Cover At Tatler’s The Beauty of Being Well roundtable, women leaders explore modern beauty, ageing, wellness, self-worth and what it means to live a life on your own terms (Photo: Medal Elepano)
At Tatler’s The Beauty of Being Well roundtable, women leaders explore modern beauty, ageing, wellness, self-worth and what it means to live a life on your own terms (Photo: Medal Elepano)
1 / 1
What does it mean to be well when women are expected to have it all? At a Front & Female conversation, women leaders shared candid lessons on beauty, ageing, ambition, self-worth, health and the freedom to choose differently
Beauty is changing. But perhaps the more significant shift is happening in how women define what it means to live well.
At Tatler’s The Beauty of Being Well roundtable, women from beauty, healthcare, business, design and social impact gathered for a candid conversation about modern beauty—and quickly moved beyond the surface. The discussion explored ageing, health, self-worth, boundaries, ambition and the choices women make as they move through different chapters of their lives.
The conversation was held at Canton Road, Shangri-La Fort, Manila in partnership with D’Mark Beauty, lead partner of Tatler’s Front & Female Awards, with its founder and CEO Nikki Tang joining Tatler Philippines managing director Irene Martel Francisco, Tatler Philippines Leadership editor Syrah Inocencio, BeautiqueMD co-founder and dermatologist Dr Anna Rufino, Eluvo Health founder and CEO Dr Jaycy Violago-Olivarez, Moss Manila design director Cyndi Beltran, Modeme founder and stylist Monique Madsen, Agrea founder and CEO Cherrie Atilano, Tatler Homes editor Jet Acuzar and entrepreneur Joy Rustia.
Read more: Meet the winners of the Front & Female Awards Philippines 2026
The discussion opened with a rethinking of beauty itself. For Dr Anna Rufino, dermatologist and co-founder of BeautiqueMD, beauty is increasingly about embracing rather than changing what we have. “People are now more accepting of what they were born with,” she said. “The beauty that shines from within really comes from overall wellness and health.”
Dr Jaycy Violago-Olivarez, founder and CEO of Eluvo Health, similarly sees modern beauty as something that encompasses the whole person. “Understanding your design, your purpose, and really knowing what optimises you—not just how you look, but overall how you carry yourself, how you go through your day-to-day—I think that’s what modern beauty is about now,” she said.
For Tang, whose work in beauty and wellness has long centred on helping women feel confident, the conversation is shifting from simply looking younger to feeling better. “The trend right now is about longevity… not so much about ‘I look younger,’ but ‘I really look good’ and feel good inside,” she said. Yet she also stressed that women should not feel compelled to pursue every treatment available. “It’s okay that a person doesn’t need to undergo all these procedures and treatments. Minimalism is good. Preserving how you are is good.”
Read more: DMark Beauty CEO Nikki Tang on her life outside the boardroom
That idea of choice became a recurring theme throughout the conversation. Beltran, principal and multidisciplinary designer, spoke candidly about the many expectations placed on women. “Women have to look good, stay fit, be healthy, be mothers, be successful—and for some reason you have to be effortlessly beautiful and natural,” she said.
The answer, perhaps, is permission: permission to rest, to say no and to live outside expectations.
Above Cyndi Beltran Fernandez and Dr Jaycy Violago-Olivarez share their insights on beauty and wellness.
Cyndi Beltran Fernandez and Dr Jaycy Violago-Olivarez share their insights on beauty and wellness.
1 / 1
Above Golden, intricately crafted pumpkin-shaped delicacies, presented as a beautiful culinary delight at Canton Road in Shangri-la The Fort, Manila.
Above A lychee dessert and champagne served at The Beauty of Being Well roundtable lunch.
Golden, intricately crafted pumpkin-shaped delicacies, presented as a beautiful culinary delight at Canton Road in Shangri-la The Fort, Manila.
1 / 2
For Cherrie Atilano, founder of Agrea, ageing has brought exactly that sense of agency. “Ageing also is such a gift… a permission to have your own choice to what truly matters—and to change your mind,” she said. “Now this is me. If you want me, then so be it. If you don’t like me, I don’t care. I don’t need to explain myself to you.”
