Hannah Ruth Sison

Photo by Owen Reyes

After placing 1st Runner-up in the Bb. Pilipinas 2015 beauty pageant, Hannah Sison was nowhere to be found after the first set of winners’ photos were taken. Many of her fans noticed it and all of them, including this blogger, were disappointed that she did not land a crown. I had her singled out for a title and really thought she had it in the bag.

I guess we can collectively say that one of our biggest pageant regrets now is that we will not see Hannah Ruth compete in international pageant. From what I know, she ages out next year.

Anyway, I am relieved to see that she sent a message to all her followers, supporters and fans, via her Instagram.  And she posted the photo above. I am glad to say that her message is full of hope. Here it is:

Hannah Ruth Sison overwhelmed by fan support!

Hannah Ruth, I’ve always believed in you and am in awe of your beauty. I am so glad you are ok. You will ALWAYS be a beauty queen through and through. The real crown you wear is from your fans and from heaven too. It is a crown that you will never have to relinquish. God bless you!

Wow, what a wonderful birthday gift – being featured in a news spread in a North American publication! And to be included among my idols in pageant expertise after only 5 or 6 years of blogging about pageants is a thrill!!!  They are all my ates and kuyas when it comes to pageant knowledge, LOL. Si Coco lang ang hindi ko pa na-mi-meet so I’m looking forward to that.

Thank you Michael Davantes for this feature, I really appreciate it! It made my special day today extra-special!

Athena Catriz, 3rd Runner-up, Miss Summer Internatioal 2015

A spot of good news for Pinoy pageant fans: a Filipina placed high in an international pageant held in Colombia days ago! Athena Catriz, a freelance model landed at 4th place. Colombia’s very own Maria Alejandra Serrano Sabogal won the crown.

Well done Athena Catriz!!!

What crown is this, you ask?

It’s the Miss Summer International 2015, a young pageant that is still in it’s early years. Its theme is tourism and it’s focus is promoting the summer destinations of each country that competes in the pageant. From what I gleaned after reading a Colombian newspaper, some 20 girls fought for the crown this year.

Sultry or sweet is Athena Catriz…

And who is Athena Catriz apart from being so obviously beautiful?

Well she is a 24-year-old pageant warrior with a string of titles . Here are some of them:

Summer Bodies 2012 – Grand winner
Sta. Lucia Sexybodies 2013 – Grand winner
Elite Body Philippines 2012 – 1st Runner up
Ms. Sophie Paris Philippines 2012 – 2nd Runner up
Ms. Slimmers World Body Beautiful 2012 Award

and… Tourism Ambassador and runner-up during Miss Global Philippines 2014!

According to a Missosology thread I read, Athena Catriz is a Masscomm student at Assumption College, Makati. She majored in Media Production.

Congratulations Athena Catriz for your gift to Pinoy pageant fans!

Sources:

Critical Beauty

El Diario Sociales

Norman’s Blog

Missosology.info

Every year Miss Philippines Earth never fails to being a gorgeous batch of classy beauties to its stage, proof that in spite of past controversies, the MPE brand is still viable and respected.

Chanel Olive Thomas representing San Antonio, Nueva Ecija

This year I quickly spotted my top choice for the 2015 title – Chanel Olive Thomas (above) who is representing San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. She’s got that wide smile, a hallmark of many a pageant winner.

My next favorite would be the representative from Manila, Angelia Gabrena Ong. She also bears that stunning toothy smile and silky black hair as straight as the NLEX.

Both girls are stunning but I think Chanel would be a stronger candidate on the international stage. Her bubbliness and ease with people reminds me of Miss Philippines’ Earth 2009 Sandra Seifert. Chanel and Sandra have similar personalities and seem cut from the same cloth.

But if Angelia wins I would be happy too because her beauty is the type that really grows on you. Up close, she is even prettier!

**********

My third favorite, who I find hotter than both Chanel and Angelia put together, is the girl from Ormoc City, Ma. Pearl Darlene Pepito. Her undulating curves remind us that you don’t have to be a skinny girl to be beautiful and a winner!

**********

Other girls that caught my eye:

From the National Capital Region…

Chezka Paulina Carandang representing Quezon City has the beautiful smile of a prom queen. Young and fresh. She looks awfully familiar to me and I think I’ve seen her in some other pageant screening, I think Mutya ng Pilipinas but am not sure…

**********

My other favorites from the North Luzon grouping…

Representing Baguio is lady cop Sofia Loren Deliu who is getting prime time attention for being on the police force. I hope we see more beauties from the defense sector join our national pageants!

