Breathe… our word for October is Breathe…. And to be honest, I haven’t had much time to do that lately! Multi-tasking, working on various projects, even planning for the end of the year and 2019 have taken priority. I am exhausted! Of course, beauty and in particular putting on makeup has been left in the “forgotten” sector of my life. Is effortless beauty purely a myth?! Perhaps not with Max Factor Makeup.
You see, time for me has become a luxury… of course, the first thing that I’ve neglected has been my own appearance. The other week, I realised that I had been in activewear for an entire day, despite being complete inactive (ie. working away in front of my computer). Between, family, client projects and Vanilla Beige, I’m lucky to even put colour on my lips let alone attempt a fully made up face. But you know what, sometimes when you just take a brief moment to breathe (even if it’s while applying your favourite blush), things don’t seem so bad.
READ OUR MAX FACTOR MAKEUP REVIEW
DOWNLOAD OUR OCTOBER 2018 CALENDAR: BREATHE
I was very fortunate to interview a local celebrity, Diana Ser (Max Factor’s muse), a mum, jet-setter, and multi-tasker along with Maureen Abenoja, Director of Consumer Beauty for Coty, the company that brings amazing brands like Max Factor, Tiffany, and Philosophy to us. These amazing women have inspired me to look after myself a little bit more when it comes to beauty. It doesn’t have to be hard!
Thank you for speaking to me about effortless beauty, Diana and Maureen.
1. Have you got a 10-minute beauty routine?
Diana (pictured below): Every weekday before school runs in the morning! I cleanse and moisturize, then apply sunscreen. I dab some colour on my lips to freshen up my look quickly. The Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick moisturises my lips and gives fabulous colour in an instant.
Maureen: I make sure to start my routine with a clean face otherwise the skin cannot fully absorb all the nourishing ingredients in my skincare products. I apply anti-ageing eye cream and serum, moisturizing cream, then SPF. I believe that good makeup starts with beautiful skin. Then if I only have 10 minutes, I will just quickly put on mattifying primer, long-wear liquid foundation, blush, contour and highlighter. Lastly, long-wear lipstick. I will skip the eyeshadow, eyeliner, and brow filler. (When it comes to long-wear foundation and lipstick, my go-to is Max Factor Face Finity and Lip Finity. These long-wear products do not require me to retouch often and feel very comfortable on my skin)
2. What are your minimal makeup must-haves for women who never have enough time?
Diana: Concealer and lipstick. With these two, you don’t even need brushes – just use your fingers! Lipstick can double up as cheek colour too.
Maureen (pictured below): My answer would depend on the woman’s need. For example, if someone has nice skin (even skin tone, no spots) then she could skip foundation and powder, and begin with blush (for a touch of healthy glow and colour), lipstick, and brow-shaping. If someone has well-shaped brows and nice skin, then she could just do contour and blush for well-defined cheekbones and then apply mascara to enhance the eyes. The point is there is no one must-have that applies to everyone because each face is different. It all really depends on what flaw we want to cover and what asset we want to highlight.
3. It’s never too early to think of the silly season coming up, with parties and travel plans already in motion… What are your top make-up tips?
Diana: Use a moisture mask before you start your make up. It helps your foundation to sink in really well. I have been using Max Factor Face Finity liquid foundation which moisturises and smoothens like a primer whilst providing ample coverage. This way, I’m always looking my travel best!
Maureen: Most women do not normally wear a glamorous look during regular days, so the Christmas season is the best time to take it up a notch and do something differently. I have noticed that most women skip eyeshadow during regular days, so I urge them to give eyeshadow palettes a try during the upcoming party season. Max Factor Masterpiece Nude Palettes come in 3 shades, and each palette has 8 amazing colours. This palette is quick and easy to apply because the colour pay-off is amazing and very easy to blend.
During parties and travels, one can also expect a lot of photo-taking. Applying a good highlighter on one’s cheekbones can easily glam up one’s look and make you look radiant in photos. The Max Factor Miracle Glow Duo Pro Illuminator is an amazing product that has two highlighters— a matte highlighter to enhance the skin and a shimmery highlighter to boost radiance and glow.
4. What would you like to say as inspiration to multi-tasking women?
Diana: Whenever possible, I take some time to exercise. Of course, I dread it just like most people. But what keeps me going is how it clears my mind, gets my blood flowing (which always helps with the complexion) and tones my body. Just 20 minutes a day makes me happy. So many of us women often balance different tasks and have to juggle multiple roles in life. I’ve been through that journey as well, and I’d just want to say to you that as long as you’ve done your best, embrace the wins and losses, things will be alright.
Maureen: Life may not be easy, but you’re such an inspiration! Seeing women juggle multiple roles—mother, wife, entrepreneur, sports enthusiast, art lover, foodie, traveller, wine connoisseur, etc —and excelling in all these roles while still always looking their best, is what inspires me. They set the benchmark quite high and motivate me to strive to be the best version of myself every day.
Thanks for the interview, Diana and Maureen!
Find Max Factor products on Zalora, Lazada. or Amazon Prime
Facebook: MaxFactorSG
Instagram: MaxFactor
READ OUR MAX FACTOR MAKEUP REVIEW
We were not paid to write this story and our reviews are honest. Makeup by Max Factor was gifted to us under no obligation. Thank you so much Max Factor!
This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase by going through one of our links, you are helping us to continue to bring you more content (to be clear, we may be paid a commission because you’ve used our link).