Beauty queens offer image, confidence boosting tips

I was in the company of beauty queens and budding titleholders yesterday, having attended the press launch and Visayas screening of the first-ever Turismo Pilipina search.

I’m going to write more about this pageant, and how different it really is from existing national pageants in detail, in a separate article. Meantime, let me just share some image (and confidence!) boosting tips from two of its main organizers, namely Miss International ‘05 Precious Lara Quigaman and Karen Loren Agustin - Ostrea, Bb. Pilipinas Universe ‘02.

Yes, regular girls and ladies who have no intention of joining pageants in their lifetime can still feel like a beauty queen (and be that picture of poise and pleasing personality) even as they go through the motions of everyday life.

Karen, who has trained Precious and many other Bb. Pilipinas winners preparing for their international competitions and who also works as an image consultant at John Robert Powers, has this to say: There’s no such thing as effortless beauty; you have to work for it.

She says, “Number one, make a conscious effort to improve yourself physically, beginning with your posture. Then know your assets, enhance them and flaunt them. Number two, you have to know that you’re beautiful. Number three, you have to feel good about yourself.”    

As for Precious, she says: “Take care of yourself, your looks, and your health.”

Get spiritual. “Like when I won the Miss International pageant, I didn’t think I won it by myself. Prayers had a lot to do with it as well.”

And lastly, she advises: “Everyday, you have to make positive declarations to yourself. Long before the Miss International pageant, I would face the mirror, and say, ‘I am Miss International’.”  

The two are joined by Denille Lou Valmonte, Bb. Pilipinas International ‘06, in heading Turismo Pilipina. The trio gets ample support from “Istayl Nato Ni” host Anna Maris Igpit, Bb. Pilipinas-World ‘06, who is Turismo Pilipina Visayas screening committee head.  

Best wishes, Raki!

Rochelle Vega (more popularly known as Raki) is going to tie the knot today with her longtime beau Jon Fredrich Siu.

Raki has, of course, specially chosen September 8, as the Cebuana singer-thespian is a Marian devotee—a fact she has always been proud of and vocal about in an industry that gets very few declarations about faith, beliefs, etc.    

This year, blessings, career-wise, have also poured in for Raki, who is now managed by STAGES and has been signed up by Star Records. She sang the female version of the theme song of ABS-CBN’s “Lobo,” originally sung by Martin Nievera. She also sang two tracks of TV host Boy Abunda’s best-selling “Love Life” album released earlier in the year.

Biggest iStore in Cebu opens

I received an invite from Jaja Chiongbian-Rama to catch the opening of the biggest iStore in Cebu tomorrow at SM Northwing. Apple South Asia managing director, Philip Chua, will grace the grand opening. 

Apple products, especially the iPhone, iPod Touch, and MacBook Air, the world’s thinnest notebook, have been generating attention of pop-culture phenom proportions. And so, if you don’t want to be left behind, you can check what the fuss is all about with the chance to “test-drive” Apple’s entire product line at the Northwing branch, beginning tomorrow.