Embracing Real Skin

By Alessandra Angela C. Gomez

F or the longest time, watching videos of beauty influencers online once convinced us that skin could look a certain way—perfectly airbrushed, clear, and free from all sorts of texture. The comparison has been inevitable, how make-up and skincare do not seem to lay on us the way they do on them.

Behind this facade, what we internally wanted to achieve were actually expensive cameras, blurring filters, and digital effects that no one has ever really talked about but needed to be said earlier. Something you have been partly hard on yourself for in the mirror was something natural on anyone online. Skin in the actual light has its ways of telling you where it has been. Pores, bumps, acne, sunspots, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, patches, and texture—these are what makes your skin, skin.

Putting a brush down and calling it quits on your routine then becomes easy. Especially, when it doesn’t seem to be working the way you expected it to from others, but your skin deserves more than that. We should bring ourselves to do it not to achieve the mask of someone else’s features, but to express art, love its imprints, and genuinely care for it. It shouldn’t be something we refuse to accept as it’s a part of us that is living as it should be.

Recent beauty-related content has turned such kind of self-appreciation up a notch as skincaredriven and clean makeup looks have thrived by emphasizing skin up close and the confidence you can bear from it, not hiding but rather embracing. Skin that we used to see without a single trace of its attributes now mirrors true skin—our skin.

EMBRACING/P6 country and must learn the ropes by himself the hard way.

“Yung pinaka-challenge as an independent artist is wala kami masyadong channels to let our audience hear our pieces. Kasi ang hirap samin is kami lahat. Unlike pag may labels, may radio and show guestings. So, ang pinaka-challenge talaga is ‘yung reach namin,” he added. His struggles also include the poor stereotype of art and how it is underestimated by the same people who demand high-quality movies and songs from artists. Thankfully, today’s generation no longer lives with the same mentality, making the music scene strive and progress. Not to mention how the youth is more accepting of genres deemed as “corny” before.

“Di na sila ‘yung nagho-hold ng thread of music. Ang nag-ho-hold na is ‘yung mga 20s-30s na mas educated sa music appreciation,” the third-Year Civil Engineering student said.

Organizing one’s thoughts also causes problems for the singer-songwriter from time to time, as he admits to having scattered ideas during the writing process. He moves past it by allowing himself to breathe and pause.

When asked about his advice for his fellow rising artists, Carlos emphasized not to focus on materialistic things like money and only create art with pure intentions.

“Don’t let money drive your passion. Kasi pag do’n mo na kinukuha ‘yung gasolina mo to create, dun mo ma-e-experience yung susuko ka na kasi hindi lagi may makikinig sa’yo,” he said.

In 2019, he visited the University for the first time to attend Gunita, an annual event organized by The Adamson Chronicle.

Carlos again serenaded the Falcon community with his songs last February 2023 in the same program. In the universe’s perfect rhythm, fortune comes to those who work hard and live genuinely. It will knock on your door when you least expect it, surprising you with a life-changing gift.

For now, let us support our local artists and forget about “gatekeep” culture. Their songs deserve to be shown off to the world, anyway.

Let’s be real: money can buy happiness.

A good fortune in life can buy you comfort, peace, and a future— one that lets you sleep peacefully at night without any worry. However, even with all the money in this world, it can never buy you class and character.

Earlier this year, Alex Gonzaga earned flak on social media for smearing cake icing on a waiter’s forehead during her 35th birthday bash. In the 12-second video clip, it can be seen that the server shyly looked away and proceeded to ride on the comedian’s gag with a smile.

“Simpleng katuwaan

WTB: manners, will get ASAP

lang naman ‘yon! Para namang hindi kayo mabiro,” said those who failed to see what’s wrong about it. For her, and for them, it’s just a simple prank—a normal antic not supposed to be taken seriously.

Yet, for people who work an 8-5 job and live — or had lived through — on the other side of the fence, offensive is an understatement.

Power dynamics, in a work environment, refer to how a person of higher authority can influence or control people who belong in lower positions. This can either show a balance or imbalance of power between two separate

By Justine Denise S. Cruz

parties. It is not limited in the workplace, as this is also evident in the society that we live in.

With the recent “joke” that this well-known actress made, it clearly showed the reality of power dynamics in society. While it is difficult to admit, it showed the undeniable divide that lies between the elite and common laborers.

Unquestionably, the server put on a real show of professionalism. His job, apart from taking orders from guests, includes emotional labor. It is the act of suppressing and managing one’s feelings to put on a facade that keeps customers satisfied. Hence, for those in the service industry, employees are expected to nod, smile, and agree with customers as they are always right.

While paying customers have the right to demand service, workers in the same industry also have the right to ask for respect. In the end, the bill doesn’t include getting humiliated and laughed at by a number of onlookers. However, things will always be easier said than done.

If you were to put yourself in the shoes of the server, you won’t have any choice but to just play and laugh along with the silly, innocent gag that the birthday celebrant made. If it’s a hit to the crowd, what harm could it bring? Never mind the humiliation if it meant you get to keep your job by the end of the night.

Yet, if you were to stand your ground, you’d be rude and disrespectful. Because how dare you ask for respect when you only make a mere fraction of their earnings?

As Beatriz Saw famously said during her time in Pinoy Big Brother, “Ang respect hindi ‘yan ini-impose, ine-earn ‘yan.” Respect is a twoway street—you can’t have it unless you give it. Treat how you want to be treated. Speak how you want to be spoken to.

While she did issue an apology later on, it received bad press as it only solidified the idea that those who sit atop of the clouds only apologize when they are called out. According to her, this incident taught her “humility, kindness, and better judgment.” Had this not happened, would she not have learned these “Godtaught” lessons in life?

Having the luxury to throw a grand party with your closest friends and family but still forget how basic human decency works is an indication that money can cloud your moral judgment, but only if you let it.

A bank full of cash can get you far in life, but it will never buy manners.

When numerous voices from the public stir a need for proper mental health awareness, they warrant plans and action.

Even before the pandemic, information about mental health continuously spread with progressive details from research on how psychological and social well-being matters to societal groundwork by The World Health Organization (WHO) and Department of Health (DOH).

Making an expression to support such a cause is no longer viable, as in reality, the number of people with mental conditions worsens and cases continue to rise. In an academic institution, students mostly promote basic knowledge on understanding

EMBRACE/P4

It is important for someone to take into consideration what works best for them as everyone’s skin