It’s crystal clear this businesswoman, wife, and mother is using her influence to cultivate meaning and purpose, while championing empowerment and philanthropy, as she thrives in the ever-changing beauty landscape.
As the beauty scion of Belo Medical Group’s founder, Cristalle Belo-Pitt had come of age in the limelight. Her face is one that is most associated with their beauty empire, second only to her famous dermatologist Mom, Dr. Vicki Belo.
She takes it all in stride as managing director of Intelligent Skincare Incorporated, their hugely successful consumer products division. It has in its umbrella Belo Essentials, Belo Baby, Belo Nutraceuticals, and more. She’s likewise actively representing the company, giving talks, attending events, and spearheading outreach programs.
She’s clearly inherited her mother’s passion and business savvy, and is keen on taking their beauty company even further. “My Mom, Dr. Belo, and every single doctor and employee in our company are genuine about helping Filipinos achieve their beauty goals,” she reveals. “We travel far and wide, looking for the latest technology from around the globe. And make the best from the world available in the Philippines.”
Beyond Skin Deep
And while the Belos have built their company on the foundation of physical beauty, for Cristalle, what they do has a more far-reaching impact. “I believe the world would be a better place if everyone felt good about themselves. And sometimes the most superficial things like feeling good about the way you look helps greatly impact people’s confidence and outlook in life,” she posits. “We give our clients options, whether products or services, that help them improve the way they feel about their skin, their facial features, their body. That in turn makes them feel better about themselves.”
To wit, she herself feels her best during the most tender of moments. “I feel most beautiful when my kids hold my cheeks, look into my eyes and tell me, ‘Mama, you’re so beautiful.’ It absolutely melts my heart,” she reveals. She also feels most gorgeous when Justin, her husband of more than 7 years, brings her breakfast in bed. “Beauty is both physical, and a feeling. Because one feels beautiful and confident when they feel comfortable in their own skin,” she shares. “All this is a reflection of what really is in their heart.”
Nonetheless, she has been quite candid about the treatments that she gets done. She often posts about the process, and even before and after results on social media. “There are so many non-surgical procedures we can do now to slow down aging or enhance facial features,” she shares. “I also turned 40 this year, so this is year 0 of my ‘aging gracefully journey’.”
Way to Wellness
Looking svelte in a sheer top and shorts, or a slip dress, there is an ease to the way the down-to-earth beauty connects with the camera. She’s made fitness a part of her life. And this has helped her lose her post-pregnancy weight, plus the pounds she gained while on lockdown in Australia. “I feel that when I am in control of my body, I am in control of my life. The discipline that working out brings to my life affects every aspect of my life–as a business owner and even as a parent,” she says. “I love to move and I show my children that daily movement is essential in living a healthy life.”
She incorporates weight training thrice a week, as well as Pilates and functional fitness once a week. Despite her dedication, it took a year for her to get the results she wanted, opting to be gentler with herself. “I aimed to get back to my “wedding weight” and had quarterly goals attached to it,” she explains, also endeavoring to generate sustainable results.
Furthermore, the wellness devotee wanted to get fit so she could do more activities with her kids. “I want to be healthy so I can live longer and spend more time with them,” she states. She’s also keen on learning new things, sharing that she believes in constantly creating new pathways in the brain to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Her newest endeavor is playing the piano, and learning the piece River Flows in You by Yiruma. Indeed, certain studies have shown that music training has been associated with “brain plasticity and protection against age-related cognitive decline.” Moreover, she’s dancing and learning choreography with her Mom, and doing horseback riding, partly for the same reason.
Style Codes
Posing in a trove of figure-skimming ensembles, Cristalle is indeed in fighting form, self-assured and in command of the room. With glowing skin and an enviable figure, she has the kind of joie de vivre that allows her to be insouciant about fashion and still look amazing.
She dresses based on her mood, and is fond of mixing high-end and fast fashion brands. She can go from boho chic, to dreamy romantic, to power dressing in a flash. Her longtime personal stylist Bills Mallare reveals that Cristalle likewise has a penchant for up-and-coming local designers. “She advocates for new blood. She wants to share the limelight,” he shares.
