They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But for R’Bonney Gabriel, it is all about taking beauty in her own hands
This is an excerpt from the second MEGA October 2024 Cover story
At the MEGA Magazine cover shoot, R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe 2022, has been posing for the camera since 3:00 in the afternoon. It’s almost 9:00 PM, and she has only taken a quick break to eat. She changes into another designer outfit and promptly sits at the interview table, not an ounce of tiredness in her appearance.
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Sans makeup, it’s easy to mistake R’Bonney for the typical pretty girl next door. She is petite, and if not for the smoky eyeshadow, you might quickly lose sight of her amidst a crowd of people. In her Instagram account, where in one post she is clad in a bikini with oversized shades, and in a robe in another, she could pass for a stylish teenager. Most of the posts, however, are full of glamor, glitz, and gowns; there she is in full Miss Universe mode, minus the long, lush hair you associate with pageant winners. It may be the hair that makes her aura simpler than what we associate with Miss Universe; it may also be her small frame. Still, with all the makeup on and fully decked out, it’s no wonder she held the title.
The Best of Both Worlds
As Miss USA and then as Miss Universe representing the United States, some think she is more American than Filipino. But she struggles with the same issues that any dual-culture kid deals with. “You connect with both sides, but sometimes you feel a little too White for your Filipino side, and sometimes you feel a little too Filipino for your white side.”
She says she adheres to Filipino values. “Filipinos love family, and I think that’s a value I grew up with. I am thankful for all my cousins; we’re all so close. I don’t see that as much on my American side, but I always say I got the best of both worlds.”
It’s an oft-told story: Gabriel would spend summers in the Philippines with her parents and three older brothers, mostly in Malate, where her father lived as a child. “My childhood memories [of Manila] are going to the malls, shopping and eating, and really just hanging out on the street where my father grew up. I just fell in love with experiencing a whole other culture and seeing the differences in lifestyles between America and the Philippines.” After college, Gabriel wanted to move to the Philippines, but then the pandemic hit. She had her first pageant during the pandemic; the rest is Miss Universe history.
Read more about R’Bonney Gabriel and how she deals with the pressures of being beautiful all the time in MEGA’s October 2024 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photographed by DOOKIE DUCAY. Creative Direction by PATRICK TY. Styled by ELDZS MEJIA. Makeup by MICKEY SEE. Hair by VALERIE CORPUZ. Written by RIA DE BORJA. Art direction BRIE VENTURA. Beauty Direction AGOO AZCUNA-BENGZON assisted by MARA GO. Production JONES PALTENG. Sittings Editor PEEWEE REYES- ISIDRO. Fashion Assistant ERICA TERROL. Styling Assistants CARL ALBERTO and MIGS LEGUERRA. Nails LUZ FORTUNO of TRIPLE LUCK BROW & NAIL SALON. Photography Assistants MARK CATUNGA and BYRON DE GUZMAN. Shot at PIONEER X STUDIO.
