Catriona Gray shares 1 beauty essential she carries around with her

MANILA, Philippines — Before becoming the Philippines’ fourth Miss Universe, Catriona Gray ensured that the indigenous talents from the regions were well represented in her triumphant journey.

Her personal advocacy still resonates to this day. Catriona again champions a product that taps into the innate creativity of Filipinos, K Essentials by Katinko, which was launched in a big way with its partner community suppliers, such as the Ayta Abellen, T’boli and Inabel weavers in attendance.

“Supporting local communities through giving sustainable livelihoods and investing into local products. So proud to have partnered up with K-Essentials by Katinko for their launch! Through purchasing direct from farmers, as well as buying Philippine textiles for their packaging, it was so touching to witness and hear directly from the beneficiary communities. Hoping to see many other Filipino brands follow in their footsteps,” Catriona expressed on her social-media accounts.

Hosted by Robi Domingo, Katinko’s first major event was held at the Robinsons Magnolia in Quezon City on March 11 with a selling exhibit that went on until March 17.

Katinko, a trusted name in homes across Hong Kong since 1980 with its operations expanding in the Philippines in 2008, is made by Greenstone Pharmaceutical HK Inc., which is “committed to making a difference in people's lives through superior quality consumer healthcare products.”

K Essentials, “thoughtfully made, conscientiously driven,” is a skin-loving handy massage and body oil, specifically formulated with a special blend of essential oils. A set contains six essential oil blends that will help soothe and enliven both body and mind with 100% natural ingredients in a skin-nourishing Sweet Almond oil base.

Styled by Justine Aliman at the launch, Catriona wore a cocktail dress created by Ulysses Caragayan featuring a giant bow made of inabel from Abra.

“So, I am a huge fan of essential oils. Actually, for years now, especially because of my mom. She's a huge fan of essential oils. So, if you look in any of our handbags, there's an essential oil roller,” the captivating Catriona said. “So, my favorite is the yellow essential oil from K Essentials and it's the Focus. Yes, so it's citrus and peppermint, and I just, I really like it.”

Focus, which comes in a yellow bottle, has scents of Orange, Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Oil. It has rich properties that will “help to increase blood flow; relieve discomforts associated with inflammation, headaches and menstruations; maintain the health, appearance and texture of skin by promoting clarity, radiance and smoothness, thereby reducing the signs of acne and other uncomfortable skin conditions.”

Prodded by Robi, Catriona continued: “I bring [Focus] always with me. And especially, when I'm traveling, I do wear a mask. I don't know, it's become a habit. So I put a little bit of this essential oil inside the mask. Just so it smells like Focus.”

She also brings a bottle whenever she goes out and after a workout: “And then if it's after your workout, if it's when you're doing errands, and if you're having a long, dreary day at work. It's the energizing kind. Well, I guess that's why we need Focus.”

Catriona’s second favorite is Relax, the purple bottle: “Oh yeah. When you go to sleep. I think it's just there. Focus and Relax. And the nice thing is, if you were to look at the ingredients at the back of all the products, you understand every ingredient.”

Relax, comes with scents of Lavender, Cedarwood, Cypress and Tea Tree Oil. Its naturally rich properties “help reduce stress by relaxing the brain waves and cortisol levels that contribute to the stress hormone; support the immune system by relieving feelings of stress that can weaken health. Its calming and relaxing properties work as a sleep aid for insomniacs."

The other variants are: Detox (orange), with scents of Lemon, Frankincense, Peppermint, Turmeric, Ginger and Tea Tree Oil. It helps “to boost energy and metabolism, reduce feelings of anxiety, soothe redness and pains, inhibit the signs of skin damage and aging, restore color and radiance to a dull complexion, and disinfect skin surfaces.”

Refresh (green), with scents of Peppermint, Menthol, Ginger and Tea Tree Oil. Packed with these pure, natural essences. It will “help to eliminate harmful bacteria, relive muscle spasms and flatulence, and to release muscle tension when used in a massage. It also helps to soothe and reduce feelings of stress, lethargy, agitation, dizziness and fatigue.”

Revive (pink), with scents of Green Tea Extract, Fresh Bamboo Extract, Lemongrass, Vetiver and Tea Tree Oil. It helps “encourage feelings of confidence, stillness, and tranquility. It has properties that make it ideal for use in relieving nervousness and restoring a sense of serenity. It is reputed to effectively diminish feelings of anger, irritability, panic and restlessness.”

Uplift (blue), with scents of Cedarwood, Rosemary, Basil, Patchouli and Tea Tree Oil. It helps “to improve cerebral activity and relax the body. This oil is also ideal for soothing or eliminating headaches, fatigue, sadness and the discomforts of asthma, as well as for inspiring psychological endurance.”

Robi interjected: “Because they're very high quality, locally sourced, there's no crazy words and things in it. Very simple. That's something that's really nice if you're a conscious consumer as well. Very organic. Once you're able to communicate why this brand is as passionate as it is. People will say, ‘Oh, it's a lovely story to be a part of.' And I can understand why Catriona loves this product as well.”

Catriona concluded: “I feel like, especially with my audience, I try to be as authentic with them as possible. Because I feel like we're all craving authentic connection now. So, in being able to share stories, we're able to feel connected, to feel a part of, to feel like there's something that we can do to impact these stories that we're seeing. And also just to enjoy a beautiful product.”

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