With February nearly coming to an end, we wrap up our feature on our #CalyxtaGirl, Iza Calzado, who has been so wonderful and so generous in sharing her stories with us—from using her voice to inspire and empower others in our first cover, Year of the Woman, to talking more about The Body Love Revolution and her role in She Talks Asia, to her journey as a bride-to-be and Becoming Mrs. Wintle.

In this final cover story, Iza emphasizes her definition of a woman empowered, and discusses what she’d like to change about our society to empower others, advocacies she fights for aside from body love, and what her goals are for 2019.

If you can change something about our society to empower more women, what will you change?

What would I change? I feel like a lot of women are empowered now. Actually, our biggest fear in She Talks Asia is people might be tired of all our empowerment movements. It’s hard—is it just a fashionable thing? No, because some people have fought for women’s rights. I think, yes, because the Philippines is one of the places that it can be a matriarchal society as well, but the patriarchal society is actually just really stronger. I don’t know the statistics. I wish I had my partner in She Talks Asia to give you the statistics (laughs). But there are still a lot of women who don’t get to enjoy basic rights or are stripped of it because of their belief that a man is more rightful to do these things towards them or you know, a man is entitled to cheat. Little things like that. Like it’s normal. So maybe what I could do, and it’s one of my dreams, because in She Talks Asia, we do a lot of conferences, but actually you need money to attend because we charge, because we need money to make an event. We hardly make anything at those events, and we have sponsors already. But I would first like to really go to the barangay level. That’s really where change needs to happen because I feel like a lot of women who have access to the Internet are not going to look for this. They’re not there searching for, “I want to feel empowered. What are the steps to becoming an empowered woman?” They’re searching videos of this or that. You know, they’re watching other things, which I don’t blame them for wanting to watch these things. They just have to know. So I guess my thing is I would love to be there and be part of educating them. But first, I need to educate myself as well because I need to be able to explain it to them right. Plus, I’m nowhere near where I need to be in order to be giving those talks. I’m a long way from that, but that’s the best solution really—to educate people. It’s also a way out of poverty, because once they find out that that’s how it is, and that they’re entitled to that, don’t you think it will be a revolution? They just don’t know it yet.

Aside from body positivity and self-love, what other advocacies do you fight for? Or are close to your heart?

Well, I’m with WWF but I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I do with She Talks. Because with She Talks, I’m part of the company. With WWF, I’m an ambassador. I don’t run things. I only get called when there’s something that we need to do. I want to be able to give it more time because I do care for the environment. I don’t know if people get it but self-love for me is a part of Mental Health. So for 2019, the biggest theme for She Talks Asia is really mental health, which I identified in March of 2018. It was shortly before Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. That’s when I really said that we really have to prioritize it, and it comes from a very personal thing. Maybe I’ll be sharing it this year, but that’s the reason why I’m very, very passionate about self-love. Of course, body love is the first step. If that’s your issue, right? But the self-love is so important for your mental health. That’s one area that I feel like I can also make a difference in people’s lives and in my life. Self-love advocacy is not just for others, it’s for myself as well. It’s been very helpful. I think I would have been more bridezilla if not for self-love.

You know how victim shaming is so prevalent now, how do you think we can eradicate that?

We can try our best to educate men, and to educate ourselves. I mean, I’m conflicted in some areas because I understand what they say that if you wear short shorts—that’s not an invite to rape, and that’s true. But when you go to the barangay, the men are not educated enough so that’s why I go back to education. We have to educate men AND women; not just women. The men have to really understand that this does not mean you can touch my thighs or my butt, or just because I’m showing my cleavage, I want you to rape me. In some ways, if you dress a little sexy, we’re all guilty of wanting to look good, but it doesn’t mean I want you to touch me or violate me. That’s what they don’t get. Really, the best way to do this is to educate—but it has to come from the top; from powerful people who have powerful and loud voices in the country. We follow our leaders, that’s all I can say. So I think it would be nice to see the leaders of this nation address these things, and really address it and help all of us make a difference when it comes to, not just victim shaming, but to equality.

Last question for this week, do you have any resolutions for 2019?

Oh my gosh. Resolution? Stay away from the oatmeal cookies. (laughs) I that already. You know, I like resolutions. Actually, it’s not a resolution. I call them my goals. I never write my resolutions. I don’t focus on what I don’t want to do. I always focus on what I want to do. A resolution is, “I’m going to quit this, I’m going to stop doing that.” No. I identify what I don’t want, but if I write it down, it’s from a positive perspective. Amen? Amen! I honestly have to stop swearing. (laughs) I guess, yeah.

Cover Story: Gretchen Gatan

Editorial Assistant: Maan Fernandez

Art Direction: Margaux Cortez 

Video: Richard Webb

Photo: Kitkat Pajaro

Makeup: Gela Laurel

Hair: Mong Amado

Styling: Yzza Hablado

We welcome the Month of Love with a recap of our interview with #CalyxtaGirl, Iza Calzado, last December just days away from her wedding. With everything that still needed to be done, she was practically Super Woman—multi-tasking things by getting her hair and makeup done, while taking calls from her wedding coordinator, as the rest of the Calyxta Crew prepared the rooms at The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences for the succeeding layouts.

