Katrina Kayora Ong is Malaysia’s Most Colorful Young Woman - The FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search 2015

The 30 most colorful young women in Malaysia shortlisted from 2,221 entries in the FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search 2015 with judges

Kuala Lumpur, 10 December 2015; In an intimate and vibrant event, some of Malaysia’s most colorful young ladies showcased themselves at the FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search 2015 Finale. 

FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search 2015 Grand Prize Winner Katrina Kayora Ong

The 30 ladies that took to the stage were actually shortlisted from a whopping 2,221 young Malaysian ladies who registered through the official contest site freshfaces.my. 100 participants were selected based on the result of the largest InterUniversity search held this year, involving over 26 Universities, six university Prom Nights, and eight universities’ “classroom curriculum” engagements.

Katrina Kayora Ong is a 19 year old girl from Sandakan, Sabah who is an American Degree Transfer Program student at INTI International University, Nilai.

The objective of FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search was to find one young woman who is determined to inspire and make an impact on her generation. The search, initiated by Alcon’s FreshLook® color contact lenses, which provides a natural tint to the windows of the soul, aims to support young women in their choice to lead an interesting and expressive lifestyle.

The FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search 2015 was conducted in collaboration with the Malaysian Youth Community (MYC!) in conjunction with their annual FreshFaces Cover Girl search. The Search was also supported by Zalora, GoPro, Kiss Me, and Amber Chia Studios.

The Fiery Nicole Sheila Nagalingam, an 18 year old studying A-levels at Brickfields Asia College 

Katrina Kayora Ong was selected the winner from a rigorous process that involved participation in workshops namely Color Etiquette and Grooming by Michelle Lim, Corporate Grooming Consultant; Poise & Posture by Amber Chia, International Celebrity Model, and Social Media Etiquette by Jason Ko, Chief Executive Officer of MYC!. The screening process did not stop there. The girls were required to demonstrate the application of the ‘colors’ into their everyday life and post those stories in their respective social media platforms. 

21 year old songstress Lydia Charmaine Lourdes, HELP University Bachelor of Communication

"I colour my day by looking for new adventures everyday. Along with new adventures come new colour that I discover along the way. I also colour my day by surrounding myself with all my colourful friends letting them colour my life and also to colour them with my randomness." - Katrina Kayora Ong, Winner of FreshLook FreshFaces ColorGirl Search 2015.

Tall & poised 20 year old Bella Chee Yuen Chi studying Bachelor of Communication at Monash University Malaysia

The 30 semi finalist described by Jason Ko, CEO of MYC! as “...bright and articulate students in Medicine, Engineering, Sciences, Arts. The next generation of Malaysia is indeed in the good hands of these young colorful women” paraded both in casual and dressy outfits of their choice and were free to show off their colourful personality in the way they dressed, the colour of lenses they chose and most importantly their short speech on how they choose to colour their world. Albeit each lady was unique in her own right, I noticed that they all shared one thing in common - Confidence. Just like what Mr. Sandeep Tewari, Country General Manager, Alcon Laboratories (M) Sdn. Bhd. had mentioned in his welcome speech.

The elegant and bold 21 year old Arinna Erin binti Wira Izran Mass Comm student from HELP University

"Our approach to the FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search 2015 is to empower young women to live their lives colorfully. Color can be expressed in everything that you do; and in everything that defines you. Having the courage and confidence to be yourself encourages a positive mindset, thus helping one to improve the quality of life,” - Mr. Sandeep Tewari, Country General Manager, Alcon Laboratories (M) Sdn. Bhd.

The search culminated with the finalists vying for the top 12 spots as the 12 monthly university spokespersons of MYC! magazine for 2016. The winner, Katrina Kayora Ong will attend a photoshoot in New York sponsored by MYC! She will also represent FreshLook® as the official ColorGirl for the year in their consumer engagements.

The 19 year old from Sandakan, Sabah who is a student in INTI International University expressed, “I truly did not expect this, and I am just so blessed and grateful for this opportunity and experience. I made it to the Top 30 of FreshLook® FreshFaces ColorGirl Search and was so honored to have won".

The other girls that caught my attention that day included Nicole Sheila Nagalingam, a fiery young woman with a determined walk, Lydia Charmaine Lourdes a fairy like petite girl with an evident passion for singing, Chee Yuen Chi with her model like figure and runway walk and last but not least Arinna Erin binti Wira Izran who was a sight to behold in her Muslim attire on point. 

Themodelmom with the lovely Katrina Kayora

I managed to catch hold of her after the announcement and asked her a few (mom-related) questions:

Themodelmom: What do you think about women with higher education that choose to stay at home to take care of their children?

Katrina Kayora: It is really their individual choice. I have no strong feelings for or against it.

Themodelmom: What is the right time to have children?

Katrina Kayora: When you are ready. You have to be ready. There is no right age but when you feel stable and you will know it yourself. It may be getting a house, stable career and emotionally but the individual will know when it's time.

Themodelmom: Were your parents supportive in you joining this contest?

Katrina Kayora: Yes. Very supportive. They bought me a ticket to come down for this event. I am very thankful.

Themodelmom: Do they know yet that you have won?

Katrina Kayora: Oh my god, No! I have to call them.

While I was talking to her I noticed that she had naturally brown eyes and that classic bee stung lips. Personality wise, she was very calm and humble.

Katrina also told me that she was very excited about going to New York. She added that winning has not set in yet and she still felt very much in shock. And with that I wished her all the best and bid farewell.

All the best to all contestants! All you girls have the power to spread positivity and colour our future.

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About FreshLook® Color Contact Lenses 

FreshLook® color contact lenses is Alcon’s most established range of color contact lenses, boasting a unique 3-in-1 Color Technology, which helps the lenses to blend with the user’s natural eye colors, resulting in a stunning natural eye color change. FreshLook® ColorBlends® is available as a monthly disposable lens in a range of twelve colors – gray, green, blue, brown, honey, turquoise, 4/4 amethyst, true sapphire, pure hazel, gemstone green, sterling gray and brilliant blue - providing plenty of options for the color-savvy people. For users who prefer a daily disposable option, they can select from the FreshLook® One-Day® or FreshLook® Illuminate range of color contact lenses. 

About Alcon 

Alcon®, the global leader in eye care, provides innovative products that enhance quality of life by helping people see better. Alcon’s three businesses, Surgical, Pharmaceutical and Vision Care, offer the widest spectrum of eye care products in the world. Alcon is a division of the Novartis Group, with pro-forma sales of USD 10.8 billion in 2014. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, Alcon has more than 25,000 employees worldwide, operations in 75 countries and products available in 180 markets. For more information, visit www.alcon.com.