How Kris juggles her artistic and business pursuits

Kris Bernal

Kris Bernal can’t do her own makeup, save for her lips.

She loves lipsticks, she said, and has always wanted to have her own line.

So when one of her idols, Kylie Jenner, launched her own cosmetics brand three years ago, it got Kris thinking that she could do it, too.

“I’m a fan of hers. She started small, and now, her brand has gotten so big. It motivated me to pursue my dream of building a cosmetic line,” Kris, who recently unveiled her five-shade lipstick line She Cosmetics, told the Inquirer in an interview.

The Kapuso star started working on her lipsticks last year, and has been hands-on with “every aspect” of the business ever since.

“I handled everything from the formulation to operation to shipping to customer service. I have only four people helping me out. And people don’t know that I’m the one who actually responds to their emails or messages on social media … Sometimes, I do it in between scenes during taping,” she related.

“I can’t believe it’s here now. God knows how hard I worked for this,” added the 29-year-old celebrity, who considers this particular business venture as a huge risk. “It’s a huge investment; it’s no joke. And I used my own money for this—100 percent. I didn’t have investors or partners … God knows how hard I worked for this.”

Kris also runs other businesses, including a Korean barbecue restaurant. Last year, she became so involved with She that juggling it with her work in show biz became difficult.

“It’s a big challenge for me. Aside from being an artist and a businesswoman, I also make sure to spend time with my family,” the “Asawa Ko, Karibal Ko” star said. “But I have gotten the hang of it already. What I do is, I list down my priorities and schedule my tasks throughout the day.” —ALLAN POLICARPIO