Cristalle admits that working in the beauty industry can be demanding, especially when people have certain expectations. “There will definitely be outside pressure, but it’s important to do it and want it for yourself,” she says, referring to her fitness goals. “I want to feel good about myself and feel confident in wearing different clothes without feeling that I have to hide anything.”
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Aesthetic Ascent
She reveals that the company is motivated by a desire to “make the Philippines the most beautiful country in the world, one person at a time”. This was the impetus for the Belos to create more accessible skincare, on top of their cutting-edge treatments. This is of course the extremely popular Belo Essentials line thus has everything from tinted sunscreen to eye cream. With 8000 locations, presence in top e-commerce platforms, the line is also exported to 26 countries all around the world.
“We needed to bottle up the Belo expertise and make it available to the Filipino people. It was a balance because we are creating well-researched, derma-backed products that are also affordable to the masses,” she says.
Aside from Belo Essentials, the company also has Belo Baby, whose first endorser had been Cristalle’s sister, Scarlet Snow. Additionally, the company also has a line for men, called Belo Men. Belo Nutraceuticals, on the other hand, carries skincare supplements.
She also shares how she’s noticed that Filipinos are proud of what Belo has achieved. “I heard that our products are the most sought-after pasalubong when Filipinos travel abroad to visit their relatives,” she declares. “We want to be an inspiration to all Filipinos and be a homegrown brand that they are proud of.”
The Belos evidently have a clear grasp of the market. They likewise have an understanding of their client base and their pain points. “We listen to the consumers, employees, patients at Belo Medical Group, [and] doctors. From listening, you’ll hear the problems or concerns that society has and we create products from there,” she discloses. “A lot of it also comes from Dr. Belo’s personal frustrations,” Cristalle continues. She explains how a desire to create sunblock that won’t cause breakouts eventually led the dermatologist to develop her own.
All in the Family
Despite the accolades and the breadth of the Belo Medical Group, the beauty enterprise is still primarily a family business. To Cristalle, one of their secrets is their collective ownership of the “why.” “If everyone in the family has a clear understanding of our purpose in society as a family, then I think the mission can be passed down from generation to generation,” she shares.
In fact, her secret to balancing work and motherhood is to also involve her children, Hunter James, 5, and Siena Victoria, 3, in the family mission. “I love hanging out and mentoring our children. I make sure to involve them in the family mission as much as I can,” Cristalle says. She shares that her kids know that Belo is their brand, and instinctively use the Belo SunExpert Sunstick before heading to school or the playground. “I think it’s not about separating the two responsibilities I have in my life but merging them together and constantly creating moments where I can show them possibilities, or how our business can impact Philippine society and the world.”
And while work and motherhood seem to come naturally to Cristalle, it’s no doubt she had been blessed with a formidable role model in the form of Dr. Vicki. “She is so passionate about what she does, but at the same time, she is so brave. She created new paths for a lot of women in the field, from doctors to aestheticians,” she declares. Additionally, Cristalle reveals how her mother had to overcome a lot of struggles, especially in the beginning of her career. “To get where she is now wasn’t easy but she did it. I’m lucky to have been able to witness it first hand. She really is my mentor and the icon I look up to.”
Empowered Leadership
With such powerful visionaries at the helm, it’s no wonder the Belo group has been making a lot of headway in the field of female empowerment. It boasts a workforce of almost 800 women, with many of them occupying positions of leadership. “I love how most of the women we employ are the breadwinners of their family, and extended family. I personally feel that employment is empowerment. We equip women with knowledge, new skills and self-dignity, while having pride in their work and the company they work for,” Cristalle discloses.
On the patient front, the businesswoman feels that they provide women with confidence. This thus allows them to conquer the world with their smile, their being, and can-do attitude.
Aside from creating an environment where women of various backgrounds can feel empowered, another mission of the Belo group is to put the Philippines on the map as a beauty hub of Asia. “Recently, we won an international award as the Ultimate Destination for Aesthetic Beauty Treatments from Compare Retreats Luxury Travel and Wellness,” she declares. The Belo group even bested clinics from all around the world. “With the exceptional service the Filipinos can offer plus the expertise of the Belo doctors, there is no doubt that we can put the Philippines on the map for medical tourism.”
