Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i Her World Singapore

“My weekends. As a working adult, I don’t have a lot of time to myself. The weekends are a great time to recharge for the week ahead.” – LETTY SEAH, ASSOCIATE BEAUTY EDITOR “The most precious thing to me is having peace of mind, and an equanimous approach to challenging situations.” – KARISHMA TULSIDAS, CONTRIBUTING FEATURES EDITOR “My Bianchi bicycle. I make sure that I stay fit for myself and my family.” – RAY TICSAY, SENIOR ART DIRECTOR “Good health. Spraining my right arm incapacitated me for two weeks, and I’m thankful for my body and its mobility.” – ELIZABETH LEE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF “It would have to be my family’s Saturday morning ritual of cuddling in bed while debating what to do for the weekend.” – WINDY AULIA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR…

Celebrity fashion stylist Neo Lirong adds character to her fuss-free looks with vibrant colours and striking cut-out details. "I believe that fashion is like speech and imagination. Everyone has the right to express themselves in their own way and share what they believe in." On her off days, Neo Lirong looks like any other Singaporean with her off-duty choice of a casual pants and top ensemble. However, the 37-year-old is a highly coveted stylist who has worked with big names in the music and television industry. The well-known but down-to-earth stylist to the stars has styled local artistes such as JJ Lin, Kit Chan and Rebecca Lim to name a few. During the height of the pandemic, when styling jobs were few and far between, she founded White Trousseau, a…

“There aren’t many people who look like me in the local music scene, and with that comes its own set of struggles,” says Singaporean singer-songwriter Keyana. “Not many people in Singapore naturally gravitate towards a performer like me, and it can be painful at times, but I also feel extremely fortunate to be the person carving the path [for other minority performers]. There is power that comes from that.” Insightful words from a person not old enough to legally vote. The multi-hyphenate who sings, dances, choreographs, models, and most recently, makes her own pottery, may only be 19, but she speaks with a certain gravitas. And as Keyana stands on the cusp of adulthood, she says she is slowly learning to not just accept her differences, but to celebrate them.…

TO BUY When overlined lips resurfaced as a popular beauty trend in 2015, the look involved a heavily matte finish that was spotted on celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber. Today, the trend takes its cue from the ’90s, with darker liner and a hyper-glossy effect gaining traction among beauty enthusiasts. One thing remains a constant: The overall shape of the overlined lip – voluminous and pillowy all around the outline – hasn’t changed. Beauty experts, however, caution that one should exercise restraint when creating this look. “Personally, I think overlining lips gives a more youthful look,” says Clarence Lee. “But if you do it wrongly, it can backfire.” The makeup artist shares that finding the right balance between overlining your lips and the rest of your face is…

CHOOSING A SCENT IS A PERSONAL THING, BUT WE HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT CONDITIONED TO THINK OF CERTAIN FRAGRANCES AS “FEMININE” OR “MASCULINE”. THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO CULTURAL FACTORS SUCH AS THE GENDER ASSOCIATIONS OF SCENTS ON PEOPLE AROUND US, AS WELL AS PERFUME BRANDS MARKETING TYPES OF SMELLS THAT ARE FOR MEN AND WOMEN. TRADITIONALLY, SCENTS THAT ARE MUSKIER ARE LABELLED “FOR MEN”, WHILE FLORAL AND FRUITY ONES ARE SEEN AS SUITABLE FOR WOMEN. STILL, WHO’S TO SAY THAT COLOGNES ARE ONLY FOR MEN, ESPECIALLY IF THE SCENTS SUIT WOMEN TOO?…

CAREER Most of us have made mistakes, inconvenienced others or rubbed someone the wrong way at work – we might have missed a deadline, forgotten about a meeting, or not responded to a client who was eagerly waiting to hear back from us. While saying “sorry” is probably what’s needed to redeem ourselves in such cases, it’s important to know where to draw the line, because there is such a thing as going overboard with an apology. Over-apologising – that is, apologising too much or too intensely – is not uncommon in the workplace. It can be hard to move on from knowing that we upset someone or did something wrong (even if the situation was beyond our control). However, mental health and career experts say that this self-deprecating habit…

