THAT’S WHAT MAKES HER BEAUTIFUL
Radiating joy and contentedness, CHARMAINE LAGMAN shares the secret to taking care of oneself and enjoying life as it comes
Standing on the back of a yacht looking out at the view of Manila Bay, Charmaine Lagman is holding a glass of Côtes de Provence Château Miraval Rosé and sharing her experience of purchasing this muchtalked-about brand of vino. “It’s produced in the Château Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought together,” she says. “So when the news came out that they were separating, I started hoarding just in case there would be a shortage.” A woman who appreciates the beautiful things in life, Charmaine’s friendly demeanor is always evident in previous shoots or events. Her generosity extends to making sure the staff at the yacht enjoyed a cheese and cold cuts platter out at sea and letting everyone have a glass of the prized rosé she has on hand..
“My husband and I work as a team even with family schedules, he fills in for me at times and I do the same for him.”
A typical day for Charmaine starts with exercise at either yoga or Barre 3 at 8am. “If I miss both because I’ve been up working late the night before, I like walking around the village with my husband,” she shares. Following that is a trip to the office. She and husband Mike co-own MC Geometric Proportions Inc, a construction company that focuses on horizontal and vertical projects and is guided by ideas based on function, modernity, and strength, and along with that Interpoint Consultancy Network Systems Inc. (ICNS), a systems integration company.
Weekends are strongly reserved for family matters. Charmaine’s three children are of college age, with Anya, her youngest, ready to depart for university at the start of the school year. When everyone is at home, she makes use of weekends to spend time with family. “We try to go out of town like short beach trips, dine out or simply doing family activities at home,” she says. But now that Charmaine knows that everyone will soon be living away from home, she starts planning trips as early as possible. “I gather everyone’s vacation breaks, necessary events and schedules that need my presence, and from there I can plot and project months wherein I can concentrate on work.” Mike pulls his weight as well, shares Charmaine “My husband and I work as a team even with family schedules, he fills in for me at times and I do the same for him.”
“We allow our children to share ideas and thoughts, and the most important thing is, we listen!
Charmaine’s sense of time management and priority setting ensures that she is able to balance both family and work, and allows her to prioritize her family more in the long run. “They’re my strength and inspiration,” she says, candidly. “I need them to deliver, to perform, and be successful in my endeavors.”
With their kids, Charmaine jokingly considers herself and Mike as cool parents. “Kidding aside, we are a mix of modern and traditional.” She explains that their brand of modern parenting means they want a positive and close connection with their son and two daughters. “We allow our children to share ideas and thoughts, and the most important thing is, we listen!” says Charmaine. “We allow them to be part of some of our decisions. That’s why all ‘family decisions’ are real in ours.” In the sense of traditional parenting, they both emphasize the importance of discipline, rules, and regulations. “We make sure morals and values are met.”
“I want my girls to be self-sufficient, well-aware and financially independent, I’m dreaming of them being able to successfully establish their own identity and attain the pinnacle of success.”
Her eldest, Elijah, graduated this year at St. Mary's College and is pursuing his graduate studies in medicine at Georgetown University, followed by Mica who is studying at New York University, while Anya recently accepted a place at the University of Southern California with a scholarship in at the Thornton School of Music. All exceptionally motivated high-achievers, Charmaine says she and Mike had planned their education from the very first day they set foot in school. “Guiding them on what to pursue has been a family effort for us,” she says. “As parents, we lay down different options based on their strengths, interests and lastly an option that they haven’t explored but somehow related to both mentioned.” To help make their endeavors more fruitful, she and Mike exposed and educated them through travel. “We wanted them to witness through their own eyes what the real world is.”
As with any great parent, Charmaine says her number one hope is for her kids is to achieve their dreams. “My husband and I want them to reach their goals and simply be happy with their chosen careers.”
HEALTHY AND HAPPY CHOICES
With two grown daughters growing up in the era of social media with its benefits and pressures, Charmaine was never the type to pressure them to look and act in a certain way, which is a refreshing point of view, in direct contrast to certain famous mothers who seem to live vicariously through their daughters’ infamous lifestyles. “I want my girls to be self-sufficient, wellaware and financially independent,” she says. “I’m dreaming of them being able to successfully establish their own identity and attain the pinnacle of success.”
