NYX Cosmetics founder Toni Ko has come a long way since her early days in Los Angeles as a 13-year old Korean immigrant who didn’t speak a word of English.  She started NYX when she was 25, realizing there was a gap in the cosmetic markets between prestige brands sold at high end department stores and mass brands sold in drugstores.  Her goal was to offer professional products with major color pay-off at affordable prices and that she does. NYX is one of my go-tos for perfectly pigmented lipsticks and glosses. The brand was recently acquired by beauty behemoth L’Oreal, so girl knows what’s she’s DOING. She knows some things about some things, so I asked her to spill her rules for life.

Related: Read Jill Percia’s Five Rules For Life

1. Keep on smiling, no matter what! 

Smiling is a cure all medicine.  Sometimes, when I feel down & out, I’ll force myself to laugh or smile –the act of smiling alone makes me feel happier.

2. Never, EVER (and again, NEVER!) cry at a job. 

As soon as that tear rolls down your cheek, you lose all credibility at your work place.  If you feel that tears are inevitable, run to the bathroom, or somewhere that you can be alone – but NEVER cry in front of others at work.

3. Pain is temporary.

Life is like a good waxing.  Sometimes it hurts  like a bi*ch but the pain will subside and you’ll find that rainbow or silver lining.

4. Be humble. 

A lot of people confuse confidence and arrogance.  Arrogance is the most unattractive human feature. Simple as that.  Be confident, but remain humble.

5. Live within your means. 

That means, don’t spend $$ like a rockstar — unless you’re a rockstar! Having a good credit score is SO important.

Thanks, Toni! Stay tuned for more Five Rules For Life.

“Five Rules For Life” is a series on Rouge18 in which I ask others to share their five rules for life about anything and everything. You can learn a lot about a person by reading which five things govern their actions, no?