***********

Diana Mackey (above left) recieves her Bronze medal in the Darling of the Press competition. The first time I saw this peaches-and-cream beauty was at last year’s Slimmer’s World Miss Bikini Philippines. She won Best in Long Gown and a sponsor award in that pageant and I’m expecting her to do better in Miss Philippines Earth 2015.

**********

Stephany Gerona from Marilao, Bulacan is a sentimental favorite of mine. I met her first at Season 1 of Pinay Beauty Queen Academy and enjoyed working with her! She’s already won a few sponsor awards but I saw on Wikipedia that Stephany has withdrawn from the pageant, can anyone confirm this?

**********

My picks from South Luzon…

Albay always sends beauteous lasses to our national pageants and Jian Carla R. Salazar is no exception. The Guinobatan rep is one of the stunners this year with a big chance at one of the crowns!

**********

Paris Silva from Lipa City has that Pinay type of beauty that does well in pageants. I hear that this girl is a favorite of many other pageant analysts.

*********

Alyanna Mikaela Cagandahan certainly does justice to her descriptive last name. Another descriptive that I’d like to add is – maamo. The Santa Cruz, Laguna representative has a lovely maamo face that I find quite endearing.

**********

Carla Angela Valderrama from Siniloan, Laguna reminds me so much of Miss World 1st Runner up Ross Misa who also competed in Miss Philippines Earth and finished in the Top 15. Carla has big beautiful expressive eyes and a bubbly personality!

**********

My top girls from the Visayas…

I’m SOOO loving the pretty face of Aiko Rachelle Caraan who is representing Badian, Cebu in MPE 2015. She reminds me an actress or a beauty queen I can’t figure out who…

**********

Is that Bb Pilipinas International winner Patricia Fernandez? No its not! It’s a lovely sweetheart from Mandaue City named Mhon Theress Menaling.

**********

My favorite lovelies from Mindanao…

Very pretty! Beatrice Alvarez is representing Cagayan de Oro City.

**********

Jocehl K. Cristoria is another lovely Pinay in this year’s pageant. She is wearing the Ibigay Iligan City sash.

**********

That rounds up my favorite beauties and picks for the crown. Miss Philippines Earth 2015 will be crowned tonight at the SM MOA Arena … May the best beauty win!

Gosh I missed all the drama that happened at last night’s Miss Philippines Earth 2015 beauty pageant after Manila candidate and eventual winner Angelia Gabrena Ong answered her final question. I was up north at Subic covering the Mrs Globe Philippines pageant.

Anyway it seems like she stirred up a hornet’s nest with her answer. See below.

(Got the screen cap above from a Facebook account of a friend)

Many bible-thumpers jumped on her for what seemed like support for same-sex marriage.

Then…the grammar police went Nazi on her sentence construction.

And others wondered if she thought that the question was about sex before marriage.

Photo by Adrian Gonzales. Taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer site.

Click here to read the PDI’s coverage of Angelia Gabrena Ong’s victory.http://entertainment.inquirer.net/171410/manila-lass-crowned-miss-philippines-earth-2015

Whatever the case,  I’m throwing my full support behind Angelia Gabrena Ong simply because – it is not fair to judge a person based on one question.

It is also a personal policy of mine to respect a person’s opinions (basta wag illegal). Also, I think pageants should tread carefully when it comes to asking contestants about divisive topics.

As for our contestants speaking in broken or not so good English? Well, it shows me they can speak at least two languages. Many can’t even speak one language well! And, I try to look for their ability to make sense more than their ability to speak perfect English.

When scientific conventions have speakers from different countries presenting their papers in English, there are bound to be grammar mistakes galore! But they give leeway for such mistakes… so why can’t we?

Also, if pageant candidates choose to answer in Tagalog or Pilipino, then good on them!  I appreciate contestants who make that choice.

Going back to a person being judged on one question – yes it is not fair. So that is why pageants normally have a pre-judging event where judges get to dig deeper into the minds of each contestant. It is entirely possible for a person to be excellent in the pre-judging and then struggle in the final Q&A.

Perhaps Angelia presented herself so well in the pre-judging (and in all pageant activities) that the judges felt she deserved the title, period.

