Catalina Sy Finds Her Beauty Love Language in Hitting Pan

“I’ve always been very in love with the idea of beauty,” says Catalina Sy.

The 25-year-old content creator speaks of beauty very highly, almost with a hint of reverence. But on her TikTok account, she does not have a shrine of beauty products in luxurious vanity drawers, nor does she talk about her products cloyingly in a singsong voice.

Instead, her page is dedicated to a tray filled with squeezed bottles, empty palettes, and used-up tubes, her personal take on the famous beauty community practice called Project Pan—a movement that encourages consumers to use their beauty products until they “hit pan.”

Sy’s mission of joining the movement is something she wanted to share online. Through consistently sharing her progress, she grew a following, almost becoming synonymous with the project in the Filipino beauty community space.

“Most people do recognize me from Project Pan. And it’s really interesting that when I post about it, they will reply with their own project, their own empties, or they’ll tag me in their own ‘Project Pan inspired by Catalina,’” she says.

Kim Santos

Sy clarifies that it is more than just a content idea—it was a genuine habit that began at home.

At 13 years old, when she started buying makeup, she learned from her family how beauty products were meant to be loved, explored, and eventually emptied. “I’ve always thought that finishing things, at least in my household, [has] always been very normal,” says Sy.  

Later on, life led her to the possibility of being a lawyer. In college, she took up legal management at Ateneo de Manila University. “I thought I was going to law school. But then, in my senior year, when I was going to graduate, I came to the realization that it wasn’t for me,” she shares.

Sy was confident that there were other things she’s more interested in aside from the courtroom. “I felt like I was a fig tree. I had so many choices,” she continues, referencing Sylvia Plath’s famous analogy of a fig tree with branches representing life’s myriad of possibilities. The biggest possibility she saw? Carving her own space online through TikTok.

In 2024, after a few years of posting random videos that range from fashion to lifestyle, she made a decision to be more consistent and now focus on her first love: beauty. “I really just wanted to challenge myself to see if I could reach a higher point,” she explains. “I wanted more of my videos to give value. I wanted to create more structured and valuable videos.”

That value, she believes, lies in teaching her audience to appreciate what they already have in their beauty collection.

But as a creator who attends product launches, gets PR boxes, and receives exclusive loot, how can it not run counter to the philosophy of mindful consumption? Sy keeps her answer simple: “At the end of the day, products, they’re meant to be used. And if they’re not used, then they will just go to waste. To me, that’s a bigger waste.”

For her Allure Philippines shoot, Sy arrives exactly as she presents herself online: simple and laidback, with a low-maintenance short layered wolfcut paired with effortless makeup. Her presence speaks softly.

This reflects in how she serves as a gentle reminder that love for beauty is not measured by building an enviable collection, but by discovering the purpose of each product you own and returning to them because they remind you of the joy that made you choose them in the first place.

Kim Santos

What do you do aside from content creation? 

I work in beauty marketing, actually. It was my first job, and I did it when I was starting content creation. So, I did them both side by side, and when I went into beauty marketing, they were already aware that I was starting content creation.

How has your makeup or skin care routine evolved as your platform grew? 

As it grows, I want to say that a lot of brands, they reach out more. And then they reach out [with] these products, [which] sometimes I’ve never heard of. For example, in skin care, PDRN. I wasn’t familiar with that. I had no idea that it was a thing. But because my platform grew, I’m given this opportunity to explore [with] different brands. So, I know PDRN. It’s really famous in Korea. So, now that it’s here, I get to explore it.

There are a lot of beauty creators. What do you think makes you stand out?

I agree with that. The community can get oversaturated, and sometimes I get lost in it. But I really think that my content stands out by how I’m able to create valuable reviews.

But I’m still able to create de-influencing videos. And I’m able to be consistent with my Project Pan. So, some people have commented that they’re amazed at the fact that I’m able to do it even while receiving PR, and even I’m amazed. Like, I don’t know how I get to finish these products, but I think I’m just stubborn in that way.

How would you describe your beauty point of view and how has it changed through time?  

Before I was a content creator, I was a consumer. So, it felt like back then, when I was a consumer, there were so many new products. Which one’s the best? Which one do I buy? But now that I’m [a] content creator, it’s not really so much [about] the product. It’s more [about] the technique, how you work with it. Because at the end of the day, makeup is makeup. And there’s so [much] of it. And instead of chasing the next best thing, I’ll just be happy and content with the makeup that I have.

Kim Santos

What’s one thing you wish you knew when you were getting started? 

I wish I knew more of the technical side in a way. When I was starting, it felt a little lonely because my friends, they’re not content creators. My family, they’re not content creators. It felt like I didn’t know who to reach out to as a content creator because I was smaller. And so, when brands would reach out, like, “What’s your rate?” or “What’s your average views?” I’m like, “Average views? How do I calculate that?” So, I wish that there was, like, a masterclass on that back then.

