Faith, Trust, and Fairy Dust: Kylie Verzosa, Hannah Arnold, and Evlin Khalifa are Living Their Dreams

This stunning trio of international beauty queens and Fairy Skin ambassadors share their journeys to their crowns and the magic that helped them close these chapters with a happy ending

We live in two worlds: the world of reality governed by logic and experienced through our senses; and the world of dreams still shrouded in mystery. Historically, most of the world’s cultures believed that our dreams come from an outside source, as visitations from the gods. Egyptians believed in spiritual messengers carrying dreams, and the Greeks built shrines to help them interpret their desires.

Even in pop culture over the past century, dreams have been a recurring theme to inspire and instill a sense of wonder in children. Disney’s 1940 classic Pinocchio told us that “when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.” A decade later, the culture-defining fairytale Cinderella reminded us that “no matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

These two worlds of reality and dreams are closer than most people may choose to believe. There are chapters in our life when we feel like we are “living the dream”, and as much as we want to celebrate the moment, it is in the journey getting there where we find the most fantastical stories worth sharing. For the dazzling trio of Kylie Verzosa, Hannah Arnold, and Evlin Khalifa, their dream-chasing stories are sources of wonder on their own. From overcoming familial and cultural pressures to strengthening mental fortitude, these beauty queens share how a little bit of faith, trust, and fairy dust made their dreams become reality.

Kylie Verzosa: Dream Big, Trust a Few

“I always dreamed of becoming someone,” shared Kylie. Of course, defining that “someone” is ever-changing. Graduating business management in Ateneo de Manila University, the beauty maven’s definition of success used to reside in the corporate world, climbing up the ranks and becoming CEO. “But life [took] me in a different direction and I kept saying yes to opportunities… From being a model, to a beauty queen, and now to an actress. All were challenging but I make sure to always do the best I can in everything,” she continued.

Just a few years after college, Kylie competed for the 2016 Miss International competition in Tokyo, Japan, and was crowned the overall winner. A couple of years later, she found herself in the silver screen, with her burgeoning acting career off to a hot start. In 2021, she starred in her first titular role in The Housemaid, where scintillating performance won her a Best Actress award at the 2022 Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards (DIAFA). “I used to dream [of winning] a crown, and I only dreamt of winning a Best Actress award,” Kylie reminisced. 

However, as her stock continues to soar into new heights, the social media darling remains cautious. In moments when she doesn’t get what she had hoped for, or doesn’t do well in front of others, she often takes time to reflect alone, pick her confidence back up, and regroup with her circles. “As I got older, I learned to only listen to a few people. I learned to only trust a few. As long as you have a good support system, people who truly care about you and have your best interests at heart, [you can reach your dreams.] Stay close to those people and take care of them.” 

Hannah Arnold: From Stages to Sciences

To the uninitiated eye, Hannah may look like the embodiment of the dalagang Pilipina trope: modest, reserved, and poised. She exudes grace, maybe auratic remnants of her years practicing her first love, ballet. “I used to dream about becoming a famous ballet dancer, traveling the world, and one day teach in my own dance school,” she recalled.

But as much as she loved dancing, her college years opened her eyes to the grittier and highly-methodical world of forensic science. “I realized the science lab is where I loved to be and I was good at it academically. As much as I loved dancing, I wanted to help people in a different way, and that was through the power of science,” the 27-year-old shared. However, more than the technical aspect of the field, its gender ratio also posed a challenge. “[Forensic science] can also be perceived as an environment mainly for men, [and] the support for female students was not as equal as it was for others during my study period. I did lose hope at times, but I did not let those setbacks stop my dream. They actually made me stronger,” she affirms.

Thankfully, Hannah has her parents and older sister Angela to fully support her, no matter how big or small the dreams may be. “They always tell me to do what I want to, to put in my 100% and to not worry about what others say, as long as I am enjoying myself, that’s all that matters.”

Today, we know Hannah as a beauty queen. Even at the age of six, she already won a crown from the 2022 Baby Queen pageant in Masbate. In 2014, Hannah took the title of Miss Philippines Australia – Charity Queen. Her “dream come true” moment , however, happened the night she was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2021. “My biggest wishes were granted and it was the start of a new journey,” she recalled. Following the win, Hannah would etch her name in the history books as her top 15 finish during Miss International 2022 marks the 100th placement of the Philippines in the big four international beauty pageants.

