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here’s a sneak peek at what’s been going on.
bcbg fashion and napoleon perdis makeup from denarau duty free.
lighting by leo richmond of sunfilm fiji. photography by paul wilson of fijibook. production management by albert eastgate of greenscape media.
press presentation photos up! original designs by “icon” and accessories by “my precious”.
video after the jump.
most of the dollegates have been posted! keep checking the site for the rest of the dolls and for your chance to vote!
click here and here for last year’s coverage,
and click here for the interview with the organizers.
continuation to this.
when we moved to fiji, one of the things i had to adjust to was how most people took haircut for granted. not to say that people took their hair in general for granted. in fact, many of them obsess over it: they dye, highlight, perm, fix into cornrows, braids, dreadlocks more frequently than i know pinays do. but haircut in particular doesn’t seem as big a deal as what i am more accustomed to.
so if i can’t find the time to experiment with different hair stylists, i decided, what the heck, might as well jump into the bandwagon. besides, this is the immediate solution to my hair’s volume problem. a good old fashioned perm. and i mean not digital.
if you look around this blog, you will find that it’s no secret how i adore barbie dolls. a few months ago, i discovered a team of creative minds who don’t just adore these dolls, they downright labor over them and established miss unibarse, the annual doll pageant meant to simulate a grand slam pageant in a literally smaller scale. but as we have learned from a past interview (posted here), there is certainly nothing small about this somehow wild and wonderful idea.
for one, f&g photography and global queen beauty management, the brains and talents behind this event, have clearly spared no expense and devoted no little effort in preparing their “dollegates”. looking at the results, you can tell immediately that these are not your average children-at-heart playing with dolls. these are professionals and artists who have taken painstaking care and precision in conceptualizing and preparing each candidate. and two, they involve a panel of judges with industry credibility so serious, this might as well get sponsorship from a few forbes 500 companies (or at least mattel, i honestly think).
previous judges include (from r-l) miss universe '05 natalie glebova, miss earth '07 jessica trisko, and miss international '07 priscila perales.
according to a reliable source, this year the panel includes two celeb judges who, for discretionary reasons, must remain unnamed. it should be enough to note that these two are affiliated with that very famous and often very controversial benefactor of the miss universe organization, mr. d.t. (namesake of a hot-tempered duck in a popular animation syndicate).
moving on to this year’s festivities…
organizers and judges have just concluded the special events of national costume, press presentation (for miss photogenic), swimsuit, evening gown and online voting (for the “people’s choice” award). here are some of my favorite moments:
candidates arrive at the host country.
luncheon with reigning miss unibarse 2008, miss dominican republic.
press presentation to determine the most photogenic candidate.
parade of nations.
backstage at the evening gown competition.
here are my favorite national costumes:
and evening gowns:
thanks to us, obsessive online voters of the philippines, our “dollegate” has fast-tracked her way into the top 25! (we are the same obsessive online voters responsible for ms. philippines winning miss photogenic every year in the real grand slam pageants)
from 80 candidates, now we’re down to the top 25. check them out and the rest of the fast-track winners:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh21O0I4S3E&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]
visit the miss unibarse website to learn more about the pageant and to keep track of your favorite candidates!
i don’t think the timing could have been any better to enjoy a beauty day at the ricky reyes one-on-one salon in frontera verde. i was having a terribly hectic and nerve-wracking week, i needed the pampering and the relaxation in a salon more than anything in the world.
ricky reyes, beauty expert and entrepreneur extraordinaire, got beauty bloggers together to spend time in his salon for a beauty day where we enjoyed hours of nothing but indulgent treatments and pampering experiences.
we had the choice of many extensive treatments from his exclusive salon menu and we can choose as many as we wanted, as much as we can handle.
some of the services available. for a more comprehensive list, you can visit their website or the salon nearest you.
i chose the hair booster, a hair spa specifically formulated for treatment of falling hair (i have mentioned in a previous entry how i’ve been trying to address my hair fall problem).
