once a queen,
always a queen
Pia Wurtzbach takes us on the ins-and-outs of her life after the crown.

It’s been four years since Pia Wurtzbach’s life took a 180-degree turn and got crowned as Miss Universe; but up to this day, all eyes are still on her—that’s when you know that she’s no ordinary queen.

“You know how they say that it changes your life overnight? That’s literally what happened. It feels like it happened yesterday, and I still have to pinch myself sometimes”
Life as Queen P

Every day has been busy since, but for Pia, busy is a good thing. She was initially overwhelmed with how many people, brands, endorsements, and shows were suddenly reaching out to her after getting crowned because this was something new to her, “I got used to not getting anything before. But you know what, that’s okay. It made me appreciate everything more right now, and even more happy that I still get to do it, four years later,” Pia shares. From being an advocate, to modelling, acting, and being the face of some of the biggest international brands, Pia is grateful that she gets to do all the little things she loves. One brand that struck a chord, is Aquafina. “This is funny because before, I would always try to insert Pepsi into my posts because I like the brand…and I’m also a big fan of Britney Spears. (laughs) She’s a Pepsi endorser, so I’m thinking like, ‘I want to be part of Pepsi.’ But then, Aquafina came in, which is part of the Pepsi Company. It’s been two years since we launched Aquafina in the Philippines, and I really like where the brand is going.”

Queen of Style

On her off-duty days, Pia is all about that cropped tank, sweatpants, denim jacket, and sneaker life. But when a red carpet or a camera is involved, the queen comes out to play. Today, Pia is making her mark in fashion as someone who always has something new and different up her sleeve. “I always go for something that has a little shock value. I like something that not everyone would typically wear, because it challenges me. Maybe sometimes I have fashion fails, but who cares? Fashion is a form of self-expression, and if I’m not going to wear it today, then when?” Pia shares.

"You have to own the look 100%. You can’t hesitate. Once you hesitate, that’s when it starts to look awkward,"

When it comes to her approach to fashion and dressing up, she reveals that the secret to looking like a Queen in any outfit is, “You have to own the look 100%. You can’t hesitate. Once you hesitate, that’s when it starts to look awkward,” Pia shares with a laugh.

Secrets of a Queen

You’d be surprised to find out that our Queen P eats pretty much everything she wants, “I don’t like to restrict myself so much because it drives me crazy. I’m a big foodie, and I enjoy bread, pasta, pizza. I don’t deprive myself. I like to have a good nice burger after a swimsuit photoshoot,” to which she also adds, “What good is it that you look good if you’re always cranky and you feel like you have no energy?” For her, the key is to have a bit of everything, just all in moderation.

"When you’re hydrated, the makeup sticks on better, you’d glow more, your skin looks better. It feels better, and it just removes all the toxins from the body. It’s the most underrated beauty advice there is—drinking water."

It’s a known fact that she can do her own makeup, but you’ll be surprised to learn that her beauty secrets are fairly simple—drinking lots of water and watching tutorials. “You can have the most expensive makeup, but then it won’t work until you really take care of your skin. When you’re hydrated, the makeup sticks on better, you’d glow more, your skin looks better. It feels better, and it just removes all the toxins from the body. It’s the most underrated beauty advice there is—drinking water. As for makeup, I watch makeup tutorials online and I copy it. It’s so relaxing! I’ll follow it, pause, continue, and I’ll follow it step-by-step. I enjoy it, it’s so fun.” She admits that she gets inspired by the Kardashian look and that she loves doing her own version of it on herself, “Nice smoky eyes; not black eyeshadow, but brown. Defined lips—I like to overline a little bit, too! And a bit of a tan, bronzy glow. That’s my go-to look. It’s really good, and it works.”

Everyday Queen

What’s a regular day like for Queen P? For her, “It changes every day, depends on what I have to do for the day.” It usually revolves around endorsement shoots and events, hosting the 2nd season of her own travel show—Pia’s Postcards, to attending advocacy events for UNAIDS; all while making sure she still gets to squeeze in family time, boyfriend time, and even quick workouts and maintenance days to pamper herself. Whew! Did we mention she has this newfound sense of appreciation for interior design and furniture ever since she moved into her new home? Pia shares that it’s all she does now on Instagram, “I just look at furniture. It’s so fun.”

"When I’m burnt out, I allow myself to say stop, press pause, and not do anything."

Living on such a tight schedule, it’s normal for Pia to have days when she just feels so drained. “When I’m burnt out, I allow myself to say stop, press pause, and not do anything.” She reminds us that it’s a form of self-care and there’s no reason to feel bad about taking a break, “Guys, even I get burnt out. Sometimes we just need that moment to shut everything off.”

With everything that she’s achieved so far, one can’t help but ask, what is next for Pia Wurtzbach? “I ask myself that, too, everyday,” Pia says with a laugh, “But I’m working on a book, and we’re pushing for it to come out by the end of this year. And also, I’m opening up a milk tea business in Alabang, I’m partnering with two of my besties. So yeah, I’m trying to feel a few different things, and I want to see where it’ll take me. We’ll just have to see.”

This cover was produced in partnership with Aquafina
Creative Direction: Eugene David
Photography: Charisma Lico
Styling: Meg Manzano
Makeup: Albert Kurniawan
Hair: Nante Alingasa
Words: Maan Fernandez
Production Design: AdSet Prod
Videography: Bobby Maddatu
Nails: Extraordinails