Browhaus x Shentonista #Browhunt — Girl On Top

Saffron is a rising Instagram star, and as the winner of Browhaus’ BrowHunt contest, her star seems set to rise even further, but as we talk to her we find her to actually be your average, teenage girl- next-door. Born of Chinese and English heritage, Saffron peppers her speech with lah’s and the usual youthful tropes, worries about school, exams, and her future, and comes across as pleasantly down- to-earth, candid, and relatable. Read on to find out more about her in the last part of our Browhaus x Shentonista campaign.

1. What is the craziest/adventurous makeup look you have ever tried?
I’m actually quite boring! (laughs) I guess it would have to be black, smoky eyes. You know Taylor Momsen from Gossip Girl? She had this whole racoon-eye thing, and I wanted to try it. My mum did it for me; my uncle’s a makeup artist in Hong Kong. I wore it for a night out with friends.2. What’s the silliest/most outrageous thing you’ve done for beauty? 
One time I over-plucked my brows and they became really thin — it was so gross. I went to thread my brows at some Indian place and it cost me just $5, but they only had this standard stencil for everyone’s brows and it was very bad.

3. How do you find ways to match your makeup to your look? 
My wardrobe is quite monochromatic, but I like bright makeup, like a bold lip. I’m quite into wet eyeshadows but I haven’t tried that look yet. I always look at beauty advertisements or references, especially from high-fashion brands. (Do you think you’re more adventurous because your uncle’s a makeup artist?) I think it’s because I feel that makeup is very empowering. You can look like a different person every day, and it makes you feel so much better and it’s so fun. I used to draw when I was younger, but I stopped, and now makeup is kind of like painting my face.

4. How have your look and brow shape evolved over the years?
I’ve tried the straight brow look, but it doesn’t work for me. My face is structured, so when I draw a straight brow my face looks very flat. I’ve also tried dyeing my brows a very light brown, so I looked like I had no brows for awhile. I bleached my brows, I don’t know why I did it; my hair was so dark. I looked kind of alien-y. It was not bad lah, I had to draw my brows every day, but I was 15, still in secondary school and I didn’t really care. (You were so adventurous from such a young age?) Yeah I like makeup, I started applying it when I was 13.

5. Do you think it is important for women to be well-groomed, and why? 
I would say yes, you have to be presentable, but I don’t think I’m very well-groomed myself! (laughs) I think it’s okay to chill once in a while, I guess, but it’s important to look groomed especially when you’re meeting people. You don’t have to be the squarish kind of well-groomed or so conservative, but it’s important to be clean and hygienic. Body odour is not a good thing.6. If you could only pick 1 type of make up must-have, what would it be and why? 
Definitely mascara. It’s the perfect pick-me-up. Usually, if I’m just heading out to study, I just wear mascara, and lip and cheek tint. I find that it makes you look very youthful and fresh; it’s a look that’s not too heavy. And if you’re tired, mascara makes you look much better because it opens up your eyes.

7. What are some items in your wardrobe that you can’t live without? 
Boyfriend jeans, which I always wear, and turtlenecks. I love high-necked tops. And probably a black jumpsuit; I have a lot of black stuff actually, I only wear some colour occasionally. (Were you always this monochromatic?) For a period of time I was actually quite into colours — I would wear red blazers and stuff, but I find it really loud now. Maybe it’s because now my makeup’s quite strong, so wearing loud clothes kind of offsets the look. And I’m quite into the whole Norwegian, Scandinavian aesthetic — it’s so nice! I like A.P.C., even though I know it’s French. Sometimes I wish I was a boy; I love menswear.

8. Do you think Singaporeans have a sense of style, and do you think it’s changing/getting better/ getting worse? What would you like Singaporeans to start embracing more?
I think Singaporeans get hated on a lot for their sense of style but I think it’s mostly the men that all wear the same thing. It’s all very weirdly combined, and it seems to all be based on trends. I think we’re quite backward when it comes to trends for guys. I think there’s a mixture for us girls, and we have a lot of alternatives and outlets to shop. I guess guys don’t have that. I don’t think we have bad taste; I think we have quite good taste, just that some people tend to be more conservative than others. They don’t appreciate certain things, but everyone’s entitled to their own opinions. That’s why I don’t mind and that’s why there are different fashion styles for different people.

9. What is your idea of the CBD and Shenton Way? 
I really like the CBD, honestly, because I’m really into architecture and I’ve always liked city landscapes. It just feels very different from town, maybe because already I’m used to the landscape there, so the CBD is quite refreshing even though I don’t really go there often. (Do you think people in the CBD are very conservative and don’t dress so creatively?) I think there’s the standard ‘office-lady’ look which I kind of despise — I hate office-lady attire — but when I walk around there actually are fashionable people, you just have to keep a look out.

10. What do you hope to do after you’ve finished studying? 
I’m in my second year of junior college, and when I’m done, I hope to take a gap year. I’m hoping to focus more on my Youtube videos, because I’ve been branching into that but I haven’t had the time to edit videos and do stuff. I also like photography, so maybe I’ll do more photography projects because right now I’m just consumed with studying — it sounds so sad — but the gap year is meant for me to explore, have fun, and mostly travel and work. I’m with a modelling agency now, so I hope they send me overseas. That would be ideal — working and travelling.

11. What’s the one thing you think you should be doing more of, or that you wish you had more time to be doing?
I would say relaxing, because I’m really stressed from studying right now! I tend to get over-stressed. I would also like to pursue my photography more, but I’m hindered by the mere thought of carrying my camera out. I have this film camera at home and the pictures come out really nice but it’s really, really heavy — it’s at least 2kg. The only time I really get to shoot is when I go on holidays, and the weight is just a pain. I wish it was lighter, but I love shooting on film.

12. What is one thing you’ve learnt from your school experience? 
Time management is super important. I can’t emphasize how important it is. I guess you should also enjoy the time you have, because I’m always worrying about what I’m going to do the next day and the next week, and all the stuff that I have to get done. It’s very overwhelming, so I tend to miss out on the experiences right now. I’m learning how to relax!