Angelina Cruz doesn’t need fillers or filters to make a statement.
On the second day of Watsons Beautycon 2025, held on August 29, 2025, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, the singer-actress steps out as the new face of Mentholatum lip balm.
In her exclusive sit-down with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Angelina goes beyond beauty tips, opening up about self-acceptance, social media’s impact on her generation, and how she confronts the privilege attached to her famous last name.
Read: Angelina Cruz, 22, buys her first car: "I'm officially broke"
Angelina's natural asset THAT she doesn't take for granted
People may spend thousands on fillers to plump up their lips, but Angelina humbly insists, “Honestly, I feel like I have fairly small lips."
Asked how it feels to have the kind of lips others pay to achieve, she answers: "But I just learn how to do my make-up well, and, of course keeping them moisturized helps a lot.
“Keeping them moisturized makes them look plump. I guess that's my hack.”
Her approach is simple: embrace what you have, but don’t be afraid to learn how to enhance it.
“I feel like just embracing your flaws and learning to live by it, you know. It does not hurt also to experiment and find out lip hacks, especially with lip care and make-up.”
It is a fitting philosophy for Mentholatum, a brand centered on protection, soothing, and natural care.
As she points out, young people like her are open to exploring different looks and techniques, but she draws a clear boundary.
“I feel like as long as it does not harm you or your mental health, then I feel like it's perfectly fine,” she says of the trends she is willing to try.
Read: Angelina Cruz graduates from college
Social Media, Standards, and Self-Worth
As part of Gen Z, Angelina is no stranger to the double-edged nature of social media.
TikTok and Instagram have opened new platforms for self-expression, but they’ve also amplified insecurities.
“With social media, especially TikTok and Instagram being widely used, I feel like us, the younger generation is so exposed to conventionally attractive people to the point that it's very unhealthy to our mental health.
“To the point na our standards are very unrealistic.”
Her antidote to that pressure is reframing flaws as strengths: “So, I feel like at the end of the day, you know, we should embrace the fact that we're still human.
“I feel like what we think our flaws are is what makes us beautiful, because it gives us character.
“I feel like we should learn to embrace that.”
In the same breath as her encouraging mantra, Angelina does not shy away from admitting that she, too, once battled insecurities.
“Oh, definitely! I definitely went through a time.
“Because, you know, people on social media, they are all so beautiful to the point na parang it's unrealistic.
“Especially growing up in an Asian country where Western beauty standards are so popular on social media.”
But with time came growth.
“As I grew up, I learned to embrace my characteristics and to embrace how I look.
“I think everyone is beautiful. We're all unique, and our faces, we all tell a story.”
Her answers mirror a maturity that shows she is living through the process herself.
Read: Angelina Cruz on bonding with sisters, brother Diego Loyzaga, dad Cesar Montano: "dream team"
From insecurities to expectations
Angelina’s openness about her insecurities—once wishing she looked different under the weight of Western beauty standards—reveals a star unafraid to admit vulnerability.
But insecurities aren’t the only pressures she has to navigate.
As the daughter of Sunshine Cruz and Cesar Montano, her name alone comes with both visibility and potential scrutiny.
In an era where “nepo baby” has become a buzzword, Angelina knows that conversations about privilege inevitably follow her career.
“Honestly, I understand where they are coming from.
“But also, coming from a family of very talented people, the pressure is very real.
“And I do acknowledge the privilege that I have.”
Instead of brushing it aside, she meets it with self-awareness and accountability.
“I also wanna take this opportunity. The opportunity that's given to me.
“I want to make the most out of it, and use it to prove that I am worthy of this chance, and that I am worthy of the opportunity given to me.”