Could Ahtisa Manalo’s Soft and Doll-Like Glam Win Her the Crown This Year?

The returning Miss Universe Philippines hopeful goes soft and fresh with makeup by Paul Unating, exciting many pageant enthusiasts as she takes a different approach this season.

By Biel Arevalo 6 hours ago

Could Ahtisa Manalo’s Delicate Glam Finally Win Her the Crown?

Pageant makeup is usually a game of more, but can Ahtisa Manalo’s less win louder? This year, the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 contender from Quezon Province embraces an ethereal softness—ridding her glam of excess and letting her natural beauty speak. Ahead, makeup artist Paul Unating reveals the vision behind this and the exact products that brought it to life.

The Manalo Makeover

Manalo never needed to overplay her hand. Her natural beauty—delicate and doll-like—has always carried its own weight. But compared to her Miss Universe Philippines 2024 look, the shift is impossible to miss, with her high-impact glam taking a backseat to something fresh and lighter this time around.

With a touch of Thai luminosity and restraint, fans clocked the resemblance to her Miss International 2018 era, but this isn’t nostalgia.

mega-beauty-ahtisa-manalo-2018 - MEGA — ^{ahtisa’s radiant look as miss international 2018}

QUEZON-PROVINCE - MEGA — ^{her fierce glam for miss universe Philippines 2024}

“It’s not intentional,” Paul Unating told MEGA. “But this year, I can say she’s leaning into a more timeless, classic makeup style. Nothing too dramatic—but I just wanted to make her eyes the [center of] attraction of her look.”

Beauty Breakdown

How did Unating make less look so much more? The secret is in the lightness.

Her eyes (arguably her best asset) were defined with a soft shimmer—nothing too dark or heavy—framed by wispy lashes. The base was kept glowy, but not drowned in product. The cheeks were kissed with a hint of pale pink, enough to suggest life and youth without trying too hard. It’s clean, it’s fresh, and it’s the art of knowing how to hold back.

Minimal yet radiant, Manalo’s soft glam feels distinctly Thai. Is it a strategic beauty play, with Thailand hosting the 74th Miss Universe this year?

Either way, it’s a departure from the usual pageantry theatrics, where “more is more” often hides behind the “the stage lights will wash you out” excuse. Could this be Manalo’s beauty ticket to finally clinching the coveted crown? Only time will tell, but let history remind us: it’s not always the showiest one that wins the race.

Featured Image and Photos: PAUL UNATING (via Instagram), MISS INTERNATIONAL (via Facebook)