Whatever the case, she has been crowned and will be the Philippine representive the in the next Miss Earth pageant. She needs the support of the pageant community as she prepares for it. At least now she and her trainers know what area needs work.

Wishing Angelia Gabrena Ong the best!!!

What a terrible way to win for the Philippines.

Being from this country, I know I should be rejoicing over our victory and I am. But there is a big part of me that just can’t fully get into it because it was at the expense of another girl.

Here’s what happened:

Right after host Steve Harvey announces that Columbia is the winner of Miss Universe 2015, he comes back and says he made a mistake. He shows the card with the winners on it and says, the Philippines is the rightful winner. Then he goes on to take responsibility for his horrible mistake. He tries to save the situation by saying ‘don’t take it against the girls’ but it was the wrong thing to say. No one is taking it against the girls at all. Most fans are taking it against him.

(I’ll be uploading our video of that moment with my hubby saying Oh my gulay in the background and me sobbing like a fool.)

I still like Steve Harvey anyway, because he bravely faced his mistake and accepted that it was his fault. I do hosting jobs too, and if I made that mistake, I think I would resign from be I could. This is precisely why, whenever I host pageants, I always ask for a co-host who can help me verify things. When I don’t have a co-host I look fifty times at the winning card to make sure I say things right. Maybe Steve Harvey was overconfident and didn’t bother to look carefully. So the whole snafu is on his shoulders.

But, this kind of mistake in pageants happens more often than we think, so there also should be failsafes set by the organizers so that hosts DON’T MAKE MISTAKES. It should be clearly printed on the card. With the winner’s name in HUGE BOLD PRINT.

So. Here is where the hurt went:

1. Miss Colombia, Paulina Vega and the rest of Colombia and her fans. All I can think of is this – what if it was Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines who was mis-announced? And then suddenly the crown went to another girl?!!! My heart would burst into a million pieces and I’d land in the ICU of Makati Med. How can I fully enjoy the victory when I know it has caused the embarrassment and pain of another beautiful and wonderful person? If Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines will forever be remembered positively for this, Colombia will forever be remembered as the girl who was wrongly crowned.

It. Is. Just. Horrible.

(But there are always constellation prizes in this universe. At least Colombia held the crown last year. They can hold on to that.)

2. Pia Wurtzbach. OMG. This girl worked so hard for this moment. She joined Bb. Pilipinas three times. Lost the first two times and then finally got the Miss Philippines Universe 2015 crown which gave her the right to compete in this year’s Miss Universe. This means she has been gunning for this moment for three years now. Three years of tiis-ganda, not eating cake, walking in those damn painful seven inch shoes, spending half her life in the gym and then the other half learning the art of answering questions. Then there is the mandatory beauty sleep. Does she even have a life? It is NO JOKE. Pia has made HUGE sacrifices for this moment and finally when it comes, it’s at the expense of another contestant AND THEN… her crowning moment… that moment when she feels the universe crown gently landing on her head… even the sliding of the hairpins in her tresses to hold the crown steady… and then the tears of joy while waving at the jubilant Filipino fans in the universe… that is all GONE.

Her. Crowning. Moment. WAS. STOLEN. FROM. HER.

Now, all we are going to talk about is the wrong announcement. Of course we are all happy. I am. But I can’t help these feelings because I know they are exactly what Pia Wurtzbach is feeling. Three years of hard work and all she got was a few minutes of looking shocked on stage. The thought makes me so angry so I will stop here because I am not about anger.

3) The Host Steve Harvey. Of course there is pain there. You could see how horrified he was at himself. He said the wrong thing though asking viewers not to take it against the girls. Why on earth would we? They did nothing wrong. HE DID! Too bad because he was quite good and highly entertaining.

Until. That. Moment.

People are saying – Steve Harvey will never get hired again. Well, maybe not by Miss Universe or any other pageant franchise. And I don’t think he is going to WANT to host any pageants in the near future. He did his best to save things but even that kind of failed.

I were in his shoes, I would just want to dig a hole into the earth and bury myself there forever. Out of embarrassment. I would just die. I know it was an honest slip on Steve’s part so I sympathize with him even if I am mad at him for making such a stupid mistake.

4) The viewers felt the pain too. It wasn’t easy watching this awkward moment. I was hurting in so many places I didn’t know I had that many places that had nerve endings! Poor audience. I think we all went into some slow-mo suspended animation as we tried to process what was happening. Cripes!