the hair booster uses special treatments that contain malunggay, chock-full of calcium and other beneficial elements, known best for properties that promote growth and strength. along with the special mixtures, the service employs a thorough scalp massage and a specialized brushing technique to encourage good blood circulation.
a creamy mentholated substance is applied to the scalp and massaged thoroughly
the first of two creams used for the hair booster treatment
special brushing technique involving two oval shaped brushes.
jill of kikay exchange had the hair manicure, highlights and a haircut. keep posted on www.kikay.exchange.ph for reviews on these services!
hair manicure sounds threatening... but its benefits will make you want to go for it!
hair treatment was applied meant to clean hair of impurities and make it sleek and shiny
while our hair absorbed the treatments, we were invited to join ricky reyes himself for lunch in the salon. so for the first time, i was able to take part in a lunch table with people in hair masks, towel turbans, hair color and so on.
we all had lunch looking like this
in good looking company: lunch with ricky reyes and other bloggers all in hair treatments
our hair were rinsed and blow dried after lunch. others had more treatments and haircuts.
haircut by ricky reyes
preparing for highlights. strands of hair are pulled through small holes in this plastic cap.
bleach is applied to lighten the exposed hair strands.
the hair booster made my hair softer, more full-bodied and bouncier. hair strands were de-clumped (for lack of a better term) and flyaways were minimized.
it was great hair day!
every girl could use a beauty day like we did! visit your nearest ricky reyes salon to indulge yourself in these fabulous hair treatments.
one of the most creative, most fun ideas i have stumbled upon this year is miss unibarse.
miss unibarse 2008 crowned ms. dominican republic as the winner. our own ms. philippines was 4th runner-up (right)
miss unibarse (a name combining “miss universe” and “barbie”) is a unique competition that styles and photographs dolls (cleverly called “dollegates”) in ways that simulate real beauty pageants.
the miss unibarse organization invests talent and effort in creating each doll, paying close attention to the minutest details, converting dollegates to works of art. finalists and winners are then determined through online voting and evaluation by an illustrious panel of judges.
miss unibarse 2007 winners.
the miss unibarse organization was so gracious, they responded to my email interview. check it out:
when did miss unibarse start and how did it start? It started in 2005, my partner and I played around with the idea of combining our love for pageants, Top Model make-overs and photography. We started with 2 dolls, ended up buying 38 more then shared our work with our friends via internet not thinking others would pay attention.
five of the 2007 dollegates in their lady samurai costumes
who are the organizers behind it? We are known here in Los Angeles as F&G. We created the Miss Unibarse Organization which produces the Miss Unibarse event and our other partner in crime is Global Queen Beauty Management which helps prepare the dollegates with their hair, make-up and competition garments.
f&g cover shot of miss unibarse 2008
how are finalists determined? how are winners crowned? what are the categories? This year we are only allowing 50 dollegates. 40 will be chosen from the internet by the fans and 10 by MUO and GQBM. Those 50 will compete in national costume, swimsuit, gowns and presentation, an online voting will also take place for the “People’s Choice” for the crown.
miss unibarse dollegates in their casual wear.
The top scores in each category (gowns, costumes etc.) together with the ‘People’s Choice’ will get 1 of the 5 ‘fast track’ spots. The following 20 will be based on the highest composite scores for all categories.
miss unibarse dollegates in their national costumes.
After the 25 have been chosen, they compete in various photo challenges at the end of each challenge 5 will be eliminated until we are left with 5. The last 5 will face off in the final question, answered by the doll director.
miss unibarse 2008 finalists
who are the members of the jury? In all competition they are judged by an international panel of online judges. Last year we had Miss Earth 2007, Jessica Trisko and Miss International Priscilla Perrales judge the events. In 2007, we had Miss Universe Natalie Glebova as one of our panel of judges.
what are the criteria for judging? A great photo in every category that transforms a doll into a piece of artwork.
miss unibarse 2008 from dominican republic. seriously stunning.
who photographs the “dollegates”? We take our own photos. We are photographers by trade. We are F&G Photography, you can see more of our work here: www.missunibarse.com/fandg
miss unibarse dollegates at the welcome bonfire
who have been crowned before? who have won in categories?