In this exciting cover, we focus on the details of her wedding planning—from the moment she got engaged, to what she looks forward to the most about married life, to tips she can give brides-to-be.

Has the groom been active in co-planning?

He’s become a Groomzilla also because he’s in-charge of finance. He’s good with that. When it comes to finances, I get shy to negotiate but Ben is good at bargaining (laughs) He has his Groomzilla moments, because he’s also stressed with work—not just me.

What was the first thing you did after the engagement?

I answered Piolo’s call, and I said, “O, tawag ka. Too late ka na.” (laughs) Seriously, the first thing I did was answer Piolo Pascual’s call and I was laughing so hard because we had a running joke. Because we saw each other a few days before. Piolo and I have a very good friendship. It’s like a fondness for each other and he knows Ben, so there’s no malice there. And it was just perfect timing that he was calling, because it had just happened.

So the minute he called, I was like, “Oh my god, it’s Piolo calling—wait!” (laughs) He was the first call. But the first thing we did after we got engaged was to meet with wedding planners. We first wanted Palawan, in El Nido, then we heard it was kind of hard. Then we were going to do it in Phuket supposedly. We even already paid a planner there, and we were zeroing in on this one place where we really liked going to with his family, and we were there often for Christmas and New Year, but I wasn’t sold. I wasn’t sold on everything. I wouldn’t have been able to feel the sand on my toes. I mean, it was going to be a beach wedding without the view of a beach. So I said to myself, “How are you going to take Filipinos to a foreign country and tell them it’s a beach wedding, but not be by the beach?” I mean it’s by the beach, but the reception is indoors. It was our favorite place, and the food’s good. But I was like, “Ben, for some reason I’m not sold. For what we’re going to spend, how it looks aesthetically, everything, I’m not in love with anything.” When we were in London, we were in England for Easter and his sister shows me a photo of this blogger who’s Fil-Am, Eleanor Pendelton, who got married in Boracay. And she said, “Look at this.” And I was like, “Oh my god, that’s exactly what I want!” And it said Boracay Weddings by Amanda Tirol. So I said, “I know her! What the hell am I doing? Why don’t I do it in my motherland?” We still have the best beaches. So I said, “Okay, let’s go back. Time to regroup.” So Boracay was considered—Shangri-La to be exact. Because you can count on them! But with the closure that was going to happen, I wasn’t sure if they were really going to be open by December. So we kept looking. I was with Rajo and he knew I was still finalizing my location, and he suggested Club Paradise. And I’ve never been, but I just hear that it’s rustic and chill. So two or three weeks after, Rajo, Nix, Ben, and I flew to Club Paradise and we fell in love with the place being chill, the island being beautiful, and the food was actually pretty good. Ben and I, all we wanted for our wedding was to be one with nature. So it was a very important factor in our decision-making process on where to have our wedding. And then of course, we got Amanda Tirol and I don’t know where I’d be without her. Gideon Hermosa is doing the wedding proper, Teddy Manuel is doing the reception. And of course, my non-negotiables were Bob Nicholas (for video) and Pat Dy (for photo).

What do you look forward to the most about the married life?

Cooking? Wooow. (laughs) Honestly, just taking a break and kind of focusing on becoming a homemaker. I’m looking forward to having a family one day, but I’m still getting there. But one day. Because I want to be so ready for it that I want it already. Right now, it’s more like, “Okay, I’m open to having it. But I’m not yet wanting it.” Hopefully by the time that I want it, God gives it. Right now, mental health first. I still need to sort out a lot of things. My child only deserves the best version of myself and I feel like I’m getting there, but I’m not quite there yet. Soon! In the same way that I am about marriage. A while ago, I was with my Zumba classmates, and they were like, “How long have you guys been dating?! I’m so happy for you!” And I said, “Almost seven years, Tita.” And they were like, “Why so long?!” And I said, “Well, I wasn’t ready.” Which is the truth. In order for me to become the best wife for Ben, I had to have been ready for that and wanting and willing. Not just because everybody else is getting married, and just because I’m 30-something. I didn’t want that. I told myself, no it’s going to come at the right time. You’ll feel it. And true enough, because if I rushed this, if we got married four years ago, I don’t know. At least now, he’s getting the best possible version of myself. (laughs) I was going to say best version, but I remembered the dragon. (laughs) Best possible version of myself.

Cover Story: Gretchen Gatan

Editorial Assistant: Maan Fernandez

Art Direction: Margaux Cortez 

Video: Richard Webb

Photo: Kitkat Pajaro

Makeup: Gela Laurel

Hair: Mong Amado

Styling: Yzza Hablado

Self-love is usually defined as one’s regard for his or her own well-being without considering it to be a narcissistic characteristic. Bustle.com recently interviewed 11 women on what self-love means to them, and some of the answers included being content with where they are while pursuing where they want to go, accepting that putting their needs first is a priority, learning to say no to things or people that don’t make them feel good or happy, and finding the deeper meaning behind their fears.

In our previous cover story featuring #CalyxtaGirl, Iza Calzado, she shares that being a woman in this day and age, despite the many things she juggles, knows when to say no—even to herself. And picking up from that subject, this next cover video focuses on how Iza joined She Talks Asia, an organization dedicated to educating, empowering, and inspiring people who are learning to understand and appreciate the role of women in an evolving world, and started The Body Love Revolution—a movement that aims to talk about body transformation, intergenerational concerns, emotions, media and beauty, and the right approach to food and fitness.

Iza even answers the question, “What can you say about people who think makeup, skin care, and treatments are against self-love because it’s changing or enhancing something about your body?” Watch her video below:

Cover Story: Gretchen Gatan

Editorial Assistant: Maan Fernandez

Art Direction: Margaux Cortez 

Video: Richard Webb

Photo: Kitkat Pajaro

Makeup: Gela Laurel

Hair: Mong Amado

Styling: Yzza Hablado

For someone with so many things in her plate at the moment—a primetime TV show, an upcoming movie, not to mention, her own wedding, Iza looked to be so calm and composed. Sure, in the middle of sharing her stories (she had so many of them, and we all loved listening to her go on and on!), she’d reply to a text message or take a call from her wedding planner, Amanda Tirol, but we all more than understood—none of us wanted to get in the way of a bride whose wedding was in less than a week, yet who still accepted a shoot when she should have been packing her things already!

In this month’s story, we’re claiming 2019 as the Year of the Woman—highlighting both her strengths and weaknesses, but most importantly, what she’s capable of. And who better to answer our questions like what it means to be a woman in this day and age and how society has tendencies to still dictate what a woman should or should not do, than our January #CalyxtaGirl, Iza Calzado?

Get to know more of her thoughts when you watch her video below:

In the coming weeks, we’ll be focusing more on Iza as a body positivity advocate, She Talks Asia Co-Founder, and now wife to Booky CEO, Ben Wintle. Plus—don’t forget to watch her editorial video.

Cover Story: Gretchen Gatan

Editorial Assistant: Maan Fernandez

Art Direction: Margaux Cortez 

Video: Richard Webb

Photo: Kitkat Pajaro

Makeup: Gela Laurel

Hair: Mong Amado

Styling: Yzza Hablado

We’re down to the last #CalyxtaGirl of December, and of course, what better way to end our anniversary month than with the woman who represents Beauty—one of the first beauty vloggers in the Philippines with over 230,000 subscribers on YouTube and 100,000 followers on Instagram, Say Tioco Artillero.

As one of the pioneers of beauty vlogging in the country, what makes Say particularly stand out is how candid and open she is in sharing her stories through her platform. Back in 2010 when she knew nothing about starting her own channel, she did it only because of Michelle Phan—a household name in the beauty vlogging industry, who inspired a fair share of local beauty vloggers, including our very own December #CalyxtaGirl.

Now, despite her growth, Say remains as open and as candid—letting people see even her most vulnerable sides through daily video updates. Continue reading and getting to know Say’s thoughts on the booming of the beauty industry in our country.

As one of the pioneer beauty vloggers in the Philippines, how did you get started and what was it like starting out?

Michelle Phan inspired me a long, long time ago. At that time, I told myself, “Parang wala pa masyadong beauty vloggers in the Philippines.” It was in 2010. I knew nothing. And YouTube wasn’t as big compared to what it is now. I had to Google everything. How to link your account, etc. So it was very hard starting out, because I had no help at all.

How was it like after? Or during? Was it a struggle? Or was it easy for you to get a hang of things?

It’s been super fun because as the years went by, the community just kept growing and growing. Because Michelle Phan grew, and so more and more people were inspired by her. So as time went by, we were able to grow a small community. Some were even from Cebu, some were from Davao, etc. But it was so cute because we became part of a small group and from there, it branched out to a bigger community. And I started signing up with Style Haul, which has been my network for over 8 years now. So they also helped me with my channel, to collaborate with other YouTubers—not only from the Philippines but also from other Asian countries.

Was this the career that you’ve always envisioned for yourself?

Guuurl, no. When I was younger, I wanted to become a teacher. (laughs) But for real, teacher or dentist. But because I was so inspired by Michelle Phan because she was earning from her videos, I thought to myself, “Hmmm. Can I do that also?” I was in the kitchen at that time, and I just decided to try it out. I didn’t really have a goal or anything. I just wanted to try it out.

How do you deal with people who don’t understand beauty and only see it as shallow? And how can you encourage other women to not be afraid of being judged even though there are misconceptions about wearing makeup?

When I was in college, I had this teacher who was always so fixed up. And I was class president then, and there was this one time that I didn’t get to fix my face. I had no lashes, etc. And she asked me, “Ms. Artillero, are you sick?” So for me, makeup helps big time. Everyday, I would wear false lashes and I didn’t care what others thought. I just felt like life was too short to really care about what other people will say. Right? What matters is what you feel. And how it empowers you as a person—if it’ll affect you in a positive way and allow you to be even better at work. Who cares if someone says your lipstick is too red? Why? Are you the one wearing it? Filipinos have a tendency to say things about other Filipinos, and for me, you just have to learn the art of deadma. It will really help you in life.

Last question—what’s one thing that you’re proud to say about the beauty industry in the Philippines?

It’s ever-changing. It can keep up. We aren’t behind. We’re evolving. We can keep up with both Korean and western trends that’s why, bam! Plus we Filipinas have the face for it.

Catch Say’s Fast Talk video below, and a behind-the-scenes of her cover girl shoot. Plus—be sure to use her code SAYTIOCO upon checkout to avail a 10% sitewide discount!(Disclaimer: Discount code does not apply to promo items.)

