Rissa & shine!

Rissa Mananquil-Trillo is a leading figure in the modeling world, a beauty columnist for this newspaper, and a happily married wife and mom of three. She has also managed to build a beauty brand while pursuing an executive MBA degree.

Rissa now shares what she’s learned in her journey to becoming the co-founder of local beauty brand Happy Skin in her first book published by Summit Books.

Read My Lips: What It Takes to Build a World-Class Homegrown Brand is part-memoir and part-business guide, writing about her failures and successes. It’s a book for anyone who wants to learn about beauty, business and life.

Summit Media president Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng and Rissa.

Read My Lips is divided into two parts. In the first, Rissa answers questions about entrepreneurship, helping one to start his or her  own business while fully understanding both the sacrifices and fulfillment that go with this. In the second, she imparts lessons from her own life experiences that unfolded the path for opportunities in business and beauty.

The book also lets readers learn from interviews with the biggest leaders in business and beauty such as Nanay Coring Ramos, Tessie Sy-Coson, Manny V. Pangilinan, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Nedy Tantoco, Ben Chan, Anton Huang, Mariana Zobel de Ayala, Lance Gokongwei, Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Kevin Tan, Joey Concepcion, Rikki Dee, Donnie Tantoco, Dr. Vicki Belo, Paulo Campos, Margarita Fores, Anne Arcenas-Gonzalez, Amina Aranaz Alunan and Krie Reyes-Lopez.

Rissa (center) with the book and Summit Books team. Christine Ko, editorial assistant Trish Terrado, art director Pearl de Leon, editor-inchief Larissa Joson, June Sandoval and Mica de Leon.

The second part of the book gathers insights on life and inner beauty from Lucy Torres-Gomez, Heart Evangelista-Escudero, KC Concepcion, Kathryn Bernardo, Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, Liz Uy, Karen Davila, Myrza Sison, Apples Aberin, Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez, Aivee Teo, Say Tioco, Tricia Gosingtian and Hannah Pangilinan.

Congratulations on your first book, Rissa! Keep shining!

(Read My Lips is available at National Book Store. Join the conversation online by using the hashtag #PleaseReadMyLips.)

Timeless fashion

Tricia Gosingtian (center) with In Good Company’s Tania Castillo and Carissa Chan.

Singapore-based fashion label In Good Company (IGC) recently opened a new store at The Power Plant Mall in Makati City. In the Philippines, IGC is part of the SM Retail Group.

During the opening, IGC went beyond fashion to be an avenue and platform for Nespresso and chef Miko Aspiras, who created his always-delicious desserts for the event.

Others spotted that night were Melissa de Leon, Toni Abad, Candy Dizon, Cheryl Tiu and Kat Holigores.

Toni Abad and Melissa de Leon.

The brand was established in Singapore in 2012 by its creative director Sven Tan and chief of design Kane Tan along with their friends Jaclyn Teo and Julene Aw.

IGC makes the fashion movement go timeless by bringing only three capsules of ultra-wearable styles a year. Each capsule offers classic silhouettes made to last beyond seasonal trends, and to suit modern lifestyles.

(In Good Company is located at the R1 Level of The Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati City and L2 of SM Makati.  For more information, visit @igcasia_ph on Instagram.)