Photographed by Paui Guevarra.
Photographed by Paui Guevarra.
The Vaseline exhibit’s featured portrait models reflect on what it was like to live with their complexion, and the communities they discovered along the way
Between layouts and touch-ups at the Vaseline exhibit shoot for Vogue Threads Manila 2025, the Vogue Philippines team shares brief moments with the Vogue Faces talents to share their day-to-day skin concerns and how it feels to now embrace their skin through the “Body Language: Portraits of the Filipino” series.
Inside the Art Space of RCBC Plaza, the exhibit aims to reveal the stories that evolve with one’s skin, qualities that the skin and body care brand aims to nourish through the Vaseline Gluta-Hya Serum Burst Lotions.
Aiji Umemori
“I first discovered that I had atopic dermatitis back when I was in elementary school, so about grade four or five,” says Aiji Umemori. “It was quite difficult. There have been times when it was so bad to the point that the flares were seen throughout my body, even up to my face. Of course, that tramples [my] self-esteem.”
Despite sharing the struggles of adjusting his lifestyle to cover up for his complexion, Umemori grew to better understand the needs of his skin, allowing himself to adopt both a “proactive-over-reactive” approach to his routine, as well as a new sense of confidence to pursue his passions for music.
“Eventually, I did understand who I am as a person and how I want to present myself, especially with my skin, how I can use it as a leverage point to have people listen to me and then eventually create music with stories that I want to share,” he adds.
Marianne Lubo
For the content creator, Lubo says she was usually comfortable in her own skin. After being diagnosed with PCOS, navigating her way back to such confidence made it all the more confusing.
“I would suddenly flare up,” she shares, “Acne would suddenly break out and I would have dark spots everywhere. And it’s annoying that when I would ask professionals how to fix it, they would say to lose weight.”
Through her experiences with PCOS, she discovered a community through social media, giving her new means to appreciate and care for her skin as well. “There was a saying that every Disney kid knows that goes like, ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,’” Lubo shares. “Being attractive doesn’t necessarily have to be physical. When you’re comfortable and you’re confident, it shines through eventually.”
Yansei Sy
One of the things that the content creator had to learn to overcome was his frequent acne breakouts since his teenage years. He also details how he managed to make light of his situation through modeling and content creation.
“Because acne is a pretty common condition, I openly talk about it,” shares Sy. “In a way, it also made what I say have more impact on the people who are within my reach.” He adds that if people ask about his acne journey and product recommendations, he empathizes with them and assures them that going through it is normal.
Sy notes that having a community made him realize to look past the physical and see his inner value. “It’s more about building a relationship with your body and your skin. At the same time, it’s also understood that even if you establish a routine, there will be times you will break out, and that’s totally normal. It shouldn’t hinder you or stop you from doing the things that you love. So continue lang, push lang,” says Sy.
Mattrixia Ibañez
“Being morena is not just about me as an individual, but about honoring my ancestors and our indigenous spirits,” says Mattrixia Ibañez. She recalls the challenges of growing up with cystic acne. It was after understanding how to care for her skin that she grew to not only embrace her heritage, but herself as well.
“I love being under the sun; my tan lines, my natural glow, even my sunburns are all part of my story,” expresses Ibañez. “With the right skincare, I learned that [glowing] isn’t just about appearance, but it’s about how I feel inside.”
Ibañez also expresses how she hopes to create a career centered on culture and empowerment. “I carry my glow with pride because it represents more than beauty. By embracing my skin, I’m also embracing my community and showing that morena is powerful, beautiful, and worth celebrating.”
Sitti Brima
Growing up half-Sudanese, half-Filipino, Sitti Brima describes her relationship with her skin as storied lessons between teacher and student, expressing how her complexion would often receive the first impression before she entered the room.
“At first, that was a part of myself that I would try to suppress and would try to hide,” shares Brima. “Eventually, through the lessons that my skin has taught me, I’ve learned to love my skin and to express it as opposed to [hiding] it,” Brima shares.
She freely expresses this as Sittie De La Blanca from the House of De La Blanca, a Vogue dance group. Brima adds how being able to represent her Sudanese roots through ballroom dancing allowed her to develop a deeper connection with her community and personal identity. “Just by hearing the stories of other men and women who look like me, have similar experiences as me, it connects me, connects all of us all around the world. There’s something beautiful about collective struggle and triumph in that way,” she says.
From casting call to production to the mounting of the exhibit, the Vogue Faces talents share that strengthening their relationship with their skin allows them to create new connections and foster their communities rooted in empowerment. As Vaseline content lead, Jenique Ong shares on the collaboration, “By spotlighting real, diverse body skin rather than idealized perfection, Vaseline’s campaign helped Filipinos see skincare not just as maintenance but as the most genuine form of identity and self-expression, helping them connect skincare with modern identity and cultural expression.”
The brand hopes to echo the same vision through its “Your Skin, Your Glow” campaign, which features the Vaseline Gluta-Hya Serum Burst Lotions that are made with 4D Hyaluron for deep-layered skin hydration, as well as GlutaGlow Technology that has 70x more brightening power compared to Vitamin C, all while feeling lightweight and without the sticky afterfeel.
Visit Vaseline Philippines on Instagramto learn more.
