For one special day, a dream came true for pretty teen, Zyra Nicole Cifra. Zyra is the lucky winner of the the blue evening gown that Miss Bulgaria 2016 wore at the recent Miss Universe pageant. Her story inspired us at Calyxta to give her the makeover she needs for her prom!
Last January 30, 2017, Miss Bulgaria Violina Ancheva posted an exciting message on her Facebook page. She said she wanted to give her two-piece shimmering blue Sherri Hill gown as a present to “a girl in need that can’t buy a dress for her prom the next month.” Zyra’s mom, Issay Gallano, took it upon herself to send a message to the beauty queen. A mom raising two kids on her own, Gallano asked Ancheva if she could donate the dress to her daughter as she simply didn’t have the budget to buy a gown for Zyra. Luckily for Gallano and Zyra, Miss Bulgaria was checking her Facebook page and responded within a minute to the single mother with the best news—she was giving her gown to Zyra!
The happy teen shared, “Tuwang tuwa po kami! Nagtatalunan pa nga po kami nung nalaman namin. Very special po kasi ang prom. It has to be memorable and ang idea ko lang po is to have fun and enjoy the night. It’s a big blessing po na kami ang napili ni Miss Bulgaria.”
[“We were so happy! We were jumping up and down when we found out. A prom is very special, you see. It has to be memorable and my idea is just to have fun and enjoy the night. It’s a big blessing that Miss Bulgaria chose us.”]
Gallano added, “We were very thankful that Miss Bulgaria chose us. Maraming natuwa for us, pero hindi maiiwasan ang mga negative comments. We received some bashing kasi hindi raw kami deserving. I told Zyra not to mind the bashers and that everyone has their own opinion. What’s important is that we’re very blessed.”
[“We were very thankful that Miss Bulgaria chose us. A lot of people were happy for us but the negative comments can’t be avoided. We received some bashing because they said we didn’t deserve to win. I told Zyra not to mind the bashers and that everyone has their own opinion. What’s important is that we’re very blessed.”]
Ancheva also came to Zyra’s defense. She told CNN Philippines, “It’s hard to believe that it is possible for somebody to write negative and rude comments to a 15-year-old girl.” She emphasized, “The decision to give this dress to this girl was mine, and you have to respect my decision.”
With only a month to prepare for her very special night, Zyra had to ignore the negative attention and focus on all the good happening to her. After all, not only does she get to wear a stunning designer gown, her prize also inspired her prom’s theme! The sparkling blue dress made Zyra’s school, Southeastern College, decide on a mythical Atlantis setting at Hotel H2O, which stood over Manila Bay.
To make her night even more special, our celebrity glam squad gave Zyra an exclusive prom #CalyxtaMakeover for her big night!
For Zyra’s makeup, Angela Yeo, our Calyxta makeup artist, kept things light, fresh, and youthful to complement the glamour of her dress. Angela used warm brown tones from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette for a subtle smoky eye look and used the Malissa Kiss Super Black Ultra HD Eyeliner to open up her eyes. She paired it with peachy tones for the cheeks and lips. Nothing too heavy on the contour, but Zyra’s highlighter game was definitely on point with the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow!
Resident Calyxta hairstylist Jet Babas worked his magic on Zyra’s hair by giving her a playful low bun with loose braids to play up her youth. (To learn more about the best hairstyles to wear that will match your prom dress, read Jet Babas’ hair advice here).
Zyra was thrilled with how her look turned out. The Junior high school student is quite the shy type, but her new look made her excited to enjoy one of the biggest nights of her life. She said, “Masaya po ako sa ginawa ninyo para sa akin. Salamat po sa makeover. Bagay na bagay po talaga sa gown ni Miss Bulgaria. I’m sure na magiging masaya ang gabing ‘to. Thank you, Calyxta!”
[“I am so happy with what you did for me. Thank you for this makeover. It’s really the perfect look to match Miss Bulgaria’s gown. I’m sure this night will be fun. Thank you, Calyxta!”]
Thank you, Zyra, for making us a part of your fairy tale. We loved sprinkling magic dust all over you for this enchanting #CalyxtaMakeover!
Videography: JULIA BENITO
Photography: KIAN FERNANDEZ
Makeup: ANGELA MEDALLA YEO
Hair: JET BABAS
Special thanks to: MISS BULGARIA 2016 VIOLINA ANCHEVA FOR THE SHERRI HILL GOWN
& HOTEL H2O FOR THE LOCATION