From broken hearts to healthy, happy, and beauty-filled lifestyle

Friendships, health, beauty, and happiness. Those are the four most important things that bring pleasure to one’s life, according to construction business-owner-turned-aesthetics-innovator Angela Avante.

They prompted her to veer away from the hardhat by-the-numbers work she was used to, in order to create a beauty and wellness center right in the heart of Makati, where lonely, tired, and stressed-out people can take a break and rediscover their second spring.

The five-story institute, appropriately named Beautyfuel, welcomes all the depressed souls, from all demographics, who arrive at their doorstep. At the same time, Angela keeps an eye out especially for women who are struggling with the daily grind and are overcome by it.

These women, in particular, have let their physical looks go, do not maintain a proper diet nor an exercise regimen, and generally feel lost when they go to work or take care of their families. Many of them have lost their passion for life because they are still nursing a broken heart.

Despite all the pain and discouragement, though, they want to bounce back and find meaning, purpose, and joy in their lives. Angela understands the experience all too well, which prompted her to put up Beautyfuel.

“My girlfriends always come to me when they need cheering up and encouragement,” she recalls, “especially after they just broke up with their partners or boyfriends. Or when they are going through tough times with their spouses. I love my friends, and I make it a point to listen, understand where they are coming from, and then, when they are ready, point them to the right direction.”

Angela goes a dozen extra miles beyond the usual counselling given by a best friend. She bring her hurting BFF’s to salons where a makeover can make them feel good again. Trips to spas can literally wash away the fatigue from their bones. If her BFF’s still want some ‘me time’ away from the world, Angela would treat them to a staycation in a cozy, comfortable hostel --- while she herself will just be a couple of rooms away in case the friend decides to open up and talk things out.

These act of kindness would transform Angela’s life and calling, too. She saw that her friends were not only undergoing these times of trouble --- a lot of women outside her personal and professional circles were going through the same thing. Then she realized that her methods worked, and that they would prove all the more effective if all of them can be done under the same roof.

That idea prompted Angela to convert the family-friendly building she owns into a dynamic, one-of-a-kind health and beauty center: Beautyfuel.

Beautyfuel’s ground floor is lined up with salons where beauty experts can return the glow to their customers’ faces with the haircut and make-up that would make them look their best.
A fitness studio with all the cutting-edge equipment is located on the second floor. Trainers and other physical fitness coaches can assist the physically challenged and those struggling with their weight to get back into shape.

The  second, third, and fourth floors compose a virtual hostel with rooms that offer the comforts of home, blocking away the noise of the crowd or the occasional intrusion of family members. The spacious bedrooms provide privacy and a breather from packed schedules and endless notifications. The Wi-Fi can also connect them to their favorite digital past-times like video streaming and gaming.

The uppermost space (rooftop) is designed to foster a sense of community through a series of programs that can make keeping a healthy and beautiful lifestyle a pleasurable and consistent adventure. Angela’s tentative but growing list of activities include sessions in yoga, Pilates, and kickboxing, which she herself enjoys.

“Beautyfuel is the catalyst that can restore your loveliness, or add more levels to your natural beauty,” she says. “It starts with self-care by getting in shape, looking good, and allowing yourself to have hours of quality rest. Beautyfuel is designed to be an oasis who want to feel the joy of life again.”