It’s a given that most little girls love to explore their mommy’s makeup bag. Unlike other girls, though, I was a full-on drag queen from the day I was born! I loved every type of makeup, from the brightest eye shadow to the creamiest concealer. But growing up first-generation Filipina (with two doctor parents!), I was expected to have a real career.

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In 1995, I enrolled in a pre-med program to become a dermatologist, but I really wanted to be a makeup artist. Thing was, even I didn’t think that could be a real job, until I met one who was making $10,000 a day working on a Louis Vuitton ad campaign. Only a few artists make it to that level in the industry. But I believed in myself and worked nonstop.

Then I met Phil Bickett in 1998, and my life totally changed. A model turned photographer, Phil became my mentor—and eventually my husband. He helped me see that my work (and myself ) could be a full-fledged multimillion-dollar business. My career took off. I was doing makeup for A-listers like Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey—sometimes all in the same day! I became the spokesperson for Sephora and traveled the globe, from Russia to Africa, styling some of the world’s most beautiful faces.

After years of globetrotting, I realized I didn’t want that chaotic lifestyle anymore. My husband and I wanted a family. And I’d long been toying with the idea of my own makeup line. We decided to go for both. In 2004, we launched Mally Beauty, and our twins were born in December 2006. Mally sells online, at Henri Bendel in New York City and on QVC. I knew the best place to sell it would be on TV, a risky decision that has proven hugely successful.

Even before I became a mom, I knew I’d never stop working. I feel this is a gift I’m giving women who want to feel good about themselves, inside and out. But I miss my three girls like crazy when I’m away. I’ve cried in many a European hotel room after Skyping a bedtime story to them. But I also adore the connections I make with my beautiful Mallynistas.

Phil and I have this joke that he cracks open each door of opportunity and then I kick it down. As much as I’m on TV and people approach me in the supermarket asking for autographs and makeup advice, deep down I’m still that little girl from Middletown, NY, who would swish blush on her cheeks and hope that one day this dream might come true.

Top Lessons
1. Keep believing in yourself. Even when I wasn’t sure of what the next step was, I always kept moving forward. If you dwell too much before making a decision, you’ll never see progress.

2. Never say no. Starting out, I took every job offered to me. Everything was an experience to learn something new and make a potential connection.

3. Utilize your team. Each member of my staff performs a specific skill, but everyone pitches in when needed, even if it means watching the twins or taking out the trash.

4. Be grateful. I take a moment every day, sometimes 100, to be quiet and thankful for all of this. It keeps me centered—and sane.

—As told to Jennifer Parris