MANILA, Philippines?Actress Jean Garcia is a self-confessed neat freak.

She displays her perfumes according to the color of their bottles. She stores her shoes and slippers in transparent plastic boxes, but only after their soles have been wiped clean. Her branded bags, when not in use, are stuffed with crumpled paper and stashed in cheesecloth sacks.

This is why it did not surprise Living Stars that, after this pictorial, Jean herself tidied up the things she had brought, even if she had her assistants and driver with her.

?I like everything organized,? said Jean between breaks in the photo session at the Nommu Resto Bar in Quezon City. ?I like all the shirts in one area and the jackets in another; same goes with my shoes and bags.?

Jean is particularly proud of her shoe collection. She said she had lost count of how many pairs she owned. ?In fact, I spent P30,000 for shoe boxes alone,? she noted. ?Hindi kasi ako basta-basta nagtatapon ng shoes. If work requires me to bring a pair of 1970s or 1980s shoes, mayroon ako.?

The secret to long-lasting shoes, the actress said, is taking good care of them. ?Wipe them every now and then; have them aired,? she said. ?Ang style naman bumabalik yan. The platform shoes of long ago have resurrected into wedges today.?

Footwear

The pair of Bally rubber shoes is a favorite. It?s so comfy, just like this brown wedge from Zara. Super fave ko silang dalawa.

Bags

The most recent I?ve bought is this limited-edition Fendi. I picked the bronze-and-brown version over the multicolored one.

My other favorite is this black Chanel. I use this everyday. It?s so big that I can put in all my things, like my iPod, make-up kit and other kikay stuff.

Clothes

This pair of jeans is a gift from my dear friend, designer Avel Bacudio. He had this especially made for me. The green military jacket is also a gift from Avel. He bought this in China.

The Dorothy Perkins striped turtleneck blouse is from Jennica. It?s perfect as layering in cold climate.

Memorabilia

I keep pictures of people close to me in my bedroom (shows framed photos of herself, daughter Jennica, son Kitaro, her favorite actress Julia Roberts and ... Senator Chiz Escudero). Kasama talaga si Chiz! He?s my boyfriend, pero hindi n?ya alam. Pinahanap ko pa talaga ito. I also have his campaign stickers. ?Take note,? says Jennica, ?nagpapahanap pa s?ya ng T-shirt ni Chiz.?)

I also love the cards that Kotaro makes for me in school.

The jewelry box is another gift from mom. Antique ?yan ... She knows I?m fascinated with antiques, but she never tells me where she gets them.

I take care of two teddy bears: One is a Burberry teddy from Jennica that I named BB. The other is a gift from a special someone. I call it Little Antonio. Why the teddy is named like that, is a secret.

I call the baby doll Julia, after my idol Julia Roberts. Natuwa lang ako sa kanya kaya binili ko. The other doll is Shrek?s baby. I asked a friend from the States to buy one for me, for Kotaro and for Jennica. If you press its tummy, you will hear it laugh.

I get a lot of rosaries as gifts, but this moss green one is my favorite. I bought this myself. It?s called an agape rosary.
Accessories

The silver charm necklace is from my mom. She gave it to me last year. The other necklace was given by a friend na hindi dapat i-name. I don?t know what it?s made of. It could be ivory.

I always wear this Paul Smith belt whenever I?m wearing jeans and polo. This belt has all the colors?yellow, white, green, pink. Swak sa lahat.

The Frank Muller watch was a Christmas gift, but let?s not say who it came from (laughs).

Scents

Anik Goutal is my all-time favorite perfume. Gusto ko kasi very light lang ang scent. I also have an Anik Goutal candle. I cannot sleep without it. I bring it wherever I go. I also have a Diptych candle with the scent of violets.

Chic from Carolina Herrera is not my favorite perfume. But I keep it because ?Chic? is my nickname. I bought this bottle seven years ago.

Mandarine is another favorite brand. The one I have is a limited edition. It comes with a special sprayer. I don?t use this. I have a smaller bottle that I carry with me all the time.

This particular brand of hand gel, Tenderly, is the one thing I cannot live without. I always buy a dozen of this.

Books

I like James Patterson?s ?Sam?s Letters to Jennifer.? It is about one?s quest for true love. Sobrang favorite ko s?ya. Look through the pages and you?ll see, highlighted ang mga favorite lines ko.

I?m a hopeless romantic. Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author. I have copies of ?The Weddings, ?At First Sight,? ?The Rescue,? ?Nights in Rondanthe? and ?The Choice.?

I have a copy of ?David Beckham: My Side?The Autobiography.? He?s my favorite sportsman. I also have a collection of his shirts and action figures. Because of Beckham I?m starting to enjoy soccer. He?s a fashionista. Iba-iba ang look?minsan long hair, minsan kalbo. He also popularized earrings for men.

Michael Jordan is my favorite basketball player. I have his book, ?Michael Jordan: A Biography.? I find his life very interesting. I like him because mapagmahal s?ya sa pamilya.

I?m a fan of Naomi Campbell?s. This picture book of hers was a gift from writer Pilar Mateo. I also own picture books of Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. The one of Brad, I bought in Japan in 1999. The text is in Japanese characters so I just look at his pictures.

DVDs

I love ?Grey?s Anatomy? and ?Sex in the City.? Pinabili ko pa ang mga ito sa States. I also have a collection of Julia Roberts DVDs, like ?Steel Magnolias,? ?My Best Friend?s Wedding,? ?Erin Brockovich? and ?The Mexican.?

During my stay in Japan, I loved watching the TV series ?Long Vacation,? parang afternoon teleserye sa atin. I bought a complete set of the shows DVDs.

Jean will soon be seen in the Don Cuaresma film, ?Love is All That Matters,? produced by Regal Entertainment. She is also in the cast of GMA 7?s newest TV series, ?Dyesebel.?

(Email mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)