Whether morena or mestiza, the Pinay face is beautiful.                    
By Katherine Sy Cancio

FILIPINAS come in various flavors. That’s how fun they could be. The Philippines is a crazy, beautiful melting pot of races. From the age of Spanish rule and the arrival of eastern dwellers to the heyday of Uncle Sam and present-day social liberation, much has happened to the republic’s political and ethnic scene.

THE FIL-CAUCASIAN
She is a fair-skinned individual of white descent, may it be European, American, or Australian.

How She Came To Be: Naturally, most whites are attracted to a kind of brown beauty that Filipinos possess, resulting in a huge percentage of mixed marriages with the whites. The Philippines had been under Spanish rule for more than 300 years during which time some Spanish conquistadors fell in love with the country’s men and women as much as they fell in love with its natural resources and remarkable land and seascapes. Enter the Americans at the turn of the century. Filipinos became even more prone to racial intermingling as a significant number of the United States Army and American missionaries chose to stay in the country.
Celebrity Prototypes: Carla Abellana, Angelica Panganiban, Bea Alonzo.


THE ORIENTAL MESTIZA
She is the lovely eastern creature with Chinese, Japanese, or Korean blood.

How She Came To Be: Filipinos had Chinese connections as early
as the 10th century brought upon by trading. At least 22 percent of the population are Chinese-Filipinos. As for the Japanese, hundreds of their men who came here
to escape religious persecution in their homeland preferred to marry Filipinas
in the Spanish era just before the World War II. To date, the number of Japinos
is estimated to be at 100,000 to 200,000. Nowadays, there are also a variety
of eastern hybrids like Korean-Filipinos or Vietnamese Filipinos.
Celebrity Prototypes: Kim Chiu, Kris Aquino.

THE MORENA
She is the girl with the enviable tan – thanks to her predominant Malay or Arab genes.

How She Came To Be: A morena is considered a true-blue Filipina in lineage.
Her allure is often referred to as Gandang Pilipina or kayumanggi.
The Filipinos’ Malay ancestors are believed to have started inhabiting
the archipelago in 5,000 B.C., a bit later than the ancient Negroids did.
The population of Malays have continued to grow towards 1,000 B.C.
as they left Indonesia to reside here, at the same time introducing rice planting, pottery, and other means of livelihood. By 200 B.C., Malays migrated
to the Philippines, constituting the majority of Filipinos. The Arabs reached Jolo
in 1380, and penetrated the country, from south all the way to North Manila.
Today, most Filipinos with Arab blood live in Mindanao, while some entrepreneurs of this ancestry choose to stay in Manila.
Celebrity Prototypes: Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales, Angel Locsin,
and Bianca Gonzales.



 

COLOR BLOCKING
SKIN and makeup notes to remember whether you’re beige, brown, or with a tinge of yellow.

White
Skin: Freckles are common among Fil-Caucasians because the genes that give them blonde hair and pale skin are also responsible for this skin pigmentation. Daily useof sunblock may help ease these.

Makeup: A rosy or pink blush compliments most Caucasian skin types. Bronze or peach could alsodo the trick for those with warm undertones.
 
Yellow
Skin: Oriental skin is basically sensitive. It’s prone to blemishes.
It is advisable to use gentle skin care products like a noncomedogenic facial cleanser (an oil-free product that breaks down the excess oil on your skin but doesn’t strip the skin of necessary moisture and nutrients it needs) and mild body wash.
 
Makeup: Enhance small eyes by using an eyebrow color that’s one shade lighter than your hair.
 
Brown
Skin: Morenas may have the loveliest tan, but they are also prone to scarring. Products that help eliminate dark spots and even out skin tone like the ones with Vitamin A and E are recommended.
 
Makeup: The nude, natural look favors the Filipina beauty. Go for earth tones or colors ranging from brown to bronze to smoky gray.