Photo / @celeste_cortesi on Instagram
Celeste Cortesi may not have won the Miss Universe crown but she won the love of Filipinos who supported her pageant journey.
A day after Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned Miss Universe 2022, Cortesi shared this quote posted by @rainbowsalt about happiness on her Instagram Stories.
Photo / @celeste_cortesi on Instagram
It said, “You’re going to realize it one day–that happiness was never about your job or your degree or being in a relationship. Happiness was never about following in the footsteps of all of those who came before you; it was never about being like the others. One day, you’re going to see it – that happiness was always about the discovery, the hope, the listening to your heart and following it wherever it chose to go.”
It added, “Happiness was always about being kinder to yourself; it was always about embracing the person you were becoming. One day, you will understand that happiness was always about learning how to live with yourself, that your happiness was never in the hands of others. It was always about you. It was always about you.”
Celeste Cortesi at the Miss Universe
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Cortesi did not make it to the top 16 of the pageant.
She did, however, make her mark at the preliminary competition and national costume show.
Cortesi stunned in a pink two-piece number during the swimsuit portion and a sky-blue dress designed by Oliver Tolentino in the evening gown segment.
She wore a Darna-inspired look during the national costume competition. This won the support of the family of Mars Ravelo, who is the co-creator of the superhero.
Fast facts
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Cortesi is a 25-year-old Filipino-Italian model. She has a Filipino mother and an Italian father and was born on December 15, 1997, in Rome, Italy. The Miss Universe Philippines is not her first win. She was also crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2018. Cortesi has modeled for fashion shows both in Italy and the Philippines.
The Miss Universe pageant was held on January 14, 2023, at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in Louisiana, USA.
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