Angel Aquino. Iza Calzado. Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez. Mylene Dizon. Wilma Doesnt. Bianca Gonzalez. Agot Isidro. These seven women are not just household names in Philippine showbiz—they are, across our islands, considered some of the most beautiful faces in the country. They are legendary beauty icons, with their glowing caramel skin telling stories of the Filipino’s different shades and facets.

But for someone who is considered a beauty icon—technically, a living, walking definition of beauty—what exactly does it mean to be beautiful? Do they think that beauty is achieved through a perfect symmetry of facial features? Or is beauty beholden to very personal standards, perhaps embodied in another who they consider their beauty icon? Or is it a fluid concept—perhaps not something entirely tangible, but something we all, as humans, can understand?

We asked these seven Filipino icons, each undeniably beautiful and with presence and charisma to spare, what the definition of beauty is for each of them, in their own words.

Agot Isidro

“Beauty is evolving. It’s never the same. It’s something that you ride with. My definition of beauty before was not the same as my definition now. Before, it was really more about the exterior, more about the external, and about how people perceived me externally. But, now as I’m getting older, it’s different. It’s how people know me as me, and not just the person that they see externally.”

Angel Aquino

“For me, it’s how you feel inside. That will always come out, will always translate into your eyes sparkling, kindness in your face. It’s really how you feel about yourself—if you feel good, you feel healthy, you take good care of yourself, you get good sleep. No matter how externally beautiful you are, if you haven’t been taking good care of yourself, you will feel sloppy, and people will see that.

I know this because last year, I had a very tumultuous personal relationship with myself. I felt so conflicted, I felt that there was something shifting inside me. I felt my body changing, and it was kind of messing up my psyche also. And so, I just prayed so hard. I started waking up early, getting into exercise. But it’s not just that. Beauty is your thoughts, your emotions—these things translate to a really beautiful you. It’s not just your face, skin, hair. It’s the whole package inside and out.”

Bianca Gonzalez

“Now at 42, I feel like real beauty is knowing who you really are and being so confident in that that it radiates out into the world. After everything na napagdaanan ko in life, real beauty, as cheesy as it may sound, is really how confident you are with who you are and how you look. I’m sure you know people who aren’t conventionally beautiful, but are so sure of who they are and radiate that out into the world, na sila pa yung mas maganda, kung itabi mo sa isang conventionally maganda, but medyo insecure. So, kung sino ka, celebrate that. Kung ano yung kulay mo, celebrate that, because that is super, super beautiful.”

Iza Calzado

“I’ve been asked this question several times in my 23 years in this industry. My definition of beauty now is really what’s on the inside. I think real beauty is really energy. It’s the energy that emanates from you, that radiates from within. Beauty is also from within, because it’s also about embracing your shadows and imperfections, and you have to be ok with all of it—your shadows and your light.

Beauty is so hard to define, because people will have their own definitions, but to me, as I’m getting older in life, you really understand that beauty is that energy and power that radiates from within. When the energy is not good, then it’s not beautiful.”

Mylene Dizon

“It’s the overall feeling that a receptor is getting, that feeling of inspiration and awe together. It’s that moment when you feel like you’re just staring at something and you forget that there are other things going on. Kanya kanya naman yan eh. Kanya kanyang interpretation of beauty and happiness.”

Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez

“I’ve been asked this many times. As I’ve gotten older, my answers have changed. Now that I’m a mother of four adults, my definition is definitely more personal, more about looking inward. When I try to make myself more beautiful, that means to me that I work on my inner self. I am more conscious and more aware of how I affect others, how they feel about me, how they feel being in my presence, how I can effect positivity and joy and smiles to the people around me. That’s what beauty is to me.”

Wilma Doesnt

“My definition of beauty is Wilma Doesnt. (laughs) Aminin mo, nag-break ako ng lahat ng stereotype! For me kasi, beauty is not just skin-deep. Beauty, depende yan sa tumitingin. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder—depende kung ano ang hinahanap mong ganda. Is it physical attributes? Emotional? Psychological attributes?

I may sound cliché, but ikaw mismo, sa sarili mo, you have to start from yourself. You have to embrace who you are. You have to love, respect yourself first. That’s beauty na. And always choose to be kind, to be nice, kasi at the end of the day, [physical] beauty fades. But ikaw, as a person, yung maiiwanan mo, yung presence mo, yung respect sayo ng tao, importante din yun.”

Photographer: BJ Pascual. Makeup: Juan Sarte (Aquino, Isidro, Doesnt), Gery Penaso (Calzado, Dizon, Gonzalez), Jigs Mayuga (de Leon-Gonzalez). Hair: Renz Pangilinan (Aquino, Calzado, Doesnt), Paul Nebres (Isidro, Dizon, Gonzalez), Cats del Rosario (de Leon-Gonzalez). Fashion styling: Maica Tady of Qurator, assisted by Claire Fernando, Shark Tanael, and Bea Panganiban.

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