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Mae is proof that reinvention is always possible when you follow your passion.
Mae Layug has worn many hats in her lifetime so far. Before she became a beauty mogul, Mae was saving lives as a cardiovascular nurse—all while filming and uploading beauty content on YouTube during her free time. What started as a passion project soon turned into a full-fledged career, leading her to take a leap of faith as a full-time content creator.
But Mae didn't stop there. Fueled by her love for beauty and a deep understanding of what people truly need, she founded GRWM Cosmetics in 2021, a brand that champions inclusivity, innovation, and confidence.
As a Women of Influence 2025 awardee and The Glow Getter, Mae reflects on her journey and her life so far—from being a nurse to a digital creator to a beauty CEO—and proves that reinvention is always possible when you chase your passion.
Mae Layug for Cosmopolitan Philippines Women of Influence 2025
Photographed by Miggy Broño
Mae: GRWM started as an extension of my passion for beauty. I started as a nurse, and then I became a content creator. Mostly in my career, I've been reviewing makeup products, and I think one thing na [the viewers] really appreciate when I make my beauty videos is the transparency. Like, "Okay, this is how my skin looks like," and I'll never use filters. Kasi on social media, we are so used to seeing glass skin, like "ang ganda sa [model]" kasi maganda na yung balat niya. So naging driving force ko siya, na, "Oh, this is how my skin looks like. I have a lot of veins, marks, and I've been breaking out. This is how makeup will really look like when it's on your skin."
With that, I was asking myself, "I've been a content creator, what's next for me?" So naging extension siya in a sense na I want to fill in the gaps in the Philippine beauty market. Ang pinaka-kulang talaga natin before ay makeup bases—we always only had two to three [shades]. It's either maputi or mas maputi. So I saw that gap, at hindi lang sa bases, but also sa colored products like blushes. Filipinos kasi were too scared of pink, diba. Sanay na sanay tayo sa peach, terracotta.
So I started working with different brands for collaborations, and dito ako na-involve with product development. I became very interested in it, and then I decided na, "Okay, I wanna put out something talagang made for Filipino skin tones and for the Philippine weather." Doon ko nabuo si GRWM Cosmetics, with the drive and passion to amplify inclusivity and representation, kasi when I go to the mall back then, parang lahat ng nakikita kong models, usually foreigners sila. I wanted to set this realistic expectation na this is how this makeup and colors will look on us—para sa ating mga Pinay.
Mae: Yes, there were a lot of struggles. I started as a content creator, and there's always this stigma when content creators launch their brands, [the consumers] think, "Oh, pineperahan lang yung fans nila" or that it's a cash grab. So, as much as possible, I really tried to stay away from the brand. I wanted them to know GRWM for GRWM and not because of Mae Layug.
I even had to loan para ma-i-launch ko yung brand. At that time din, we were a new brand, so mga competitors mo sobrang lalaki na, sobrang established na. Sabi ko, how will we stand out? I started sharing kung pano namin siya ginagawa, and I think yun yung isa sa na-continue ko rin from being a content creator...yung transparency. Like "These are our products, ito yung mga claims namin, and we'll never over-claim beyond that."
That was one common problem that I encountered even when I was a content creator when I worked with brands. The claims are endless, and I'm like, you can't do that, kasi this product, it has to have its own identity. Ano ba talaga siya? Yung expectations tuloy ng mga tao sa product, sobrang laki, imbis na ito lang yung kaya niyang gawin. So with GRWM, when I launched it, sabi ko ito yung claims nung brand, ito yung kaya niyang gawin. It's up to you whether you wanna try it or not.
Mae: Sana mas may background ako sa business, kasi like I mentioned earlier, I was a cardiovascular nurse, and then I became a content creator. So most of the things I know are more on influencer marketing. I had a bit of background, but when it comes to business operations, hindi ganon ka-strong yung background ko.
But thankfully, I have my team and from scratch namin pinagtulungan yung mga process para ma-streamline namin and mas pulido siya. I really wish I had gone to a business school from the start, though.
Mae: Actually, the first thing we do is conduct market research. Aside from that, tinitignan namin ano ba yung kulang sa Philippine market, ano ba yung hindi pa iniintroduce dito and ano pa yung kailangan naming i-improve sa current product roster ng lahat ng brands? So we do extensive market research.
Isa rin sa mga inaaral ko are luxury brands, like how do they do it? Because when we say luxury brand, the expectations are really high and the quality needs to be very good, so sila yung madalas na ginagawa kong benchmark when it comes to market study. And then the next thing I'll do is consumer research. Nagpapa-answer kami ng mga polls and forms asking ano ba gusto ng mga consumers for us to launch.
And third, when you go to conventions kasi, ang beauty industry, mayroon na silang naka-plan out for the year. If you notice, ngayon ang trend is the cherry color. But two years ago, for example, lahat ng mga manufacturers and suppliers, they were offering the same jelly blush. So when you see that, parang, "Ah okay, kaya pala ganito nilalabas ng mga brands kasi ito yung ino-offer sa convention and ng manufacturers."
But for GRWM Cosmetics, ang talagang main focus ko is market and consumer research. For me, iba pa rin kapag classic product and kapag ito yung hinahanap ng mga consumers.
