Few people can get up early and be more than peppy about it. At 9 a.m., Martine Cajucom was already done with her hair and makeup, ready for our shoot. “I hope to get to the office in an hour,” she tells us excitedly between shots. As the creative director of Sunnies Studios, she flitted in and out of her bathroom and closet, suggesting where we could take photos and showing us the clothes she’d like to wear for them. She also breezed through doing the video, saying, “I could talk about makeup products all day.”

A typical day for Martine is all about working fast and hard. Since starting Sunnies Studios, she’s now preparing for a launch of a prescription line and two Sunnies Cafés, one in Bonifacio Global City and the other in SM Megamall. “It’s all very busy but I love it,” she says in between bites of her breakfast: slices of oranges and two boiled eggs. In between pulling out more beauty products and posing for shots, she’d whip out her phone and answer a text or email.

It was almost tiring to watch Martine but her energy not only helped us finish early but also taught us that it really pays off to work in a place where your passion lies. In the middle of an overflowing vanity, telling me about how she layers so many products to get that one lip color she wants for the day, you could see she was in her element.

Read on to see how Martine’s work ethic spills over to her beauty beliefs, particularly when it comes to knowing what you want and doing it no matter what others say.

Describe your approach to beauty
Less is more but sometimes more is more can be more fun— when you know what you’re doing.

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received from your mother?
Don’t shave your legs or your hair will grow back spiky.

If you had to prioritize skincare or makeup, which would it be?
Skincare [because] a good base trumps all.

Who is in your beauty black book (hair, makeup, skin, body)?
I go to Amy Patdu for mistral radiancy laser treatments and Strip for laser hair removal. Basically, I like being zapped. For makeup, I like Mayesa De Los Santos and Mark Familiara for hair.

When do you feel your most beautiful?
When I’m happy and well-dressed.

Which product is your latest discovery?
Charlotte Tilbury Multi-Miracle Glow. It’s incredible and your skin sucks it up like a sponge for a glowy look in the morning.

If you had a signature beauty trick, what would it be?
Blending about six lipsticks to get the right shade. [Also,] mixing in baking soda with my cleansing oil once a week.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Listening to Taylor Swift songs all afternoon at the office.

Name one beauty faux pas that women should stop doing immediately.
Visible nose line contouring.

Which five items you would never leave home without?
Glossier Balm Dot Com, Clean & Clear Oil Absorber Sheets, Tresemmé Dry Shampoo, Krylon Lipstick in Ceres, and Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara

Who among your friends do you always ask for beauty advice and product recommendations? What’s the best tip you’ve received from them?
Isabelle Daza. She has every product imaginable and a solution for everything. She tells me to always invest in products and that taking the extra few minutes to do your hair makes a world of difference.

What is one makeup item you have too much of in your collection?
Warm matte brown eyeshadows. Everyone of them is so subtly different but I love them all and it’s universally flattering.

What is one makeup or skincare product that you can’t get enough of?
I love facial oils. I try every single one. My favorite used to be Josie Maran Argan Oil. Right now, I’m feeling Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Serum.

Name five luxury/designer makeup products that are worth the hype:
Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks [because] the consistency, pigment, and colors are so perfect; a good set of brushes: Hakuhodo is worth the investment; Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit, Hourglass Eyeshadow palettes; Krylon lipsticks— they’re an oldie but always a goodie.

What is your favorite hair care product?
Tresemmé Dry Shampoo

What’s one makeup or skincare item you would love to give as a gift to a friend?
The entire Charlotte Tilbury lipstick set.

What makeup trend do you want to bring back?
Fun, experimental eyeshadow colors. Why not?

What makeup collaboration are you currently a fan of?
The Maison Kitsuné and Shu Uemura collaboration. I’m a sucker for cute packaging.

Are you into nails? Which nail polish shades do you reach for?
I’m so basic when it comes to nails. [I like to keep them] square shaped, short and [painted] a creamy nude.

How many minutes does it take you to fix yourself on a normal day?  Five minutes.

Which products do you reach for? Dry shampoo and sunglasses

Favorite shops: Bimba y Lola, Acne, Dion Lee, Miu Miu

Favorite vacation spot: Palm Springs

Favorite dish and restaurant: Foie gras loco moco from Animal in Los Angeles. Locally, the OMG dessert from Todd English Food Hall.

Favorite person on Instagram: Alexa Chung

Favorite person, period: My mom

Photos by Paolo Tabuena
Video by Maysie Lecciones