Cover Story: Gretchen Gatan
Editorial Assistant: Maan Fernandez
Art Direction: Margaux Cortez and Ming Bagaforo
Video: Richard Webb
Photo: Kitkat Pajaro
Makeup: Anton Patdu and Sylvina Lopez
Hair: Mong Amado
Styling: Adrianne Concepcion

In the previous weeks celebrating our 4th anniversary this December, you’ve read more about how Fashion was represented by luxe designer, Rosenthal Tee, and how senior indoor cycling instructor, Lexi Gancayco, opened our eyes further on the budding of the Fitness industry.

This week, we focus on our third #CalyxtaGirl, Erika Hocson, who despite juggling multiple roles and titles, manages to look extra fresh in her beige and faux-freckled ensemble. Erika is no doubt your Modern Mompreneur—apart from working as a marketing manager for a well-known seafood restaurant in the Metro, running her own line of swimsuits, Sirena Swimwear, alongside long-time BFF, Sam Pinto, endorsing or modeling for brands like Skin 101, Philip Stein, and Cream Silk, and finding the time to work out daily in between her already hectic schedule, Erika is first and foremost a mom to her adorable 6-year-old son, Jacob, who she shares in a sweet Instagram post, “holds and is her heart.

In a truly real and inspiring interview, Erika talks about what it’s like to balance everything and still find time for herself, what she hopes to instill in Jacob as he grows older, and her thoughts on motherhood in this day and age.

As an entrepreneur and model, plus your day job, not to mention you’re raising a 6-year-old, how do you manage to balance everything?

Woah, that’s a tough one. For me, given that I have all these things that I have to do, and they’re all priorities to me, it’s time management. I have the planner, the works, and I always have to really know what I’m going to do for the day. I can’t just wing it. For example, I bring Jacob to school, and then I even make time to work out, so it’s all about knowing what fits into my schedule. And then I go to my day job, and more often than not when I’m done, that’s when I schedule other projects or shoots. But of course, it’s also unpredictable so sometimes, I’ll just move around and make it work. So when I have work in the morning for that day alone, I’ll drop Jacob off first and then go to my job. It’s just really trying to squeeze it all in.

Modern moms of today like to have their own “Me Time” to regenerate, and mentally and emotionally take care of themselves. What’s your version of this?

If you follow me on Instagram, then my “Me Time” is really working out. Before, it was really just to get fit, but then for some reason, it became my “Me Time.” I use it to unwind and to release stress, because like I said, I have so many things going on—so working out is my way of taking the stress off. I have fun, I enjoy it. And of course, the extra girly stuff sometimes. I go get myself pampered—nail spa, etc.

How can you encourage other moms who feel guilty about doing this to themselves? Like setting aside time for themselves?

That’s a tough question because it’s always a question of whether you’re not spending enough time with your kid, and it’s their crucial age and things like that, but for me, in my situation, I haven’t had a nanny or yaya for him since May? And yeah, sometimes, I feel guilty because I’m doing a lot of stuff, but I always tell myself it’s for him. I always have him in mind anyway. Again, with the priorities, I do my best to make time for him, especially on weekends. Normally on Sundays, I really make time for him—I take him out and go wherever. But during the week, I know that what I’m doing now is for his own good. It’s for his education, it’s for his future. I don’t really listen to what other people have to say, because our situations are different. They don’t know what I have to do, or what I pay for. So I don’t think moms should be guilty. Every mom has a unique situation. If they’re lucky enough that they have help, then good for them, then they can do their own thing as much as they want. If they want to stay at home, that’s great. I know moms who also just want to be home and be hands-on, and that’s amazing. But in my situation, I can’t just really do that because his dad and I, we both do our own share of supporting him.

What’s one thing you’d like to tell your 10-year-old self?

When I was 10, I really wanted to be 13. When I was 13, I really wanted to be 16. And then I guess because I had so many older cousins and brothers around me, I wanted to be older, and I thought it was so much better, and it had more perks. But if I had to go back and talk to my 10-year-old self, I’d just say, “Enjoy it. Take all the naps you want because it’s not going to be like that anymore. Just play. Don’t rush because time, for some reason, goes by so much faster when you’re a little bit older.” And I’d also tell her to eat better because my 10-year-old self ate so much junk food. I was such a chubby kid. So yeah, just enjoy and study.

Watch more of Erika and Jacob in their Fast Talk videos below:

Plus—use the code ERIKAHOCSON upon checkout to avail a 10% discount sitewide! (Disclaimer: Code is not applicable on promo items.)

Cover Story: Gretchen Gatan
Editorial Assistant: Maan Fernandez
Art Direction: Margaux Cortez and Ming Bagaforo
Video: Richard Webb
Photo: Kitkat Pajaro
Makeup: Anton Patdu and Sylvina Lopez
Hair: Mong Amado
Styling: Adrianne Concepcion

Growing up, I was a swimmer like my parents, so I had no choice. I was put into swimming, as in competitive swimming when I was 10? Or 11? So that carried all throughout high school, and then I kind of stopped swimming right before college, and then I told myself—no more exercise in college. But that didn’t last very long because around 2012, I just started boxing, and then I got the unlimited promo, so I was like, “Okay, I have to go five to six times a week.” And then it started from there—from boxing, I learned more about different exercises, and then nutrition and everything.

