These 7 celebrities talk self-love with their swimsuit photos
Sunscreen may be important in protecting your skin from the summer heat but, lest you forget, confidence and body positivity are also must-haves on your beach essentials list.
For celebrities like Maine Mendoza, Iya Villana, Kris Bernal, and more, our bodies are worth flaunting in their uniqueness and intrinsic value. These stars are a few of the celebrities who show off their summer bodies without hesitation, proving the confidence they have within.
In case you need a boost to strut your stuff in one- or two-piece bikini this season, let these local celebs show you how it is done.
Maine Mendoza
Eat Bulaga host Maine Mendoza serves you an effortless flex of her physique in her recent beach trip in El Nido, Palawan. She doesn't really do this often but when she does, Maine gets social media talking.
“Flexing the happiness…and the fake and flabby 'abs.' #opticalillusion [zany face emoji],” Maine wrote in the caption. The 27-year-old actress remained humble in describing her beauty — "flabby abs" included — while showing off her fun and relaxing personality in the post.
There is no doubt that Maine's wit also makes her naturally sexy, as one of her fans commented, "Hottie ate Maine [heart emoji]." Another one said, "Morena beauty [fire emoji]."
Kakai Bautista
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Kakai Bautista celebrates her voluptuous figure in an Instagram reel where she is seen basking in the sun in her high-waist bikini. In the caption, the comedienne said she is proud of her weight gain as eating has become her coping mechanism during one of her lock-in tapings.
Still and all, Kakai said that what's important is that every person does whatever makes them happy: "Kung gusto mong payat ka, GO. Kung gusto mong jubis at bulky ka, GO! Basta ang important, you know how to take care of yourself. Your physical, emotional, and mental health ang pinakamahalaga to keep going and fighting [heart emoji]."
The actress also wants her followers to keep loving themselves amid the many naysayers. "Sa lahat ng magsasabe sayo ng hindi maganda about your fez, your body and pagkatao! PAKDEMALL [rolling laughing face emoji]," she continued. "Ikaw ang mahalaga. Para mapahalagaan at mahalin ang mga nakapaligid sayo. [heart emoji]"
Iya Villana
Iya Villania proudly showed her eight-month-old baby bump in a two-piece swimsuit in an Instagram post on April 25. In the caption, she said that people who are close to her know that she is quite conservative so to see her wearing a two-piece swimsuit says a lot about her confidence.
“For those of you who know me, I’m quite conservative [laughing emoji] so to see me in a swimsuit must mean I’m confident,” Iya wrote in her caption.
"And for some reason, it’s when I’m pregnant that I feel my sexiest and most confident,” she added. The Mars Pa More host and wife of Drew Arellano is a stunning mother of three toddlers and their fourth child, which is due in six weeks.
Kris Bernal
Kris Bernal has always been an open book when it comes to her appearance and other people's body-shaming comments. In an Instagram post last November, Kris said that she shares the same body struggles as them — there are days that she is confident with how she looks, but there are also times she doesn't feel good about herself.
“A lot of people assume that I am confident in my body but it's actually something I struggle with too. There are days where I love the way I look but there are also days where I hate the way I look,” she told her followers.
One way to deal with this, she says, is to prioritize yourself both physically and mentally at all times.
“Treat yourself with kindness, wear something comfortable, try not to compare yourself with others and not to body check in mirrors, continue to eat and go about your day as best you can. Remember, it's progress over perfection! This is just a reminder that you're strong & worthy!! And, you are more than your body!" Kris wrote.
Janella Salvador
Janella Salvador is an actress who rose above judgements after her controversial pregnancy with her partner, Markus Patterson. Through the emotional yet fulfilling phase of her life, she has always been a strong woman.
In July 2021, the mom of Jude updated her Instagram feed with a photo of her postpartum body. For her caption, Janella penned her confidence in her body despite her hesitation to share her journey at first.
"I was thinking if I should post this or not because I'm not yet where I want to be in terms of my postpartum weight-loss goals and I still have 13 pounds to go. But why not?" she said, adding, "I’m proud of my progress. Let’s go, momma."
The actress did captivate the hearts of her friends and fans not only with her figure, but more so her belief in herself. "Stunning as always [heart-eyes emoji]," actress Dimples Romana commented on the post. Meanwhile, one of Janella's fans said, "No matter how your body size is, you're still beautiful [heart emoji]. Love this girl..."
Isabelle Daza
In a society where being sexy is defined by having a small waistline and other unrealistic body standards, posting a ‘perfect’ body might be misunderstood as the only #bodygoals. Isabelle Daza boldly shunned beauty standards with her Instagram post on May 20, 2019.
"I hesitated to post this cause I didn’t want to send out the wrong message; I want to inspire people to WANT to be the best version of THEMSELVES in body, mind, and spirit."
Isabelle seemed to have succeeded in doing so, as one of her followers commented, "You inspire me to get back in shape after giving birth." Others remarked, "Fitspiration!!!"
Cai Cortez
Cai Cortez has always been an advocate of plus-size fashion. She is never afraid to flaunt her body on social media despite the unpredictable mix of negative and positive responses one may receive online.
Just look at her Instagram post on April 11 where she is seen flaunting her curves in a bright-colored swimsuit. Her caption reads, "According to science, heat makes things expand. No wonder malapad ako. Cause im so hawt!! Hahahaha charot [zany face emoji]."
The 33-year old mother of two is aware of her flaws yet is still unbothered unothered about them as she also said, "I love the body that God has given me."
Her post has connected her to people who said it is hard to embody such an optimistic attitude in a world where unconventional body sizes are a cultural taboo.
“Alam mo miss Cai, dati insecure talaga ako sa figure ko pero nainspire talaga ako sa'yo! You can really feel sexy talaga kahit na your body size is different from the typical perception ng iba na sexy. Go miss Cai!” one user commented in her post.