Living the Zen life

MANILA, Philippines - If there is a phrase to describe Michelle Asence, it would be “beauty junkie.”

Michelle, the woman behind Zen Zest, a company that produces a line of body care products, says her passion for business started way back during her pre-teen years.

“I decided to start a body care and fragrance business because as a kid, I have always been fascinated with perfumes and body care products. I was what you would call a kikay girl. I had a vast collection of perfumes when I was a kid. To this day, I still have a fragrance collection. In the past, there was no local brand of perfume and body care products that I wanted to use so I created my own line,” she says. 

Like any budding business, Michelle had to start from the bottom. “Starting up with a small capital and zero manpower was quite hard. But for me, I found it exciting and challenging.”

It’s no surprise that Michelle would become the entrepreneur that she is today. Before starting Zen Zest, she was already joining bazaars and fairs selling clothes and accessories.

Today, Zen Zest is one of the top body care products found in malls around the country. The line includes fragrances, aromatherapy, lotions and body scrubs. Her success in the business even landed her in the Go Negosyo: Joey Concepcion’s 55 Inspiring Stories of Women Entrepreneurs book. 

When asked to differentiate the brand from the products out in the market, Michelle says: “One of the things that sets my products apart from my competitors is the quality of my goods and the packaging. I also have a lot of exciting concepts for our product line ups.”

But Zen Zest is not the only baby that’s keeping her busy. Michelle is also a mother and is preparing for her upcoming wedding. When asked how she balances her time with her child, she says: “I make sure that I spend my weekends with my son. I also go home right after work as much as possible. I’m really a homebody so it’s not much of a sacrifice.”

As for her wedding, Michelle’s schedule is definitely full. “Apart from preparing for the wedding, we are also preparing and fixing our new house. It’s hard work but we started one year ago. We had enough time to do everything that we need. So far, preparations are going smoothly. The trick is time management. Since the wedding is only a month from now, my fiance and I are already feeling both excited and pressured with all the last minute details that we have to attend to especially since both of us are working full time. As much as we want to, we cannot devote all of our time fixing our wedding and our house. It’s really a good thing we started preparing early!”

With her being in the beauty business, looking good is definitely important. “I have to look good and dress well whenever I go out or meet other people. How I look reflects on my business. As a local brand, I really support other homegrown brands, too. Instead of buying imported products, I usually opt to buy locally made ones so that I can help uplift these businesses,” she says.

Among the local products she patronizes is Ever Bilena. “Ever Bilena has always been one of my top choices for colored makeup. I use its eyeshadow palette. The quality is the same as the imported ones and the colors glide easily on my skin. It has a wide array of colors that I can choose from in just one palette. I just bring it in my bag every day and I can transform my makeup from my day look to an evening look in less than 10 minutes. The best thing is, I just open one case and all the colors are there,” Michelle says.

 “I am also very fond of lip glosses. I love Ever Bilena’s lighted lip gloss. When I apply it inside the car at night, I don’t have to open my lights anymore because the lip gloss has a built in light. I just love it. Ever Bilena also has really good eyeliners and mascaras. I have almost all the colors of its eyeliner,” she adds.

When asked for advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Michelle has this to say: “My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is that they should do what they love. They should be passionate about their business. It is one of the most important keys for a business to prosper.” 

And her advice for brides-to-be? “Well, for the brides, apart from preparing for their big day, they should also be emotionally and mentally prepared for the marriage. The wedding is only for one day but the marriage will last a lifetime,” Michelle reminds.

With her passion and determination, Michelle Asence has come a long way to become the businesswoman that she is today. She is definitely living the Zen life that she deserves.