Mother Earth boasts of many wonders and an abundance of beauty for us to witness and experience.
Its beauty was more evident at the recently concluded Miss Earth 2012, where women represented 80 different countries, of diverse cultural backgrounds, who shared the same vision: to champion environmental causes and actively promote and be involved in the preservation and protection of the Earth.
The Philippines’ Stephany Stefanowitz was named Miss Earth-Air and she couldn’t be any happier as she saw this opportunity to continue her advocacy, which is conserving and preserving our natural resources. “I believe now is the time for positive change. I will stand as a strong leader and role model to educate, inform and spread awareness not only for us, but also for the future generations,” said Stefanowitz, a self-confessed lover of the environment since she was a child.
According to the 23-year-old stunner, as a preparation for the pageant, she involved herself with activities that would further expose her to the real situation of our environment. These activities included tree planting and coastal cleanups. “I’ve been busy with these activities. I’m very hands-on with the environmental activities that I join,” shared Stefanowitz, adding that she would like to promote the protection of Mother Earth through school tours, seminars about the current situation of the environment and more tree planting activities.
When asked about her experience in Miss Earth 2012, she beamed as she considers the pageant to be a blessing. “It’s such a wonderful experience because I was able to meet other delegates from all over the world and represent our country. For me, that’s priceless.”
This German-Filipina beauty, although exposed to a bigger world through modeling and TV hosting stints, still believes that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What’s really important is the beauty within.” And for her, a simple regimen will do, “I hydrate myself and I never go to sleep without removing my makeup. I also make sure I use products that go well with my skin like Ever Bilena’s lipstick and powder.”
“Never give up” is a motto very close to Stefanowitz’s heart for it is one of the things that pushed her to be better and stronger after failing to make it to the final round of Binibining Pilipinas in 2010. “I told myself, maybe it’s not yet time. I did not give up on my dream. I kept believing in myself and I trusted myself,” she said.
“To women, believe in yourselves. Believe that you are beautiful. Have confidence and just keep on smiling because that’s your best accessory,” Stefanowitz concluded.
Photography by Jeffrey Sonora • Styling by Niño S. Mas • Hair and makeup by Arman Mista for Ever Bilena • Shot on location at Valley Golf, Antipolo City