Was this the career you’ve always envisioned for yourself?

No, not really. But I remember when I used to work out in college, I’d tell myself, “Sana I can do this na lang my whole life. But can I? Or maybe not.” I thought about it, but I didn’t see myself doing this. It was just really (especially with indoor cycling), it was really more of I took a chance. When I graduated from kindergarten, I said I wanted to be a horseback rider. But that was really nothing. I always thought I’d be in something like advertising.

How do you deal with the usual misconceptions that people have about the fitness industry?

Oh my god, it’s so hard. At the end of the day, I think what’s important is you remembering why you’re doing it, or at least my purpose of doing it. A lot of people always think that it’s very shallow. There’s not much depth, or it’s not something you can do for the rest of your life. But it’s really just tuning out all those opinions, and remembering why I’m doing it, and why I love to do it.

Get to know more of Lexi when you watch her Fast Talk video below:

As we recently introduced the four trailblazers representing different industries to celebrate Calyxta’s fourth anniversary, we start things off with a young fashion designer who has gotten attention for her unconventional designs and who she designs them for—namely the likes of Lovi Poe, Katarina Rodriguez, and Coleen Garcia.

In fact, when you hear the name Rosenthal Tee, you automatically think of strong pieces that reflect a glamorous charm, balanced by a structured kind of sophistication. Her hard work, attention to detail, and grounded ways are no doubt what made her rise to a household name in the fashion industry—specializing in luxe pieces, bridal gowns, and bespoke evening wear,

Rosenthal Tee is no stranger to Calyxta either. Her name has been mentioned numerous times by Real Brides featured on Brides by Calyxta (not to mention, she’ll be designing my dream gown for my wedding in 2019!), and apart from letting us use her avant-garde designs to style September 2017 #CalyxtaGirl, Lauren Reid, she also appeared in our Calyxta Conversations and Artist Profile series, where we got to know more about her humble beginnings and highly impressive fashion education background.

In her debut as one of our December 2018 #CalyxtaGirls representing fashion, Rosenthal Tee wears one of her very own designs and gets comfortably fierce in front of the camera.

As one of the fastest-rising young fashion designers of today, what makes your style or aesthetic stand out?

I think that it’s very much glamorous. And in this age, I think that’s something that is kind of a little lacking—that fun take on glamour.

What are the biggest challenges of designing in this day and age?

I think just trying to be authentic to what you want in terms of getting the vision out there, especially here in Manila since everything I do is custom-made. It’s really trying to find that balance for both me and the client that I’m serving, that we kind of achieve a good balance of how us two merge.

What’s the most fulfilling thing about being a fashion designer nowadays, especially here in the Philippines?

It’s just seeing all these women get glammed up. It’s very different when you’re doing the fittings and you know, you’re not really fixed yet with your hair and makeup. But once you put the dress on and you have your glam team do their magic on you—what I like and love about it is the transformative aspect. You see how they react when they’re already in the whole look, and it’s really great.

How did it feel to be wearing your designs today?

To be honest, it felt kind of weird because I don’t really have the occasion to do that just yet. So it felt like my debut slash Ting Hun slash red wedding. (laughs) It was all of those things rolled into one. I mean, the fun part of being in this industry is that I get to play—and it felt like playing a while ago (during the shoot).

Watch more of Rosenthal in our Fast Talk video below:

Plus—get to know some of Rosenthal Tee’s Brides:

Ghia Vicente-Giron

Lastly, as a treat for everyone to continue celebrating Calyxta’s 4th anniversary, be sure to use the code ROSENTHALTEE upon checkout to avail 10% off sitewide! (Disclaimer: Discount code does not apply to promo items).

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—especially for Calyxta! This month, as we celebrate four years of being everyone’s beauty source and resource, we made it a conscious effort to feature four trailblazers representing different industries on the cover of our Anniversary Issue.

Meet Rosenthal Tee (representing fashion), Lexi Gancayco (representing fitness), Erika Hocson (representing modern motherhood), and Say Tioco (representing beauty)—four incredibly unique women who have each made their marks in their fields of expertise, proving that success is measured not by the number of their followers, but the number of people they’ve empowered and continue to make an impact on.

Each week of December, we’ll be sharing their stories, focusing on how they evolved in their respective industries. Meanwhile, as we sat down and talked to each one during our editorial shoot at New Monarq Studio, casually discussing our favorite beauty products on Calyxta, we asked them to reveal their everyday makeup and skin care routines, and here’s what they had to say.

Rosenthal: Since I have really, really dry skin, I have to use richer creams. In terms of makeup, if I have no important meetings and I just want that fresh look, I would do my eyebrows, put a little bit of concealer, and apply one of the Sunnies lipsticks, whichever is there. I don’t even look at the colors anymore. If I do have to be a little more prepared, I would do the full face, which is eyebrows, concealer, and then if I’m lazy, I’ll just do a winged eyeliner. If I’m not so lazy, I’ll do a colored eyeshadow. I usually play with oranges, pinks and golds, just so that it’s a little smokey but day-appropriate as well.

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Watch out for our #CalyxtaGirls in this fun editorial video, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated on each of their cover stories.

