MANILA, Philippines?Young actress Glaiza de Castro, who was part of the now-defunct teleserye ?Stairway to Heaven,? said her role as the scheming Eunice helped her rediscover herself.

?Doing Eunice pushed me to the limit. I don?t have a mean bone in my body, but Eunice forced me to scream at and hurt people,? Glaiza told Living Stars.

While Eunice has a penchant for expensive clothes and bags, Glaiza keeps things simple. ?I?m a minimalist,? said Glaiza, who will soon be seen in GMA 7?s ?Diva.? ?I don?t buy things just to catch people?s attention, or because they are cute. I buy things that are useful.?

Glaiza added: ?I believe that clothes should reflect the wearer?s personality. I don?t wear something just because it?s fashionable.?

Dresses

These are from my designer friend Nat Manilag. I wore this green halter dress with red beads to a photo shoot for a slimming center. Jean Garcia, who, like me, is managed by Direk Manny Valera, wore the exact same dress in a pictorial. This white dress has almost the same style and cut. I wore it in a pictorial for ?SOP.?

This knitted red top I wore for the music video of Pupil?s ?Disconnection Notice.? I was doing the TV show ?Rakista? when director Quark Henares asked if I was interested in doing the music video. All the hard work we put in it was worth it.

Accessories

This hat (woven from abaca) was the only thing I managed to buy on my first trip to Boracay in February last year. I was with Jennica Garcia and Isabel Oli. We had a lot of girl-bonding there.

I used this brown-and-white knitted scarf in my first pictorial for ?Stairway to Heaven.? It?s memorable because the show had a big impact on me as an artist.

I?m a minimalist. I never over-accessorize. A pair of loop earrings or a designer necklace, and that?s it. My favorite watch is a Swatch. I used to collect Baby Gs, but I lost most of them.

Bags

I?m not a bag person. I have just a body bag to carry my cell phone and money. This Dooney & Burke purse was a gift from a very special aunt in the United States. She gave me this when she came home to visit.

I?m not the type who changes bags often. I like this (gray faux-leather) bag because it?s the perfect size. If I spend money on a bag, it?s because it?s useful.

Memorabilia

My CD ?Legends? by Velvet Underground is a birthday present from my friend Marco del Castillo. I used one of the band?s songs as an audition piece for the movie ?Rakenrol.? Direk Quark said it was one of the reasons he got me for the movie.

My favorite film is Terry Gilliam?s ?Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.? It stars Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro, two of my favorite actors. I borrowed a DVD copy from a friend and watched it every night for a week. Recently I bought my own copy.

My favorite book (?On the Road: The Original Scroll?) is by Jack Kerouac. The character wrote most of his adventures during his travels in a scroll. Like the people in the book, I refuse to conform to a certain norm or culture. I?m always searching for something new.

This stuffed teddy bear that my sister gave me two Christmases ago comes with a really comfy blanket. I bring them to tapings because I get cold easily.

Gadgets

[Actress] Maxene [Magalona] gave Blackberry phones to me and our friend [actress] Rich Asuncion. She didn?t want us to pay for them, but we insisted that we would, once we get the money. She?s like that, gusto n?ya pareho kami. I?m starting to enjoy BBM (blackberry messenger) with my new phone.

I never leave home without my iPod. It?s perfect for long drives. On my play list right now are songs by Matisyahu, the reggae musician. I like his songs because they?re all positive, they uplift the spirit.

My DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera is a Nikon D40. I love taking pictures. I used to borrow my sister?s camera a lot. Now that I have my own, I plan to make photography a hobby.

Shoes

I?m a fan of Chuck Taylor and Vans rubber shoes. It?s only recently that I began to appreciate girly flat shoes. I wear high-heeled shoes only for work. As soon as I can take them off, I replace them with slippers. Recently, Maxene, Bianca (King) and I wore boots all at the same time. Trip lang. It?s fun doing that with them.

Scents

I like Fuel for Life by Diesel. I also use Omnia by Bulgari and Cool Water. If I feel like using fruity scents, I buy from Body Shop. I don?t like my perfumes and colognes too strong.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph