“I remember there was this girl—she was maybe 13 or 14 at the time—she told me that beauty isn’t in the eye of the beholder, but in the eye of the designer,” Miss Intercontinental 2017 1st Runner-Up and Miss World 2018 candidate Katarina Rodriguez tells Metro.Style. “When I thought about that, it’s a pretty wise thing for someone that young to say because, in a way, it’s very true. The word ‘beauty’ or the concept of beauty is really held from the designer’s perspective.”

The “designer” in this analogy could mean anyone who translates their vision of what’s beautiful to real life. When it comes to achieving beauty, this designer could even be you, yourself—it is you who’s in control of how this intangible idea can manifest itself from the inside out. That beauty is subjective is a notion we’ve all come to accept, and how we define beauty today also goes beyond just the qualities we see on the surface and dives deep into what’s beneath.

 

Defining beauty

With Katarina Rodriguez, Kris Janson, Steffi Aberasturi, and Ahtisa Manalo having the word “beauty” precede their names, they each have their own ways in making sure they’re at the most beautiful versions of themselves. But no matter what it is they stand for or whatever beauty rituals they choose to follow, one thing they know for certain is that they are all proud to be beautiful and ready to embrace opportunities that come with owning one’s beauty.

“I have always believed that if you don’t tell yourself you’re beautiful, who else will?” Miss Intercontinental 2014 2nd Runner-Up Kris Janson emphasizes. “In the morning, I look at myself in the mirror and say: ‘Oh, you look good today. You’re stunning; you’re a standout!’ I actually compliment myself and it really does make a lot of difference!” she laughs.

Maintaining a positive attitude is also a factor Binibining Cebu 2018 Steffi Aberasturi attributes to beauty. “I always just try to motivate myself, because I want to be productive all the time,” she mentions. “Beauty is all about personality and character.” When you’re optimistic about life in general, you tend to radiate happiness, and the emotional contagion it causes affects people around you positively as well.

Miss International 2018 1st Runner-Up Ahtisa Manalo can relate the true meaning of beauty to looking on the bright side of things, too, saying, “I think most people don’t know that almost everything can make me laugh. I can see the funny side of everything.” Young as she is at 21, she has taken it upon herself to start building a skin care routine that will suit her skin best as early as now. “I always associate being beautiful to being healthy. I work out and eat clean to keep my body fit. I read books and travel to keep my mind healthy. I make sure I have my rest time… Holistically, I’m healthy.”

As beauty queens, there’s that pressure to always look good or be cameraready. It’s an expectation that comes with this role they’ve taken on, which is why Katarina, Kris, Steffi, and Ahtisa swear and live by certain beauty products, tips, and tricks that can enhance their beauty.

 

Enhancing beauty

For Katarina, regular workouts make such a huge impact to her overall well-being. Since she was into ballet, taekwondo, running, and surfing growing up, the active lifestyle has become second nature to her. “I work out because it makes me feel good. Sometimes people have the misconception that I like to work out because I want to be skinny or fit. Of course, those are extra benefits and advantages, but I just really like how it makes me feel.” Katarina also reiterates the importance of hydrating, and to set an example, she shares that she drinks eight tumblers of water everyday to help her detox and digest food properly. “It helps because you’re really flushing down the food and whatever you’ve had that day. And there are so many other benefits to water—aside from clearer skin and shiny hair, it also makes you feel light,” she says.

Kris also aims to work out regularly—one to two hours every single day, if and when her schedule permits. However, keeping up with this habit of going to the gym regularly can be challenging for some, so she advises, “It would be nice to work out with a group or with a friend just so someone can motivate you. It’s really a tough start. It’s going to be a challenge for a few days, but the best moment is when you see the results and everything just falls into place. Because once you see the results and you remember how hard you work for it, you become more conscious of what is good for your body.” If her days are too hectic, though, she still makes no excuses to sweat a little. “Even if I don’t get to go to the gym, I just walk around, like, 20 to 30 minutes a day around the neighborhood,” Kris shares, adding that she complements exercise with healthy eating. “I do love to eat but I’ve also come to a point where now I’m very mindful of what I eat.”

The balance between maintaining a healthy diet and following a strict workout routine is something Steffi constantly strives to achieve. For her, the two are inseparable parts of a whole that makes a woman strong and fit. Steffi shares, “I go to the gym two to three times a week. I usually get a trainer because I want my gym experience to be exact. I don’t want it to just be any form of exercise. I usually carry weights because I want my body to get toned up.” Other times, Steffi opts for more relaxed ways to work on her beauty, health and wellness, and squeezes several “me-time” activities in one day. “I love massages, because they relax my body and calm me down on stressful days. I love having my nails done then I go for a facial after. I usually do these on the same day,” she adds.

Now that Ahtisa is recovering from the hectic pageant schedule, she places high importance on beauty sleep. “There are a lot of challenges public figures face, but I think the one we ignore most is the one we always encounter: our early mornings and late nights. We may be used to it, but I know they take a toll on our overall health specially on our skin,” Ahtisa points out. If she doesn’t need to wear makeup, she also skips it entirely, to let her skin breathe. It’s a piece of advice she actually received from her own mom, which the young ones will find extremely beneficial in the long run. Ahtisa shares, “I think the most helpful tip that my mom gave me is that ‘don’t put any makeup on’ because you’re young and you don’t need it.” While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with makeup, it can sometimes damage the skin most especially when you’ve forgotten to take it off before going to sleep, a beauty mistake many women are undeniably guilty of.

 

 

Exuding beauty

While outer beauty plays a role in a woman’s career and personal pursuits, inner beauty overshadows superficialities. Paying attention to what goes on inside the body also holds the key to beauty that’s long-lasting. When one feels good from within, that automatically reflects in the way one deals with each aspect of life. It helps give that confidence needed to not only face challenges but also stand out and succeed because though beauty opens doors, it is the confidence that gives the courage to forge one’s path.

Aside from being inspirational beauty queens, who use their influence to champion various advocacies, what these women have in common is also a beauty product that helps makes their skin healthy from within: d-Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E). Having this in their beauty arsenal makes a whole lot of difference in their daily skincare routines.

“It really does keep me healthy. People would come up to me and tell me that I look fresh even when I know I haven’t had enough sleep,” Kris says of the benefits of this vitamin E that keeps her skin nourished. “I always think that the skin is the most taken advantage of organ in our body. It’s the largest one but we take advantage of it. I always believe that for you to look beautiful, you have to take care of your skin.”

Getting compliments for her glowing skin always makes Steffi’s day. “A lot of people praise my skin, and it’s really flattering,” she says. She likes wearing comfortable clothes that show a little bit of skin, so she’s thrilled to have found d- Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E), to give her that radiant aura which inspires her to be more confident in pulling off these looks more.

While Steffi reveals she’s been using d-Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E) for years, the 21-year-old Ahtisa, on the other hand, is just getting started with her own skincare routine. With d-Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E) now part of her beauty stash, Ahtisa is indeed off to a great start, and her skin will surely thank her later. She shares, “Like any transformation or change you want to happen, it should start from within. I started mine with d-Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E).”

 

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Katarina also credits the same product for her skin that is healthy from within. Even though she’s always under the sun, surfing in Siargao, her skin is well nourished. “Recently, I discovered d-Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E), so some people have been asking me if I’m in love because I have this glow about me. And it could be but I really swear that it’s d-Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E),” Katarina says.

With the fast-paced lifestyle women lead these days, it can get pretty hard to stick to a daily beauty routine, but what’s comforting to know about this simple beauty solution is it only takes a few seconds of one’s time and yet it gives long-term benefits.

Take a page out of these beauty queens’ book: Take d-Alpha Tocopherol (Myra E) to nourish your skin from within. If they can do it despite their busy schedules, so can you! You design your own life and be your most beautiful you. You’ll realize that the best beauty solutions could actually even be the simplest ones. Visit Metro.Style again to read more about these #ProudlyBeautiful queens.

 

 

To find out more, go to the Myra E Website 

 

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