We’ve reached the end of our cover story on All-Around Artist, Bela Padilla, and while we put the spotlight each week on what makes her the ultimate multi-hyphenate, we’ll be closing November off with her last persona—as a Producer and Director who has begun creating her very own show.

Looking back at our interview and editorial shoot at Belle & Dragon, Bela had been so grounded and easy to work with. Too grounded, in fact, that I was amazed at how much work she has done for the industry both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes, slowly but surely changing the game with a mind and creativity so unique. “I started writing because I wanted to do roles that aren’t on screen yet, and I wanted to watch films that weren’t on screen yet,” she shares.

In our final interview, continue reading as we talk about the upcoming show she has produced, the challenges of being a new producer, and what she’s cooking up to end 2018.

We read that you’ll be the line producer of an upcoming show on ABS-CBN. Without revealing too much, can you tell us a bit more about it?

Sure! I can actually reveal a bit about it already. I’m actually not just line producing but also creating the show. There was a time last year in ABS-CBN where they called in writers to pitch several stories to a millennial panel, which is just crazy hard because they ask you the most millennial questions. (laughs) Like, “What’s the binge-ability of this?” Aren’t all shows supposed to be binge-able? (laughs) Because I binge-watch everything. Yeah, those were their concerns and you had to defend. It was like defending a thesis. It was crazy because I’ve never written or defended a thesis in my life. Right after high school, I went straight to acting, so I was like, “This is how it feels like.” So, there was a series of pitching; weeks and weeks of pitching, and I was asked to pitch any of my concepts, and out of three stories I pitched, two got approved, and one of them is a movie, while the other one is a digital series. The digital series is called, “Apple of My Eye” and it’s about a girl named Apple who refuses to use technology and ends up meeting a guy who’s an app developer. I wanted to play around the idea of how to court someone, because we’re still very Filipino. Just a few days ago, I heard a guy mention the word, “Courting” or “Nanliligaw” and that’s a very Filipino tradition. So, how does an app developer who doesn’t expose himself to the world anymore—he talks through his Bluetooth earphone, he listens to Spotify, he uses Waze for directions, he’s so heavily dependent on technology—how does he court a modern Filipina who refuses to use technology? Like how do you text each other to meet in Glorietta or Trinoma or wherever? (laughs) So basically, that’s the concept. I wrote the pilot episode and the storyline for all the episodes, but I hired a different writer to fill it in because I just cannot anymore—like I’m so tired. (laughs) But they asked me to create it—so I formed a team, a very nice young and I’d say, very vibrant team. I got Direk James Mayo—he was the director of Kuya Wes for Cinemalaya. He’s directing it. It’s going to star Marco Gumabao and Krystal Reyes. Krystal, for me, is one of the best actresses of her generation. She started out as a child actress, and I’m excited to see what she can do with Marco, and Marco, as we know, is an upcoming cute guy. I feel like he’ll be the next Noah Centineo in the Philippines. (laughs) Every episode title is a play of words. We will try to tackle one app every episode. Like for this one episode, it’s Waze but the girl wants to use a real map. So, it’s that kind of the story. It’s very light.

In creating your films, was there ever a time that you had to coach an actor or an actress? Like this is how you wrote the character, this is his or her mindset, etc.

Never. I’m lucky that all the people I’ve worked with so far are so professional. I’ve read articles that say I only write scripts for myself, for my friends, and yes, I do, because what’s the point? Why would I write it for people who don’t want to work? I write it for people who are hungry, people who really want this, for people who, like me, want to slowly change the system, I guess. I mean, we’re not really trying to change—but more of improve the system in any way we can. I’m not even saying we know how to, but I want people like that. People who feel like they want to, and they can. And yes, I do write for myself, because that’s the whole point. I started writing because I wanted to do roles that aren’t on screen yet, and I wanted to watch films that weren’t on screen yet. And, I will, yes, write for my friends, because I want to give my friends jobs, so it should be something that serves something you want or else why would I want to keep doing it? It’s so tiring. When I worked with Toni and Piolo, Piolo was so into the character that it made me admire him even more, not just as a friend, but as an actor and a person, that at that age, he’s still so dedicated. So many years in the industry and he spends that much time really taking care of his character. He asked for a playlist right before starting, and he would play it every day in his tent to get into the mood. He lost so much weight for the role to look like the suicidal Mark that he played, and I was just so amazed. I hope, and I’m blessed to keep on working with these kinds of people who are just so hungry to work.

Last question to wrap up your cover story—what are you cooking up for 2018? Are you going to end it with a bang? Is there something up your sleeve that you haven’t released yet?

(laughs) I don’t think I can say yet. But I do have a movie script coming out. It’s already in pre-production. So watch out for that!

Catch up on our All-Around Artist and read her previous cover stories below:

You’ve read about Bela Padilla as an Actress in our first cover story, and you’ve read about her as a Model in last week’s feature. But perhaps my favorite interview of the four layers we’ve unraveled (and will continue to unravel) about our November 2018 #CalyxtaGirl is Bela Padilla as a Writer.

I had so many questions that I wanted to ask her—questions that I was incredibly intrigued to hear the answers to, because I felt like there were so many insights that I, as a fellow writer, would also learn from.

This week, Bela shares where she gets her inspiration, how she overcomes writer’s block, her process in developing her characters, and her unique writing style. Continue reading our interview below.