Two is better than one Jo Yong & Ashley Yong, Two Halves Growing up, Ashley Yong had always been intrigued by the beauty industry. The 30-year-old vividly recalls a memory when she was 12: Her mother, Jo, former general manager for Estee Lauder and Tom Ford Beauty at Estee Lauder Companies, was organising a beauty makeover event held at Takashimaya. Seeing the women who left the event brimming with confidence inspired her. “I realised that having the ability to help others feel empowered was inspiring and positive – which was exactly what my mum was doing. It was that moment on that I looked up to her as someone I wanted to be when I grew up,” she says. Ashley spent summer internships with her mother, shadowing her at work…

THE LAST PAGE One of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s best-selling timepieces is the Reverso, created in 1931 to offer a classic luxury watch that could be worn for rigorous activities like polo. It features a rectangular watch case that can be flipped over to protect the dial from the impact of a polo mallet, with subtle Art Deco details such as gadroons framing the watch face. An iteration of the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds timepiece, revealed at the 2023 Watches & Wonders presentation in April, showcases a slimmer, 18K pink gold case, dials in sunray-brushed black, silver and burgundy, as well as a Calibre 822 mechanical movement with a power reserve of 42 hours.…

First conceived in the 1930s, the strapless dress has been embraced by strong and powerful female icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Bianca Jagger, who wore the shoulder-baring style with fearless confidence at parties and on the red carpet. In the 1946 movie Gilda, ’40s Hollywood star Rita Hayworth channelled the eponymous femme fatale in a slinky bustier strapless gown, while the inimitable Audrey Hepburn captivated audiences in an elegant strapless embroidered Givenchy gown as the titular Sabrina in the 1954 film. But it was only in the late ’90s that the strapless dress became a massive trend when the silhouette appeared on countless runways – from the thigh-high leather mini dress that Gianni Versace revealed in his Fall/Winter 1997 collection, to the long and elegant versions at Calvin Klein…

TO KNOW…

With a multitude of skincare ingredients available in the market, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends (bakuchiol, anyone?), as well as bio-technological innovations. There are, however, tried and true ingredients that you can fall back on time and again – bringing us back to nature, brands like La Mer and Estee Lauder are powering the latest strengthening, wrinkle-smoothing, and rejuvenating skincare with kelp, algae, pearl, sea fennel and squalene. Here are our top picks. GREAT FOR... TACKLING PIGMENTATION Estee Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Transformative Brilliance Serum, $412 Pearl powder and marine algae join forces with the brand’s Black Diamond Truffle Extract in this new serum that targets all signs of skin ageing. From the first use, it improves skin’s radiance, firmness and tone. The ingredients: Pearl &…

TO KNOW My hair woes began when two significant life events coincided – entering my 30s and having my first child about 8 years back. I remember being in utter despair as I peered at my receding hairline and widening expanses of scalp every time I looked in the mirror. Suffering from hair loss and hair thinning can be extremely distressing. It often feels like nothing you do can reverse the situation, and you start to dread every hair wash because of the amount of hair that ends up clogging the drain. First, it’s important to know that hair thinning and hair loss are not exactly the same thing. “Hair thinning is often one of the early symptoms of hair loss,” says Dr Evelyn Tay of Shine Dermatology. “Thinning hair…

WOMEN NOW Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh and Nobel Peace Prize laureate and journalist Maria Ressa have more in common than one might think. Both individuals represent a profound and impactful message: that someone who looks like us has managed to overcome racial and gender barriers, and made the seemingly impossible possible by being awarded the highest accolades in their fields. Being the first to break glass ceilings is never easy. It takes grit and guts, two qualities that 31-year-old Farhanna Farid has in spades. The record-breaking powerlifter never expected to venture down this path. A pharmacist by profession, she only started powerlifting a decade ago when her then-boyfriend, now-husband started pushing her to join his gym. What first started as a hobby turned into a full-fledged career when she attended…

Short Stop From head-turning faux fur jackets at Prabal Gurung to leather and polka dots at Chanel, cropped jackets are having a fun moment right now. Blazing the way You can never go wrong with a tailored longline blazer, which typically ends a few inches below the crotch line. This flattering silhouette takes on an androgynous style by way of a sharp pantsuit, as seen at Louis Vuitton and Chloe. Taking Flight Stella McCartney showcased an oversized version, while Loewe championed cropped, multi-pocket styles. Our take on this season’s utilitarian bomber jackets? They are best worn with a splash of colour and a dose of quirkiness. Mix and match These edgy motorcycle leather jackets look exceptionally cool when paired with feminine separates – just look to Australian designer Dion Lee…

