Balancing family and fashion: Apples Aberin

Mabuhay!

I met up last week with one of my good friends and co-editor in Philippine Daily Inquirer, Apples Aberin who was visiting from Singapore. Aps, as I fondly call her, is Unilever's Global PR Manager for Pond's. She is also a supermodel (in my opinion, she's the Linda Evangelista of the Philippines) and quite the celebrity here. (I tease her.)

She is probably one of the hottest forty-something year old woman I know! I always kid her that when I turn 40, I want to be like her — tall, sexy and with great skin (Pond's lang pala ang katapat!) Haha! Seriously, if you see her in person, she is stunning! Her skin and body puts some of the twenty-something year old girls to shame. She is a mother of two kids, a successful career woman, and a great friend. Wow, right?

It was nice catching up with each other. I miss her.

Apples style = Oversize worn-in T-shirt + Skinny jeans + Lace-up booties + Messenger bag + Statement necklace (designed by model Tweetie De Leon)  + Man's watch (a gift from daughter Sam) + Manicured nails + Well-groomed hair

Me: How do you balance family and fashion?
Apples: It's never an effort to balance both. Fashion need not take a backseat once you become a wife and mother. Of course, my style has slowly evolved so that form is balanced by function. Generally, though, it's all about having fun with the latest trends and using these to express my personality. Now that my daughter is 19, we have even more fun discussing fashion, trading clothes and concocting different looks.

Me: Your skin looks flawless. What's your secret?
Apples: A skincare routine that consists of really effective anti-ageing products like Pond's Age Miracle. I try to avoid the sun, as well. And I guess good genes help! Thanks mom!

Me: As a career woman, what are your office wear essentials?
Apples: Basics like a crisp white polo, classic trousers, a pencil skirt,  or a little black dress ---all accentuated with stand-out accessories, statement shoes and a nice bag.

Me: What are your favorite clothing and shoe brands? Where do you shop?
Apples: I shop everywhere and I have no favorites, although high-street brands are affordable and stylish enough. Topshop, Zara and the like are dependable but whenever I travel, I  hunt for clothing and accessories by local designers.

Me: What is your fashion mantra?
Apples: Have fun and be yourself!

I'm sure a lot of you remember Apples from the Pond's TVC and her iconic line: "It's OK to be forty, just as long as you look thirty."







Shoppingera, what do you do to keep yourself young and beautiful?