Nouveau Belle: Iza Calzado on MEGA Magazine

All About Eve's Nicole Iza Calzado is a Nouveau Belle (New Beauty) in the June 2009 issue of MEGA Magazine, as shot by Jake Versoza at the Manila Ocean Park.

MEGA describes Iza as someone who has a flourishing career, a renewed self-confidence, a passion to live life to the fullest, a newfound love for her body and an urge to see worlds outside her own.

Iza also dished out a bit about her breakup with her longtime boyfriend.

Here's MEGA's cover story on Iza Calzado:

These days, Iza Calzado is looking more radiant and fresher than usual. There seems to be a bright aura that emanates from within her graceful, delicate body. She is a picture of happiness and contentment, not just because her newest soap All About Eve is gaining momentum in the ratings race or that the Hollywood remake of Yam Laranes’ The Echo, in which she appears in, would finally see the light of day. The reason seems deeper, more personal.

It is a different Iza sitting in front of the mirror. If one were to base Iza’s current state of mind on her looks alone, he or she would never ever guess that the young actress was previously sidelined by a breakup, which happened several months ago. Such heartbreaking episode was a turning point in Iza’s life. After all, it’s not easy ending a relationship, especially if that relationship lasted for four years.

The pain and sadness from her breakup with her US-based Fil-Am boyfriend, however, is now water under the bridge. A woman of grace and maturity, two golden traits she developed over the years, Iza is not too keen anymore to talk about certain details about her previous relationship. Displaying magnanimity, she chooses to be quiet and politely declines to answer questions about her former boyfriend. She says he’s “a dear friend and a great guy” and that no amount of prodding, especially from the media, would make her spill the beans because she still has respect for the person.

That part of her life is now but a memory. The experience has helped her see the world in a different perspective. It made her realize her strengths and, more importantly, her weaknesses. Although she claims she’s far from being a total woman, she is more driven now, more focused, and more centered—a huge step up from what she used to be before.

“I am different. I am more driven. I am more focused on my work. I set goals and I strive to achieve them. I wasn’t like that before. Now I want to build a house, purchase this car, excel in this field. Now I think of my future, even my future family. But I don’t have deadlines for these goals,” she says with a smile-- a positive indication of Iza's current state of mind. Yes, she's definitely moving up and moving forward.