From boot camp to beauty camp

Camping is a learning experience. I should know because I spent many of my childhood years as a girl scout. Through camp activities, I learned how to start a fire, set up a tent, catch fish, perform CPR, and use a map — basically, lessons that I will be helpless without if I were ever to go on Survivor.

Learning survival techniques for emergency situations was great fun, but what are the odds of getting marooned on a desert island? These days, everyday life normally doesn’t involve hunting for wild animals and nomadic caravans. What a young girl or guy needs to know has changed.

What to wear, how to be confident, how to make friends — these are issues that are closest to a teenager’s heart, girls and boys alike. To teach teenagers the tried and tested tricks to surviving the pubescent years, Nivea, together with Ipanema, Enervon, Smart Bro, and JVC, created the first ever camp for teens in the Philippines: Camp Nivea.

Jumpstarting the summer season, Camp Nivea welcomed its first batch of campers for a 3-day beach camp at Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas on March 5. Among this pioneer batch of campers are some of the newest Star Magic talents.

Joining the camp too are more than a few famous faces, including Regine Angeles from Rubi, Ruben Gonzaga, Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition’s big winner, Jommy Teotico and Manuel Chua, from Pinoy Fear Factor, and other contestants, actors, and models from the Philippine showbiz scene.

The camp’s aim is to arm these young rising stars with the right tools to help them in their careers in fashion and entertainment. Over three days, workshops on a cornucopia of topics were held, with expert speakers acting as camp counselors.

First of these workshops was the DJ clinic, with DJ Mars Miranda and DJ Mike teaching the campers the ropes of choosing and mixing songs fit for a party. The campers were taught the basics of making mixes, before being given the floor to showcase their turntable prowess.

Another workshop was held by one of the youngest designers in the fashion industry, Sassa Jimenez and established fashion director Robbie Carmona. The two style gurus gave the campers tips on how to determine their body type, and how to develop their personal style around it.

After giving the campers some time to digest what they learned, the pair gave them a runway exercise, where they had to make use of clothes and accessories to style the chosen models from the group.

Advising the campers, Sassa Jimenez said it’s good to have at least one unique item in your wardrobe — a blazer, a skirt, or a dress — that would be your signature, something that no one else has. She said these could come from anywhere: a designer store, a custom made piece, or even a vintage ukay find.

“Focus on fit because the right fit is 70 percent of looking good. It doesn’t matter if it’s expensive as long as it fits your body and your personality,” Sassa advised those who don’t have the time or resources to hunt for that one-of-a-kind item, adding that accessorizing makes all the difference in bringing a simple outfit to the next level.

However, looking good in person is only half of the game. Looking good in photographs is another story entirely, which is why it was only right that the next Camp Nivea workshop be about photography and headshots. Fashion photographer Niccolo Cosme and fashion stylist Nat Manilag took the campers on a crash course on executing high fashion poses, and standout headshots.

Niccolo Cosme emphasized the need to be creative in choosing poses and the right look. You don’t want to be forgettable, he said.

To test the campers, he held a contest for the best high fashion pose, dangling a free photo shoot with him behind the camera as a prize. He also set up a headshot clinic for the campers.

After being put through their paces by the team of expert workshop speakers, the campers were rewarded with a few beach relay and pool games. Mediated by TV host Reema Chanco and Magic 89.9’s Boys’ Night Out DJ TonyToni Bueno, the Camp Nivea games pit the boys against the girls.

The boys won by only one point, which is pretty impressive for the girls, considering that the boys’ team had Pinoy Fear Factor heavyweights Manuel and Jommy adding to the fact that most of the boys were bigger, stronger, and older than the girls.

But of course, what would a beach camp be without a few parties to balance all the workshops and physically exhausting camp games? So, the campers were treated to two parties at the beachfront, on with a luau theme, and another with a Gossip Girl- hits-the-beach theme.

This being a camp though, nothing is ever done purely for fun. The parties doubled as real-life exercises for everything the campers learned. From making DJ mixes to dressing impeccably and knowing just the right way to flirt with the camera, the campers were judged by the panel of experts who taught them.

Camp Nivea was certainly a different, fun learning experience – one that taught teens how to survive the toughest challenge of all: everyday, angsty, teenage life. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.

On the last night of the camp, the campers released wish lanterns into the air to celebrate their “graduation.” As another special surprise for the pioneer batch of campers, Callalily was also brought in to perform. There was also an awarding for the winning team and distinguished campers who made an impression on the judges during the parties.

The event is also the launch of a new line of Nivea products specially designed for teens. The Angel Star line of deodorants and lotions for girls and the Menergy line of deodorants for boys is are the first Nivea products made exclusively for the needs of teens.

According to Rica King, marketing director, “Iba na ang kabataan ngayon.” In this day and age of parties, beach trips, and a much different social and environmental climate, teenagers need something more suited to their body chemistry and skin type, which is why Nivea Philippines proposed the idea of launching a series of teen beauty and hygiene products.

The first in Asia to carry this youth-oriented line, the Philippines is also the first to hold a teen camp in the region.

Another line featured in the camp is Nivea Sun’s new alchohol-based sunblock spray, which boasts immediate, invisible and non-greasy protection. Tan-addicts beware; this sun spray will keep the tan lines at bay. A participant used this and she had to stay for hours saluting the sun just to get a shade darker.

The Camp Nivea participants may not have learned how to climb a tree, or navigate through the woods, or start a fire. What they did learn are the tricks of the trade on how to climb the career path and navigate the minefield that is showbiz, and best of all, how to start the summer with a bang.