LOOK: Catriona Gray gets a surprise debut party for her 30th birthday
Who can say that at 30, someone can be a lovely debutante like the Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray?
On Instagram, Catriona expressed her gratitude towards actor and fiancé Sam Milby and the "people she loves" after they threw her a debut-like birthday party on Saturday, Jan. 6.
"Feeling so so loved. Thank you everyone who made this surprise celebration/ debut / birthday sooo special. We sang and danced till the early morning. So excited to be entering this new decade surrounded by such amazing people," the caption read.
No one can stop Catriona from rocking her purposeful beauty as she also navigated her 30th birthday to be an avenue to raise funds for Smile Train Philippines, the "largest cleft-focused organization in the country that provides, train, resource fund to "empower local medical professionals in 70+ countries to provide 100%-free cleft surgery and other forms of essential cleft care in their own communities."
"Thanks also to everyone who has messaged and made me feel so loved! My birthday fundraiser is still ongoing for @smiletrainph."
In the photos, the beauty queen can be seen wearing a baby pink cocktail dress accentuated with big flowers reflecting her sweetness and calm aura. The dress was made by Ulysses Caragayan, and styled by Justine Aliman and Patrick Henry Mergano.
Among Catriona's guests is the Miss Grand International 2016 First Runner-Up, Nicole Cordoves.
In a separate post, Catriona included a video showcasing the exquisite elements of the event, along with a few of her favorite moments spent with Sam while describing the occasion as the "best way" to ring in her 30s.
Meanwhile, Catriona also revealed during an interview with iWant ASAP that her birthday celebration was a "big gift" from Sam.
"I've expressed to him and friends, never ako nagce-celebrate malaki. Being Jan. 6, usually, everyone is away on holiday. Usually, Christmas, I travel to see my family, so wala ako, but since I am entering a new decade, a big new chapter, I wanted to celebrate with people who mean the most to me and people I love," she said.
"He made it happen. So sobrang grateful ko sa kanya," she added.
'Don't be afraid to dream again'
As she also celebrated her birthday with her ASAP Natin' To family, Catriona wanted to emphasize the beauty of one's dream as part of her birthday message for the show as well as to welcome 2024.
"My message for everyone is don't be afraid to dream again. It's okay to have those ambitions and dreams come back because we've had a little time to adjust and get back on our feet and we should never stop ourselves from pursuing more from dreaming big. So keep going guys," she said.
"Kaya niyo 'yan [sa] 2024," she added.
Recently, Catriona looked back on her journey as the Miss Universe in 2018 on her Instagram on Dec. 17— exactly five years since she was crowned the winner. In that series of posts, she recreated her iconic Miss Universe looks as she celebrated her fifth year since winning the most-coveted crown.
"My journey in its simplest form, has and always will be, a love letter to my country of the Philippines," Catriona wrote, adding, "And I hope it can serve as a reminder to never give up on YOUR vision. And that no matter what the path your on looks like...know that you are never denied and only redirected."
Catriona is the fourth Filipina to bring home the Miss Universe crown, following Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margarita Moran in 1973, and Pia Wurtzbach in 2015. Before her Miss Universe stint, she also joined the Miss World Philippines in 2016, where she finished in the Top 5.
She is engaged to actor Sam Milby, they are set to tie the knot in 2024.