Rabiya Mateo made her first public appearance in Lost Angeles, California ahead of the 69th Miss Universe beauty pageant in Hollywood, Florida on May 16 (May 17 in the Philippines).
While the Philippine bet is already making waves being one of the early birds in the host country, landing on the list of every pageant critic’s frontrunner list, there’s another Filipino woman who is making pageant fans even more excited.
Meet Filipino-American Olivia Quido-Co, CEO and Founder of LA-based O Skin Med Spa, which, for the second year, is the official skincare partner of the Miss Universe pageant.
The beauty expert has devoted almost two decades to making women feel and look beautiful. Her clinic, which has been servicing a number of A-listers, is popular among Americans and members of the Filipino community in the States.
“Filipinos will be taking care of the Miss Universe contestants. Tayo ang mag-aalaga sa kanila in terms of their beauty and skincare needs,” Quido-Co told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview.
Armed with a deeply-rooted passion for skin esthetics and nurturing instincts, her holistic approach to beauty and life, in general, has brought her success as an esthetician, entrepreneur, women’s advocate, and Christian philanthropist.
“It gives me so much satisfaction when I get to make other people feel confident about themselves. Of course, it all starts with having clear skin, that bright aura that boosts someone’s confidence,” the top-rated beauty expert added.
According to Quido-Co, or Ms. O as she is fondly called by her friends including Miss Universe contestants, her participation in the 68th edition of the pageant was one of the highlights of her career in the beauty industry.
“I was with the candidates and we’re just having fun. I share with them tips on how to make their skin look even more beautiful. Then, in the ballroom where we were, the ladies were given a chance to showcase their talents in dancing and singing. It was like a cultural event,” she recalled.
“But most of all, that experience paved the way to expand my network. I'm able to meet more people to introduce our brand. I got to sit as one of the judges in Miss Universe Chile as well. And it makes me feel humbled and deeply honored,” Ms. O carried on listing Miss Australia, Miss El Salvador, Miss Chile, Miss Colombia, and Miss Philippines as the delegates that she is excited to meet in California.
Ms. O, started her career as a California-licensed esthetician inside a leased spare room in a beauty salon in Artesia, CA in 2003. Undaunted by the pressures of being new in the industry, she zealously honed her skills in performing facials in the confines of an eight-by-six-feet space, while learning the ropes of running a spa. Her resilience and determination paid off as word spread about her talent and work ethics, which later earned her the Woman of the Year award, Top 100 Filipinos in the USA, AARP’s Top 8 Woman Entrepreneur in LA, and a Mayor’s Award for Entrepreneurs in Los Angeles.
In 2007, Olivia moved to a bigger clinic. By 2012, she opened her second branch in Eagle Rock Plaza Mall. In 2013, she moved her Artesia branch in Cerritos Mall to accommodate more clients. They have employed over 40 employees, mostly Filipinos comprised of licensed nurses, estheticians, doctors, micro-blading artists, and board-certified plastic surgeons.
In 2011, Olivia launched her own skincare line which quickly attained a massive following due to its amazing results. They released their 24-karat-gold infused products under “The Secret Collection,” in 2017. Since then, the collection which composed of “Secret Gold,” “Secret Glow”, “Secret Radiance” and soon to be released, “Secret Pearl” became one of the most raved-about skin products.
Using top-of-the-line ingredients from different parts of the world, Quido-Co’s products have earned a reputation of dramatically replacing surgery for curing certain skin problems, thus revolutionizing the use of topical products as a non-invasive alternative.
The Olivia Quido Skincare line is distributed globally; mainly in Nepal, San Francisco, Virginia Beach, New Jersey, Baltimore, Philippines, Cebu, Canada, and soon in Dubai. Because of its ever-increasing popularity, the line made its red carpet debut at the recently concluded 46th Emmy Award Academy where Olivia was officially invited to the Emmy Lounge Gifting Suite so the stars, producers, media outlets, and bloggers could experience her products firsthand.
Quido-Co and her journey is a classic success story told and retold in the Filipino-American Community. From battling acne as a teenager and discovering her passion for esthetics to growing her brand and eventually becoming a household name, Quido-Co’s quintessential story of an immigrant fulfilling her American dream has inspired thousands of Filipinos worldwide.
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PascualLab celebrates 75 years of spreading love
This 2021, PascualLab reaffirms its commitment to making health easier for every Filipino family through the campaign “PascualLove: Care begins with family”—which marks its 75 years in the industry—that highlights the value of care that comes from the family.
Built on a love for fellowmen by founders, chemists, and husband and wife team of Isosceles and Leonora Pascual, PascualLab started as a small laboratory inside their home in Tondo, where they developed medicines for war-related diseases during World War II.
Since then, it has grown to be one of the top Filipino-owned pharmaceutical companies, behind well-loved brands such as Poten-Cee Vitamin C, Vitex negundo L. Lagundi Leaf (ASCOF), C-Lium Fibre, and OraCare Mouthrinse.
Love for Life
Beyond fulfilling its life mission, PascualLab also pays it forward by choosing to work with partners who share the company’s values.
Under its corporate social responsibility program SEED (Sowing to Empower, Educate and Develop), PascualLab and over 140 employees recently joined hands with international charitable institution World Vision to sponsor in Malabon about 75 children – a number that’s symbolic of PascualLab’s years in the industry.
Recently, PascualLab also joined hands with renowned health guru, and philanthropist Dr. Willie Ong to reach out to more Filipinos by making vitamins and other healthy products more available to underprivileged communities.
Committed to the Filipino communities it serves, PascualLab has actively sought out frontliners battling this COVID-19 pandemic and families that have been affected by the calamities in the past years including the unprecedented Typhoon Ondoy, Taal Volcano eruption, and most recently Typhoons Rolly, and Ulysses to provide much-needed immunity boosters among other health and wellness products.
PascualLove Live
Aside from kicking off its milestone celebration with CSR projects, PascualLab is also doing a series of online concerts to create a more celebratory anniversary feel. The concert series started off with sponsorship of the KilaboTitos by Ogie Alcasid and Ian Veneracion on March 26 via ktext.ph. It was followed by a collaborative digital concert between PascualLab and no. 1 YouTube FM Station Wish 107.5, PascualLove: From our Family to Yours featuring the iconic Rivermaya and the fast-rising Music Hero on April 23.
The highlight of PascualLab’s 75th anniversary is an FB Live concert featuring one of the biggest names in the music and radio industries and special appearances from personalities who played special roles in the company’s history. During the event, PascualLab will also be launching its anniversary theme “Walang Kasing Galing”, a tribute to family love — that continues to be the core and driving force of this company.