1. Dior Addict Lipstick in #521 Diorelita, $62, and Burgundy Oblique Couture Case, $74 In addition to its lust-worthy case, this lipstick glides on effortlessly like a balm and imparts an alluring shine that lasts all day. 2. Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara, $32 Designed to lift and volumise, this mascara features a unique tapered precision brush that coats lashes while giving them a boost. The best part? It’s also smudge-, transfer- and humidity-proof. 3. La Mer The Moisturizing Soft Cream, from $174 Powered by the brand’s patented Miracle Broth (a moisturising blend of sea kelp and botanicals such as eucalyptus and sunflower) and antioxidant-rich lime tea extract, this anti-ageing face cream is great for hydrating skin while smoothing creases and lines. 4. Sephora Collection Color Shifter Eye Palette,…

It’s practically a “time-honoured” rite of passage for most celebrity mums giving birth: having their post birthing photos splashed across social media (and tabloids), looking all fresh-faced and rejuvenated from the delivery room. These days, you might be surprised to know that “birthing makeup” or applying a full face of makeup in the delivery room has become a big social media trend – not just among celebs, but with mummy influencers and real women too. Just check out the hashtag #birthingmakeup on Tiktok, and you’ll see tons of videos of women sharing their take on the trend. A single Tiktok titled “I did my makeup before birthing my baby” has garnered over 12 million likes. “If I’m going to look bloated and miserable after shoving a human being out, I…

“What I’d like to see is for us to have deeper, long-term connections with the tech organisations here, and to work with them to really create more access and opportunities for minority women .” WHO: Nurul Jihadah Hussain HIGHEST EDUCATION: Masters in Business Administration; Master of Arts, Arabic and Politics JOB TITLE & INDUSTRY: Founder of The Codette Project, Tech/Social Impact, and Programme Manager, Accelerating Asia WORK EXPERIENCE: 12 years Nurul Jihadah Hussain’s decision to convert her education scholarship into funding for The Codette Project kick-started the nonprofit organisation, which aims to better career opportunities in tech for minority and Muslim women. The 36-year-old was inspired by the work of Black Girls Code (a US non-profit that provides STEM education for African American girls) and – despite not having a…

I first experienced what the life of a single mother would be like when I was 20 weeks pregnant. It was when my daughter’s father, John*, decided that he did not want to support the pregnancy financially. My pregnancy was tough – I am diabetic, and my organs were working to their limits (and failing gradually) as the pregnancy progressed. I was advised by doctors to terminate the pregnancy or risk organ failure. My body was rejecting the pregnancy severely, but the baby inside me had a very strong heartbeat. Each time I was advised to terminate, I would ask the doctors to do an ultrasound to see if she was healthy. And she was! I decided to keep going until I couldn’t. Whatever the outcome was, I was willing…

TRAVEL “I left my advertising job to pursue a PhD in law in Amsterdam.” A former digital advertising executive, 32-year-old Jill Toh is now pursuing a PhD in law in Amsterdam, where she has been based for nearly three years. She shares why she finds the city to be very similar to Singapore. “People on the outside always see Amsterdam as very liberal because of its culture. But the longer I live here, the more it reminds me of Singapore. The technocratic style of governance is similar. One simple example is that all the trees in Amsterdam are mapped as data points as part of their urban planning efforts. There is also a large middle class here – people are economically well-off and tend to like similar things. There’s a…

Are you feeling overwhelmed by work and the sheer amount of things you have to check off your to-do list? Life coach Lai Han Sam of Lifework Global shares how to cope with productivity paralysis, an unconscious response that causes an inability to get work done. I have not had the energy or motivation to get any useful work done recently. This causes me even more stress and frustration, which further feeds into my inability to work, thereby causing a vicious cycle. What is this feeling? This state of inaction might be productivity paralysis, otherwise known as analysis paralysis. This refers to a situation where one is overtly stressed or emotionally overwhelmed by the number of tasks and options, leading to a lack of productivity and progress. It is often…