J&J Girls: Hear Them Loud, Clean and Clear!

Did you happen to see the most beautiful girls in the world? I’ll bet all my pennies that you have, oh, in all of 30 seconds (half of the ad had their faces covered in edible gunk). But just for the sake of further appreciation and examination, we hurl out the freeze frames and captured them in all their Kodak moments forever. So do what you must—marvel, drool, ogle, envy, or imitate—their clean and clear faces aren’t going anywhere but up.

But their kikay images are done and out…say hello to the Spunk Girls (those who could as well be responsible for putting their Spice-y counterparts six-feet-under). They are built to outwit, outplay, and outlast more than the whiney Survivors do, from pimples to pet peeves, everything falls under their control. And you thought they were only good for washing their faces, and bad for feeding their boyfriends with supposedly poisonous pineapple slush. Think again. They’re much better and worse than being beautiful.

So let’s usher in the suds and soap these girls clean…it’s confession time as they ditch the dirt, get rid of the oil, and turn out cleaner and clearer than a pubescent pimply face. Or, you can just stare and marvel, drool, ogle, envy and imitate more…I didn’t think so.

Mighty Bond

Meet Leslie and Ala. One loves Hollywood tearjerkers, and the other is a sucker for Rock and Roll. You tell me, which is which? Not really a brain twister, now iss it? For those who failed to get it right, Leslie Rodriguez is a 20-year-old who doesn’t mind letting a tear out effortlessly, especially when it comes to cheesy movies. "They make me hysterical! I’m really a couch potato, so I hardly go out anymore. I’d rather hold movie marathons in my house," she starts as she follows on a list of movies that made her cry.

On the other end of the spectrum, but still by her side, is Ala, the bohemian. She’s a 19-year-old AB Comm student in Ateneo (perhaps the most creative side of the highly-technical university), and she belongs to the SEC society, the supposed hang-out place of those who break free from the Ivy League tarts the school is known for. "I draw and paint a lot! I paint people with how I see them and not just how they look," she says in all Van Gogh glory.

Oh, and did I mention that she’s the daughter of Jim Paredes, 1/3 of the Apo Hiking Society? "You know, my dad didn’t really push me to sing, but I do get to sing when I get the chance. But honestly, I really want to put up a band!" Now that she’s far from pulling off a No Doubt or a Garbage, she has to content herself by introducing them for Myx. She is the VJ in charge of Urban and Pop Myx—another diversity for her. "I listen to all types of music, but right now, I’m totally into jazzy hip-hop, underground and world music, oh, and a lot of old stuff too, like Queen and Jimi Hendrix." Phew. How can a Britney lover catch-up?

Putting them both in front of one camera and using one pimple-busting soap would seem like a catfight waiting to happen. On the red corner, a crybaby couch tater, on the blue corner, an idealistic artiste who loves Aerosmith…Round One. "I guess we’re different, but we both speak our minds," Leslie’s mouth urges herself to speak. "Yeah, and we really don’t take each other seriously. We’re both happy people," counters Ala. "Yeah, that’s why we laugh alike…Mwahaha," laughs Leslie. "We have no dramas and we’re not your average prim and proper women!" And ala is fast to interject, "We’re not very graceful! We’re so galawgaw!" Point taken, this sure is an odd couple that works wonders…even on oily skin.

YSMag: Nice commercial! What are the most memorable things you’ve done together on the set? I’m sure you have a lot.

Leslie: We ate the food on our faces, the pineapple and the oatmeal.

Ala: Oh yeah, yum yum! And the crew would take really long to set-up so we played with the basset hound. It was so cute!

Leslie: Yeah, even the director was cute.

Ala: I don’t know if we should say that…

YSMag: But why not? Maybe he thinks both of you are cute too. You keep many guys drooling, or haven’t you noticed? How do you do it?

Ala: Do I? (Laughs) I’m not really sure…hmm, maybe it’s that I’m not afraid to dress uniquely and carry myself with tons of attitude. I am not demure, I tease people all the time and I believe that’s my charm. I may be wrong though. That’s just what I think.

Leslie: That’s such a hard question! Uh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I make them laugh, and I’m very makulit! And I speak my mind all the time.

YSMag: Okay, so speak your minds on this…how do you describe each other?

Leslie: Ala’s very nice. Fun to work with, and she’s frank! She’s very funky and funny too…uh, I can’t think of other F-words to describe her.

Ala: Phew…thanks for going easy on me. Leslie, for me, is an upbeat person, with a groovy wardrobe to match. When you see her, you think, "Sunshine".

The End…Of Over 200 Would-Be Pimples and Other Insecurities

Why don’t we examine their faces? Time’s up. What did you see? Leslie’s sunshine smile, or Ala’s chinky eyes? Or, bluntly put, their beauty that scares over 200 would-be pimples? Just to be clear, part of the magic is found in their suds, the Clean and Clear Foaming Facial Wash which foams, and fights the dating blunders of acne and other heads (both black and white). They have more than a year supply working wonders for them.

But don’t get them wrong, insecurities for them aren’t a thing of the past. They just have a way of flushing them down the drain. And especially matched with their fast-forward lifestyle, I don’t know how those sebaceous glands keep up. As you can see, they’re as clean and clear as they could be.

YSMag: What do you think is the most beautiful part of your face?

Leslie: My eyes and my smile. They make people see who I am and how I express myself.

Ala: I don’t know, I think it’s my cheekbones. They’re like ping-pong balls because they’re so round and people love to pinch them. But personally, I like my eyes.

YSMag: What are you guys busy with right now?