Additionally, the Department of Tourism has recently accredited the Belo Medical Group , making their company the only aesthetic clinic to have the DOT’s official endorsement. “This recognition means that the DOT is heavily pushing medical tourism with Belo in the forefront of their campaign,” Cristalle states.
Modern Family
When Cristalle isn’t busy working, she’s keen on quality time with her family of four. She loves spending time outdoors swimming, biking, and playing in the park with her kids. Moreover, she makes it a point to show her children the Philippines. From the Maskara Festival in Bacolod, to Tagaytay, El Nido, Las Casas de Azucar in Bataan, and more, Cristalle relishes seeing these place with new eyes. “I love traveling with the kids and showing them that the Philippines is beautiful and amazing. I want them to love the country as much as I do,” she conveys.
With her husband Justin being a trained chef, the family also likes hanging out in the kitchen, and getting the kids involved in meal preparations. Bonding time for the couple is pretty idyllic, with the two biking around the village after the kids are in bed, watching television shows together, and doing date nights.
Having moved back after more than two years in Australia, the young family is settled and happy back on our shores. They are also sprucing up their house South of Manila. Cristalle also appreciates how being able to raise her kids in two countries has expanded their horizons. “The world has only gotten bigger for the children, with them having the advantage of calling two countries their home, the Philippines and Australia,” she declares. Moreover, she narrates that their recent time in Adelaide has inspired her and her husband to start a new business. “I want to create a legacy business for our children that can bridge the two countries that are close to our heart,” she declares.
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A Beautiful Purpose
Despite a packed social and work schedule, Cristalle is also keen on dedicating time and resources to help those in need. For more than 15 years, the Belo Medical Group has been providing free cleft lip and palate surgery to children. “We want to give equal opportunity for all,” she shares. She then explains the way such a simple surgery can have profound effects towards improving people’s quality of life. “The babies or kids eat better, can speak better, can go to school without feeling bullied. We came up with the tagline, ‘Belo Goes the Extra Smile.’ It’s so wonderful to witness how our skills can make a big impact on other people’s lives.”
The hardworking heiress is also on the board of MovEd Philippines. She explains that they endeavor to get preschool kids off the streets and in their learning labs. “We have our own curriculum. And we noticed that those kids who have experience with our curriculum from ages three to six, perform better in grade school,” she explains. “We give them a good start, learning colors, shapes, alphabet sounds, and simple concepts. But what we ingrain in these children is the love for learning, which they can bring with them throughout their learning journey.”
The cause of early education is something that has always been close to Cristalle’s heart. After high school, she had signed up to be a Jesuit volunteer. She then taught preschool in Malaybalay, Bukidnon for a year. “I loved it so much that I still keep in touch with the people I lived with. The children I taught 20 years ago have graduated college. And one even achieved Magna cum Laude in Ateneo College and is now Ateneo Law,” she proudly shares.
Future Perfect
Despite being in the cover shoot for the better part of the day, the beauty mogul remains in high spirits for the interview. “One of my core traits is positivity,” she reveals, choosing to see the positive side of things. She considers her life’s purpose is to live in blissful simplicity and delight in God’s glory. Moreover, she hopes to inspire others to savor and find happiness in the small things in life.
Cristalle also believes that the work that they do is a way to share their talent and gifts with others. “We show people that there is beauty in them, beauty that perhaps they haven’t seen in themselves before,” she enthuses.
Furthermore, she enthusiastically shares that being a matriarchal society, the Philippines is way ahead in terms of gender equality. “What comes naturally to a woman is creativity and intuition. Life is literally created within us, in our womb,” shares Cristalle. She also shares how doing inner work is helping her connect with the divine feminine.
“I feel that many women still haven’t realized this potential in them,” she continues, believing that there is strength and power inherent in all women. “I know it can affect positive change in our communities and the world.”
Special thanks to Bills Mallare.
Text MARIANE PEREZ
Photos JL JAVIER, assisted by SEAN OLALO
Sittings Editor CANDY DIZON
Creative Director MARC YELLOW
Art Director PAOLO TORIO
Makeup MAVO, assisted by MIMI GATCHALIAN
Hair KURT ANDREI ROSALES
Stylist ROKO ARCEO
Shoot Coordination MAE TALAID