In what ways do you use beauty today as expression, protection, or power? 

I definitely use it as expression. And I think, ever since I was little, I just wanted to express myself in the way that I felt the best.

What’s an important part of what you do that your followers don’t get to see? 

It’s definitely my work, my marketing job. Maybe because I want to keep that part of me, just for me. And I get to choose what I show online. So, definitely, I do get that assumption a lot, like, “Are you a full-time creator?” I’m like, “No.” It’s really more of that other side of my life that I don’t get to show online. But they don’t know, in the morning, I just did all my work stuff, and I’m cramming [a] video before sunset.

What’s a trend that you think is being overdone? And what do you think is something that deserves more attention? 

Oh my gosh, I want to say over blushing because I have tried underpainting. And I feel like that technique is really beautiful, and it deserves to be utilized more.

Kim Santos

Have brands changed the way you create for better or worse? How do you navigate authenticity and sponsored content? 

When brands reach out, I don’t limit myself to beauty. I want to be well-rounded. I want to collaborate with brands that I genuinely like. Or if I haven’t explored them yet, I want to say that they’re worth exploring. I have to check: what is the product? What are the values they give? Where is this made? What’s the pricing? And how valuable is this product? So, it has to be aligned with what I believe in as well.

How do you decide which products or brands are worth sharing with your audience? 

Definitely, the brands that I share, it’s either I’m reviewing them or it’s something that I’ve finished. Sometimes I want to make a video. It’s not even sponsored. I just want to make a video dedicated to this product. 

What does trust mean to you when it comes to beauty recommendations?

Trust is really important because you’re trusting yourself to give that trust to your audience as well. So, it’s more of trusting your own preferences and what you like, hoping that maybe my audience will like this as well. But it’s also trusting that your audience understands that not everything works for everyone.

What’s a beauty habit that you’ll never give up no matter the trend? 

I am a winged eyeliner girl. So, I feel like when I’m 40, 50, I [still] need to have that winged eyeliner.

Can you tell us how to do a perfect winged liner? 

Oh my gosh. I remember there were so many tips and tricks about it. But the more you practice, the better you’ll get. It’s really just getting that wing first, that flick, and just shading it. You can worry about making them even later on.

Is there a beauty trend that you’ll never try?

I want to say that I’m open to anything. I’m open to any beauty trends. But if it’s putting something that’s [not] supposed to be put on your face—that’s [when] I [think it’s] crossing the line.

What’s your relationship with perfection today? 

When you’re starting as a content creator, you think you want to be perfect. But nowadays, having spent some time in the content creation world, it feels like I’ve become easier on myself. I know that I don’t have to look perfect all the time. Sometimes I have to film a skin care video, and I can’t control if I have a pimple. It’s really knowing that even if you’re not perfect, that’s what makes you human.

Kim Santos

What’s one thing you’d change about the beauty industry? Is there something that we need to change? Something we need to move on now? 

I feel like there’s this thing in the [Filipino] beauty industry: when you release a product, it doesn’t stay forever, or it gets reformulated way too fast. And I understand the idea of listening to the criticism of the audience. But I feel in Western beauty, Korean beauty, they don’t reformulate as fast.

So, this product comes out this year. Next year, it’s bound [to be version] 2.0. I want a product where it’s timeless, where it doesn’t need that upgrade. I just wish now that beauty brands would make a product that’s perfect from the start.

What’s something about beauty culture that feels uniquely now?

I like that everybody can be part of the beauty space. No matter what you look [like] or who you are, it feels like you have a space in the industry. So, it doesn’t matter how oversaturated the beauty community is because everybody has a space in it.

What’s something you’ve stopped doing because of your audience, even if you didn’t want to? Was there ever a chance like that? 

I haven’t experienced it yet because if I do get a comment like that, for example, I would say it’s just one person. It’s not like a whole mob of people. So, at the end of the day, I weigh that choice: should I stop doing this because of one person, or because the majority seems to be okay with it?

What’s one beauty product you can’t live without?

This is really hard, and I feel like my answer changes all the time. Nowadays, I really feel like it’s lip oil. I feel like I cannot take it when my lips are bare and dry. So, something that really hydrates my lips.

What’s a beauty opinion you’ll never change your mind about? 

A matte base. Because I feel like, at the end of the day, you’ll get dewier anyway.

As a content creator, how do you want to cultivate your online space?

I definitely just want to be seen as someone who’s mindful, conscious, and someone who can inspire them to start their own journey. I never wanted to be that person who constantly pushes someone to buy something, to ‘budol’ someone. It’s more of, I want to be the friendly reminder that, ‘Hey, guys, if you’re over your consumption, take a step back.’ There’s other things in life that’s important.

Photography by Kim Santos. Art direction by Sacha Mancera. Makeup by Catalina Sy, assisted by Jam Del Rosario. Hair by Jam Del Rosario. Styling by Khayla Villanueva.