Evlin Khalifa: What a Woman Wants, She Gets

Sometimes, our childhood dreams tend to sound grand, and later on in life, these become rooted in the skills and fields we excel in. Not for Evlin, though. Being a supermodel has always been the ultimate dream. “I vividly remember how I played with the unused curtains in our closet or extra tapestry that my mom hides in our kitchen’s cabinet and I will cover myself with it, walk inside my room, and stop at our old mirror, which used to be taller than my 7-year-old self, and I will grin from ear to ear and pretend it’s the most beautiful gown in the world,” recalled the Bahraini-Russian star. 

But as hope flourished in her heart, fear started settling in: “Growing up in a Muslim community, I felt like being a model back then was not the best ambition or best accomplishment ‘a woman can have’.” She finished her education with a bachelor’s degree in finance, as her dad always wished.

Sure, it’s daunting to challenge societal norms. In Evlin’s case, being in a Muslim society meant careers in medicine, law, and finance are preferred. They don’t see modeling as a serious profession. Working as a banker shortly after graduation, Evlin arrived at a crossroads: “[I] was ready to work where society would look at me as [someone] who made the right choice, but at that moment, I asked myself ‘Am I doing what I want? Is it right for me?’ [All those years] I was scared to follow my heart, to not be judged. But then, I remembered my mom and her life lessons to follow my destiny, and I made the most crazy action in my life: I didn’t follow society or family instruction. Instead of working [a nine-to-five], I finally started a modeling career.”

In just two years, the 24-year-old has modeled for Dior Beauty, and just recently made history as the first Bahraini to open for Arab Fashion Week 2022 for legendary designer Furne One and Amato Couture. Most of all, she made headlines as the reigning Miss Universe Bahrain 2022, a crowning moment her family, especially her Arab dad, is proud of.

Beauty is Never Just a Dream with Fairy Skin

Beauty is a six-letter word with a million meanings. For Kylie, who admits to not wearing makeup on most days, beauty is the inspiration and strength she finds in others. For someone who found herself underneath the spotlight at a young age, Hannah believes beauty means taking extra care of one’s body. Even the most mundane things in life can be beautiful, according to Evlin, such as a single cloud in the blue sky, or laughter on her family’s faces.

Despite different paths to their respective crowns, beauty and skin care has been a common denominator. Evlin said it best: “No matter which beauty standards we have or we don’t have inside our heads, I think we all have common wishes when It comes to [our skin]. We all want to wake up and see a clean and moisturized face, [and] smooth skin tone.” This is especially true in their common world of pageantry. “To be pageant-ready means to look after your mind and body. So, for years, I was preparing for that coronation night by eating correctly, working out more often, and maintaining a proper skin care routine,” shared Hannah.

In their journeys to make their dreams come true, these three beauty queens owe it to a certain fairy that gave their skins a touch of magic. Fairy Skin, a local beauty brand that became an instant viral hit on social media for its accessible yet premium skin care products, is more than just a beauty boost for these queens—it became a means to achieve their dreams. “I really glowed on stage and in my activities,” shared Hannah. “I love its brightening and anti-aging ingredients, and I love that it’s backed by and recommended by dermatologists,” Kylie added.

Sure, Fairy Skin’s Premium Brightening Sunscreen and Premium Brightening Facial Foam have been crowd-favorites, but the connection these ladies have with the brand extends far beyond the products. “Fairy Skin is a brand I love working with because we have the same values and brand ethics… They’ve also been so helpful and generous to my advices, to Mental Health Matters, and to my Red Cross family,” Kylie proudly mentioned. 

If there’s one thing these beauty queens can teach us, it’s that dreams can be a reality as long as you have some faith in yourself, trust the process, and maybe even keep a fairy by your side. As Hannah sweetly puts it, “Fairy Skin works just like a fairy godmother does: to make our wishes come true and give us the confidence we need.” Banking on this confidence and willpower to succeed is an important first step to reaching your dreams. “I always say focus, determination, and hard work will get you places, and [especially] a lot of patience… Always believe that things will workout and believe that you can,” Kylie imparts. “We all might have different dreams and life situations but no matter what it is about, you have to follow it and be the number one supporter and believer to yourself,” Evlin added.

Photography BJ PASCUAL
Creative Direction JP TALAPIAN, KRISTOFF SISON, and PEACHES GARCIA
Styling PERRY TABORA for Kylie, MIKA REYES assisted by NICOLE SYDNEY for Hannah and Evlin
Makeup JAJA PANGILINAN for Kylie, CARRISA CIELO for Hannah, and GUILLY VALENZUELA for Evlin
Hair RENZ PANGILINAN for Kylie, FLORENZ HAIR for Hannah, and SIGNATUREBYGUILLANO for Evlin