2005: Namibia2006: Japan2007: Palau2008: Dominican Republic
You can view the other special awards on our website soon
simply gorgeous!
online voting for miss unibarse 2009 ongoing. vote for your favorite dollegates! do check out their websites:
homepage of the miss unibarse site features ms. dominican republic 2008 in costume. click!
our very own miss philippines has made the top 5 of the first batch! voting for the second batch of dollegates under way. go now! support your favorite dolls!
the miss unibarse blog gives you up-to-date news about the doll pageant, as well as real pageants. click!
my sincerest gratitude to the miss unibarse organization for taking the time to answer my questions and for allowing me to feature their doll pageant and photos in my blog.
all photos lifted from www.missunibarse.com and www.missunibarse.com/blog.
we’re one of the nations that require an i.d. photo for almost anything. our employers still require it for application, whereas substance-oriented societies have eliminated this attachment, for the reason that they would like to keep their selections as impartial towards appearance as possible.
in fact, In the USA it is NOT a good idea to include a photo or video or picture because Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations put the employer (not the candidate) between a rock and a hard place when photos, videos, or pictures of the applicant are included with or on a resume… unasked-for applicant images received by employers that show race, weight, or for example, candidates confined to a wheel chair spell trouble. Mail room personnel are instructed to destroy (shred) mail that might have photos or videos enclosed… If you are applying for a job as a model or television announcer or any job where your personal appearance is a key and true part of the job, you will be asked to submit photos… In my opinion that’s lawful (Resume Photos, Videos and Portraits – What to Do, What Not to Do/Stephen Q. Shannon).
well, since our culture has not yet surmounted the need for i.d. pictures for whatever form of application, whether personal appearance is part of the duties or not, it would be a good idea to make the best of your 1×1, 2×2 or passport size “head shots.”
most people i know would just have their i.d. pictures taken “as the needs arise,” but with the frequency of photo requirements here, we might consider getting professionally photographed for a copy we can submit over and over and over again. by professional, i mean a real photographer with a real studio, not a digital booth or service center. these quick-fix shops and nooks are there for emergency needs or even for fun; if you want a portrait that will make you look more presentable, invest in a studio i.d. photo. when decision-makers see you took some effort in the 1×1 or 2×2 picture, they’d get the idea that you are taking the application seriously.
photo booths are super fun, but if you want a serious picture, you're better off with a pro
as for me, i’ve been using the same i.d. photo for about six or seven years already. my face hasn’t changed much since, but my hair has evolved in the last three or four years. i think it’s about time for a new i.d. image.
now, taking an i.d. photo should be a big deal: this is the image on which your potential employers, club presidents, general managers and school registrars will base their first impressions. your resume attachment should already begin putting your best foot forward even before the decision-maker sees you in person.
here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for that all-important i.d. picture-taking:
practice your look in front of a mirror. trust me on this. i’ve seen many unfortunate individuals with i.d. smiles that look as if the photo was taken while they were on the toilet. practicing your smile can make you feel more comfortable with the camera and can even eliminate your insecurities. you can even adjust your head slightly towards your more flattering angle. for instance, if you are prone to a double chin, tilt your head back just a bit; if you want to make a toothy smile more bow-shaped, consider lowering your head a little.
believe it or not, you should even practice your ordinary, unsmiling expression for government i.d.’s and passports. some people’s ordinary expressions look all right in person but look deer-in-the-headlights in pictures; some look as if they’re angry or as if they just lost a huge bet. mine makes me look bored and exhausted, thus i practiced how to give a slight toothless smile and crinkle my eyes a little to make me look more approachable. you can try that yourself, see how you like it.
i sure hope he's joking. it's a very funny joke.
