The great leveler

Calamities like Ondoy truly brought out the best in us. Everyone seemed like either a victim or a rescuer. It was a great leveler. Showbiz came in full force providing money, time, talent, words of encouragement for people hurt by Ondoy. I have in all my life never seen such catastrophic anger.

I grew up in Samar, the typhoon belt of the country. I went through cruel storms and heavy rains. But I was dead scared when I saw on TV the entire stretch of Ortigas Ave. extension submerged in water with hundreds of people wading their way to safety. The heavy floods weather analysts say is an apparent result of climate change. What a costly reminder for all of us that we indeed have to take care of the environment now until the very end.

Thank you to all our friends who helped in our relief operations and to the countless others who continue to help.

Carmen Soo for Clinelle

Carmen Soo, the Malaysian actress-model who starred with Jericho Rosales in the teleserye Kahit Isang Saglit, is the new face of Clinelle. She is in town to attend the press launch of the beauty product on Oct. 16 at Bucharest Restaurant SM Mall of Asia.

“I have always been a fan of Clinelle so it is definitely a privilege for me to be part of a brand that I love. The product range has always been gentle to my skin. It leaves my skin clean, clear and glowing. My favorite Clinelle product is the SnoWhite Mask because it keeps my skin fair and ensures that my skin stays hydrated. I am also a big fan of the LMS Cream (Line Management Series) because it reduces repairs and prevents any signs of fine lines. Applying it twice a day not only keeps the line away but it also brightens my face,” Carmen enthuses. 

Her simplicity and charisma make her the best choice for endorsing a beauty care line that promotes healthy skin. Clinelle’s easy and effective skin care makes it simply ideal for her hectic schedule.

Clinelle Professional Care is a ph-balanced skin care product dermatologically proven to repair, refine and protect the skin for clearly visible and long-term results. The products are made of 100 percent botanical extracts, vitamins and natural essential oils. It has no artificial fragrance, no artificial coloring, no comedogenic ingredients, no mineral oil, no SD-alcohol and no lanolin. 

Clinelle has a complete product line that matches any skin type. So whether your face is normal, oily, dry, blemish prone, aging or sensitive, there is a Clinelle product that will suit everyone’s needs. Clinelle has loyal users in the US, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Clinelle Professional Care products are available at all Watsons and Beauty by SM stores nationwide. Visit www.clinelle.com for more information.

Tessa pushes herself to the limit

Quintessential sophisticate Tessa Prieto-Valdes joins the ranks of Cate Blanchett, Kevin Spacey, Seal and Bono as Audi Ambassador. And one of her ambassadorial duties was to represent Audi in Ironman 70.3 Philippines, an event that is a tribute to sportsmanship, passion, energy and determination — values shared and embodied by Audi.

Held at the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC), Camarines Sur, it brought together some of the world’s toughest triathlon athletes. Tessa rose to the challenge and placed third in her age category. At 46, she proudly embraces her age and is always prepared to push her body and youthful spirit to the limit.

In preparation for the Ironman 70.3 challenge, Tessa trained for months with swim coach Guy Concepcion, bike coaches Robin Valdes and Paolo Defensor and race coach Ani de Leon.

“My heart was pumping, my tummy turning, and my mind going wild. I had to remind myself that I was there to just enjoy the experience and as Audi Ambassador, to promote the spirit of competition and bold daring. The Audi brand is fearless, revolutionary, and is always pushing to perfect upon its accomplishments in automotive engineering and technology and demonstrate the genuine Audi essence: “Progressive, sporty and sophisticated,” she says of her Ironman achievement.

The triathlon started at 7 a.m. and combined 1.2 miles (almost 2 kilometers) of swimming, 56 miles (over 90 kilometers) of cycling and 13.1 miles (over 21 kilometers) of running for a total distance of 113.11 kilometers or 70.3 miles, half the actual Ironman standard but a Herculean feat, nonetheless. The competition’s entry list boasted of 389 individual participants and 45 relay teams of three entries each divided into five in the corporate, 16 in all-male, three in all-female and 11 in mixed categories.

Bravo, Tessa!