What’s Next for Nina Ellaine Dizon? The Beauty Brand Founder and Activist Says, “My Story Is Not Done Yet”
This is how the self-titled “college-dropout-turned-CEO” navigated a lack of resources and eventual burnout to build one of the most recognizable beauty brands in the Philippines.
Colourette Cosmetics
When you think of Colourette Cosmetics, the F-beauty juggernaut that has amassed millions of followers since its inception in 2015, you’re likely to think of three things: their mandate for inclusivity, seen in their multi-shade cult products like the Colourtint and First Base Skin Tint; their commitment to being unabashedly Filipino, headlining Pinoy models across all their campaigns; and their founder, Nina Ellaine Dizon, whose presence in the beauty sphere is, arguably, as influential as Colourette itself.
Colourette celebrated a decade in beauty in 2025, and in 2024, the brand created buzz in the beauty landscape by securing USD 2 million in funding. Much of the reason behind the investment was Dizon herself, and her “proven founder-market fit with strong traction.”
With millions of resources pumped into Colourette and millions following her own personal brand, it’s hard to imagine that at some point in her life, Dizon was so bootstrapped for money, her education had to be put on the line. In a nutshell, that life-altering moment became the origin of Colourette.
“When my mom said, ‘Hey, we can’t afford to pay for your tuition next semester,’ I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll find something to make money out of,’” Dizon shares. “And that snowballed into what Colourette is today.”
Dizon, who calls herself a “founder, product developer, marketing strategist, [and] TikTokerist,” didn’t have the typical makings of a would-be CEO. In place of generational wealth and big connections, what she had was an uncanny ability for “diskarte” that was as decisive as her dreams. In this exclusive interview with Allure Philippines, Dizon candidly shares her unseen and untold struggles in building Colourette, and why even at the great heights she’s reached, she’s nowhere near finished.
How did you start in the beauty industry?
I’ve never had a first job, so I was an entrepreneur from the get-go. I started creating logos. I started selling scrap soaps. I even sold fake makeup at one point in my younger years, because I needed to make money to send myself to school. I think becoming an entrepreneur just kind of fell into my lap.
Colourette is often cited as a success story in F-beauty, but your achievements didn’t come without struggle. Of all the challenges you’ve gone through, what has been most significant, and how did you move forward?
I have had so many difficult moments in my journey, but I would say it was probably when I was really, really burnt out a few years ago that I just didn’t want to do it anymore. I couldn’t find the fire inside me to continue my passion. That for me is difficult, because my greatest motivation is always myself.
[But] I had a reflection and I was like, this is my dream. I’m already living my dream. It’s within arm’s reach. I’ve come so far only to turn back now.
When did it hit you that people genuinely love Colourette?
That moment was when we first opened a very small in-line store… in SM North EDSA. And like 500 to 600 people lined up to celebrate with us. I was like, wow, they actually love Colourette. I don’t know what we did to deserve it. And up to this day, that’s still a question in my mind.
We really, really owe it to our community. That’s why we always try our best to deserve the love that they give us through the products that we put out in the market. We want to deserve every [and] each affection, [all the] love and support they give to Colourette.
Was there a particular moment when you felt like “you’ve made it”?
I feel like my story isn’t done yet for my legacy in this industry. I’m actually really trying to unlearn the notion of “I’ve made it.” Because I say to myself that every day I’m making it. The moment I open my eyes in the morning, I’ve made it.
Because if we keep on chasing something that we feel is tangible— that one day if Colourette becomes number one, then I would feel I’ve made it; if Colourette becomes global, then I feel like I’ve accomplished it—if we [set] our goals that way, then we would never feel accomplished. Because when you finally reach it, you’ll feel empty.
So I just want to live in the moment, celebrate every win that I get on a daily basis, no matter how small it is. Through that, I feel like I’m making it every day.
How do you get into the practice of celebrating those small wins?
Sometimes, I fail to pause and feel gratitude and pat myself on the back, because every day is always so busy. From the moment I started Colourette 10 years ago, it didn’t really stop. It only got crazier and harder from there.
So whenever I look back at my journey and I look at photos from 10 years ago, eight years ago, I realize that sometimes I need to pause and look at the flowers, and just celebrate [myself] and my journey based on where I am at the moment.
If you could give one tip to an entrepreneur starting out in the beauty industry, what would it be?
It all starts with you. If you start doubting yourself, then you’re going to fail. But if you start believing in yourself, then I can’t wait to see you on the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nina Ellaine Dizon is the founder and CEO of Colourette Cosmetics, a Filipino beauty brand established in 2015. Known for its inclusive shade ranges and Filipina-first campaigns, Colourette secured USD 2 million in funding in 2024 and has built a community of millions across social media in its decade in the market.
Dizon launched Colourette after her family could no longer afford her university tuition. Self-described as an entrepreneur from the start, she had previously sold handmade logos, scrap soaps, and other products to fund her education. The financial pressure became the catalyst for building what Colourette is today.
Dizon describes a period of severe burnout during which she lost the motivation to continue. She moved through it by returning to her founding purpose — recognizing that she was already living her dream and had come too far to walk away. The reflection reignited her drive without requiring external validation.
Colourette is widely recognized as a flagship F-beauty brand for its commitment to inclusivity — offering multi-shade products like the Colourtint and First Base Skin Tint — and for centering Filipino models and Filipina identity across all campaigns. Its community-first approach, demonstrated by the 500-person queue at its SM North EDSA store opening, is central to the brand’s identity.
Dizon’s core advice is that self-belief is the foundational requirement. Doubt, she says, becomes a direct path to failure — while conviction in oneself creates the conditions for growth. She frames entrepreneurship not as a destination marked by a single achievement, but as a daily practice of showing up and recognizing incremental progress.
