"I’m a shoe person, like her," said Desiree. "Oh, I just love shoes! In the States, I worked at a shoe store and I loved helping especially the elderly choose pairs of shoes. They’re picky with shoes, you know."
She stands 5’4", weighs over 100 pounds and picks small-sized shirts off the rack. She wears size 6.5 shoes.
"I have several pairs in the shoe rack at home," Desiree added. "All kinds of shoes, all shapes, different colors."
At 23, Desiree is establishing herself as a class-A kontrabida, in the mold of Cherie Gil. She was a scene-stealer in the ABS-CBN soaps Bituin (against Carol Banawa), Krystala (against Judy Ann Santos) and Kampanerang Kuba (against Anne Curtis), wasn’t she?
Lately, Desiree has gone bolder by doing sexy pictorials (in connection with Tuli, her Viva Films digital-movie starrer with Carlo Aquino).
"I’m old enough," she said.
The controversy spawned by her "romance" with another girl was all but erased when she went steady with Luis Alandy with whom she broke up after barely a year of going steady. In a recent "body talk," Luis said that he hoped he and Desiree would get back together again.
Like Lorna Tolentino, Desiree has a prominent mole on top of her left upper lip. She passed an audition as endorser for a facial product but when she was told that her mole would have to be removed, Desiree said, "Never mind!" That’s supposed to be a "lucky" mole. Ask Lorna T (but not Lani Mercado who had hers surgically removed).
What kind of diet do you follow?
"None."
What food do you avoid?
"Not that I avoid seafood but I try to minimize it. Like shellfish. I really, really love to eat it but sometimes, when I eat it often, my lips and my mouth swell, and my eyes and my ears get really red. Same with chocolates. Pag sobra, naa-allergic ako. Which is sad because I have a sweet tooth."
How much liquid do you take every day?
"I’m a juice person so I drink more juices than water. If I drink only water the whole day, especially during taping, I feel weak. I also drink lots of iced tea."
Do you smoke?
"Yes, I do."
Do you take hard drinks?
"Yes, I do. Before, I used to drink vodka. But I’ve learned to drink beer, until somebody warned me that beer can make your tummy big. My favorite is San Mig Light."
What workout do you do?
"I used to go to the gym thrice a week, to lose weight and to firm up. But I noticed that the more I went to the gym, the more na lumulobo ako. I don’t know why. They said kasi that after working out, you can pig out. It didn’t work for me. When I stopped working out, people started saying that I was getting slimmer."
What part of your body do you think needs improvement?
"My abs. I want ‘packs’ around my abs. And my thighs, too."
What part of your body is your favorite?
"My nose. Look, it’s original – compliments of my dad."
What part of your body is most vulnerable?
"My shoulders. Everytime I do something, even just cooking or doing the computer, my shoulders ache. I should have them checked one of these days."
What part of a guy’s body do you look at first?
"The smile. I also look at his shoes first. They say that if a guy has clean and nice shoes, you can tell what kind of person he is. I’m a shoe person. I love shoes. I have several pairs of shoes."
What vitamins and/or minerals do you take?
"I take only vitamin C. I don’t take multi-vitamin because it whets my appetite. I’d rather take vitamins separately – you know, vitamin E, vitamin B, vitamin C, etc."
Do you apply anything on your face?
"I don’t. I don’t even go to a dermatologist. Ayoko magpagalaw ng aking face. As a kid, I often went with my mom to her dermatologist. I noticed that the more that you have your face touched, the more na may lalabas na hindi dapat lumabas. As long as you keep your face clean, I think that’s good enough. As soon as I’m done with the taping or shooting, I remove my makeup with just soap and water."
How do you cope with stress?
"I sleep. It’s my super-talent. Unlike some showbiz guys who have sleep disorders, I don’t have problems falling asleep. As soon as my head touches the pillow, I’m off to dreamland."
Are you a pillow person?
"Yes, I am. I sleep with five pillows – two under my head, one on either side of my body and the fifth I hug."
Last thing you do before you go to sleep...
"I pray. I thank God for the good things, and even the bad things, that happened to me during the day. It’s His will. I believe that God won’t give you any problem that you can’t handle. I have a strong faith in God even if I don’t go to church every Sunday."
And the first thing you do when you wake up?
"I smile. Yes, I do! Even if you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, you have to start your day with a smile, ‘no?
What’s your favorite hideaway?
"My kitchen. I cook kasi, eh. During my freetime, I go to the grocery and buy things. And then, I experiment with recipes or I invent new ones. If ever I put up a restaurant I’d be the chef."
What’s your favorite recipe?
"None in particular. Every dish that I cook is special because it’s done with love."
How’s your nightlife?
"Sometimes, I go out with friends. But I’d rather have beer at home with friends, relaxing and listening to music, kuwentuhan lang."
Love life?
"Hmmmm. Basta. Hmmmm."
Do you read books?
"Yes, of course, I do. I just read Memoirs of a Geisha (by Arthur Golden) and after that, The Wedding (by Nicholas Sparks), and also The Notebook (same author). I’ll soon start reading Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code."
What about movies?
"I’m not very picky with movies. I watch all kinds. The other night, I watched Underworld Evolution. But I liked the first one better."
Are you vain like most good-looking girls?
"Not at all."
How long does it take you to fix yourself?
"Give me an hour and I’m done – from showering to dressing up. When I’m tired, I usually linger in the bathtub and relax."
Name three guys you think have nice bodies.
"Brad Pitt. Richard Gomez. Cesar Montano."
And three women...
"Jean Garcia. Gretchen Barretto. Cherie Gil."
Using body language, how would you make a guy know that you admire/like him?
"I would bend forward and touch his thigh ever so lightly."