Beautiful People, Inside-Out

When I came across an article on Cristalle Henares several years ago, I was left amazed. Despite her privileged background, this young lady volunteered in a far-flung, poor community right after her college graduation. The daughter of beauty doctor to the stars Vicky Belo wanted to go low profile to the point of being anonymous.

I finally met Cristalle in person last week. She’s now the Managing Director of Intellent Skin Care Inc., makers of Belo Essentials. She was here to launch the company’s new products. I was doubly amazed at her—mesmerized actually. Christalle is a management graduate, but her impressive know-how on the subject of beauty and wellness had me listening to her intently as she introduced the new Belo Essentials SUNEXPERT, otherwise known as the “revolutionary sunblock,” which comes in two variants: Face Cover SPF40 and Body Shield SPF 60. They also launched during that summer-themed event, Belo Nutraceuticals, a product combining glutathione and collagen for whiter and younger looking skin.

Cristalle really speaks with great persuasion. Asked what their edge is over the competition, she replied that it’s the fact that everyday, there are about 200 patients coming to their clinic, whose concern is how to be beautiful and younger-looking. Inputs from these patients are collated and included in their research for the safest and most effective ingredients to becoming beautiful.

Plus, it is backed by the credibility of the Belo brand—the same brand trusted by such names as Claudine Barretto, Lucy Torres, and many other celebrities. She revealed that their endorsers so trust the brand that they will just phone her to ask what is the latest Belo Essentials product because they want to try it themselves. Cristalle said that they are their own guinea pigs. “So far wala pa namang masamang nangyari sa amin,” she said with a laugh.

She also told the selected members of the Cebu press, who attended the product launching at Waterfront Lahug’s Artic room that even senatorial candidate Adel Tamano has been using the product since the start of his campaign sorties and the effectiveness has been evident as he has remained “gwapo and flawless” no matter how much sun exposure he’s having with the ongoing campaign.

She also revealed that her family spent almost a week in Maldives during the Holy Week and then proceeded to Boracay for the marketing campaign of the product, but her skin color has stayed the same, thanks to Belo Essentials Sunexpert.

Christalle, who reminds me of character actress Dimples Romana, said that they are targeting the triathlon community as their regular market for the sunblock. In fact, fitness buff Aljur Abrenica, who’s also been hit by the running craze, will be soon introduced as the celebrity endorser. I then asked her why tap a man to endorse a sunblock? She said that, for one, GMA-7’s hot property has a standing contract with Belo and has not been utilized. Secondly, she said, “Aljur has a great body, so why not?”

I also asked her who will be tapped to endorse the whitening cum beauty capsule, she said they have not discussed it yet. However, while writing this piece last Wednesday, a question popped up in my mind: why get a celebrity to endorse when Cristalle can very well do it? She is engaging, charming, and articulate. In short, she is the best ambassadress for her own company.

But if there’s one thing that she said that really stuck in my head, it was the revelation that Piolo Pascual and Sam Milby seldom eat pork. The two hot properties of ABS-CBN have observed that they don’t register well on TV during days they have eaten pork, as compared to the times when they take in veggies and fish. So from now own, I will be really strict on myself and not take in pork.

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Another personality that amazes me is the famous local designer Jed Sevilla. I actually met him in 2004 while I was still a police beat reporter, but it was only last Monday when I was able to spend quality time with him and got introduced to the real Jed Sevilla.

Yes, I’m truly impressed with his talent to come up with simple yet unmistakably elegant creations. One can look very classy in a Jed Sevilla creation. That was what I saw during last Tuesday's Miss Gay Carnival Queen 2010 in Mandaue, wherein first runner-up Maki Eve Fernandez looked so stunning onstage in a Jed Sevilla gown. Wow! How I wish I could also wear a Jed Sevilla gown, but sadly, I can’t and I will never wear one.

But what actually flabbergasted me was the person behind that beautiful work of art. Over a bowl of batchoy, just a few meters away from the Mandaue City Plaza, Jed gradually opened his heart. I found Jed unassuming, unpretentious, and genuinely God-fearing. He has surrendered everything to God since 2004, when he had fallen victim to a robbery incident, which almost cost him his dear life. From then on, he started attending bible study sessions at the Redemptorist church and does his best to be closer to God. I loved it when he admitted he has had lapses in his faith, but that God always creates ways to prevent from straying. For me, only people who have strong faith in God have the guts to admit their mistakes. If you are in denial, there is no way transformation could take place. Total surrender to the creator cannot begin as well. That's why I loved that moment when Jed bravely shared to me his struggles and how he eventually triumphed over them.

I feel Jed is truly blessed. The couture business, he said, is very hard these days, but his needs are still met that he could only smile and marvel at how God has been creating wonders in his life. Jed’s life and faith inspires me so much.

He is very generous too. He volunteers to lend his creations to friends, or those who need them. Asked why does he go out of his way to be of help to others, he said: “Ako man gud i-relate ang situation sa akong kaugalingon. What if ako maoy nagkinahanglan? What if I am the one in their shoes?”

Beautiful, isn’t it? No wonder his creations project genuine elegance and brilliance because his mind is beautiful and his heart glitters in accordance to God’s will.