From her mother, Charmaine says she learned that less is more. “My mom doesn’t wear makeup except for baby powder and very light lipstick, and I’ve realized that I’m the same somehow.”
On her Instagram, Charmaine had posted a photo of her in her old Assumption uniform, for her high school reunion. The comments all followed the same theme of how young she looked and how good her skin was. Her most dispensed skincare advice is to wear sunscreen day and night and to lather on moisturizer and eye cream before going to bed. Knowing that the skin is a canvas, this allows her to keep her makeup very simple. “Baby powder, a bit of blush and nude lipstick. That’s it!” she says. “Then I wear full-on makeup for events and special occasions.”
The simplicity of her skincare and makeup routines means it didn’t take her very long to develop it. “It’s a very simple day to day thing,” she says. Exercise took a bit longer. “It took maybe a month to force and discipline my self and make it part of my system.”
“With the availability of healthy food, organic eating, and advanced creams nowadays, I guess aging can now be addressed with a positive attitude and gracefully embraced.”
Ask any woman who has been in the public sphere for an amount of time their thoughts on aging, and the answers tend to verge on paranoia and misinformation. Charmaine’s reflections on the topic are candid and much different from her peers. “With the availability of healthy food, organic eating, and advanced creams nowadays, I guess aging can now be addressed with a positive attitude and gracefully embraced.”
Aging is a privilege, and the best way to do it is to make it easy for one’s self by engaging in healthy behaviors and making good choices, something that Charmaine knows is easily in her control. “I have been serving my family organic food for over 10 years, and at least 80 percent of what we eat is organic and clean.” A big fan of seafood, she makes sure to buy deep-sea fishes, avoiding farmed ones. As with everything, balance plays a key role in ensuring that everyone is happy and satisfied. “We dine out as well, and order anything and eat anything too. And then I balance that with exercise at least
3-5 times a week, and allow myself to indulge in cravings once in a while.”
“Being skinny or size zero should never be the gold standard for being beautiful because what matters is you are fit and healthy.”
INNER GLOW
According to Charmaine, true beauty in a person depends on their morals, principles in life and their character. “Beauty is the inner glow that radiates forth and manifests in your external world,” she says.
She strongly believes that beauty has no stereotypes. “Being skinny or size zero should never be the gold standard for being beautiful because what matters is you are fit and healthy,” says Charmaine. “Be authentic, this will make you stand out and be confident. If you have a good heart no matter what, you are beautiful.”
A firm believer in the idea that “There are no ugly women, only lazy ones,” Charmaine’s routine might be simple but she strictly sticks to it. “It’s all about taking care of your skin every day, literally every day—day and night. It is important to remove the dirt of the day and just as important to put back all the goodness your skin deserves and will benefit from before you sleep.” No matter how tired she is, her regimen is a must. “It has evolved through the years and I add and subtract products,” she says. “I’m always open to trying new ones and if I find they’re good for my skin, I keep them.”
A popular song from a famous boyband describes what makes a girl beautiful. For Charmaine, she believes it comes from her being a wife and mother to a family she is proud of. “It is the only treasure in life that money can’t buy.”
“...to laugh with them at the funniest and happiest moments, to cry and grieve at the most difficult and just simply be there for each other in good times and in bad. This is a meaningful life for me.”
WHAT IS ESSENTIAL IS INVISIBLE TO THE EYE
“I believe that less is more. I’d rather have just the essentials rather than having too much superfluous things, and I also believe in quality over quantity,” says Charmaine.
In all her goals in life, she lays out what she wants to achieve. “I imagine positive results so I can thrive and allow myself to surpass what I imagined or dreamed of,” she says.
Blessed with a life rich with joy and meaning, Charmaine has reached the stage of having a peaceful and contented heart. “A meaningful life is not wanting anything in life anymore but just simply enjoying your husband and children who are all adults now,” she says, “to laugh with them at the funniest and happiest moments, to cry and grieve at the most difficult and just simply be there for each other in good times and in bad. This is a meaningful life for me.”