Young, Sexy & Gorgeous! (YSG!)

Handbook to staying in shape
By Earl D.C. Bracamonte


Fashion and jewelry designer Joyce Penas-Pilarsky explores another aspect of her creative mind with the publication of a self-help book on beauty and wellness entitled YSG!, an acronym that stands for Young, Sexy and Gorgeous! She shares her beauty secrets in ten short chapters that are full of practical tips on staying in tip-top shape, within and without.
“I usually eat muesli for breakfast. Eggs and fish I eat only once in a while as I’m a vegetarian through and through. It is much, much healthier if you incorporate fiber and fruits in your daily diet. Half of the smoothie I make each day from various fruit sources I ingest with my meal, the other half I make part of my bathroom ritual on facials,” confessed Joyce, when prodded to let us know some of the things that comprise her diet.
A Renaissance woman, she is an all-around standout who could be sightseeing in the Alps at one time or snorkeling in Maldives the next. She is a 57-year-old enigma. As such, she is a curious case much like Benjamin Button. As she advances in years, she only seems to get younger. Untouched by surgery and other dermatological invasive treatments, she has remained svelte, sexy and stunning with to-die-for flat abs and oh-so flawless and glowing skin.
This is the outside Joyce. Inside, she is even more beautiful with her nurturing heart and agile mind. She aspires and inspires, though not exclusively to women. Men also seek her advice regarding their physicality and how to keep a trim figure. Working with young models only a third of her years made Joyce’s efforts affirmed as they fussed over her slim frame, complimenting her youthful looks with approval. “They were asking me what my secret is in staying young. They told me they have problems with dry skin. They were so curious to know how to stay slim and look years younger while actually advancing in age. That gave me an idea to write a book that would guide people through my very own experiences,” she narrated.
Since a lot of the people she met were interested to know Joyce’s beauty secrets, she was inspired to finally pen Young, Sexy and Gorgeous! (YSG!). Unlike most beauty-oriented books, it targets baby-boomers while including twenty-something gals on a practical level. This makes YSG! an important guide about living and loving for all age groups; an extraordinary source of information and inspiration for health and total well-being.
“For those who seek inner peace, you may want to check out the many benefits of Ayurveda. It will make you more aware and attuned to one’s self. Also, for those doing self-massages as contained in the book, make sure that every stroke must be towards the heart because the purpose of massages is to aid circulation,” Joyce pointed out.
Like her handcrafted gem-filled accessories, Joyce seeks her own identity and blooms in whatever she does; which is probably the reason why she is partial to floral shapes in her many creations – clothes, jewelry, painting and sculpture. The ideal woman in the current context, she flourishes under her own terms and by her own instincts. From classic outlines to contemporary patterns is the gamut of Joyce’s range.
Starting out as a model at five-star hotel shows with Gary Flores and later on as flight stewardess for the Philippines’ (PAL) and Saudi Arabia’s (Saudia) respective flag carriers, she has now metamorphosed into a multi-media artist. As a designer, photographer, painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, writer, soprano, and host, she uses her multi-talents to promote the Philippines and unite pure and half-breed Filipinos and Germans in her position as president of the Filipino-German Club in Karlsruhe where she resides with her equally philanthropic husband Gunther. She hosts not only Filipino events but also gala occasions for German audiences as Joyce has become multi-lingual.
“Part of the proceeds of this book will go to the Gintong Palad Balikatan Inc., a halfway house for street-children based in Bustos, Bulacan and another part to the Joycelyn & Gunter Pilarsky Stiftung in Germany,” revealed Joyce at the end of our conversation.
Copies of the YSG! book are now available through the Exom Publishing House. For more information, simply call/text mobile # 0939-5025339 and/or email exom.ph@gmail.com.