Beauty Secrets of Powerhouse Pinays Around the World
Wherever Filipinas go, they always discover the best in beauty. Here’s a curated list of beauty gems that powerhouse Pinays swear by—your ultimate guide to beauty staples across the globe.
Isabel Prollamante
Bogota, Colombia
Photo courtesy of subject
Isabel co-founded GIGIL Philippines and is the co-owner of Lombia, a fair-trade company partnering with over 150 indigenous female artisans in La Guajira, Colombia, to create vibrant handcrafted bags using traditional crochet techniques.
Her beauty secret: “Joaquina Botanica champions Colombia’s botanical treasures, blending them with science for effective, natural skin care. I’ve been using their Orquídea + Vitamin C Hydrating Glow Oil for four years! This lightweight and fast-absorbing oil is crafted with orchid extract and antioxidant-rich vitamin C, and it brightens, hydrates, and leaves my skin with a radiant glow.”
Koko Ko
Billund, Denmark
Photo courtesy of subject
Koko is a brand governance specialist with The LEGO Group. She works with licensing partners who produce LEGO merchandise, safeguarding the LEGO brand.
Her beauty secret: “Showerlabs, a Danish brand offering the MILO Showerhead and filter, removes chemicals and impurities from hard water for healthier hair and skin while also providing clean drinking water to families in South America and Africa as [part of] their social responsibility. By the third day of using it, I noticed a visible difference—my hair shedding dropped from 10 to 20 strands to fewer than five after rinsing.
Gina Mok-Reyes
New York, USA
Photo courtesy of subject
Gina, who previously worked as a director of knitwear at Rag&Bone and Alexander Wang, is currently the Supreme senior director for development and production. She works closely with design leadership and other cross-functional teams to execute the vision of the Supreme founder and expectations for the season.
Her beauty secret: “I don’t do any special treatments except a facial, peel, or microdermabrasion at Christine Chin in the Lower East Side every six months (or at least I try!). They’re incredibly thorough—unlike many light-handed facialists, they really get down and dirty with extractions and a multi-step process that delivers results. I also use the DRMTLGY Microdermabrasion Scrub twice a week, usually before a mask. It’s great for scrubbing out dead skin cells, and it leaves my skin feeling really clean.”
Yapi Santiago
Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
Photo courtesy of subject
Known in the wrestling ring as “Yappy,” she is currently the only Manila-born Filipina professional wrestler working full-time in the professional Japanese wrestling industry.
Her beauty secret: “Chacott is a brand that specializes in ballet goods, from practice wear to pointe shoes, but they also make cosmetics beloved by ballerinas. Their Finishing Powder keeps my makeup in place, even through pro wrestling matches.”
Yzza Hablado
Seoul, South Korea
Photo courtesy of subject
With a background in fashion and publishing, Yzza came to Korea to pursue creative endeavors and earned my Master’s in Visual Design at Hongik University through a government-funded scholarship. Now, as a perpetually curious creative, she’s involved in a wide range of projects across digital design, marketing, entertainment, and AI as a freelance artist.
Her beauty secret: “The Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder turns into a mochi-like texture with water, leaving skin smooth and moist after washing. It’s definitely a unique and fun addition to your routine if you want to make it a bit more interesting.”
Pauline De Leon
Melbourne, Australia
Photo courtesy of subject
Pauline started off her career as an editor at Hypebae/HYPEBEAST, where she spent three years diving into fashion, beauty, music, and entertainment. Now a freelance creative, her dynamic storytelling through words, photography, and videography has graced top publications like Broadsheet Melbourne, Time Out Melbourne, and Complex AU.
Her beauty secret: “Mecca Cosmetica is a top Melbourne beauty destination, and their To Save Face SPF 50+ Superscreen is a standout product in the Australian beauty scene. This lightweight, non-greasy sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection, hydrates the skin, and is infused with powerful antioxidants, making it an essential product for anyone seeking both skincare and sun protection in one step.”
Charina Sarte
Paris, France
Photo courtesy of subject
Charina is a fashion designer who ethically crafts effortlessly chic resort wear. Behind her eponymous brand’s signature look of bold prints and fluid silhouettes is an all-women team of skilled seamstresses in the Philippines.
Her beauty secret: “I love ORYZA Lab, a skincare line made from rice. My favorite is their Beauty Oil, because it’s rich without feeling heavy on the skin.”
Aissa Gonzalez
London, UK
Photo courtesy of subject
Aissa is the creative director of Naturalmat—a British company that handcrafts all-natural, organic mattresses, beds, and home accessories for residences, hotels, and superyachts around the world.
Her beauty secret: “A girl who once worked with a Soho House spa brand left to create her own natural and organic bath and body range for her husband’s boutique pubs—and now stocked in nearly a hundred hotels across the U.K.. She’s become a friend, and when they expanded into beauty, she made me try the Bramley Raspberry Seed Illuminating Face Oil. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with both the scent and feel of it.”
Danabelle Gutierrez
Dubai, UAE
Photo courtesy of subject
Danabelle is a multi-talented writer, actress, and photographer. She was named Best Writer at Rooftop Rhythms in Abu Dhabi, honored as a Film Ambassador by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and awarded Best Actress for the film Aurora at the 48-Hour Film Project.
Her beauty secret: “I highly recommend Moroccan baths. I feel like a brand new person after a steam and scrub session.”