If you watch the footage again, you’ll see that even the camera crew handling the Miss Universe was careful not to show Miss Colombia after the correction was made. That was the right move. Spare her what you can. One friend of mine who was watching in Vegas says that Colombia didn’t right away give up the crown and sash. She was just as shocked as we all were… maybe all the more so.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

I am sure that all the nega feelings I mentioned above will pass. Well, maybe Colombia will hang on to it longer. A looot longer. But for us, the fans and followers of Pia Wurtzbach, we will surely move on and laugh at this moment. I can already see myself fondly remembering how shocked we all were, specially Pia on stage and how for weeks we could not stop talking about it! This will surely go down in history as one of the most embarrassing and awkward moments in pageantry. But the fans of Pia Wurtzbach will surely forget all the bad feelings cause if you really think about it, who cares about the crowning moment?

We got the crown.

AND. THAT’S. WHAT. MATTERS.

The best-preforming Bb Pilipinas batch ever! Bb. Pilipinas GOLD batch 2013 – L-R Pia Wurtzbach (1st RU), Cindy Miranda (Tourism), Ariella Arida (Universe), Bea Santiago (International) and Matya Datul (Supranational)

I was going through my old blog posts on Pia Wurtzbach when I came across this photo. It was the very first time Pia had joined Bb. Pilipinas, some 3 years ago.  It was the GOLDEN batch celebrating 50 years of Bb Pilipinas beauties. Pia placed 1st Runner up then. So fresh and new to the scene!

Well, as I continued looking at this photo I realized that this could very well be the most accomplished batch in Bb. Pilipinas ever! Just look at the international crowns and honors these girls have given the Philippines:

CINDY MIRANDA – Top 10 Miss Tourism Queen International 2013

MUTYA DATUL – Miss Supranational 2013 Crown (first for the Philippines)

BEA SANTIAGO – Miss International 2013 Crown (fifth for the Philippines)

ARIELLA ARIDA – 3RD Runner-up, Miss Universe 2013 (eighth RU honor for the Philippines)

and finally…

PIA WURTZBACH who is MISS UNIVERSE 2015! (third for the Philippines)

Though Pia did not give us any international honors in 2013, I consider it part of her journey to the Miss Universe crown. She joined Bb. Pilipinas again in 2014, a most painful experience for her because she did not win or even place as a runner-up. She tried one more time this year and finally reaped a crown and the chance to go to Miss Universe where she gave the Philippines its 3rd MU crown! And what a dramatically unexpected way to win! With a crazy mix-up between her and Colombia, thanks to host Steve Harvey who read the wrong thing!

Oh what a journey!

And oooooh what a fierce and beautiful batch filling my Christmas stocking with winners!

Bb. Pilipinas 2013 – you are indeed an amazing batch!!!  Congratulations!

I am taking a moment to break out of my retirement from pageant blogging because I think a wrong decision has been made.

The disqualification of Kim Ross delos Santos from Bb. Pilipinas batch 2016 due to what is being labeled a ‘racy’ photo is disappointing to me. Looking at the photo, the word ‘racy’ does not come to mind. I’d say that the words ‘daring,’ ‘suggestive’ or ‘artistic’ are more applicable. But let’s just go ahead and call it a racy photo because to me, the label doesn’t really matter anyway.

The racy photo in question

To be clear, I will always be on the conservative and modest side. Sexy and daring photos like this are not my cup of tea. Honestly, I used to look down on FHM cover girls and those who posed for similar gentlemen’s magazines. But that changed when a friend – actress Andrea Torres – posed for the cover a year or two ago. Though I was shocked that she did the cover, I could not take away the respect I already had for her as a co-actress on the set of the teleserye Ang Lihim ni Annasandra. She was still an amazing person to me because I knew her and I saw her work ethic. To me, that described her and not the FHM cover.

I have also discovered that my old way of thinking does not empower women. Because what truly empowers anyone is letting them move on in spite of what you think they have done.

I remember reading a story about a Miss World winner, I think it was Leslie Langley in 1965, who had nude photos taken before she joined the pageant. It was at a time when pageants were ultra-conservative. It was 1965! When the photos came to light, it became a huge a scandal! But what was even more scandalous (to the moralists at least) was that the Miss World leadership allowed her to keep the title because they forgave her. It was something she did BEFORE joining the pageant and not during.

Let’s stop disqualifying beauty contestants because of racy photos. While, IMHO, racy, suggestive or nude photos in themselves are not a true empowerment of women, stopping a girl from achieving better things in life because of them is where true disempowerment lies.