Writers tend to find inspirations in the most mundane or random things. Where do you find yours in writing your screenplays?

That is actually very accurate. It is really in the most unexpected situations where you get inspiration from. There was a script that we came up with, a concept that I came up with called “Luck at First Sight” which eventually materialized into a movie with Jericho Rosales. We thought of it because on the radio, they kept talking about love at first sight, and I was thinking what if it was luck that brought two people together? It was a play of words, and from the title, we created the film. For Camp Sawi, it was a question—I was talking to someone and the question was, “What if there was a rehab for the brokenhearted?” and we came up with Camp Sawi. For Last Night, which was a movie that came out last year with Toni and Piolo, I imagined, because there was a time when we always taped around Jones Bridge, and I was thinking, what would I feel like if I saw someone jump off Jones Bridge? And how would I help? And I don’t know why—I think it was because I was about to die in Probinsyano that I ended up making Toni’s character dead to begin with. Sometimes, it also has something to do with what I’m going through at the moment. I currently just finished a new script. It’s coming out next year, also under Star Cinema. And this one is Larger Than Life, because that’s what they asked for, so that’s commissioned work. But the scenes I put in it, I noticed are scenes that I went through in real life because I’ve been single for quite a while now—so most of the dates that I put into the movie are my ideal dates or dates I wish I went on.

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?

I have this weird thing where even if they tell me to write the script three months ahead, I’ll write it the day before. I cannot write when it’s not close to the deadline. I need to write it the day before. That’s when everything comes out. I’ll even pretend to bring my laptop if I’m going to travel. It’s with me while traveling, like on the plane. I have to carry it around through all the gates, and I end up not writing a single word. I’ll just watch all the in-flight films, which is just really such a waste of time but yeah. I tend to write the day before. I don’t even try to fight it anymore. I know now that I can’t write aside from the day before. Anything they ask for—sequence treatment, character development, or a character background or whatever, or a full script—I write the day before. So I’m in deep s— when the script is long because I have to be writing from morning until the next morning. So there. I went to classes with Sir Ricky Lee, and he said writer’s block is real. But you have to train yourself every day to keep on writing, even if it’s just five sequences, even if you don’t want to, even if it’s really bad sequences—at least you wrote something, so it turns into a writing exercise, which makes sense. And before, I would experience writer’s block in the middle of the script, because that tends to get boring—you have a nice intro, you have a really solid ending, but what do you put in the middle? That used to be a struggle for me, and I didn’t have formal training before. And I realized—why do I keep thinking of what I want to put? I should start thinking of what I want to watch. Because at the end of the day, the reason why I’m writing is because I’m looking for films that aren’t out yet. I put myself into the perspective of the audience so that’s one of the easiest cures that I could recommend. “What do you want to watch?“

In terms of developing your characters-how do you develop them? How do you think about what they would be eating for breakfast the next day or something?

I like watching real people. It’s so weird because on most days, I’m alone. I mean, I have my PA with me in my house, but I’m really just alone. I go to the mall alone, I eat alone—I don’t like having my assistant with me whenever I go out because I feel like that’s such a diva move to have your PA carry your bag or whatever. It’s just stupid because I can do it on my own. But I prefer being alone. Like this New Year, I went to Enchanted Kingdom alone, I rode the rides alone, and I got to talk to a lot of people. I like talking to people, so from there, like you guys, you can be characters in a movie. I think for writers, you put yourself out there—like really, really watch the world because that’s what you’re writing about. You can’t keep on researching through your phone. You have to go out and actually feel the wind when you write about the wind, you know? The more you expose yourself, the more colorful your imaginary worlds can be. And there, I think it’s a plus that I like talking to people. When I travel, that’s basically all I do—from the flight attendants to people I’ll meet. I love talking to people in the airport. They’re so interesting. Always different stories. I pretend to be different people when I’m walking around. Today, I’m a student. Obviously, this is an airport where everyone is just strangers. I can pretend to be traveling with my dad even if I’m just alone, or I can pretend that my husband checked-in ahead of me and I’m just following. (laughs) Stuff like that. I play around. I love doing this because I get bored a lot. (laughs) It’s also a way to be safe when I’m traveling alone. As a woman, I pretend like, “Yeah, my dad’s waiting for me outside.” Even if there’s no one outside.

What’s your writing style and do you develop the characters first or the story line first? Do you write in chronological order or different scenes first that you piece together? And do you leave a story behind and you just come back to it when you have more ideas for it?

I have more stories that I’ve left behind than I’ve actually written completely. Only because when I continue to write them, I suddenly go through something else in my life and I feel like it’s not important anymore, the script that I was writing. There’s a script that I’ve been writing for a year now, that’s too special, that I can’t continue writing it. I feel like I’m not worthy for the story. But I will hopefully get to a point where I feel worthy enough to tell that story. My writing style—I always go straight to full script. When I’m required to, I’ll go for storyline first and then fill it in with lines. But I would like to go full script first. There’s one person who described me before, and said that when you read my script, you could read them talking inside your head. And that makes complete sense because when you’re writing conversations, you don’t really notice that you’re typing anymore. You’re literally just listening in on their conversation. I think that’s also one of the joys of writing. Being able to watch other people’s worlds, and I mean, that happens when we watch the movies  already. But before it comes out, we get to experience that firsthand, so I feel like I was let in on a secret and I get to share it with you guys if you’d watch it. I do write chronologically. I don’t like going back. I’ll write it once, go through it for typos. More or less, when I do go back, there are at least 10 more scenes that I will change. Because one movie script right now is around 60 to 75 sequences, so there are about 5 to 10 that I’ll revise or add.

