Chelsea Manalo on Beauty Beyond the Physical

How do you define beauty? For Chelsea Manalo, physical appearance is only the tip of the iceberg—true beauty is anchored on a sense of purpose and finding contentment in your own skin.

For her first shoot with Vogue Philippines, Chelsea Manalo strides into the studio with an ease in her step, intentionally greeting each person in the room with a smile. What many loved about her on-screen were the same traits she brought into every interaction: poise, humility, and an effortless confidence.

When the 24-year-old beauty queen was crowned Miss Universe Philippines on May 22, she made history as the first Black Filipino woman to earn the title. Her win marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing shift of beauty standards in the Philippines, a statement against the country’s long-standing preference for Eurocentric features.

Growing up amidst these rigid standards was particularly difficult for Manalo. As a young girl, her Afro-Filipino features—a head full of curls and a dark complexion—stood out in a social landscape that then prized fair skin and pin-straight hair. In the early 2000s in particular, Filipino beauty saw a surge in skin-lightening products and hair rebonding services. Between this and the occasional name-calling from peers and adults alike, Manalo admits that it took time for her to believe when others called her beautiful. Prior to pageantry, she struggled heavily with “thoughts of not being wanted because of my race and ethnicity.”

A shift in mindset came when she first encountered the term ‘Black beauty.’ While watching America’s Next Top Model, she resonated with Tyra Banks’s beauty and outspoken nature. “I instantly had that sense of validation that my color and physical attributes are what make me unique and beautiful,” she shares.

In addition, her parents made sure to never leave room for self-doubt. While many people come to terms with their beauty on their own, Manalo makes it clear that her confidence and contentment in her own skin were also partly instilled by her parents. During the final Q&A portion at Miss Universe Philippines, she mentions the impact of her mother’s words: “As a woman of color, I’ve always faced challenges in my life. I was told that beauty has a standard. But for me, I always listened to my mother,” she recalls, “to always believe in yourself and uphold the values you have in yourself.”

To define beauty, Manalo urges us to look beyond what meets the eye. “We are already beautiful in and of ourselves and have our own unique personality,” she shares. “Being authentic and unapologetically happy in our own body and talents is what will be our power and beauty.”

But how does one begin to embrace their own beauty? For an endeavor so personal and abstract, Manalo offers a practical first step: find your passion and pursue it wholeheartedly. “I was more inspired to love and accept myself when I saw the purpose [behind my work], what beauty can do to society and having a voice to speak and influence.”

Chelsea Manalo’s crown is a testament to the significant progress that Filipino beauty has undergone in cultivating an inclusive and uplifting culture. However, despite these advancements, young girls are still constantly flooded with Instagram and TikTok projections of other people’s lives, making comparison almost unavoidable. Still, her message is clear: “I would love for these young girls to still keep being kind to themselves and to be kind to other people.”

As Miss Universe Philippines 2024 and the first Black Filipino queen to represent the country, Manalo echoes the words her mother would use to console her during tough moments: what makes you unique is what makes you beautiful.