She has also become more protective of her time, removing what she calls “unnecessary noise” and overcommitment from her life. “You are the only one with the key to shut it off,” she said. “Overcommitment is something that I really remove from my schedule because I need to sleep at 10 p.m. and wake up… I need to have eight hours of sleep daily.”
For Monique Madsen, stylist and founder of Modeme, that noise often comes from other people’s expectations. “A lot of the things that we end up struggling with internally sometimes have little to do with us, and it’s more all of these expectations and all of these things that people expect from you or want from you,” she said.
She knows that pressure personally, particularly around age, relationships and fertility. “I’m constantly bombarded with ‘freeze your eggs’… ‘When is your next relationship? When are you gonna get married again?’” she shared. But she has ultimately found contentment in a life that looks different from the one she once imagined. “I didn’t have a role model like me… I didn’t have anyone in my life that was single in her 40s, living with a dog and running her own business,” she said. “I’m surprised that that’s the life I have, and I’m pretty happy with where that led me.”
Read more: An empowering insurance policy? The facts behind egg freezing: what women need to know
Above Joy Rustia, Nikki Tang, Cherrie Atilano, Cyndi Beltran Fernandez, Monique Madsen and Irene Martel Francisco.
Above Dr Anna Rufino and Cherrie Atilano with their DMark Beauty gift bags.
Joy Rustia, Nikki Tang, Cherrie Atilano, Cyndi Beltran Fernandez, Monique Madsen and Irene Martel Francisco.
1 / 2
Wellness, the women agreed, also has to be practical. Joy Rustia, entrepreneur, offered a simple prescription for ageing well: “Have that routine—exercise, sleep well, hydrate… take good care of your skin, take good care of your body, because at the end of the day what really matters most as you age is your health.”
Beltran, meanwhile, spoke about being more intentional with where she puts her energy. “Moving forward… I think living in the moment is very important and being more intentional with where you put your energies and the people you spend time with,” she said. “As much as possible, I also want to be completely present for [my kids].”
For Jet Acuzar, Tatler Homes editor, wellness has become less about control and more about perspective. “I think the older I get, the lighter I want to take things,” she said. “You just have to find ways to find the little joys and little things that cheer you up in the day.” Looking back, she also wishes she had taken more risks. “I would tell my younger self, don’t be afraid to be embarrassed.”
Ageing itself was ultimately reframed not as something to resist, but as a privilege. Dr Olivarez called it “a very beautiful evolution”, adding: “As you age, you grow in wisdom, in experience, and together with that, you become more powerful.”
Irene Martel Francisco, Tatler Philippines’ managing director, echoed that sense of possibility. At 69, she said, “I think that there are so many more productive years ahead.” For her, growing older has not meant stepping away from creativity. “The more you do it, the more there is to give. So you don’t stop yourself from the creative process.”
Read more: Has self-care become too much work?
Above Dr Anna Rufino and Jet Acuzar share personal stories and perspectives on a well-lived life.
Dr Anna Rufino and Jet Acuzar share personal stories and perspectives on a well-lived life.
1 / 1
And perhaps the ultimate measure of wellbeing is not how much women can achieve, but how they want to spend the lives they have built. Rustia said she wants to “nurture more relationships, spend time with friends” and “give kindness”. Tang believes the goal should be deeper than happiness: “It’s right to choose joy over happiness. Happiness is very fleeting; it’s just an emotional state, while joy is really more lasting, more deep… sustainable.”
As Yanah Laurel, moderator, reflected during the discussion, ageing is “such a privilege… to have the wisdom and, you know, the stories to tell.”
In the end, The Beauty of Being Well was less a conversation about how women should look than a reminder that they have the agency to decide how they want to live. Beauty can evolve. Ambition can coexist with rest. Ageing can bring power. And wellness can be as simple—and as difficult—as choosing what deserves your energy.
As Atilano put it: “Enough is not the definition of the world about you. Enough is really your definition to yourself.”
Credits
Photography: Medal Elepano
Syrah is Tatler Philippines’ Power & Purpose editor, where she spotlights extraordinary journeys shaping the Philippines and Asia. She covers business, innovation, impact, and culture—chasing the people, ideas and forces shaping how we live and think today.
