For an artist, a good indicator of success is the omnipresence of his work. One such example is advertising photographer Wesley Villarica.
It’s hard to miss his work on the Greenwich billboards on Edsa, as well as the Ellen Adarna boxing video that has garnered 4.6 million views on YouTube.
Villarica started as a fashion photographer nine years ago; he recently transitioned to digital filmmaking. “I decided that I needed a change of pace and challenged myself to broaden my skills,” he says. “Also, since the birth of my son and being a single dad, I realized that I needed to provide for him the same way I was provided for by my mom.”
Villarica just got back from a crash course in filmmaking at New York University, and is busy developing content for his website sevenvip.com.
Backstage Pass asks Villarica to talk more about his work, and raids his bathroom to see how this single guy keeps up appearances.
Best education
My current creative outlet is… playing the guitar and doodling. I prefer scuba diving or sailing to get away from the chaos of Manila.
I work with a… Mac. Once you go Mac you never go back! I don’t have to worry about viruses and hardware instability. All of the computers in my studio are Macs and synched to each
other and to my phone, so sharing files and coordinating schedules with my team is a no-brainer.
The three things I wish I had done sooner in my career are… doing video earlier. I would have gone further up my career path sooner. I wish I did more exhibits. And I wish to work on a book or a major exhibit soon.
I am most engrossed when I’m shooting… fashion and portraits because I like meeting new people. I think the best education I’ve had are from all the people I’ve worked with.
I have an extensive collection of… comics and movie-related books. I started collecting them when I was in 7th grade, and although I’ve been remiss in buying new ones, I make it a point to acquire interesting pieces. I have a copy of a collection of the first five Amazing Spiderman issues signed by Stan Lee; a signed copy of the screenplay of “Beowulf” by Neil Gaiman; and a signed copy of Guillermo del Toro’s book “Cabinet of Curiosities.”
You can tell a lot about a man by… his relationship with his mother, because it is a reflection of the way he will treat his future partner.
I have a regular compulsion to buy… gadgets, plane tickets and fine food.
Trusted products
The three products I’ve trusted for years are… Belo Oil Control Face Wash, Old Spice Sport Deodorant and Safeguard soap.
During long shooting hours, I… wash my face and use a bit of perfume for a quick perk-me-up. They make me feel good and refreshed.
My current favorite perfumes are… Clinique Happy for Men, Hugo Boss Night and Bulgari Blu.
The kind of products you’ll find in my bathroom counter are… Cetaphil cleanser, Gilette Fusion razor, Olay Moisturizer, Clinique Happy, Belo Oil Control facial wash (I use it as my shave cream) and Skin Inc. T-Lotion.
When it comes to grooming, I’m obsessed with… trying to make sure that my beard looks good. And I always have to smell good.
Top tip
Villarica knows that a quick rinse in the bathroom can do a world of wonders not only for his mood but also appearance.
If women wash to remove makeup, men should do it to remove a day’s worth of dirt.
Many men mistakenly think that using an ordinary bar of soap in the shower is sufficient facial cleansing. The truth is, soap can actually do more harm than good by stripping your face of its natural oils.
Instead, use a facial cleanser to dissolve daily dirt and grime. Lancome’s Mousse Eclat (P1,695) is a self-foaming mousse cleanser that contains natural extracts of papaya and pineapple. This light-
as-air foam activates with water to create a truly luxurious cleanser. Its fresh formula gently cleans away impurities to maintain skin balance.
Wesley’s choice products are available at Watsons, and Rustan’s Department Store.
Follow Wesley Villarica @wesvillarica on Instagram.
Erratum: In my Sept. 5 column on Dr. Z Teo, “Busy as a bee,” the subject wants to clarify that his practice of medicine and surgery is done in Singapore. He performs the role and functions of CEO in the Aivee group of clinics, whenever he is in Manila.