er career is booming, she's not immigrating, and she's found love again. Seems like Philippine showbiz's most ethereal beauty has every reason to keep looking at life through rose-colored glasses

IT'S A Friday afternoon in September, and outside, the sun is like a curse. Inside the dressing room of the photography studio, Kristine Hermosa is sitting regally in front of the mirror, the make up artist working wonders on her lovely face. The space is, at best, functional, but then again, Kristine Hermosa is in it, and her very presence is, in itself, a blessing.

Unlike other veritable divas who go to such great lengths as liposuction and similar cosmetic enhancement procedures to look their best, Kristine opts for the “less is more” mantra. “I'd rather be simple. Hindi ako mahilig magsuot ng accessories. T-shirt at jeans lang okay na ako.”

But a hugged star like Kristine can't grace an awards night or a movie premiere in street clothes. That's where Patrice Ramos-Diaz and Edwin Tan, two of her designer-friends, come in “Mababait sila. Pag nanghiram ka o nagpagawa ng damit, wala nang mahabang usapan. And they're really good at making clothes. They make me feel beautiful in the gowns they make for me.”

Her face, she does not overly pampered. “Sabon lang ako at moisturizer. At saka Maxi-Peel (an exfoliator brand she endorses) na rin,” she laughs. Her hair is another matter, through. “I really take care of my hair. Nasira kasi ang buhok ko dahil sa pagpapakulay nang madalas. It became brittle.”

In all her years in showbusiness where is beauty is paramount, Kristine Hermosa prevails. But she also knows that beauty alone cannot carry her through the winding paths of stardom. It gives her unbridled joy when, in her constant quest to enhance her acting skills, she hears people say that she has vastly improved. “Natutuwa ako dahil na-appreciate ng mga tao yung improvement daw ng acting ko sa All My Life. Achievement na yung para sa akin.”

Show business, Kristine admits, has not been vicious to her. At 21, she has achieved so much in such a short a period of time, something that ordinary twenty-one-year-olds can only hope to accomplish in an entire lifetime. “Dati impulsive buyer din ako. Pero ngayon, I think twice before I get anything. I don't go by brands anymore. ‘Pag may savings ako, that's the only time I buy, say, jewelry. Hanggang ngayon nga, would you believe na iisa lang ang car ko? Yung CRV ko, which has been with me for several years.”

She is especially proud of the three-story house on a 200-plus sq.m lot she's building for her family in an upscale subdivision in Quezon City . “Dapat nung September pa ‘yun natapos. Na-delay kasi nagkaraoon ng problema sa materials at sa workers. Yun naman para sa family ko. When I get married, I'll leave to them.”

However, the fruits of her labor are not the only reason for the extra sparkle in her eyes. “Lagi naman akong inspired, eh. Marami akong inspirations. Hindi lang yung iniisip mo.”

The things that make her smile these days can be narrowed down to three. First, her career is in full swing. She created box-office history in June with the release of All My Life, where she also scored a number of fists, such as being paired with premiere drama actor Aga Muhlach and donning a two-piece bikini, thus heralding her entry into Vilma Santos territory. “Hindi naman. I can do mature parts which require kissing scenes, but not anything more graphic than that.”

After her history-making soap Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas folded up in July, her fans have been clamoring for Kristine's return to teleseryelandia. The wait will not be that long because this November, the Ethereal One will be lighting up the small screen once again in yet another dramatic serial that will demand tears on cue and a love-confused demeanor from her. “At least, after Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas I was able to rest. We're still finalizing the cast. Drama na naman. Ayaw yata akong tanggapin ng mga tao sa comedy, eh.”

Second, Kristine has decided to stay in Manila for the time being, finally laying to rest earlier reports that she, together with the family, is abandoning her thriving showbiz career for a less strenuous life as Citizen Kristine in Canada . “Please clarify that. And sinabi ko sa presscon (of All My Life) was my family was planning to migrate to Canada . But it will not be anytime soon. Marami pang mga bagay na dapat asikasuhin. It's not that easy. And one more thing, there's a big difference between planning to leave and actually leaving for good.”

Having been in the spotlight since she was about 14, Kristine does feel sometimes that she has had enough of the blare and the glare. What stops her from considering an early retirement a la Garbo is the fact that she can't imagine herself living in a foreign land without her few trusted friends by her side.

“Diyos ko, my whole life is here. My friends, my work. ‘Yung nga lang nagpunta kami ni Echo (Jericho Rosales) sa Hong Kong for a show, na –homesick agad ako. ‘Yun pa kayang sa ibang bansa na talaga ako titira?”

That's where the third reason for the unmistakable glow in her eyes comes in. aside form her friends and her burgeoning career, Kristine is not about to turn her back on a newfound romance that blossomed from within the confines of a TV soap set. The man whose picture beside Kristine is pasted prominently on the back of her Nokia camera phone is the same fellow who helped her recover from a most recent heartache—Diether Ocampo. “We inspire each other,” Kristine says, choosing to keep the details to herself.

For the longest time, Kristine and Diether have been, at the very least, nodding acquaintances and at the most, like family. They more or less moved within the same sphere (both being being prized gems of Talent Center and ABS-CBN), running into each other in the hallways or in showbiz functions form time to time but for some reason, they never got around to discovering each other, not until early this year, when Diether joined the cast of Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas as Leo, the other man in Ara's (Kristine's character) life.

The scenario was perfect for a romantic movie, along the lines of Serendipity and Notting Hill, two of Kristine's favorite feel-good movies. She was a young woman whose ex-boyfriend had strayed into the arms of a half-Austrian temptress. Christmas found our heroine crying herself to sleep, and crying still upon waking up. Then came a young man who gave her solace when she needed it most. “Buddy-buddies kami. We know each other's secrets,” Kristine reveals. “Ay, hindi ko sasabihin kung anu-ano. Kaya nga secret, eh.”

Right on the threshold of a brand new love, Kristine hopes, like all hopeless romantics will agree, that this will agree, that this will be the one for her. “Sabi ng mga friends ko, ‘Tin, this real-life, not a movie.' But I'm, stubborn. I believe so much in love, in magic. Ako ‘yun eh. It may not be a wise outlook, pero it's my idea of what love should be.”

There is, however, no need to rush. The couple is taking things one careful step at a time. Enough for now are the long jogs around the New Manila area (the Hermosas live in a rented house there), the impulsive shopping sprees (“'Pag mainit ang ulo namin, we shop”) and the common love for Air Supply's I Want To Give It All and Hoobastank's The Reason (“Those are our songs for each other”), things from which they draw symbiotic bliss.

For the moment, Kristine continues to look at life through rose-colored glasses. Past heartaches notwithstanding, one may or may not agree with how she approaches life and love and reality, but that's the doctrine by which she lives. “What's important is that you know how to get up after you fall down. And you're not afraid to love again, even if everyone says you should learn your lesson. It's not their heart, anyway. It's yours.”
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