Manila, Philippines — Miss Universe Philippines 2020 1st Runner-Up Bella Ysmael presently stars in our Stylish Magazine‘s current special edition dubbed as The Self-Love Issue. This ballerina turned beauty queen has interpreted both the bright and dark sides of Natalie Portman’s Nina Sayers in the movie Black Swan in our fashion editorial spread. Also, Bella shared her personal insights on self-love and mental health in our current special edition cover story.

Just when you think you know enough of Bella Ysmael’s point of view on mental health and self-care, she further shared her thoughts on how to maintain one’s sense of self amidst the social media culture today. Our cover girl joined Filipino makeup brand Ready Set Glow in an online panel talk during a Facebook Live event called “The Self-Love Series”, as moderated by Stylish Magazine’s associate editor Anna Pangalangan. Ready Set Glow was represented by self-love advocate and marketing expert Carla See De Castro.

In this social media age, it is challenging to make sure that your mental health and emotional stability would not be affected by the toxicity of our social media feed. From draining political news, unbelievable beauty standards,  to entertaining online arguments, one can easily slip into the blackhole of negativity and insecurity.  Without being mindful, one may spend hours and hours of senseless and draining feed scrolling, feeling drained out and in a not so good mood.

Which was why Miss Universe 2020 Runner-Up Bella Ysmael graced the virtual live discussion on self-love, which was presented by Ready Set Glow and moderated by Stylish Magazine.

“No matter how many times we talk about self-love, it always stays relevant because everybody wants to know how much more we can love ourselves. So, this is very exciting,” she quipped during the start of the online panel talk. The beauty queen shared that the lockdown may have caused some stress in her too, but finding something that can boost one’s mood is always a good remedy.

All the three ladies during the panel talk agreed that playing with cosmetics can totally help to uplift one’s spirits.

“Some people think that when you put on makeup, you’re pretending to be someone you’re not. But actually, that’s not what it is. It’s something that we use to feel better about ourselves and in many different ways,” Bella explained.

She compared putting on makeup with working out, as people do exercise not just for weight loss and vanity, but to feel good about themselves, too. “For example, we work out, we exercise because it helps us feel better about ourselves. It’s the same way for people when they put makeup on because they feel like this is something that I do to feel better about myself and it doesn’t mean that I’m pretending or that I’m not proud of who I am without it,” she said.

Ready Set Glow’s Carla See could not agree more, as she shared how Ready Set Glow has seen countless ladies who have shared with them how makeup has helped women cope with emotional hardships– be it caused by the toxicity of social media or the depressing lockdown due to the global pandemic. In a video presented by Ready Set Glow during the live session, Manila’s influential personalities like fashion designer Happy Andrada and beauty expert Martha Sta. Barbara also shared their own definition of self-love.

Meanwhile, Bella also shared how simply swiping on your favorite red lipstick or adding that pop of color to your eyes can help boost one’s mood and confidence. “Makeup is definitely something that gives us more than just color and more than just enhanced features. It also gives us power and confidence,” she said during the live.

Ysmael also advised that setting aside time for yourself is essential so self-love from within can foster. She explained, “For me, I think that finding what you love and sometimes finding what your body needs, and doing that, will help you improve your me-time.“

Staying true to oneself, especially on social media, is one of the best things you could do for yourself. In this powerful statement, Bella said that we shouldn’t do things for the approval of others. She explained that staying real can also help you find those people who will love you for your authenticity.

“I think now, especially in modern times, we’re able to realize that being authentic and showing your true self, sharing your story of course on the level that you’re comfortable with, will actually make people appreciate you more. Not that we’re doing it for validation, but more because we want to know that people will accept us for who we are. And in a way, that helps us accept who we are,” she said.

She also noted that having a healthy self-image can greatly affect how we live our lives. It’s evident in our social interactions, be it virtually or physically. It’s the foundation of one’s well-being, given that people will judge us no matter what we do.

For the beauty queen, the opinions of other people should not determine how she should perceive herself. “In connection also to social media, I think that one way for us to get rid of that negativity is to know that no matter what people say about you, you know how you feel about yourself. Other people’s opinion about you is not the same. Be authentic with yourself. At the end of the day, no matter what people say, what matters is how you think of yourself,” Bella said.

As a parting encouragement, Bella shared that whenever you receive criticisms, reflect whether or not it’s correct. “One of my favorite things to do, especially when I receive criticism, is to first think: is this true? If it’s not true, then let it go. If it is true, think about if this information is helpful to me? If it is, then take it in a way that can help you improve yourself more,” she advised.

Self-love is not something that can be mastered overnight. It takes time, and the journey is a hard one. But with enough patience, you’re sure to grow in the aspect of self-acceptance. If you haven’t seen the live yet, you can watch The Self-Love Series in full right here