The better decision would have been to allow Kim Ross delos Santos to compete and then if she wins make her sign a contract that forbids her to have such photos taken. It really is that simple.

PS. The photo above does not stray far from the photos taken during the year when Miss Universe gave contestants the option to pose topless (but with body paint and boobs strategically hidden). Look below. Calling lawyers of Kim Ross delos Santos, this might be a good defense for your case. If we send contestants to a pageant like Miss Universe that once allowed topless shots (which easily falls under the term of ‘racy photos’) then why are we disqualifying contestants for something similar?

Wow, what a wonderful birthday gift – being featured in a news spread in a North American publication! And to be included among my idols in pageant expertise after only 5 or 6 years of blogging about pageants is a thrill!!!  They are all my ates and kuyas when it comes to pageant knowledge, LOL. Si Coco lang ang hindi ko pa na-mi-meet so I’m looking forward to that.

Thank you Michael Davantes for this feature, I really appreciate it! It made my special day today extra-special!

Every year Miss Philippines Earth never fails to being a gorgeous batch of classy beauties to its stage, proof that in spite of past controversies, the MPE brand is still viable and respected.

Chanel Olive Thomas representing San Antonio, Nueva Ecija

This year I quickly spotted my top choice for the 2015 title – Chanel Olive Thomas (above) who is representing San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. She’s got that wide smile, a hallmark of many a pageant winner.

My next favorite would be the representative from Manila, Angelia Gabrena Ong. She also bears that stunning toothy smile and silky black hair as straight as the NLEX.

Both girls are stunning but I think Chanel would be a stronger candidate on the international stage. Her bubbliness and ease with people reminds me of Miss Philippines’ Earth 2009 Sandra Seifert. Chanel and Sandra have similar personalities and seem cut from the same cloth.

But if Angelia wins I would be happy too because her beauty is the type that really grows on you. Up close, she is even prettier!

**********

My third favorite, who I find hotter than both Chanel and Angelia put together, is the girl from Ormoc City, Ma. Pearl Darlene Pepito. Her undulating curves remind us that you don’t have to be a skinny girl to be beautiful and a winner!

**********

Other girls that caught my eye:

From the National Capital Region…

Chezka Paulina Carandang representing Quezon City has the beautiful smile of a prom queen. Young and fresh. She looks awfully familiar to me and I think I’ve seen her in some other pageant screening, I think Mutya ng Pilipinas but am not sure…

**********

My other favorites from the North Luzon grouping…

Representing Baguio is lady cop Sofia Loren Deliu who is getting prime time attention for being on the police force. I hope we see more beauties from the defense sector join our national pageants!

***********

Diana Mackey (above left) recieves her Bronze medal in the Darling of the Press competition. The first time I saw this peaches-and-cream beauty was at last year’s Slimmer’s World Miss Bikini Philippines. She won Best in Long Gown and a sponsor award in that pageant and I’m expecting her to do better in Miss Philippines Earth 2015.

**********

Stephany Gerona from Marilao, Bulacan is a sentimental favorite of mine. I met her first at Season 1 of Pinay Beauty Queen Academy and enjoyed working with her! She’s already won a few sponsor awards but I saw on Wikipedia that Stephany has withdrawn from the pageant, can anyone confirm this?

**********

My picks from South Luzon…

Albay always sends beauteous lasses to our national pageants and Jian Carla R. Salazar is no exception. The Guinobatan rep is one of the stunners this year with a big chance at one of the crowns!

**********

Paris Silva from Lipa City has that Pinay type of beauty that does well in pageants. I hear that this girl is a favorite of many other pageant analysts.

*********

Alyanna Mikaela Cagandahan certainly does justice to her descriptive last name. Another descriptive that I’d like to add is – maamo. The Santa Cruz, Laguna representative has a lovely maamo face that I find quite endearing.

**********

Carla Angela Valderrama from Siniloan, Laguna reminds me so much of Miss World 1st Runner up Ross Misa who also competed in Miss Philippines Earth and finished in the Top 15. Carla has big beautiful expressive eyes and a bubbly personality!

**********

My top girls from the Visayas…

I’m SOOO loving the pretty face of Aiko Rachelle Caraan who is representing Badian, Cebu in MPE 2015. She reminds me an actress or a beauty queen I can’t figure out who…

**********

Is that Bb Pilipinas International winner Patricia Fernandez? No its not! It’s a lovely sweetheart from Mandaue City named Mhon Theress Menaling.

