Before reaching 20, Andrea Brillantes has started her journey toward one of her greatest dreams: A beauty empire.

She says with vigor, “Kasi I wanted to make my own business something that I really love to do!

“I love make-up, I love doing my own make-up, I love colors, I like to watch people doing their make-up, learning more about make-up.”

And so she lauched Lucky Beauty in February this 2023.

Unlike other celebrities who use their business as a fallback plan in case their careers don’t work out, Andrea wants to pursue something out of passion.

She tells PEP.ph during her shoot for Headliner late last year, “Kasi mahirap kapag yung business ko is yung wala akong masyadong alam about it, yung parang masabi lang na, ‘At least, meron akong business, makaka-survive ako kung hindi man ako maging artista.’

“At least ang make-up, ito, simula three years old ako, nagme-make-up na ako, pero hindi ako pro. It’s just I love make-up at alam kong magtatagal ako sa business na ito dahil isa sa passion ko ang make-up and confident ako.

“At saka it makes me feel good, so I wanna make other people feel good din.”

Her inspirations are international celebrities who have their own make-up businesses: Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, and Rihanna.

She says about Kylie’s line: “Kung hindi naglabas si Kylie, hindi ako mangangarap! Wala akong pera, inipon ko lahat ng pera ko, inuubos ko para sa kanya.”

Where did the name Lucky Beauty come from?

Her short explanation: “Kaya siya naging ganyan kasi kapag nagme-make up ka, parang ang gaan-gaan lang, ang lucky-lucky lang, parang nagpapa-enhance lang.”

ANDREA AS A LADY BOSS

She explains her management style: “Medyo chill lang talaga ako. Pero kapag ayoko or hindi ko bet, sasabihin ko, ‘Hindi, baka kaya pa ito…’

“Ayoko maging bossy, e. Nakakahiya rin kasi…lahat ng kasama ko is 28, nasa 30s, so ayokong mag-astang boss. Parang hindi lang din siya nasa ugali ko.”

Andrea feels the pressure that comes with the role, being aware that she is already controversial as a celebrity.

“Like, siyempre, kailangan kasi brand ko ito, e, pangalan ko ito. Mahirap yung pressure bilang artista, lalo na kung isa ka sa pinaka-controversial na artista! Hahaha!

“Maraming titingin diyan, maraming nakasalalay sa akin, dami ko ng bashers! Siyempre alam ko, matik, iba-bash nila iyan, kaya kailangang maging tutok ako.”

But the pressure does not mean she would lash out at her partners just because she wants everything to go perfectly.

She elaborates, “Hindi pa rin siya ano sa akin na magpaka-asta akong boss sa mga tao. Kasi bata ako, e, di ko kaya mag-ano sa mga matatanda sa akin.

“The most respectful and most polite way ako nag no-no. Understanding naman din ako kung hindi talaga kaya, kasi iba yung imagination ko, e. Mas praktikal sila so marunong naman ako mag-compromise.

“Nakikipag-compromise po ako kung hindi kaya ng budget, logically hindi kaya, go with the flow lang po ako.”

As a lady boss, Andrea stresses the importance of trusting her gut feeling, especially when it comes to choosing her partners.

Having found them started with just a simple consultation. But to her words, “nag-click kami tapos it felt good.”

“Actually, dapat nagpapa-advise lang ako sa kanila kasi meron akong mga potential investors, potential partners.

“Yung mga kasama ko na ngayon sa brand ko is dapat nagpa-advise lang ako sa kanila kasi meron silang successful business.

“Nag-open up lang ako na, ‘I’m only 18, kung meron kayong puwedeng maituro sa akin.’

“Ganon lang dapat siya hanggang sa parang nag-click kami, ‘Tara, mag-partner na lang tayo.’

“Tapos meron po akong investors din, parang nag-click-click lang.

“Parang hindi dapat kami, meron pa akong dapat ita-try ligawan. Pero nag-click kami tapos parang it just felt good. Parang perfect match kami po.”

Admittedly, Andrea has no experience in terms of doing business, so it may be a little hard to gauge whom she should trust. But how did she feel it with her partners?

The young actress shares a little secret about this: “Yung totoo? Nagpapahula ako! Hahaha!”

She then quickly clarifies, “Pero hindi ko ina-advise sa mga magbabasa na pagkatiwalaan niyo!”

But aside from hula, Andrea trusts her own intuition, saying that “ilang beses na akong dinala sa tama ng intuition ko at sinave sa disgrasya ng intuition ko.

