Francine Diaz may have gotten the credit she deserves since breaking into the spotlight, but that doesn't mean she is spared from dealing with body image issues. In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph, the 19-year-old actress candidly opened up about which of her qualities made her feel insecure.
READ: Francine Diaz Talks About Her Feature That Her Bashers Once Made Her Feel Insecure About
"Actually ang dami ko pong insecurities when it comes to my physical appearance," Francine expressed. "Number one is my face, kasi ever since, lagi nilang sinasabi na 'Oh my gosh, siopao' and 'Ang laki ng panga mo.' So before when I was a kid, I thought I looked cute, because of course my family would say, 'Hindi, okay lang yan, ang cute nga e, parang chubby. You look good. You look pretty.'"
But once Francine started to gain fame in the Philippine entertainment industry, she said that was when she began to have secound thoughts about her favorite facial feature.
"Nung nag start na ako ngayon, like habang lumalaki ako, nagdadalaga uhm, I always hear a lot of people saying na 'Oh my gosh, mukha siyang siopao,' or 'Ang laki ng panga niya.' Kahit harapan, people na hindi ko kilala, they always say that to me in front of my face. And then I just always smile and laugh. Pero deep inside nakaka-hurt because I thought parang isa siya sa mga beauty ko nung bata ako."
Francine said that the blunt remarks made her think differently of her asset, saying, "Parang nadumihan nila sa isip ko na, 'Ah, pangit pala.' So naging number one insecurity ko yung face ko."
On Learning How To Love Herself
Fortunately for the Dirty Linen star, it did not take long before she caught onto the fact that what she thinks of herself is all that ultimately matters.
"Habang lumalaki ako, na-realize ko rin na, I mean I don’t look good, [pero] I don’t look pangit naman, like sakto lang," she stated with a laugh. "And it doesn’t matter naman kung ano iniisip nila sa itsura ko, and kung ganon tingin nila, wala akong magagawa. I love myself and hindi ko naman bibigyan ng attention ang mga sinasabi nila na makakaapekto sa akin, or the way kung paano ko tingnan ang sarili ko."
She concluded her narrative with a note to her followers who may be struggling with the same concerns. "I would say my advice is huwag mo papakinggan sasabihin ng ibang tao sayo," she suggested. "Although mahirap na hindi pansinin, but dapat parating nangunguna yung self-love mo. And it’s important na tanggap mo yung sarili mo for who you are, and kung ano yung itsura mo."
Francine Shares Her Best Summer Beauty Tips
Because summertime is already here, Francine spared a couple of beauty know-hows that she swears by under humid weather conditions. "Beauty tips talaga pag summer na I would give is, wear your sunscreen, and don’t put too much makeup pag lalabas," she asserted.
"Kasi like with me, ako lang naman to, because I know my skin na when I put too much makeup pag lalabas, and then summer, and knowing nasa Pilipinas tayo, sobra yung init dito, nagkaka-rashes ako sa face. So I don’t use masyado concealer, kapag normal days lang. Usually mga makeup artists ko na, pero I don’t know kung ano nilalagay nilang concealers sa akin." She also intently reminded to "drink lots of water."
Reiterating it, "Usually yun lang din talaga ginagawa ko e, wear my sunscreen and stay hydrated."
SHOP: Francine's Must-Have Makeup Products
On choosing the right makeup products that suit her, the former Gold Squad member makes sure to prioritize product safety and compatibility as she has very sensitive skin.
Starting with her sunscreen, Francine told PEP.ph, "I use Dr. Alvin. Yun lang talaga, like everyday essential ko siya. Good for my skin po. Yung mga ginagamit ko po kasi, yung alam kong healthy sa skin ko, yung hindi na-i-irritate."
Another must-have item of hers is a blush stick: "What I do is, if gusto ko pa rin na presentable ako [pag] lalabas, what I do [is] I wear yung blush stick ng Careline, kasi it’s very good for my skin. Di naman sa super na nag-po-promote, pero yun talaga yung nag-wo-work sa akin, so yeah. And it’s very, very natural din sa akin. And I also use it as my eyeshadow sometimes, and as my lipstick na din."
Multi Stick, P220, CARELINE, Watsons, Shopee, and Lazada
"Kung bakit daw fresh pa din kahit summer na. Promise po talaga, yung Careline na press powder yung lagi kong ginagamit, like nasa bag siya," she revealed. Pero right now, like I have it sa isa kong bag and I forgot na nandun yun, pero buti nalang meron akong emergency kit na nandun pa din yung Careline ko."
Oil Control Face Powder, P150, CARELINE, Watsons, Shopee, and Lazada
*This story originally appeared on Pep.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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