FEELING BRAND NEU

I’ve styled quite a few actresses and supermodels in my time, and thought
I’d seen and met them all. I’ve dressed several goddesses of the silver screen, and at my age, I was just about to conclude that all stars behave pretty much the same way, anywhere in the world. But I was dead wrong to expect the same old diva complex from this model. I guess you could say I learned something Neu one fine day in the beautiful home of Jacques Dupasquier: That real beauty tends to grow on you slowly; it grows deeper than skin-deep with each moment you spend with someone. I learned there was always something wonderful, refreshing, and new to discover each minute I spent with Vivien Tan.

When we (Vickie Perez de Tagle and I) interviewed Vivien Tan at the Nuvo bar, she immediately won us over. She wasn’t showbiz at all. She was very down-to-earth and candid. No contrived smiles or pretentious airs. Here, seated just across us, was a genuine, flawless, natural beauty. She’s a total professional when it comes to her job. This well-traveled TV host also adores Palawan more than any place she’s been to and is crazy about golf. I was also delighted to find that Vivien truly believes in and practices a healthy lifestyle.

What really struck me most about Vivien was her character and humility. This delicate, Eurasian mixed-blood babe doesn’t seem to be aware of just how beautiful she is, which I find very refreshing. Vivien also treats everyone with the same courtesy – whether you’re a client coming to see the polaroids, the designated driver or household staff serving drinks at the shoot. She’s a real darling. She is real.

A Stylist’s Dream Model

Vivien is a stylist’s dream model. Not only was she beautiful from every angle, she never once lost her focus, calmly taking cues from myself and photographer Steve Tirona during the shoot. Not once did she complain about any item of clothing she was told to wear, and she even hung up her own clothes back on the rack when we were done with each outfit. If I hadn’t yet fallen in love with her last week in the bar, by the end of the shoot I was absolutely sold on her beauty, inside out.

Flying in from her native Singapore to meet the press at the Neutrogena party, "Feeling brand Neu", Vivien squeezed in yet another interview during our shoot the day before the big event, all along keeping a serene and happy disposition, despite all the demands for her to be in so many places. She hosted the press lunch at the Mandarin Oriental where guests and Manila’s editors were treated to a whole afternoon of deep cleansing, renewal, and sheer pampering. From the wonderful spa cuisine dished up by Mandarin Oriental’s executive chef Norbert Gandler, to foot reflexology therapy, back massage, professional makeover and hairstyling by the best in the business, the party was a huge success. Vivien artfully mingled with the press and, along with the Neutrogena team, shared a very relaxing way to learn something Neu about skincare.

"To keep my skin clear, I cleanse morning and night without fail. I make sure I tone and moisturize well after removing my makeup. I also use Neutrogena Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser. For adults who may have acne-troubled skin, I suggest they try Neutrogena’s new three-step Skin Clearing line of Foaming Wash, Toner and Essence. This three-step regimen is the discipline one needs for good skin."

Who is her hero?

Vivien replies, "My mother. She is constantly upgrading and improving herself. She’s now studying for her master’s degree in architectural conservation."

Would you rather…

• Be in a ball gown or jeans? "Jeans! Because you can run in them…"

• Have great, flawless skin or a bodacious bod? "Great flawless skin, because you can always workout/exercise to get the body you want."

Feeling Neu In Body And Spirit

Finally, Vivien shares 10 ways to relax and feel brand Neu again:

1. Take time out to renew your relationship with yourself, your family, and friends.

2. Take up yoga.

3. Keep a daily journal where you list down what you are thankful for every day.

4. Take up photography or learn to play a musical instrument.

5. Travel to a place you have never been.

6. Meet at least one new person daily.

7. Consider growing a garden.

8. Take a five-minute mental vacation in the middle of your workday.

9. Spend the weekend on the beach with your mobile phone turned off.

10. Unplug the TV and read a novel or some poetry.