**********

My favorite lovelies from Mindanao…

Very pretty! Beatrice Alvarez is representing Cagayan de Oro City.

**********

Jocehl K. Cristoria is another lovely Pinay in this year’s pageant. She is wearing the Ibigay Iligan City sash.

**********

That rounds up my favorite beauties and picks for the crown. Miss Philippines Earth 2015 will be crowned tonight at the SM MOA Arena … May the best beauty win!

Gosh I missed all the drama that happened at last night’s Miss Philippines Earth 2015 beauty pageant after Manila candidate and eventual winner Angelia Gabrena Ong answered her final question. I was up north at Subic covering the Mrs Globe Philippines pageant.

Anyway it seems like she stirred up a hornet’s nest with her answer. See below.

(Got the screen cap above from a Facebook account of a friend)

Many bible-thumpers jumped on her for what seemed like support for same-sex marriage.

Then…the grammar police went Nazi on her sentence construction.

And others wondered if she thought that the question was about sex before marriage.

Photo by Adrian Gonzales. Taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer site.

Click here to read the PDI’s coverage of Angelia Gabrena Ong’s victory.http://entertainment.inquirer.net/171410/manila-lass-crowned-miss-philippines-earth-2015

Whatever the case,  I’m throwing my full support behind Angelia Gabrena Ong simply because – it is not fair to judge a person based on one question.

It is also a personal policy of mine to respect a person’s opinions (basta wag illegal). Also, I think pageants should tread carefully when it comes to asking contestants about divisive topics.

As for our contestants speaking in broken or not so good English? Well, it shows me they can speak at least two languages. Many can’t even speak one language well! And, I try to look for their ability to make sense more than their ability to speak perfect English.

When scientific conventions have speakers from different countries presenting their papers in English, there are bound to be grammar mistakes galore! But they give leeway for such mistakes… so why can’t we?

Also, if pageant candidates choose to answer in Tagalog or Pilipino, then good on them!  I appreciate contestants who make that choice.

Going back to a person being judged on one question – yes it is not fair. So that is why pageants normally have a pre-judging event where judges get to dig deeper into the minds of each contestant. It is entirely possible for a person to be excellent in the pre-judging and then struggle in the final Q&A.

Perhaps Angelia presented herself so well in the pre-judging (and in all pageant activities) that the judges felt she deserved the title, period.

Whatever the case, she has been crowned and will be the Philippine representive the in the next Miss Earth pageant. She needs the support of the pageant community as she prepares for it. At least now she and her trainers know what area needs work.

Wishing Angelia Gabrena Ong the best!!!

As an actress and beauty queen, skin care is one of my top priorities. Unfortunately, aging, gravity and sun exposure are my biggest challenges. My cheeks are slowly travelling downward and I can almost see jowls on my jaws. And dear me, my nasolabial folds – the deep lines that bracket my smile! They are growing deeper by the day.

I need derma intervention!

Yet at the same time, I don’t ever want to look fake and puffed up with Botox and fillers. I know that every line on my face tells a beautiful story and every scar I bear shows my strength. While I am proud of my age I also want to look fresh so I promised myself that if ever I had any face lift or procedure done, it would have to be minimally invasive with the goal of LOOKING NATURAL.

So when Dr. MJ Torres, the owner and lead dermatologist at The Zen Institute told me about “PowerCell Lifting” – a face-lift that is minimally invasive with instant results – I got so excited and booked a date. What exactly is PowerCell Lifting? It involves threading certain parts of your face (using the thinnest of needles) to stimulate the production of collagen – the stuff that keeps you young and fresh!

Here is my before and after photo:

Left – Before the Procedure. Right – taken 45 minutes after the procedure.                            I have no make-up on and did not alter the photos in any way.

The long and short of it is – I am COMPLETELY happy with the subtle lift of my face! I still look natural and very much like myself, just fresher and a tad younger!

WHAT IT WAS LIKE:

Guys, if there is anyone who is deathly afraid of needles AND pain, it is ME. I have been deeply traumatized since childhood and by frequent visits to the dentist. But thankfully I am made of steel and can put my game face on whenever I have to have an injection or blood test.

