By Marinel Cruz
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–”My fans support me. With them, I’m sure it’s not true that the whole country hates me,” Wendy Valdez, controversial “Pinoy Big Brother Season 2” housemate, tells Living Stars.

In fact, Wendy says, her fans shower her with gifts — clothes, perfumes, cosmetics, accessories and books. They also send food to the set of her ABS-CBN soap, “Margarita.”

Wendy incurred the ire of PBB viewers after quarreling with two female housemates, Ge-Ann Abraham and Bea Saw. During the PBB “Big Night” at the Araneta Coliseum, Wendy had to beg the crowd to stop booing her.

Since she joined show biz, Wendy says she’s had to beef up her wardrobe. “Also, I used to just go for blacks, whites and browns; now I have other colors, too.”

ACCESSORIES

I prefer to wear only earrings, but now I have lots of accessories … for work. Fans who knew from the TV show that I love earrings sent a couple over.

One pair that is memorable to me is the one I wore when I returned to the House (shows a pair of silver chandelier earrings). I’d rather wear big earrings than necklaces. Big earrings divert people’s attention from my big ears (laughs).

Big belts make the waist look slim, especially when you put the buckle on the side. If I had my way I wouldn’t buy belts in colors other than white, black or brown because I will not be able to reuse them on TV.

SCENTS

My newest bottle of Clinique Happy Heart is a gift from a group of fans. The citrus scent goes well with my body chemistry. I alternately use this with my other favorites, Dolce and Gabanna’s Light Blue and DKNY’s Be Delicious.

SHOES

I always end up buying black or white shoes whenever I shop. But I think I should start buying shoes in other colors, too, like light blue, red or green.

When wearing high-heeled shoes, you should put your weight on your toes, not on your heels. This helps you avoid straining your legs. When you get used to it, you can even walk on pebbled steps.

BAGS

I got most of my bags in Bangkok. They’re so cheap. I used to like small bags, but now that I’m working, I get to use only the big ones. I like putting all the things I need in one bag.

DRESSES

This black-and-gold dress is memorable because I wore it when Bruce (Quebral, PBB housemate and Wendy’s boyfriend) got evicted. I didn’t like the red tube dress that Mommy bought for me but it got a lot of compliments.

My ABS-CBN bosses instructed me to buy dresses for TV appearances. I noticed that the outfits I picked were mostly halters and really low V-necks. I also have a couple of pieces that fans gave me.

SKIRTS

I hardly wear skirts. But I’m thinking of the perfect occasion to wear a couple of knitted ones from a fan.

JEANS

I love jeans. They are easy to wear and can be matched with just about any blouse or dress. I used to have trouble looking for nice boot-cut jeans because most of them are too short for me. I’m glad that skinny jeans are in fashion now. Pwede kahit bitin.

Photos by Romy Homillada