The Look

There's a story behind the look. Someone described me in this picture as "radiantly beautiful". But this person might think twice about saying it again if it were revealed how the image of me got that way. Well, the secret is about to unfold.

A request from the editor of a glossy fashion magazine for a columnist from our department was referred to me by my boss. With little hesitation, I agreed to write an advice column and one of the requirements was I had to submit a picture they would put with the column. So after I had written, submitted, and edited the final version of the column, my work got the editor's approval. But not the ID picture I submitted along with the column. It was too teacherly, perhaps. Not consistent with the image of glamor they wanted to project.

So they scheduled me for a photo shoot. Huh, me in a photo shoot?! What happens there? What do I need to do? What clothes should I wear? PANIC! But the editor told me to just relax and they would take care of everything.

And take care of everything they did. The shirt in the picture is theirs, way too large for me but held back behind me by a bulldog clip to make it appear it fits me perfectly. The lips are Angela Jolie-like (Well, not really!) because of something called "Venom". It's like a balm applied to the lips which plumps it up (As warned, it did sting a little). My straight-as-a-pin hair was made even straighter by a straightening iron. And smeared with gel in some places to make stray wisps of hair behave. Of course, there's the foundation and blush expertly applied to disguise the brown spots and wrinkles and instead show in-the-pink-of-health cheeks. And then the eye make-up to open up my eyes some more! Even my smile disguised my wicked thoughts then. "Why am I subjecting myself to all these just to be able to see my words in print in a magazine?"

Yes, this picture was a result of a conspiracy to fool those who would behold it! But you might think that surely there is something in the picture that is genuine. Oo naman - my shoulder, the color of my hair, and my pearls!

So those of us who admire the models and actresses with seemingly blemish-free skin in the magazines, think again!!! If an ordinary person like me could be made to look this way, how much so with the celebrities whose bread and butter depends on looking glamorous and divine?

And incidentally, the magazine never came out (But that's another story)!