Don’t forget to check out Bela’s previous cover stories, and to shop and read all things beauty on Calyxta!

Looking back at how Bela Padilla came to be our November 2018 #CalyxtaGirl, I remember just following her on Instagram one day after seeing how artistic her feed looked. She had a kind of beauty that manifested even more as you stared at her features—and I think it was her sharp and expressive-looking eyes that drew me right in. There was something about this girl that made her so different from all the others, and I think what made Calyxta instantly want her to become our cover girl to represent our Art Issue was because, more than the diversity of characters she’s played on-screen, is an impressive roster of successful films she’s written—including Camp Sawi and Meet Me in St. Gallen.

Taking a chance and banking on just sending her a direct message on Instagram, I was surprised that she had accepted my request and responded back the same day. And so began a fun and creative process of conceptualizing a shoot that could capture Bela and her many layers, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

In this first cover video, get to know the first layer of our All-Around Artist as an actress who has worked with some of the best in the industry:

Cover Story: Gretchen Gatan
Editorial Assistant: Maan Fernandez
Art Direction: Margaux Cortez
Video: Richard Webb
Photo: Kitkat Pajaro
Makeup: Denise Ochoa
Hair: Kiel Otilla
Styling: Jan Aranilla
Special Thanks to: The Belle & Dragon and Mandalay

One of the biggest trends that cultivated in the Gen Z culture is all about sustainability. Both young and established brands have recently been popping up left-and-right with campaigns that advocate for sustainable and eco-friendly products—and it’s paving a way for the youth of today to be more conscious of what they consume and support.

In this week’s cover story, our October 2018 #CalyxtaGirls, Hannah and Janina, talk about some of the simple ways they’ve started to support this modern movement and how they keep themselves healthy and in tiptop shape!

Touching on what you guys said about sustainability, we’ll be talking about that since in today’s generation, there’s a rise in awareness when it comes to supporting more sustainable brands. How would you guys say you’ve taken part in this movement? 

Hannah: Does a metal straw count? It’s actually really difficult to keep up with everything that people are advocating for, but then of course, I always want to support those people who do work from the ground up—not just sustainable items, but more like sustainable brands and local brands; brands that come from the Philippines, supporting locally-made stuff, locally-made careers. Like people who come from the Philippines, that’s what I’ve been advocating for recently. People who are self-made, like artisan brands. I think Instagram is a really good avenue to support brands like that. So, yeah, when they approach me, I really like that. What about you, Janina?

Janina: My family and I, we’ve all switched to metal straws. I think that’s one of the easiest things you could do—start with something as simple as that.

Hannah: Bring a bottle…

Janina: Yeah, exactly! Bring a bottle, that’s something I’ve been trying to do it often because I realized how much plastic is in a plastic bottle, especially when in a shoot like this, when people just hand you and throw you plastic bottles, and you’re like, “Woah! All of these poor turtles.“

How do you keep yourself healthy? Do you guys go on diets or what exercises do you enjoy doing?

Hannah: I used to be very athletic when I was at school because I had motivation, and I had a team to push me to be fit. But now, I’m going to be honest, I’m really struggling right now to be more active because I’m not at school. So, it’s more self-induced? (laughs) That’s why it’s more difficult. I guess, I’m just trying to recognize what exactly my motivation is to become thin—is it because I want to look good? And now I recognized that it’s just that I want to feel good, and I want to be confident in my own skin and me being confident is drawn from the fact that I’m healthy as a person. So, I’m still working on having a sustainable routine, on working out and stuff, which is very difficult especially in a transitional period because I just graduated. So, I do strive to be self-motivated with my fitness. But as of now, I’m still getting there.

Okay, let’s talk beauty. If you could choose to do each other’s makeup look, what kind of look would you do on each other?

Janina: (laughs)

Hannah: It’s funny, we just did!

Janina: We have an unreleased video…

Hannah: …of us doing each other’s makeup, which is really funny. But if I were to do Janina’s makeup, these are her essential parts of her face: first, which is very different from before, but now she has very natural brows, and she likes a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of blush. Like you have to put it all over her nose, like everywhere. And then, she doesn’t really put that much highlight, but she likes to put a lot of powder because she does have oily skin, so she needs that. And she also likes putting a lot of lip tint on her lips. Right? Did I get it right? And mascara! She doesn’t really go for falsies anymore.

Janina: For Hannah, you have to really take your freaking time on the skin—like 15 minutes for skin and 5 minutes for the rest of her makeup. (laughs) Strobing cream, a lot of moisturizer, minimal brows as well, a lot of eyeshadow. Hannah loves her rose-colored eyeshadow, a lot of highlight, setting spray, and then highlight, and then setting spray, and then highlight. (laughs) And then a lip plumper for her lips. Yeah.

Hannah: You hit it out of the ballpark there.

Janina: Thanks, girl. (laughs)

We put HANINA to the ultimate friendship test as we asked them random questions on who’s most likely to do this and that! Watch it here: