweet Kamote, Ms. Jana Berenguer of J&A The Label (of TikTok fame, you should check out their story), Ms. Rich Garceron and Mr. Jed Homar Sison of Anytime Fitness Hemady Branch (whom you might want to check out to have no excuse to go to the gym) and Ms. Elvira and Eleanor of Thermomix.

The event also featured Dani by Bela (fragrance of Dani Baretto under Bela Padilla's brand), Bela by Bela, The Runway Atelier, AY Clothing Shop, Get Spotted, Sweet Kamote, Kittly Manila, Show Idea Mayumico, iWhite Korea, Hiraya Pilipina, Pan de Carpio, Prints FX and Signs, Miruku, Duchess The Label, alas hot sauce, FizzStop, Nutral, Developers HideOut, Luka's meat products, and a lot more.

The STARPRENEUR BAZAAR was so much fun, and I hope folks not just the consumers learned a lot from the business owners who shared their stories on stage. Congratulations to Bela, Ms. Lanie Tañedo and Mr. Dennis Valbuena. Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeves this year and beyond!

BELA by BELA PADILLA Launches DANI by BELA Fragrance Line and Bloom Soaps

It was almost a month ago since Bela Padilla and her partners launched her own beauty brand BELA. From the looks of it, things are actually looking crazy at sales that most of their stocks run out fast. From Shopee, Lazada, their TikTok Shop and their website, folks have been hoarding much of their products specifically the Bela by Bela Lip Balm and the Bela Dot Perfection Cheek Tint which much of us were also wearing that afternoon. 

The two products work, plain and simple, which is why people have been raving about it since they launched their flagship ones. Even her celebrity friends, her followers and the working class, simple jane at home were using it, giving valuable feedback about its quality. Bela also mentioned how she plans to work with other people in order to release other products under the same brand, and from the looks of it, this is the opportune time.

Celebrity Mom, Entrepreneur and Content Creator Dani Barretto is a good friend of Bela from years back. They've always wanted to do a business together but it didn't come into fruition because when they were in talks, Bela had priorities and didn't want to hold Dani back about the business. There certainly is a time for everything, and now comes the launch of Dani Barretto's line of fragrance called DANI by BELA. It's 5 different Eau de Parfum which they planned and made together. It's fate, and it's here now!

DANI by BELA has sample sizes, so you could actually try it first before choosing the bigger bottle.

These are the 5 different fragrances of DANI by BELA. Thanks to Justin Montas for this shot, photo credits of this photo belong to him.

I initially assumed this would be for all for ladies, but no. They created a line of fragrances that cater for men, women and something gender neutral. For the ladies, there's Summer's Kiss, Spring's Touch and Nostalgia. For the men, they created Coolector. The gender neutral one is called Campfire, so really, there's something for everybody!

Bela apologized in behalf of Dani, because she couldn't come to the launch as she had the flu. She sent a video message for the guests at the event. In the meantime, here's our video coverage of the press conference, please, enjoy!

The fragrances are actually inspired by the scents they personally use and love. They also did Nostalgia for those that miss the things people wear years back, you could liken it to a popular cologne for babies if that gives it away. Bela's favorite is the Summer's Kiss, while Dani's is the Spring's Touch. Bela didn't like the way some men smelled like oxen, musky which you can detect a mile away. This is why Coolector smells clean and fresh, like something you'd be like out of the shower. The Campfire has higher woodsy content I think, though I find everything quite appealing. My personal pick is actually a bit off the beaten path, because I actually prefer the Spring's Touch. I think it fits my personality, and even though it was made femme, I think everything could be used by anyone. It is that good.

This product came as a surprise, BELA calls it BLOOM SOAP. Bela told us how highschoolers or frequent travelers used to cut soap in smaller pieces so they didn't have to carry the whole bar in school or their destinations. I haven't done that personally, but apparently much of the crowd who were there admitted doing it. Bela thought it was better that they had one package where people could try the different kind of soaps they have in one box to see what works and what doesn't, or basically preference. The new BELA BLOOM SOAP comes in Papaya, Pineapple and Coffee variants. She didn't want it to be like any of the soaps out in the market, and they've done extensive research before actually releasing this. It's made as natural as possible. These soaps can exfoliate gently, and doesn't have harmful chemicals that would irritate your skin. The Coffee variant is something new, it has bits of coffee grounds so you can scrub a bit with it. I prefer the Pineapple though because of its scent, and I think nothing of its kind is yet in the market. I love things that are unique, and this one is!

Now head on to BELA's social channels to know more about the new products. Again, you can get them in Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop and their official website. Some actually get them to resell, so it may be a good investment too. But so far, I've used the perfumes and one of the soap, just like the previous products they had, it worked quite well. You be the judge when you try it.

BELA PADILLA Launches Own Beauty Brand BELA

Bela Padilla launches her own brand BELA (Photo by Aaron Nomo of NumuTV)

Bela Padilla has made waves being a very versatile actress, a noted writer, and a very talented director. Since last year, she's been living in the UK and have been enjoying and found refuge in the cold weather, while still being able to work in PH based projects when needed. She goes back to the Philippines when needed and this time, she's wearing a new hat other than endorsing beauty brands. She made one of her own, and called it properly, BELA.

BELA Dot Perfection and BELA Color Changing Lip Balm

 

Two products were introduced during the launch namely BELA Dot Perfection and BELA Color Changing Lip Balm. We got to ask her a few questions during the event and she says "I've been using this cheek and lip balm for a few months since I had prototypes. I really use it, and when I put my name on it I truly believe it. I have been on hiatus, but today I believe you guys can use it too. I know it works, and I leave the house with nothing but tint. The video earlier showcased different people of different ages. It is safe for everyone, and can say I'm the biggest fan of it. The first collection is just 2 things, but you can use it every day."

She adds "We are now available in three malls in Bacolod where we did a pre launch. Apply only one dot on each cheek because it is very potent (hence a tube will last you a few months). We found manufacturers in the Philippines and tested it with a lot of people. It was the best way we could see if the products work or not. This is color adaptive so it can be used for different skin types. It looks natural and will look like skin blush as an end product. We want to do this first and maybe have other artists or people to do other products under the Bela brand. It's very moisturizing, and I'm even very sensitive and I use this constantly. I get breakouts with other brands but this one had no reaction on me."

As for the brand, she mentioned "I wanna veer away from empowerment angle because I believe it's not because of looks that we become confident. I don't have a full face of makeup, but I want people to feel good even without putting much on our skin."

Here's our interview with her a few days ago, listen in!

Bela is quite happy how this all seem to turn out. From countless hours of conceptualizing a product that she loves, to using it countless times even without anything on in public, just these two. She also packaged it in her lucky color, made it for the tropical climate and want every mary, joe, rupaul or brando to use it if they feel like it. No matter what shape or form you are, you can use BELA. She found her brand, you can too.

Congratulations Bela! You deserve all the success because you're a kind soul.