Jolie Laide

Jolie Laide (pronounced as "zho-lē-led") is a French expression used to describe someone who is unconventionally beautiful.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolie_laide

If Snow White was the fairest of them all, then probably in the kingdom I belong to and the fairy tale I have lived in, I'd be the "loudest" of them all.

I was born male, but my preferences speak otherwise. I find the beauty of women in a different light. The bizarre always amuses me. Like my co-model, Mae Bornillo, she is a striking example of a jolie laide, rare and unconventionally beautiful. She represents women who wears passion and confidence as her make-up and who is not afraid to take risks.

People don't really realize that the scale of beauty is not having a fair complexion, a tall nose, collar bones, thigh gaps, cheek bones or a pair of well-trimmed eyebrows. Beauty is never perfection. Never was. Never will be. If that's the case, then we'd all die feeling ugly.

Beauty is satisfaction. It is contentment. It is about embracing what's yours that is not hers and what is hers that doesn't need to be yours. We lose this gift the moment we try to be someone else. I mean, what is there left to appreciate about you when someone else has it too?

So the first step to becoming truly beautiful is to believe that you are beautiful. The next step? Look around you and break the stereotypes. Be amazed and see all the beauty you've been missing all this time.

With our photographer, Elaine.

I'd like to grab this chance to acknowledge and thank all the beautiful people behind this creative endeavor especially my co-model, Mae Bornillo, as this shoot was through her initiative. Special thanks to our incredible photographer, Elaine Magistrado, for her time and talent in producing fierce photos despite her crazy schedule.

I am also deeply grateful to Jona Desierto for assisting us throughout the whole shoot and of course, to our lovely make-up artist, CJ Libre, who is never satisfied with her output, but always looks forward for the next shoot.

With Jona and CJ.

 Models: Mae Bornillo & Ralz San Pedro

Make-up artist: CJ Libre

Production assistant: Jona Desierto

Photographer: Elaine Magistrado