For example, in the Philippines, nung nag-market research ako back in 2020, sabi ko bakit ang kaunti ng fixing sprays dito and hindi alam ng mga tao paano gumamit ng fixing spray. At the same time, hindi nila alam yung difference with setting spray. Tapos ang init sa Philippines, and nag-co-conduct ako ng study and lumabas sa research namin na people are really looking for something to lock their makeup.
So that's when I started developing the fixing spray. We are the first local brand to introduce a fixing spray and really educate the consumers on the difference between a setting and fixing spray. Malaking factor talaga ang research sa amin more than just following the trends or recommended ng suppliers.
Mae: I think the very first way to gain their trust is to be transparent and open with them. Like I said earlier, I never over-claim on our claims. For example, the SPF BFF, I will only tell you it's SPF-verified and hypoallergenic when I have the papers to back my claims up. I will also tell them na we are a start-up, na ito pa lang yung capacity namin.
So I think na-foster yung community kasi nag-grow sila together with the brand, na nakita nila yung GRWM nung 2021, so nasundan nila yung journey. I'm also open with them and their suggestions when we do market research with them, like "Ano sa tingin niyo, guys?" So I think yun yung nabuo between the brand and the community, yung trust talaga. Then when we had the trust, nandiyan na sila lagi, like pag nag-launch yung brand ng new products, naka-support agad sila.
We also love working with different content creators. We really support the community, na 'di mo kailangan maging big KOL for us to support you. We've been supporting UGCs, affiliates, and mga nano- and micro-content creators. Nag-e-event kami together with them. It's not that we don't have a relationship with bigger content creators, it's that we prioritize yung community namin, yung mga talagang nag-grow with the brand.
Mae: Actually, one thing I noticed with Gen Z is yung focus nila when it comes to brand stories. They don't just buy anymore just because nagbebenta ka lang ng makeup—you have to resonate with them. You have to show them na you're not just buying our product, you're supporting our advocacies, you're also supporting women, you're also supporting animal welfare. It's not just you're buying lipstick—there's a story behind every product that we launch; there's a story behind the brand.
That's one factor na talagang tinitignan ng mga younger generations. Smarter sila in terms of buying, na when you don't align with their values, they're not really gonna support you. But when you have the same values or they align with your philosophy or branding, talagang makikita mo yung support nila sa inyo.
Mae: I'm a very passionate person. I've always known what I want in life, what I wanted to do. There are times na medyo naliligaw-ligaw ako, but if I focus on something, I will really do everything in my power para ma-achieve ko siya.
It's something na I also wanted to share with my daughter and to the young generation, na when you find something you love or you're passionate about, 'wag mo siya bibitawan. Work on that. Kasi ito yung something na kahit pagod ka na, gagawin mo pa rin siya. I think that's one thing that I learned from my journey of being a nurse, a content creator, and now that I'm an entrepreneur.
Mae: Part ng girlhood is yung community. Sometimes, it's not actually the people you're close with or the people you know, but sometimes, these are people na hindi mo nga kilala, but they are supporting you because both of you share the same advocacy. So building a community, ever since I was a content creator, talagang naging core ko siya. We even called each other noon "ka-bessy"—that was the term I used for my followers back then.
For GRWM and for me as an individual, it's the biggest factor on where I am right now. It's not only because of my own hard work lang, but it's also because of the people who support me. GRWM is a community-centered brand. We were established because of this community, and we intend to grow and focus more on our community.
Mae: For the beauty industry, one thing that I hope to see is more visible support from another person kasi when people see one person supporting another, they get curious. And pag nakita na natin yung reason kung bakit sila sinu-support, mas lalo siya nag-go-grow, na parang, "Uy, pare-parehas pala tayo ng vision...ng goal." So lalong lumalaki yung community, lalong lumalakas yung boses, lalo tayo na-e-empower.
So yun yung isa sa gusto kong makita ngayon, especially when it comes to big names in the industry. Kasi kitang-kita ko siya with smaller communities and with the media, pero hindi ko pa siya gaano kita when it comes to bigger names in the industry. 'Cause again, may influence yung mga bigger names natin, so I think if they see na itong mga 'to, they share the same passion, share the same support for specific campaigns or advocacies, I think we can conquer anything.
Mae: I think, in person, simple things like complimenting each other, parang, "Uy, I like your hair." Simple things, simpleng affirmations, parang for us, "Pinuri ko lang naman yung hair niya" but for them, it means a lot. For them, they feel more confident, they feel better.
The same thing applies for social media. Sa social media nowadays, sometimes we focus more on the negative, minsan we nitpick instead of just appreciating yung milestone ng person or yung ginagawa ng person na 'to. So I think simple appreciation sa kapwa natin babae means so much and it can go a long, long way.
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PHOTOGRAPHER: Miggy Broño
ART DIRECTOR: Ica Del Mundo, assisted by Bea Bognot and Bea Malonzo
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Ida Aldana
PRODUCER: Alyana Olivar
STORY: Cheska Santiago
VIDEO: Cherrie Julian, Jino Del Mundo, and Greeko Junio
SOCIAL MEDIA: Aina Lizarondo, assisted by Elsa Macalinao
