grandmother. Photo by Din Villafuerte
It was serendipity that led to KC Concepcion and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo working together to create a nail polish collection.
It started with the actress asking a nail technician for a specific nail polish made in Korea. The technician recommended that she check out Happy Skin.
Concepcion was confused. She knew Happy Skin to be a Filipino brand. The technician confirmed that it is, but the collection is made in Korea.
What she did not know was that Mananquil, one of the founders of the brand, was in the same salon and overheard the conversation. She approached Concepcion to say hello. Their talk that day led to the limited-edition Happy Skin x KC Express Gel Polish collection.
Two colors
The collection comes in two colors. One is deep cherry, called Power, the other a nude shade called Beauty.
“Power is meant to encourage women to see the strength in themselves,” Concepcion said, explaining the names of the polish. “I want to empower them in terms of beauty. It is empowering to find products that do not harm you and are gentle for you.”
Two roses
The collection is marked with two roses on the cap. The rose symbolizes the woman, said Concepcion.
It wasn’t until she turned 30 that Concepcion felt she became a woman. Only then did she start asserting herself and not allowing people to decide things for her.
“It’s that point when you are no longer pressured by the system, when you can look at who you are, what you want, who is important to you. You have to have the confidence to stand on your own,” she said.
Hands-on
Happy Skin CEO Jacqe Gutierrez said that Concepcion knew exactly what she wanted, and was hands-on from the beginning.
Concepcion wanted her own versions of the classic red and nude, colors she prefers to wear.
“My lola said that if your nails are dirty then your whole body is dirty!” Concepcion said with a laugh. “To me it is hygiene. It’s about being presentable. If you think of what lipstick to wear, you should think of your nails as well.”
But what really made her understand the power of nail polish was when she was living abroad, and a French guy she was dating asked her why she was not wearing any polish. That’s when she realized that people really look at your nails.