A Natural Glow

What’s changed in your life since we last spoke?
When I was first featured, I was working in fashion marketing, but I’m now doing category operations at Sephora. I made the move because it was a good opportunity that came along, and I wanted to move to a more fast-paced environment.

That said, it’s been tough lah for sure.

Has your approach to skincare changed since entering the beauty industry?
Oh it did! I’m very lucky because I’m now exposed to different brands and products in my role, and I get to try many new developments and lab samples, which has been fun.

I actually struggled with severe acne several years ago, so many brand partners liked to use me as a guinea pig to test out their products (laughs). Thankfully, I managed to find the right products for my skin and have created a more sophisticated routine for myself that’s worked wonders for my skin since then.

What do you feel is the most underrated skincare product?
Sunscreen! A lot of people leave it out, but not only does sunscreen help to block UV rays, it also shields us from the blue light emitted from our laptop and phone screens, which is very bad for both the eyes and skin. It’s definitely a must-have in my skincare routine and I use it religiously.

I’d recommend the sunscreen from the South Korean brand, Melixir (which you can find at Sephora)—it’s my current favourite. It’s very lightweight and I like that it comes in a more hygienic pump bottle. Another good brand is Ultra Violette. They have a tinted version that works very well on the weekends when I don’t want to put any makeup on.

If you could only use one makeup product for the rest of you life, what would it be?
This is so tough! I’d say an eyebrow pencil; even without foundation or anything else on, once your eyebrows are filled in, you’ll just look more put together.

Otherwise it’d be lipstick, which always helps to bring out one’s skin tone, and you can use it on the cheeks too for a bit of blush!

Is there anything you miss about working in the fashion industry?
One thing I truly miss about fashion is the art of storytelling. Each new season brings about unique concepts through a narrative journey created with designs, colours, and textures, which I find captivating.

How has your style changed since your last feature?
It’s pretty much the same actually, I still gravitate towards classic pieces with clean lines, sophisticated silhouettes, and a touch of minimalism, that can stand the test of time.

What has changed, though, is that I’m trying to embrace my natural nails. I used to have my nails manicured in crazy designs all the time, but the upkeep is very costly and I got tired of having to search for new designs every time. I can’t paint my own nails too because I’m very bad at it—even my niece judges my nail painting skills and she’d tell me, “Gugu (auntie), forget it!” (laughs)

Juliana was previously seen here.