Over the past two decades, there has been a significant shift in the perception of beauty, moving towards a more inclusive perspective.
Qualities that were traditionally deemed "unattractive" in the past now play a pivotal role in the contemporary movement aimed at empowering women and celebrating their distinctive beauty.
Former Candy cover girls Amanda Griffin Jacob (1999), Kelly Misa Fernandez (2003), and Nicole Hernandez de los Angeles (2004) recently talked to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) about their thoughts on the evolution of beauty.
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Cookie-cutter image
Unlike today where brands are all for embracing all types of beauty, the industry back then adhered to a specific look for assured commercial success.
For Amanda, her beauty marks had to go away: "I used sunblock because I have freckles. And so back then, they were always saying, 'Don't go in the sun. We want you as white as possible.' They didn't like the freckles. I mean, they were like, 'We don't want you to get more freckles.' So the one thing that I did... They didn't want you to get dark. They didn't want you to get dark because we were all doing whitening commercials."
Nodding in agreement, Nicole added that they followed this method strictly to the point of going through a protocol right before shooting the ad.
"When I go to Thailand for commercials, they would have one day of spa treatment for me to make me lighter, like literally," she revealed.
Kelly then shared that aside from her skin, she had to keep her hair looking a certain way: "For me, hair was so important. Like I had to keep my hair long to get shampoo commercials. You can't cut your hair, and it has to be black."
She reflected, "It's so weird talking about this now, but back then as a model, you really had to have, like, this cookie-cutter sort of image. And your skin had to be as fair as possible, hair long, black, and of course, [skin] as clear as possible.
"But luckily for us, like I didn't really get any breakouts or anything. [I would cleanse] just with soap and water and [put on] whatever powder. I didn't even know how to do make-up. I just learned through the years from doing all of these shoots, especially magazine shoots.
"But back then, I didn't know anything. And I'm glad that I didn't do much because I guess the less you do to your skin, the better it is."
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Overcoming insecurities
Though they are now confidently beautiful women who are aging gracefully, there was a time when they had to deal with a whole bunch of insecurities.
"Oh, I was very insecure, especially in my 20s, and especially starting out as a model," Kelly looked back. "It really plays on your insecurities because it's based on looks, and, of course, there are so many factors to how and why you get a commercial. But back then, in my head, it's like, 'I'm ugly. I didn't get it. I'm ugly,' and it's very black and white. And, of course, now I know better, and I now know what it takes for you to get a commercial.
"But yeah, it was very simplified in my mind, in my very early 20s mind. I thought I needed to change so many things about myself. I hated my nose. I hated, like, my face is so big, and it's all really in my head. And now I know that these are the same things that make you unique and that make you you, and these are the very things that I embrace now."
For Nicole, her insecurities put her on a journey to rediscover herself and learn how to love and accept herself the way she is.
"There's a lot of rejection, really, and it's really, you know, for these jobs kasi you're not hired based on your personality, right? Or your IQ, or your skill or talent, if you can sing or whatever. It's not," she explained.
"It's the impression, the first impression. They look at you. They literally look at you like that, like that, like that. [If] you fit the look, you fit the role, you get it. [If] you don't, there's one thing off, maybe your teeth's too big, I don't know, or like it's not straight, you're out."
She continued, "You're really judged or you're selected based on those tiny things. So you will develop insecurities, especially at a young age, right? And it's through doing that for how many years, it's really a journey of you. It's like a self-discovery of also learning more about yourself and then eventually coming full circle and accepting yourself.
"These are my unique badges that I have, you know? And once you realize that, you gain that inner confidence, and, you're like, 'You know what, I look good, I feel good, I'm beautiful.'"
Meanwhile, Amanda emphasized the importance of accepting who she is and how she looks: "You can't be in this industry and not have insecurities. It's just, it is the nature of this industry. How amazing it is, how far this industry has come, you know?
"Because we were subjected to that when we were younger, where you are just judged constantly on the way that you look and you have to be a certain size. Accepting yourself has been a long journey," she confessed.
"Like, I'm there, but I'm not all the way there. You know, it's a work in progress because it's really hard to let go of, you know, what people think of you when that's all you were being judged on for so long. Have that confidence to be you and not apologize for it and not try to conform to anyone else's [standards], you know.
"But again, that's part of growing up and living life. And as I was saying, you know, we actually had thick skin. I think we really [did], and I think that also helped us get to this place, right? Where we are all at now. I'm happy that this generation has, you know, they have a beautiful, diverse, inclusive environment where everyone is seen. There's not just one type of woman and that's it. There's so many and everyone can feel accepted and beautiful."
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Beauty regimen
While today's kids, teens, and young adult women are already practicing skin-care routines at home, the three former cover girls admitted that soap used to be enough for them in the past.
When asked about their beauty regimen back in the day, Nicole playfully answered, "Barely anything. Nightmare probably for our dermas, right? But yeah, beauty regimen that time really is just soap, right? Proper cleanser."
Now that they are in their 40s, Kelly shared, "Well, for me, wellness is very important.
And I really take my supplements seriously. Like right now, in this day and age, it's all about beauty from the inside out. Not just all the creams and all the things that you put on your skin, because it really matters.
"I know when I forget to take my supplements, Myra Ultimate, when I forget, the next day or a few days after, I feel like, okay, I need that boost. And it really adds something, a little something, to my beauty regimen and to my confidence. I see it, literally, from the inside out."
Echoing the same sentiments, Amanda expressed, "I'm so passionate about health and wellness because I think when you're healthy on the inside, that radiates to the outside and you look really good.
"That's why it's so important to really take care of yourself and live a healthy lifestyle because it really is inside out. And then, you know, it's important to have products that are formulated for our skin now, so we can't forget.
"That's really important because I'm actually quite forgetful. And I do notice the difference if I haven't used Myra Ultimate. You can see it. Like you [Kelly] were saying, you can see it after a few days. So, you have to be really, you really have to remember."
Nicole, for her part, highlighted the need to keep her psyche clean and free from negativity.
"I think really, the simplest thing is really a positive mindset. That really helps because from then, that all follows. You know, choosing the right lifestyle, the diet, the changes that you'll make for your family, the changes that you'll make for yourself, really all starts from here [mind], then followed here [heart]. I think from there, that's when your beauty will shine from within and pour out."
She also mentioned the added help from incorporating supplements into her lifestyle.
"Like Myra Ultimate, that really helps," she affirmed. "So, you know, like what Amanda and Kelly said, they notice when they skip a day or a few days that there's a difference with how they feel. I think it's really important nowadays, especially. Actually, you should start when you're younger.
"Take the proper supplements that are age-appropriate because at certain stages in your life, there are supplements that you will need. Like what we need also now that we benefit from."
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*This story originally appeared on Pep.ph. Minor edits have been made by Cosmo.ph editors.