“Lagi ako nanghihingi ng sign kay Lord at sa universe at wala rin akong kutob na mali.”

Even then, Andrea made sure that her decisions were not made on a whim. The young actress admits to having trust issues.

“Hindi ako pumayag naman agad-agad, matagal po siyang proseso. Tinignan ko pa rin lahat, tinignan ko kung may butas, wala naman.

“May trust issues ako, siyempre, alam na alam ko na paano magtiwala ngayon pero naniwala po ako sa intuition ko.

“I know it’s silly, pero iba yung relationship ko sa intuition ko, no one will understand.”

Now, the question is, how is Andrea to her partners?

Paolo Salapantan, one of Andrea’s partners who has been in the corporate world for over a decade, says the young actress has the “marks of a good CEO” because of her “decisiveness and genuine passion.”

He elaborates, “From choosing shades to formulations and eventually naming them, all the way to the creative teams we will use to mount her shoot, Blythe has shown exceptional authority. She also has a genuine care and passion for make-up and beauty.

“As she tries on the shades and applies it herself to us, her team, you see the mastery.

“Don’t let Blythe’s cute voice and doe eyes fool you, this girl means business and we are so blessed to work with her and see her prodigy up close.”

LESSONS ANDREA HAS TO LEARN

Of course, mounting a business is not complete without birth pains.

For Andrea, it was the “costing” that she found hardest to do, admitting that her weakness is Mathematics.

“Hindi po ako perfect kasi noong nag-usap na po about costs, nawala ako,” she says, laughing.

“Physically, nandoon ako pero yung utak ko, nawala siya kasi di po ako marunong mag-Math.

“Aminado naman po ako, e, noong nagma-Math class, hindi ako nakikinig kay teacher, so ayun yung consequence.

“Noong diniscuss na, umabot ako sa isang oras para lang sa isang papel, ‘Paano ba ito?’ Hanggang sa halos maiyak na ako, hindi dahil nahihirapan ako kung hindi dahil nahihiya na rin ako sa kanila.

“Pero okay lang, natutuwa naman sila. Buti na lang cute ako kung hindi, feeling ko nainis na talaga sila sa akin,” she quips.

Andrea admits that she still has a lot of things to learn.

Aside from Math, she also has to learn how to be open to feedback.

She shares, “Kasi kung makikita niyo yung first design ko para sa brand na ito, ibang-iba siya sa kinalabasan. Ibang-iba rin yung plans ko noong una sa plano na ngayon ng magiging brand ko.

“So, talagang kailangan kong makinig, kailangan kong matutong mag-let go, kailangan kong mag-compromise.

“Hindi porke’t na tinitignan kong maganda talaga, ibig sabihin ito na yung maganda at iisipin ng lahat ng tao na maganda. Kailangan kong mag-adjust at yun, kailangan kong magtiwala minsan din talaga sa ibang tao at huwag mag-procrastinate.”

Although Andrea found it difficult to let go of ideas, she realized she could learn more and improve on those ideas by listening to other people.

“Opo, kaya nga minsan ayoko kasi hindi sila naniniwala sa ano ko, e. Pero noong pinakinggan ko yung mga ideas ng iba, ‘Okay. Oo nga, ano? Ito rin yung gusto ko, ganyan nga rin.’

“So, minsan kailangan mo lang talagang hindi lang tignan yung tinitignan mo, kailangan tignan din yung pananaw ng iba. Mas masaya ako na ginawa ko yun kasi mas na-open din niya yung utak ko na kaya ko ring gawin ito.

“Akala ko, ito lang yung kaya ko talaga, e. Ito lang yung pinaka-max ko na, e, hindi pa pala, meron pa. So mas marami rin akong nalalaman about myself.

“Tapos meron ding naalala ko, ito rin yung gusto ko kasi naalala ko na three years ago, ito pala yung gusto ko, ang dami ko palang naiisip.”

SELF-CARE

Andrea truly has a lot on her plate right now.

Aside from being the CEO of her new business, she still remains as one of the most bankable teen stars of today.

She is an exclusive artist of ABS-CBN, and her career is co-managed by ABS-CBN’s Star Magic and Becky Aguila’s Aguila Artists Management.

This year, Andrea was busy with two digital shows. Now, her next project is already in the works.

But does she still have time to rest?

Laughing, Andrea answers, “Meron naman, mga a day!”

She then adds, “One day sa isang week, okay na yun.”