“How many pictures of one Nymph we view,

All unlike each other, all how true!”

Alexander Pope, the greatest English poet of the early eighteenth century, could not have been more profoundly exact when he honored the many facets of women in his 1735 Epistle To A Lady. Celebrating the many faces of the fairer species, whichever should she choose to bare, was the key inspiration for Hair Asia Publisher EAC Fanny Serrano (of TF as he is called by friends) in the bridal issue of the Hair Asia Magazine. The task at hand could have been pretty tricky - creating three very different yet equally mesmerizing looks for one beautiful bride. For the likes of makeup maeister, Fanny Serrano, however, the task is one he relished without foreboding.

His canvass - his first and only choice - was the virginal beauty of Anne Curtis.

One of the country's most beautiful women, Fanny considers Anne as the ultimate bride with her unmistakable air of innocence - a quality that can so easily dissipate with one flash of her mischievous eyes and enigmatic smile. "Chameleon-like" as Fanny would have it.

While Anne's features are decidedly exotic (her creamy complexion and statuesque profile undoubtedly inherited from her Australian father), she insists that she acquired most of her features from her mom, and Ilocano beauty who hails from Pangasinan. Anne however is a wondrous amalgamation of her father's German, English and Irish lineage, and her mother's Hispanic ancestry.

Her beauty regimen? Only two. 1) Keep your face clean, and 2) Moisturize.

Anne religiously applies moisturizers on her face as often as necessary since, she claims, the area around her nose tends to get dry and flaky, not that any of us lesser mortals ever notice. She wears makeup only when absolutely necessary and hastens to strip it all off as soon as she's done with work.

In fact, arriving at the photo shoot just a little past noon and still woozy from lack of sleep (she had just packed up from a taping for her TV program around 6 in the morning), Anne's face was completely bare of any makeup with her hair tousled and unstyled - an image that any man would dream waking up to.

She sported low-rise jeans and a white knitted sweater coat over a white tank top that emphasized her enviously svelte form. Blessed with a naturally slender figure, Anne still wishes for a firmer, more defined physique. Unfortunately, being a much sought-after actress, here hectic schedule prevents her from going to the gym to work out. She does admit though that it is precisely her demanding work-load that burns more than enough calories to keep her slim.

Her idea of relaxation is sleeping the day out in her jammies.

"When I have no commitments for the day, I much prefer to stay at home and sleep. You know, those days when you don't have to take shower and you just stay in bed the whole day, that's my form of relaxation," Anne candidly shared.

A perfect alternative for Anne is to treat herself to long hours of no-holds-barred pampering at the spa. In the rare occasions that she does have the time for a quick getaway, she opts for the soothing refuge of sun, sand and sea. That is if she has enough energy for the travel.

Though it isn't her first time to work with Fanny (they most recently worked together on an ad campaign for a leading brand of shampoo), it is their collaboration for a pictorial.

"It's so much fun to work with Tita Fanny. It's like I'm not working at all. Even when he's applying my makeup, he's always say, "Oh anak, you can close your eys na muna para you're not ngarag later."

Anne values her friendship with Fanny and admires his laid-back albeit perfectionist attitude towards work.

"It's never just about the work with him. He's always so considerate and he's such a dear friend. He's the one person I could never say no to."

Aside from their close friendship, Anne and Fanny share a common persuasion - their deep spirituality and nurtured relationship with God. While Fanny embarked on his journey towards enlightenment many years ahead of Anne, they now both share a kindled purpose to continue growing in faith.

Fanny's spirituality has significantly helped him cope with the negativism that can so easily pervade the business that he is in. His continuing growth in his relationship with God has certainly given him an elixir of a different kind. That, plus his principle of surrounding himself with positively spirited people who invest in sincerity and integrity rather than celebrity.

Fanny brought together for the Hair Asia photo shoot - Biboy Arboleda of Roberto Antonio's to design the elaborate, floral backdrop; The Playground's Dominigue James, Renzo Sen and Dyowi Contreras to undertake photography; and fellow couturiers Edgar Madamba and Francis Calaquian (President of the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines) to create the wedding gowns that Anne wore for the shoot.

Anne as a simple but elegant bride in an Edgar Madamba creation, vividly reminiscent of young Audrey Hepburn during the glory days of old Hollywood; Anne as decidedly bolder and more mature bride wearing Francis Calaquian, figurative of contemporary Hollywood; and Anne as a full pledged temptress with gracefully upswept curls, regal in a Fanny Serrano gown.

Unassuming and completely lacking in neurosis very common in accomplished art directors, Biboy Arboleda adeptly designed a lush stage-set of blue and lavender hydrangeas, blush pink lisianthus and carnations, white tulips, casablancas and ornithogalums, delicate cymbidium orchids, white calla and Peruvian lilies (or alstroemerias), collarette dahlias, deep purple delphiniums and allium balls, and an exquisite assortment of white Ecuadorian roses, two-toned luxor roses and giant violet rosa centifilieas (commonly called cabbage rose which only blooms once a year).

Lens-work was expertly carried out by Dominique James for the cover, and Dyowi Contreras and Renzo Sen for the inside shots. The dynamic trio recently established the photo studio "The Playgound," aptly so as they converted the set into a virtual fun factory spewing frame after frame of impeccable photographs. The whole-day shoot, which could have easily turned into a set full of tired, cranky people, was animatedly colored by Dominique James’ sporadic shrieks of excitement as Anne nailed her poses shot after shot.

Having been in the business of creating beauty for almost three decades already (he's a hair and makeup guru, a respected fashion designer and a cosmetic line magnate all rolled into one), Fanny has collaborated in countless weddings including some of the most celebrated weddings in the annals of showbiz history - that of Sharon Cuneta and Lorna Tolentino.

Fanny maintains that styling people is all about bringing out the best in them. "Just as prayer brings out the best in us and strips us of all pretensions and superficial veneers, so should personal styling enhance and highlight our best attributes."

"Less is more. You don't need to overshadow yourself with unnecessary layers of makeup and overpowering accessories that will avert attention from your natural beauty."

He insists that even the most skillful attempts by the most accomplished makeup artists cannot conceal a troubled soul. Beauty comes from within. A peaceful, centered being will radiate a beautiful aura that no cosmetic illusion can achieve.

Much like Funny, Anne believes that real beauty emanates from accepting God as the center of your being. In the world that she moves in where vanity and superficiality hold sway, Anne is grounded by constant prayer and a strong spiritual core.

With Fanny's unparalleled genius and Anne's inter-racial genomes, the three visions that stood before the cameras at different times throughout the shoot couldn't have been more deceptive.

When asked about how she found it to be a bride for a day, Anne was quick to say that it was such great fun. She guilelessly admitted, "The experience makes me want to be a bride!"

She admits that she is certainly open to the prospect of being a young bride but she's not expecting to walk down the aisle any time soon. Donning three very different outfits and portraying three different looks had convinced her that the first persona was definitely the bride that she's want to be someday. Attention: Sam Milby?

Anne however, firmly denied any romantic relationship that is being rumored to be between them, and that Sam, for now, is just someone she considers to be a very good friend.

Fanny says of Anne, "she knows what she wants and will most probably attend to every single detail when the time comes for her to take the marital plunge."

Fanny's final words of advice to future would-be brides: Listen to calming music. Dwell in the happiest of recollections. Inhale deeply. And project!

(Note: For more information, visit the Hair Asia website.)