From heartbreak to self-love: How Nina Dizon of Colourette turned pain into power
"I can buy myself flowers... I can love me better than you can."
These lyrics from Miley Cyrus' hit song Flowers perfectly capture the message of how a breakup isn't the end of your life. This isn't to belittle breakups, though, because ending relationships is tough. But no matter how difficult splitting up can be, it also toughens a person.
This was the case for self-made beauty entrepreneur Nina Ellaine Dizon, who is known for her beauty product line Colourette Cosmetics, skincare brand Fresh Formula, and clothing line Every Body. Her past experiences with romance, including her recent heartbreak, didn't make her oblivious to love.
"Happy to report that whatever I went through in the past didn't really affect how I see love. I know it exists and I'm hopeful it'll be my turn one day," she said in an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, adding that the concept of love is always "within you and around you."
"It doesn't have to come from a single source. Love is within yourself, in your family, your friends, your pets, and everywhere else," she continued.
Buying yourself flowers as a form of self-care
In February, Nina made the rounds on social media with her Dangwa Series, where she bought herself nine bouquets for nine weeks and shared nine lessons she learned while doing so.
Nina shared with L!fe that her love language of gift-giving became the inspiration behind her Valentine's project, which has changed the way she sees blooms now.
"In the past, I would always make up excuses about flowers not being practical or that I didn't really like them simply because I wasn't getting any of them," she said. "Buying myself flowers is an act of gift-giving, which is one of my top love languages."
For Nina, flowers now symbolize the kind of love she can give to herself. They're a reminder of how she will "never ever settle again for anything less," noting her realizations on being "enough," "loved," and "amazing."
"I started to look within myself and slowly address the things that I thought I needed from someone else," she said. "It's the things you never knew you could give yourself, but here you are, getting to know your needs and being able to provide them yourself."
Of all the lessons she learned from her Dangwa Series, the last one is her favorite as it's about showing up for herself. She considers it as a form of self-care as it helps her put her wants and needs at the top of her priorities.
"Show up even on days you don't feel like it. Give it the same energy and consistency you give every other facet of your life," she said. "Because I always show up—for work, for family, for friends—I always give everyone else my one hundred percent but never to myself. Now I have learned how important that is."
From heartbreak to self-love
Nina's past heartbreak, which she now describes as "liberating," made her realize that she's responsible for her own happiness.
"With everything that's going on in our lives, it's so easy to pass the blame on others kasi. Whether it's a toxic relationship, a bad friend, or a hard-working environment, it's my responsibility to myself to ensure that I set myself up for success and happiness," she explained.
While she acknowledged that practicing self-love is not as easy as it seems as it requires commitment and consistency, Nina said making decisions and taking steps—no matter how small—could have a ripple effect on your life and overall well-being.
The end of her "very toxic and dysfunctional relationship" that lasted for a decade also pushed her to have stronger boundaries and higher standards when it comes to love, which she has learned to uphold by loving herself more.
"I acknowledge how much of a privilege it is to be loved this intensely, and it [has] made me enforce stronger boundaries and higher standards in the relationships that I keep and nurture now," she said.
"For those who aspire to become a better version of themselves—it's not gonna be easy, but it's going to be worth it for sure," she added.