So with trepidation in my heart but determination in my mind, I went though my first ever ‘alternative face-lift’ involving needles and here is what happened:

1. RESOLIFT TREATMENT – First thing – a quick Resolift for Facial Contouring treatment. After cleaning my face, they put something like KY Jelly and warmed up my face with a little flat iron that looks similar to what they use in ultrasounds. This took about 20 minutes or so.
2. ANAESTHETIC APPLICATION – Now, time to start the PowerCell Lift – They applied anaesthetic all over my cheeks down to my jaw, chin and under-chin. Then they covered the anaesthesized areas with something like Saran wrap. I think I had to wait for about 30 minutes for the anaesthetic to be in full effect. I was quite nervous so I put some relaxing music on my phone. (I chose Final Fantasy 7 songs, piano versions.)
3.  THREADING TIME – Finally, the handsome Dr. Red came to begin the actual procedure. I was so scared of the needles but the anaesthetic was quite effective. Closing my eyes throughout also helped! As the doctor started threading my face with the thinnest of needles, I could only feel something like teeny tiny ant-bites. Very very tolerable. To help minimize pain, the nurse used an ice compress on the areas being threaded. Doc. Red says the threads are left behind under my skin to stimulate collagen production. These  thread will eventually melt away.

   HALFWAY THROUGH THE PROCEDURE: Left side is unthreaded. Right side (with white marks) is threaded. You can see the slight lift on the threaded half. AMAZING!

   PAIN SCALE – On a scale of 1 to 10 I would say that the pain was a 2. A couple times it reached 3. But even then it was very very tolerable. I was thankful that Doc Red had a light hand. He would stop if I felt any discomfort. The threading part lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. It was FAST!

Meet Dr. Red, the very handsome dermatologist who handled my PowerCell Lift. He is a fan of beauty pageants so we got along quite well. He has a light hand and was very careful not to hurt me. This photo was taken right after the procedure at the Quezon City branch of the Zen Institute.

POST PROCEDURE OBSERVATIONS – After the entire procedure was done, they cleansed my face again and took photos! The result was instantaneous and very natural!! Dr. Red said that the lift effect will get even in better in the coming days.

MY PAIN LEVELS AFTER ANAESTHETIC WORE OFF – I discovered that I had no need for a painkiller even if Dr. Red advised me to take some. But my cheeks did feel a little raw and if I smiled too widely, it would feel uncomfortable. He also warned that there could be some mild bruising but the next morning, I could only see small pin pricks where the needles entered and exited my face. No bruising, thank God! Pain was also less the day after but my face still felt a little ‘heavy’ and prickly.

To sum it all up – I am very pleased with the PowerCell Lift procedure at the Zen Institute. It was far less scary than I imagined. And more importantly – I still look like myself. I’m very happy! I recommend this procedure to anyone who wants to have a face-lift but doesn’t want to look fake.

To book at free consultation at the Zen Institute call the following numbers:

Quezon City – (+632) 441.17.27    /    (+632) 412.25.28    /      +0917.532.8992

Bonifacio Global City –  (+632) 856.20.27 to 28     /     +0917.502.77.01

Batangas –  (+6343) 778.48.11     /      (+6343) 778.48.18

***Remember to always do your own research and ask questions. Each woman has her own journey to beauty and her own individual needs and physiology. You need take all that into account before selecting and going through any kind of medical procedure. 

After a long 1 year-break from blogging I am back! But only temporarily since I’m on a short vacay from a teleserye that I’ve been shooting. I might not have time to write once my schedule picks up again. But I do miss sharing my thoughts and hearing from you my dear readers. How I miss YOU! All of you who mean so much to me…

I know that it’s been 2 weeks since the announcement of the Top 40, so this is such a late post. But still,  there are lessons we can learn when it comes to choosing the right look if you want to make a jaw-dropping impression at a beauty pageant.

So here goes:

My Top 5 Best Dressed at the Top 40 Announcement of Official Bb. Pilipinas 2017 contestants are:

#32 Charmaine Elima,

#31 Katarina Rodriguez,

#10 Jehza Huelar,

#15 Mariel de Leon and      

#3 Maria Gale Devora Tobes

ABQ’s Top 5 Best Dressed at the Bb. Pilipinas 2017 announcement of official candidates:   #32 Charmaine Elima, #31 Katarina Rodriguez, #10 Jehza Huelar, #15 Mariel de Leon and      #3 Maria Gale Devora Tobes

So what’s the rule of thumb when it comes to dressing for a pageant go-see? Here’s a thought:

Remember Anthony Castelo? The handsome singer who was famous in the 70s and 80s? You can take a clue from his 1982 song – “Fashion Magazine.”  Part of the lyrics go like this –

You look like you just stepped out of a fashion magazine… oh, I won’t let you walk away!

