The Youtube vlogging community was shocked after beauty vloggers like Raiza Contawi and Angel Dei published goodbye posts to Teena Arches, the content creator behind the Ang Kikay Ko vlog. One of the OGs of the Pinoy vlogging community, Teena started posting content on Youtube as far back as 2010. She posted a wide range of content from beauty and fashion to travel and food, and she’s an amazing representative for the plus-size community in the beauty world. Her passing is a heartbreaking loss for her family, friends, the vlogging community, and her subscribers, but we’re thankful we can remember her through her vlogs. So here are some of our favorite moments in Teena Arches’ vlogging life:
Keep at it, and good things will come
Teena Arches started out pretty simple as a vlogger. Like most OG vloggers, she just used a computer webcam and made minimal edits. And she committed to it, regularly posting content until she built a community of her own. From her very first video to her last, she has come a long way. It’s sad that we won’t be seeing her again, but we’ll always remember her for her humor and charm, thanks to her decision to start vlogging on a random December afternoon in 2010.
Don’t be afraid to show the real you
Teena has admitted in her vlogs that she just doesn’t always feel like putting on makeup — even for her videos. But when she did talk about the products and procedures she used to maintain that kikay beauty, she went all in. She showed us the entire process — unglamorous details and all — and went through the trouble of sharing her thoughts on each step.
“Maganda ako, period. No but’s, no if’s.”
Teena was open about her struggles with her figure. In a country where one-track beauty standards are embedded in society so deeply, a young Teena struggled with so many backhanded compliments and bone-deep insecurities. The 20-minute vlog resonated with many of her viewers, and we get why. Teena reminded her viewers that we’re all beautiful in our own way — something we all need to hear. “Maganda ako, period. No but’s, no if’s.”
Filipinas come in all shapes and sizes
As a plus-size girl, Teena’s always on the hunt for beauty and fashion options for ladies like herself. She has vlogged about her experiences shopping for clothes and modeling for plus-size items like SM Woman. Her content was important — she showed her subscribers that Filipinas don’t just come in one size, and let plus-size Pinays feel that they weren’t alone.
Beauty isn’t just skin-deep
Teena wasn’t afraid to tackle difficult topics, as demonstrated by her candidness about being a plus-sized Pinay. She delved into these “uncomfortable” and “taboo” topics more with her “Questions girls are afraid to ask other girls” series. She would gather questions from her followers and subscribers and brought together some of her friends to actually ask them those questions and discuss these difficult topics. Through the way she processed these topics, it became obvious to Teena’s viewers that she wasn’t just a pretty face — she was beautiful on the inside, too.
You don’t need a relationship to feel whole
Teena had been sitting on her video called ‘How to Move On for Girls’ “for the longest time” because she went through ~”stuff”~, so she wanted to share the things she learned from her own experiences. She gave five ways to move on, and ended by telling her audience that being in a relationship isn’t all that.
“You don’t have to be happy with a guy. You can be happy with yourself and with your friends and your family,” Teena said. “It’s not always a bad ending if you’re single.”
It’s possible to be an honest influencer
In her ‘Lemme Try It’ series, Teena didn’t just help foodies find new things to try, but also gave small businesses exposure. She meticulously went through the whole order process, the prices, the menu options, and all that jazz. Teena was pretty honest about her reviews, and she really told us if she liked the food or not. If only all influencers were this transparent.
Do what makes you happy
When she watched the first-ever videos of her fellow Pinay beauty vloggers, the vlogger got a bit nostalgic about the days when there were only a handful of vloggers in the Philippines and everyone knew each other. She said that so many new vloggers have joined the community, and she no longer knew all of them. She admitted that she wasn’t on the same level of fame as others, but said that she was pretty happy where she’s at, simply because she was doing what she wants. It was a life well-lived, but she was gone too soon.
Missing her already? If you want to see more of this pretty and funny beauty enthusiast, head on to Teena Arches’ Youtube channel and her Tiktok account.
Rest in peace, Teena Arches.
