Hi! I'm Maria, the creator of Sunkissed Pinay. My love for entrepreneurship grew slowly soon after I graduated college. I grew up in the US but went to college in the Philippines at De La Salle University. Before I came back to the US to work a regular job, I got into making simple bead jewelry! I wanted to buy some dangle earrings and couldn't find anything that I liked so my boyfriend at the time brought me to Quiapo to buy jewelry making supplies. With some trial and error, I eventually learned how to make simple bead jewelry and started selling Swarovski and pearl bracelets to friends and family for a few months.
Some of my first beads earrings I ever made
After going back to the states and working a regular 9-5 for a few years, I decided to buy supplies and make jewelry for myself again. Being my overenthusiastic self, I purchased too much and decided to open up an eBay shop to "get rid" of stuff. Nobody was buying my bead jewelry so I made hand bracelets or "slave bracelets" (sorry for the politically incorrect words!). This helped me get rid of all the chain I had purchased. They were so popular that I started taking my little business more seriously.
One of the hand bracelets I used to sell
Making the hand bracelets became a bit tedious over time and I wanted to make jewelry that I was more passionate about. This is when Sunkissed Pinay came to me. I always loved the idea of representing my Filipino heritage but I wanted to wear something subtle and still wear girly outfits. This is when I decided I should make Filipino pride jewelry! With an investment and determination, I created Sunkissed Pinay!
Our popular Philippine Sun Necklace
Being able to connect with my customers because of our common interests was something I never experienced selling my old jewelry. I'm so grateful for all my customers and I hope you all enjoy everything we offer!