Cyril Goliava cut an elegant figure in her yellow evening gown as she won a beauty pageant in Hong Kong, smiling to cheers from the crowd as she was presented with a tiara and trophy.

But the euphoria faded as the Filipino beauty queen removed her purple eye shadow and fake eyelashes on a bus ride home, and thought of her week ahead.

"When I go home, it's sad all of a sudden because your time with friends is over," Goliava said.