At home in Hong Kong with Belle & Adrien

Before the government recently imposed stricter measures against COVID-19, Isabelle “Belle” Daza told her Aunt Pat-P Daza (Razzle Daza, Mondays in this paper) that she and husband Adrien Semblat, together with their son Balthazar/Baltie, were “enjoying the best of Hong Kong by daily strolls and family trips to the beach on weekends.

Mother and son arrived in Hong Kong last March 16 when the lockdown was declared in the Philippines to join Adrien who is the vice president of Adidas and Reebok in Hong Kong and Macau. “We were given tags which are monitored by an app that you download on your Smartphone for contact-tracing purposes,” recalled Belle.

Like other women concerned with their looks, Belle said yes to the offer of the Belo Medical Group (BMG) to be the face of Belo Skin Genius, posing in the pictorial without make-up (check photos with this story). According to Dr. Vicki Belo, “The most advanced micro-needling and skin rejuvenation technology helps improve skin texture and tighten and lift the skin.”

Being the outdoor type, Belle said she feels confident to show her bare skin (meaning no make-up).

“Since I started undergoing the Belo Skin Genius, I’ve definitely been wearing less make-up. My skin immediately tightened and brightened, and I feel like I have a more defined jawline but very subtle that’s why I like it.”

Added Vicki, “Looking and feeling beautiful is part of the process of self-care. There’s a demand for beauty treatment these days. I call this phenomenon ‘skin hunger’.”

Asked what else she has discovered about herself while confined to their well-appointed “minimalist” condo unit, Belle said in an e-mail interview, “I realized that to be happy, I don’t really need much...just my family to be safe and healthy, and a yummy meal. Oh yes, and a workout session.”

How are her days like out there?

“When I was in quarantine, I would keep myself busy with the usual...baking, teaching Baltie some activities, YouTubing workouts and catching up with friends. I also wrote an animated story called Tralala The Tiger which I posted on my YouTube channel and my IG.”

Not only that. Belle manages by remote control her Frank Milk Bar business in Manila, checking on her staff by daily calls. Belle told her Aunt Pat-P that she also helps an NGO called Empower-U that tracks and shuts down abusive and illegal manpower agencies that exploit OFWs.

Still, her main concern for herself and her family is their safety and health.

‘Since I had the Belo Skin Genius in December last year, I’ve definitely been wearing less make-up and I feel like I have a more defined jawline but very subtle. That’s why I like it.’

And what was the first thing that she did when she arrived in Hong Kong last March?

“I hugged my husband and had a burger, hahaha!!!”

Incidentally, any beauty tips that she gets from her mom (the “un-aging” Miss Universe Gloria Diaz)?

“Always put on sunblock even on my neck.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)