Ala: School, MYX, and my org, the Ateneo Musicians’ Pool. I make posters and design set for them.

Leslie: School, definitely. I’m graduating this March so I’m working double-time on my thesis.

YSMag: With school and other stressful words (like thesis and work), how do you keep your skin clear?

Leslie: Of course, I use Clean and Clear Foaming Facial Wash and Oil Control Film. I wash my face in the morning, when I get home from school and before I sleep. I also tone and moisturize after washing. And also going to the gym everyday, eating healthy food, and getting enough sleep helps a lot.

Ala: I make sure I never sleep with hair gel on (dirty hair pressing against your skin can irritate it), and I also make sure that I get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and keep to my Clean and Clear regimen. Oh, and I use tons of lip-gloss.

YSMag: Do you still leave space for insecurities?

Leslie: Yes, I do. Nobody’s perfect. There are things about me that I want to change. I can’t say though…they’re not publishable! (Laughs)

Ala: Yeah, I agree! I wish I was bigger in some places…figure it out for yourselves!

Love In The Time of Camera

It’s inevitable…that love thing. Let’s face it, these girls are loveable. They have everything a guy could wish more and tons more. Beauty is a given. And they’re tall, too (Ala is 5’7" and Leslie is half an inch shorter)! Ala begs to differ. "What are you talking about? You know how hard for us to get guys just because we’re tall?" Bet she doesn’t know how guys have a hard time dating chicks because they’re small.

But more than anything, the partner of love in the world of clichés is personality, and these girls are loaded with it "I always worry about what people would say before I do anything. I’m very cautious with my actions. But I’m not in any way conscious, I’m just sensitive enough not to hurt other people’s feelings," explains Leslie, which shouldn’t be taken against her. But Ala takes on an edgier approach; she’s a keeper with her wisecracks and her don’t-give-a-damn demeanor. "But I don’t have a boyfriend right now…hint, hint! I’m single and fabulous!"

YSMag: Ok, I’m sure guys are awed by your beauty, but honestly, what do you want every guy to like about you?

Ala: My mind and the way I perceive life. I have a very unique way of looking at things and expressing myself and I want someone who can appreciate that and ride with it too.

Leslie: My attitude towards life and the way I deal with things. Beauty for me is just a bonus in everyone.

YSMag: True. So what are your recipes for your ideal men (save for pineapple slush and oatmeal gunk)?

Leslie: I want a gentleman who is "real", simple and makes me laugh. He has to be malambing, hardworking and he has to have a good relationship with God and his family.

Ala: My ideal man is a deep thinker who loves art and music, can make me laugh real hard, a hard worker who cares about humanity in general. Did that sound like a Ms. Universe answer? Oh, and it helps if he looks like Brandon Boyd too! [Laughs]

YSMag: And what turns you off?

Ala: When they have the sense of humor of a jerk. I hate guys who are rude and crass and who have fun at the expense of other people. Physically, I don’t like guys who wear too much gel and who look too immaculate. I like them a little rumpled.

Leslie: A show-off, number one. Dirty fingernails, number two. I don’t like guys who pretend to be someone they’re not just to impress you.

YSMag: But what would impress you, say, on a date? What would make it picture-perfect?

Leslie: A deserted island, just the two of us and the star-filled sky…candles everywhere and a violinist serenading us. I don’t know, I think I watch too many romantic movies!

Ala: But that’s so cute! Mine is on the beach too, walking barefoot on a starry night with a cute, incredibly funny and witty guy. Because for me, it’s more of the guy who makes a good date, not the setting. But that doesn’t mean I don’t find walking around a big beautiful city like Paris romantic!

YSMag: Nice. And how do you deal with a bad date?

Ala: I just laugh it off and try to enjoy it. For sure, there’ll always be an interesting story to tell afterwards…even if I’ll never go out with the guy again. [Laughs]

Leslie: I try not to dwell on it and just laugh at it. There’ll always be better ones. [Laughs]

Beauty and the Breakout

But of course, there will be more. Those faces have already been the fill of primetime TV and magazine covers, they have already been A-list celebrities this early, and for sure, all guys have been lining up outside their doors. "What celebrity? It never even occurred to me," defends Ala. Too late…they’re already stuck in the limelight.

"Oh, look, we have an ad in the magazine," Leslie shows the last issue of Young Star Magazine, with much urgency as though it’s her first time to see her ad. "I’m sorry, I’m just not used to being like this, that’s why I really keep every ad I see." Such humility!

Obviously, it never got in their heads. No celebrity conundrums, no VIP privileges, no sudden growth of their heads. Just beautiful, clean and clear faces.

YSMag: How do you feel being tagged "the most beautiful girls in the world"?

Leslie: Very flattered! Besides, I didn’t even think I was going to get the project!

Ala: It’s certainly an overstatement! Either that, or it’s just the jingle! [Laughs]

YSMag: Do you get perks from your popularity now?

Ala: Oh certainly. The baristas over at Starbucks don’t ask for my name anymore when I order a latte. [Laughs]

Leslie: My friends remember me all the time because they see my face everywhere. [Laughs]

YSMag: Does fame have a twin headache?

Leslie: Definitely. People talk about you all the time, and you become prone to gossip and all.

Ala: Yeah, that’s why sometimes you just want to be invisible for people to leave you alone.

YSMag: Parting shot, what do you think makes you beautiful?

Leslie: My personality! I’d like to say I’m independent, frank and simple. And I am in no way afraid to speak my mind!

Ala: People say I’m a free spirit, and I think anyone who is such exudes her natural inner beauty.

Take it from them…you are beautiful too.