More than 13.6 million followers on TikTok. Almost 600,000 on Instagram. Rosemarie Tan, more popularly known as Rosmar, is hard to miss on social media.
Before getting known for sharing snippets of married life and holding live videos engaging fans and explaining product benefits, Rosmar and her husband went viral in 2021 when the former’s parents gifted them with P1,000,000-cash during their wedding dance. Peso bills were seen formed into capes and pinned on the bride and groom in a video that now has 33.3 million views.
There is no doubt Rosmar has become a phenomenon. Her skincare line which has just been on the market for 10 months has turned her into a multi-millionaire (we’re talking nine digits in less than a year!).
“Before I had my own, CEOs of other skincare brands tapped me to be an endorser. And I was able to boost their sales. So, I thought, why don’t I develop my own brand? That way, I will be promoting something I own, I can be the CEO and make my profit,” Rosmar said in vernacular during her intimate media conference.
Rosmar’s Philippine-made products are now selling like hotcakes. She offers a wide range of around 50 products —from lip and cheek stains, bleaching scrubs, lotions, serums, creams, and soaps to slimming coffee and health supplements. What makes her products stand out, aside from exciting flavors like condensada (condensed milk) and bubblegum, is her affordable price point.
“I really made them [Rosmar products] super affordable but of high quality. They are low-priced and even kids can afford them. Given my background, I learned and find it okay to have little markup as long as the goods are fast-selling,” Rosmar confidently talked about her business strategy. What she is even more confident about are the results.
“They are super effective,” she said with passion, “I don’t even need to tap endorsers or pay for billboard ads because satisfied consumers readily provide their positive reviews. I prefer real users for real feedback. My customers are the ones who can attest to my products’ effectiveness.”
Aside from claims that Rosmar products are highly effective, short-form video hosting platform TikTok also played a role in marketing the line. Rosmar turned to the app at the height of the pandemic and jumped on dancing trends.
As a self-confessed non-dancing expert, she was on the receiving end of harsh words and insults. “What I did, I just continued to dance and people started to love me for who I am. Some say they find me cheerful and funny,” Rosmar shared.
Rosmar’s grit, drive, and positive outlook are inspiring. These days, even with an ongoing legal battle, a cyber libel case filed against her by a direct competitor, Rosmar shows no sign of worry. The joy of having a booming business, motherhood, and a loving marriage probably overpowers the stressful moments. She seems so fulfilled that giving back comes easy.
Rosmar’s unique business model is a form of giving back. She rakes in millions in sales but allows her resellers to thrive. As you will notice, Rosmar is not a direct seller of her own products as she protects her resellers. “I have showrooms in Manila and Laguna but don’t promote them because I have distributors in the area. I will be competing against them if I do that,” she said.
Rosmar shared that she supports her distributors’ sales by constantly doing live selling on TikTok, some sessions even last for five hours. “That’s what my resellers appreciate. I help boost their sales even while they are sleeping. When they wake up, they are surprised to find sales,” she proudly added.
That, for Rosmar, is her way of giving back. Similarly, right after our interview, the CEO also gave back at her company’s first Christmas party at the SMX Convention Center. Aside from celebrity guests, the party sparkled with grand raffle prizes—100 units of iPhone 14, 10 motorcycles, four cars, P1M in cash, and more. Other skincare brand owners were invited to the said event as Rosmar lives up to her “No to brand wars” mantra.
At this rate, Rosmar has several things to celebrate. On top of the list is how she turned her life around, one aspect at a time. First was the business and then her acting career. From being a background talent in a short film in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, and hit teleserye Halik, the beauty tycoon is now set to star in a yet-to-be-announced international film with her husband Nathan. The couple, both entrepreneurial content creators, met each other on TikTok. They got married twice as Nathan surprised Rosmar with a beach wedding on their first anniversary.
Asked what she thinks is her secret sauce to success, she explained, “When people downplay my success and tell me it’s because I have millions of followers, I tell them that I also started from zero. I looked like a fool many times. But I powered through the bashing to the point that I promoted my products with 40 videos a day. You can check my account. I did not miss a single day of promoting on TikTok”
Rosmar wanted her followers to understand that she and her husband Nathan started from scratch. “Nathan and I used to sleep at the back of our pet shop. We used to wake up to the smell of dog poop and sometimes, there were rats in our sleeping area,” she recalled. They have come a long way since.
Rosmar takes pride in putting in the hard work relentlessly. She constantly sets the bar high and claims, “Consistency is the key.”