The goal is to look like a doll who stepped out of the latest edition of Vogue so that the screening committee won’t let you walk away! Everything has to be glossy, effortless and perfect. From your outfit, to your hair and make-up and even the way you talk, walk and pose.

Let’s look at each beauty contestant in the collage above and parse her look:

                          #32 Charmaine Elima

Candidate #32 Charmaine Elima is slaying it in her return to the pageant stage. And because I am partial to colorful togs, her outfit caught my eye from the start. Teal and mustard are classic colors and when combined in the right way they give a subdued but stunning look. Notice that the height of the teal portion of the dress is approximately 1/2 of the height of the mustard skirt giving it visual cohesion. The subtle criss-cross belt adds a slimming dimension to her already slim frame. While I do not really like hems that go below the knee for pageant go-sees, (they are too conservative for me) it works well in this case because the beautiful reveal of cleavage gives it balance. Having her locks tumble down and bracket her chest was a good choice. The partly opened mouth that seems like she is about to smile but changed her mind is the icing on the cake. And lastly, the soft drop of her arms as she gently leans on the railing behind her spells out the word – e-f-f-o-r-t-l-e-s-s. You can’t get any sexier than that!

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                              #31 Katarina Rodriguez

Candidate #31 Katarina Rodriguez leaps from the catwalk to the pageant spotlight! And I think she will fare better in Bb. Pilipinas than her Top 3 finish in Asia’s Next Top Model 2. My thoughts on her look here: wearing white is always a risky choice. It can make you look heftier than you actually are as well as darker. (Note: Dark is gorgeous as long as you are naturally so.) On the other hand, if you get your look right, white can turn you into a Greek goddess and that’s exactly what Katarina achieved in this case. Having her hair in a high thick bun was another good choice, making her 5’6.5″ frame even taller. I love the drape over one shoulder leaving the other exposed to show off her well-toned muscles. This dress makes me look forward to seeing her in a swimsuit!

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                                         10. Jehza Huelar

Candidate #10 Jehza Huelar was our Bb. Pilipinas 2nd Runner-up last year and if she can sustain this look throughout the pageant (and hurdle all QnA challenges) methinks she can snag a crown this time around. What works in this photo? Her Dreamy MacDreamy pout. Everything else is secondary. But I do love her little red dress. It’s not as ‘cocktail-ish’ as the previous two outfits and might be a little too casual for me. However it accentuates all her positives. And that black band! There to remind us just how slim her waistline is. The little short sleeves covering her shoulders give her overall look a girly feel. And in my book, girly is always good. Last point: Observe how she slightly lifts up her left knee; that one tiny action has the powerful effect of deepening her curves.

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Candidate #15 Mariel de Leon is on her sophomore attempt at a Bb. Pilipinas beauty title. In 2013 she was a little green but I could see her potential back then which is what I’m seeing now. Mariel has kept her ultra-feminine beauty but has shed her old ‘baby fat’. As you can see above she is lean. Re: her outfit. I thought it was too small; so what she gains in exposing skin, she loses in terms of allure and mystery. But the vibrant color and the silhouette of her dress combined with the curls that barely caress her upper hem, save the day. So do her shapely legs.  I love the way her elbows flare out at 135 degrees with upper arms kept close to her body. Like as if she is saying – “I’m still the same shy girl from 2013 but I’ve got a few surprises coming your way! Watch out!!”

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                               3. Maria Gail Devora Tobes

Candidate #3 Maria Gail Devora Tobes may have been joining local beauty pageants for years but she is still the least experienced in this Top 5 list of mine. While I am not too impressed by her dress – a white lacy number – she is STILL a stand-out! It certainly complements her dreamy creamy complexion. However, I am VERY impressed by the way she carried her outfit. Notice how she gently plants her hands right where her hips meet her waist. That’s a great way to show off your curves when your dress might not be as flattering as you wish. The bustier top exposes her gorgeous shoulders.  Many people underestimate the sexiness of well-sculpted shoulders. In this photo though, you can see how she uses them to her advantage. Both are raised but not too much. Chin down with a conservative but secret smile. Hair coiffed-up. Gorgeous face. Don’t ever let her get away!