prepare yourself. make sure you look presentable. gentlemen, groom your facial hair or get rid of them altogether if you’re the clean cut type.
ladies, do wear make up, but avoid overdoing it. heavy make-up can make you look fake and uptight. stick to the natural tones that simply enhance your best features, not create new features (e.g. fake lashes).
if your eyes or face in general tend to get puffy, get a good night’s sleep the and apply some eye treatments. drink lots of water and avoid smoking on the day of your picture-taking.
maintain confidence and look natural. i could never stress this enough: do not have your i.d. picture taken if you are in a foul mood or are just not up to it. the camera can detect insecurities and discomfort, and those are the last things you want your picture to exude.
then relax. photographers don’t bite. i did say preparation is crucial, but over-preparation can also make you nervous and more worried about how the photos will turn out. remember, you want to give your best look, but you don’t want it to look contrived. just be cool during the process.
better. identity concealed to protect the innocent... right.
and finally, communicate with the photographer. don’t be shy about expressing how you expect the photo to turn out. you can even negotiate the details like angles, lighting and background color (that is, if no particular background color is required).
by all means, look over the shots with the photographer and request for more if none of them meets your expectations. do not be so overly nice that you’d settle for mediocre results rather than bother the photographer with a few more shots. speak up and don’t be afraid to say what you want. for instance, if you feel as if your hair was in the wrong place, fix it and have your picture taken again. or if you want to see whether you’d look better with your glasses on, put them on for another set, then compare your various looks.
invest in a professional to take your i.d. picture
remember, the quote “a picture paints a thousand words” is trite but true. make sure yours is saying all the right words.
there was a time in our mutating lives when we didn’t really mind who did our hair. we just barge into the nearest beauty parlor, find a seat, say we want a haircut, then the hairdresser takes care of the rest however way he wants to. if we didn’t like the result, we blame our hair for being too thin, too thick, stringy, frizzy, etc.
i myself have fine, stick straight hair. the kind that wouldn’t stay curled for more than an hour or two even if it has been subjected mercilessly to the baddest curling iron. through the years, my hair has only been either short or long, with no trace of whatever styling savvy. just plain old “two inches off”, maybe enough to get rid of split ends, if any. so i had boring hair, big deal.
here’s the story: most women i knew then with stick straight hair like mine had badly done layers. you know how those stringy, slicked down emo hair fall helplessly limp in irregular lengths? that’s how they look like in their natural state. i always thought it was our fine, lifeless hair’s fault. they just refused to behave themselves into jennifer aniston layers. i realized later that it’s not about the hair, it’s about the hairstyle. and it takes a pro to do it.
all i ever wanted were layers and structured sideswept bangs like penny’s in the big bang theory. was that so hard?! apparently, harder than i thought.
stop blaming your hair. it’s not their fault.
i took a while testing different salons and stylists. the challenge in experimenting with stylists is, unlike toothpaste or soap, you don’t get to test another one the very next day. if i didn’t like one stylist, i waited another six to eight weeks for my hair to grow out so i can go to someone else. so the entire procedure took three years, spread over a couple of salons and even more professionals. one thing i understood: each salon has plenty of pros, and not all of them will fix your hair exactly the way you describe it.
now i am loyal to basement salon. to cris in the shangri-la branch and to cherrie in the power plant branch. but to cris mostly for geographic reasons.
basement salon
here are the factors i considered in selecting a salon and stylist:
each person has a different set of hair needs, so nobody can really tell you with full certainty which salon would be best for you. if you want to be serious about maintaining a consistently presentable hairstyle and establishing a working relationship with a stylist, you might want to experiment and salon-hop too. but be warned: there will be a number of times when you get unsatisfactory results, and the grow-out will simply feel tedious. cheer up, it’s all part of the learning process.
you can start your research online. some salons have the fees written on their website.
so if you have a favorite salon and stylist already, congratulations! if you want to find a salon and meet a stylist of your own, gather your courage to experiment. it’s all worth it in the end. good hair days are always worth it.
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