Every journey must come to an end, but every end opens up to a new beginning. When I was still a theatre actress, I dreaded finale shows so much because I always find it hard to let go of all the hard work, the moments, and most especially, the product. But I guess a chapter, at some point, should end no matter how beautiful it is because our story must move on and so must we. (Now I recall leaving the theatre and pursuing a writing career) I've learned that every ending is not sad after all because there is always the remembering part, where we pick up every wonderful memory, relive it anytime, connect all the pieces together until our story comes to the real end, and we produce the best book ever-there is no leaving, really.
Like any beauty pageant, One Woman Can took months to create, but only hours to finish. As I write this, it feels like I only had the first briefing with Mary Kay Philippines yesterday and how I wish this event lasted longer! But like what my mentors in the theatre would forever say, it's always about the process, not the product-we're so attached to the outcome that we always neglect the process, the only thing that we can bring as we move on to create a new product, a new story, or a new legacy. With my mentors' voices in my head, I have made peace with the fact that my One Woman Can journey was just right: No matter how short, this pageant has imparted something really important and that is it brought the participants' confidence to new heights, and it took me places-just when I thought I have it all, there's still something better. :)
It was a gloomy Wednesday, the day of the pageant. We were supposed to have it in Sky 100, a prestigious outdoor area in the posh Ritz Carlton Hotel, but Typhoon Signal 12 has hit Hong Kong. (The typhoon came from the Philippines) Hong Kong is a very small region and any strong typhoon becomes stronger there and when Typhoon Signal 12 hits, it's mandatory that all outdoor establishments (venues and malls, except restaurants) must close down until further notice. Needless to say, Mary Kay had to resort to plan B and look for another venue, so we went for The Space, the place where we had the training and photo shoot. In this photo, I posed with the executives from Mary Kay Hong Kong, Philippines, and worldwide after a mini interview-we talked about the One Woman Can campaign, their plans for next year, as well as their upcoming products. I'll leave that to Mary Kay Philippines to announce! :)
Welcome to the Grand Finale. We arrived at The Space at 6:00 P.M. for the registration, and to brace ourselves for the Grand Finale slated at 7:00 P.M. Click READ MORE and see who won Mary Kay's first- ever One Woman Can Pageant!
Mary Kay's current and complete line- up welcomed us at the lobby.
Again, meet the celebrity judges: From left to right, supermodel Cara G., celebrity makeup artist Gary Chung, model/host Dominic Lau, celebrity stylist Christie Simpson, Chief Executive Officer for Mary Kay worldwide Sheryl Adkins- Green, President for Mary Kay Asia Pacific KK Chua, and celebrity photographer Sean Lee Davies.
Exactly at 7:00 P.M., the show commenced. The lively and entertaining Dominic Lau opened the program.
After the grand parade, the girls had their own walk, a moment to shine and own the catwalk.
Here are our Filipina delegates!
Deniece Cornejo
Passion will take you places- Deniece is no stranger to modeling and beauty contests. It's always nice to meet someone who knows how to value herself as well as her beauty, and Deniece is just that. Deniece's dedication to this industry just took her places. Traveling is a dream for many, and this is what Deniece is thankful for.
Fatima Saquilabon
You Have To See Through You- This pretty petite Aviation Mechanics student hails from Koronadal City, a small town in South Cotabato. With that svelte, model- like figure and angelic face, one couldn't believe that Fatima was an extremely shy person who didn't believe so much in herself. She has never seen herself as someone who could pass a beauty contest, but with enough support from us, the celebrity judges, Mary Kay, and her fellow participants, she started to see the beautiful woman that she really is.
Arianne Buenviaje
You Can Turn Stones Into Diamonds- Really? Well if that's possible, the world would be a lovelier place to be in. In another context, YES YOU CAN! Arianne Buneviaje was bullied in high school. Stones of insults were thrown at her all throughout her high school years. One day, Arianne saw a ray of light beneath those stones. Along with those insults came the chance to rise up and prove everyone wrong so with a steady heart, she took the opportunity to become a better and more beautiful person. She took the good from the bad and indeed, she has turned stones into diamonds.
Ten girls were chosen for the question and answer portion. Arianne and Fatima have secured a slot to prove that they deserve to be Mary Kay's next cover girl!
From top 10, were now down to top three! Arianne, Fatima, and a contestant from Singapore nabbed the three spots.
AND THE WINNER IS........
FATIMA SAQUILABON! YES! MARY KAY ONE WOMAN CAN PAGEANT'S GRAND WINNER IS FROM THE PHILIPPINES! :D
The judges said that they were amazed at Fatima's transformation from the training to the final pageant and I absolutely agree. Fatima was truly the quiet type and wasn't the most active one, but when it's time for her to show her stuff, her game face is just on, aside from the fact that she was very open and willing to learn.
When she walked the runway, my jaw just dropped because I never expected a super confident, gorgeous, and brilliant lady behind that meek facade-in short, I didn't expect so much from her, but she was the one who delivered beyond what was expected. Suffice to say, she embodied the message of Mary Kay's campaign and that is ONE WOMAN CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY. Mary Kay got what they wanted from her, and Fatima got what she wanted from the competition and that is "to be more confident about myself and my abilities." Congratulations, Fatima! :D
But wait, there's more! Arianne Buneviaje bagged the second place. The first two places went to our two Filipina candidates! Third place is Ms. Singapore. :)
It wasn't at all surprising when Arianne came in second because she was an active learner and Ms. Congeniality during the training and final pageant. Congratulations, Arianne! :D
Congratulations to Deniece too, who was as competitive and gorgeous as Arianne and Fatima. :)
Fatima will be the face of Mary Kay's catalog and will be featured in Mary Kay's magazine, circulated to hundreds of thousands across the region. She will be flown to Dallas, USA, Mary Kay headquarters, for a global photo shoot. Her partner consultant, Marild Aperocho, will also be recognized as the expert beauty consultant in the Philippines.
Congratulations again and again, Fatima, Arianne, and Deniece! There goes my Mary Kay One Woman Can diaries, and I hope you had fun witnessing Mary Kay's biggest event of the year.
"I entered Mary Kay's competition to build my confidence and to help me believe in myself that I don't have to be shy all the time and I can do something extraordinary!"
- Fatima Saquilabon, Mary Kay One Woman Can Pageant 2013 Grand Winner
Through Fatima's story and Mary Kay's One Woman Can campaign, I hope we are all inspired than ever to just try and do something extraordinary each day. :)
Please visit MARY KAY PHILIPPINES on Facebook for more information about the One Woman Can campaign.
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2 Comments
That's amazing news! Wow congrats Fatima! :))
ReplyDeleteAngel
i know mananalo sila =) iba kasi ang gandang Pilipina =) also they have the attitude pati at confidence kaya they would make it to the top again, congrats ladies! you deserve to win!
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think of this post! :)