'I don’t wanna be nervous, I wanna be excited': Celeste Cortesi shares how she is preparing for 71st Miss Universe competition
Miss Universe competition is one of the most awaited and favorite beauty pageants around the world, especially in the Philippines. Not only does it give entertainment, but it is also a platform for advocacies and it sparks inspiration for all its audience, mostly to youth who also aspire to be the Miss Universe queen.
Preparation for the event is surely not easy, especially for its delegates. As shared by the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi, the general vibe has been “very chaotic,” especially since they have been very busy doing fittings, registrations, shootings, and rehearsals. But despite all this, our beauty queen remains calm.
“I wanna enjoy the experience, and as I always say, I have been preparing so much for this competition,” Cortesi told TV personality Dyan Castillejo.
Feeling prepared, the Filipina-Italian beauty queen added, “I don’t wanna be nervous, I wanna be excited, I want to be happy to be here and enjoy the experience.”
Cortesi was born and grew up in Italy, that’s why it was a delight for her to have Miss Italy Virginia Stablum as her roommate, sharing that they love talking about their outfits and would always exchange advice.
Cortesi emphasized that other than vying for the crown, supporting each other is one of the important parts of the competition, “everyone is so nice here, I’m happy.”
She added, “Even if it is a competition, don’t ever forget to be kind to each other.”
In preparation for her pageant outfits and makeup
Days before the final stage of the competition, Cortesi has been serving us looks—and she has an amazing team to thank for that.
“I always tell them my schedule, what I’m going to do, and I just ask them what should I wear. They’re always ready, that’s why I always say I’m the luckiest person here,” she said, adding “they’re always at my back.”
For her makeup, Cortesi shared that she was able to train how to do her hair and makeup when she was in Los Angeles, USA. She also shared how makeup artist Mickey See and hairstylist Renz Pangilinan have been helpful to her.
“Mickey and Renz have been amazing with me, they taught me so many things.”
On becoming mentally strong
To be able to inspire, each queen also has their own sources of inspiration and strength, one of which is the Miss Universe president Paula Shugart. During the orientation, Cortesi shared that Shugart always reassures them amid the pressure from the competition that “you girls are here because you’re special.”
One of the advices that resonated with Cortesi is about being their authentic selves.
“Don’t be afraid to be unique, it’s okay to be nervous but don’t let other people define who you are, don’t let other people dictate what you’re going to feel,” she quoted Shugart.
Cortesi said that it was inspiring, especially with their struggles in preparing for the big event.
“It is very hard sometimes to be focused especially when you have so much noise around you, especially on social media.”
Other than the training, Cortesi shared that being mentally strong is one of the important preparations for the competition. She usually uses affirmations like “you’re ready, you’re worthy, you’re gonna be fine,” noting to never focus on the negative.
On becoming the ‘transformational leader’
When asked about what she thinks is the kind of Miss Universe the panelists are looking for, Cortesi shared that she is someone who is a “transformational leader.”
Recalling her experiences in beauty pageants, Cortesi shared how she became a transformational queen herself.
“I feel like I became strong, I became independent, I became purpose-driven, that’s my own transformation.” she said.
Talking more about the process she experienced, Celeste takes pride of not giving up on what she wants to achieve despite the failures. “When I joined my other pageant and I failed, obviously I felt very bad, I felt like I failed the whole country, even my family,” she shared.
“I had two choices, one choice was to go back to Italy in my comfort zone, and the other one was to stay in the Philippines and learn,” Cortesi chose to do the latter, and it eventually paved her way to becoming the beauty queen that she is now.
“I wanted to show that you can be or do whatever you put your mind into as long as you're committed to your goal and vision,” she shared.
She added, “Winning or not [the] Miss Universe, I hope that me being here could inspire women to really take risks and not be afraid to step out of their comfort zone.”
Cortesi is all set and very much decided to win the crown, but she believes that winning the title is destiny. “I really want to, my mind is set on that, but, [becoming] Miss Universe is a destiny.”
After her amazing performance in the preliminary competition, watch out for Celeste as she competes for the crown on the final stage of the 71st Miss Universe competition. It will be live-streamed for free on A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, Metro Channel, and iWantTFC on Jan. 15, at 9 a.m.