A beauty queen & a pop star

Two personalities breezed into town recently one, a Ms. World title holder and the other, an Asian pop star. Despite the flurry of activities both beauties had lined up for them, this writer was fortunate enough to grab a few moments with them. More than their obvious good looks, what I most appreciated about them was their innate graciousness. That, pictures may never be able to capture…

Yukta Mookhey

I’ve always been fascinated by beauty contests – and relative to that I’ve always been amazed at how representatives from countries like India and Venezuela seem to always lord it over the international pageants. Not without good reason, I must say.

Yukta Mookhey, Miss World 1999, acts every bit the beauty queen she really is. She was on official visit to Manila as endorser of the new world watch, Titan watches. From posed smiles to candid, unguarded moments, she moved about with a grace that is obviously inherent. And she has the most beautiful eyes up close – for me, her photographs don’t do them justice. She is very charming, smiles a lot and dishes out spontaneous yet intelligent answers to any question thrown at her.

She was only 15 years old when Sushmita won the Miss Universe title and it was from that time on that she seriously aspired to also one day represent India in a beauty pageant. She further intimates that although she never really wanted to be a beauty queen, she always knew that she wanted to be famous.

Five years later, she was able to fulfill that dream. After bagging the Miss India title, she later moved on to win the Miss World title – all in the same year. For her travel has been the best form of education and she fills up her time now with her budding career as an actress and her involvement in many different charities.

What does she look for in a man? She comes from a home that still believes in arranged marriages but she has high hopes that she will end up with someone who has a sensitive approach to life. And you won’t hear her complaining either if he happens to be tall, handsome, and intelligent, too. Every queen, after all, needs a king.

Barbie Xu

Barbie looks more delicate in person than she does on the boob tube. As a matter of fact, she looks like a Chinese porcelain doll. Because we were only given a fleeting moment with her, thank heavens for Tim Yap who I think charmed Barbie with his excellent Mandarin. Because he could speak and understand Mandarin even without a translator, we saved precious time.

Barbie, who is in-demand all over Asia for shows as well as numerous product endorsements, was in town as the newest endorser of Pantene Pro-V Smooth and Silky shampoo and conditioner. In the tradition of beautiful hair courtesy only of Pantene products, this variant is another must-have! It makes the hair fall really smooth and it feels silky to the touch.

What does she like most about the product? She used to be a slave to the flat iron, relying on it almost completely to make her tresses even more beautiful than they already are. Now she only uses Pantene Smooth and Silky – and she gets the same results!

What is even more amazing is the fact that she has been using the product for five years now – long before she was even tapped to officially endorse it. That is truth in advertising right there.