Clad in swimsuits and glittering evening gowns, beauty contestants grace the stage with their dazzling smiles, toned bodies and confident charm. But beneath their winning front are hearts thumping with anticipation. For Joanne Quintas-Primero, all the grueling anticipation was worth it. After all, this 31-year-old seasoned beauty queen has neither just one nor two, but three major beauty titles under her belt.
The first one was the 1995 Binibining Pilipinas-Universe title. As a 17-year-old showbiz neophyte then, the untimely death of her beloved grandfather fueled Joanne’s determination to push for his dream for her: to be a beauty queen. Armed with good looks and a strong will, Joanne won the national title but not the much-coveted international crown. It seemed other things were in store for the young mestiza. “After winning, Mrs. Stella Araneta appointed me to represent our country in the Ms. Tourism International 1997 in Macau. And I won!” she shares happily. Even marriage and two children did not slow her down as she bagged the 2003 Mrs. Philippines-World crown.
Not many people know that away from the limelight, Joanne has been trying her hand in a different skill: professional makeup. Exposed early on to the beautifying business through her parents’ salon, she never paid much attention to makeup until she entered competitions and saw its necessity. “(STAR columnist) Celine Lopez booked me my first makeup job,” she recalls. “At first, I was hesitant because I didn’t have any educational background on makeup. But I was so lucky that after that first shoot, a lot of fashion editors asked me to be their makeup artist.”
Aware that there is much to learn in spite of her natural talent, Joanne trained with experts like Jing Monis and studied cosmetology. Used to being the one made up, she says there is a different fulfillment in applying makeup on others. “It’s an art,” she shares. “I love enhancing women’s natural beauty and boosting their confidence.”
Today, Joanne is a professional Shu Uemura makeup artist and hairdresser, jeweler, part-time actress and manager of the family-owned Makati bar, Warehouse 135. Asked where she sees herself 30 years from now, she says, “In my own salon, doing what I love to do: making people beautiful.”
At the end of the day, the multi-titled beauty queen simply wants to spread the beauty and motivate women all over.