Miss Universe Philippines 2025 bet suffers eye infection, alopecia flare-up
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Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Gwendoline Soriano from Baguio. Image: Instagram/@gwenmeliz
Miss Universe Philippines 2025 candidate Gwendoline Soriano from Baguio got real about imperfections, as she opened up about suffering from an eye infection and alopecia flare-up days before the coronation night.
Soriano showed her swollen eye and a bald patch on her head through her Instagram page on Sunday, April 27, a day before the national pageant’s preliminary competition.
“Not so glamorous. The past few days, I’ve been struggling with an eye infection and an alopecia flare-up — challenges that have shaken my confidence and affected my appearance, especially with the Preliminaries approaching, when all eyes are on us, expecting us to be ‘flawless,'” she lamented.
Despite this, Soriano underscored that her recent struggle strengthened her faith in God, and that there is “purpose” in every challenge.
“I’ve always spoken about embracing imperfections, and maybe today, I’m meant to truly live that out,” she said.
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Soriano then went barefaced for the preliminary closed-door interview while her eye recovered from the infection.
“Showed up in my realest and rawest for our preliminary closed-door interview this morning. It felt like a risky choice to go barefaced, but I followed the gentle nudge God placed in my heart—saved my eyes from makeup fatigue, and hoped this move might inspire more girls to embrace their own, unfiltered beauty,” she said in a separate post after the event.
“After all, beauty isn’t just in the makeup or the clothes we wear, but in the grace and confidence we carry within,” she stated.
Soriano also expressed her appreciation to those who have been extending their love and encouragement to her.
“Happy to have shared my heart to all of you today! Please remember that you’re beautiful, just the way you are,” she concluded.
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The beauty queen nonetheless delivered during the MUPH national costume showcase, where she donned a piece inspired by the mythical creature Lampong.
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Soriano and 65 other delegates will be competing for the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 crown at the finals night on Friday, May 2.