Abbygale Arenas-de Leon: Rated A

Supermodel and beauty queen Abbygale Arenas-de Leon is the kind of beauty who not only turns heads but also leaves a lasting impression. Statuesque, stunning and arresting, she is undoubtedly a fixture in Philippine fashion and beauty industry. She begins, "I was an ugly duckling during my younger years. I was a rather awkward teenager, dark and lanky." As a teenager, Abby busied herself with sports and was set on pursuing a career as a physical therapist. Growing up in Pampanga, the last thing she expected was to see images of herself in countless magazines and commercials. "There was no such thing as beauty regimen for me back then. I was a no-maintenance teenager," recalls Abby. When model-maker Joey Espino set his eyes on the young charmer, life for Abby took a 180-degree turn. At 15, she did her first show for FAMA, a local convention for local fashion merchandise.

Still a relatively newcomer to the fast-paced and highly competitive industry, Abby was immediately sent to LA to represent the country in the Supermodel of the World search. "It meant the most for me was that I was there to represent the Philippines and bring pride to the country," relates Abby.

Shortly after her stint in LA, Abby, then 17, moved to New York and modeled for various fashion houses like Tiffany & Co. and other high-end boutiques. Abby did modeling in the morning and at night she took on a second job as a hostess for one of the most exclusive restaurants in town.

After a year of continuous work, Abby returned to the Philippines where she graced the covers of every magazine. She bagged lead roles for just about all the fashion and beauty commercials. Every so often, she would fly to other Asian countries like Hong Kong and Singapore for major projects.

In 1994, Abby decided to join the Bb. Pilipinas pageant and landed as first runner-up. She once again joined the beauty search in 1997 and bagged the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title.

This time around, Abby stepped away from the limelight and decided to work behind the scenes of the beauty and fashion industry. She is now the chief makeup artist and image consultant of Lancome. To perfect her craft, she spent a whole month in the US to study makeup artistry.

Aside from her budding career as a makeup artist, what gives radiance to the already stunning Abby is her family. "My family will always come first," says Abby, loving wife to legendary lensman Jun de Leon and mother to their adorable child. "I want to have another baby. A girl, preferably. And I want her to become a beauty queen." Just like mom. – Bianca Salonga