Looking good, feeling good

MANILA, Philippines - Marriage seems to be doing Maricar de Mesa a lot of good. She looks as young as she did on the day she married Don Allado three years ago.

Maricar refuses to give credit to herself alone.

“It’s because I learned so many things from The Emily Post Institute and The Academy of Image Mastery. I took courses on business etiquette, color, style, body analysis and wardrobe management for men and women in these schools which have a branch catering to Asians in Singapore,” she reveals.

Before she accepted clients, among them Angelu de Leon, and companies who want their employees to project a good image, Maricar applied what she learned on her family.

Her husband and sister gladly allowed Maricar to find out how they could put their best foot forward in a crowd.

“It’s not just a matter of having nice clothes,” cautions Maricar. “I study a person’s skin tone using bright light.”

Only then can she advise what color will enhance a person’s looks. This will guide a person in choosing the right clothes and make-up.

Studying a person’s built, Maricar adds, will also determine just what kind of style he or she should go for in clothes. The hair should not be taken for granted either, she relates. It counts a lot in giving the person a look of total confidence.

Thanks to her pieces of advice, Maricar has seen shrinking violets bloom into stylish, confident persons. And she gets a big kick out of that.

“It’s so fulfilling to see somebody look better and feel better day by day,” she gushes.

This spurs her to be on the look-out for people she can transform into even more smashing personalities.

One of them is Kris Aquino. Maricar thinks that although any color will flatter Kris, she can still use some tips from Maricar.

Another dream client is the new batch of StarStruck talents. Maricar would love to teach them the basics of looking good, feeling good and dealing with people. This will better equip the future stars in handling success.

Maricar’s newfound career, however, doesn’t mean the end of her showbiz activities.

“Acting is still my first love,” she says. “It’s already in my blood.”

Press people she talked to over lunch agreed that Maricar still has the looks of a leading lady. Taking on mother roles is doing her an injustice.

It helps that Don is behind her all the way. The only time he protested was when his wife came home in the morning after doing an all-night shoot. And he did it so good-naturedly — even joking that he’ll pay for Maricar’s talent fee himself — she couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Don wants a baby this year while Maricar prefers to wait a bit longer because “I have my hands full every day.”

Yes, the call of the klieg lights is as strong as ever, especially now that Maricar is the epitome of someone who knows how to carry herself well.

A student of renowned image consultant Christina Ong and Peter Post, etiquette master Emily Post’s grandson like Maricar can’t help but walk the talk. And she can only hope more people will join her on this journey towards looking good and feeling good, not only about herself, but about others as well.