Thick layers of make-up don't actually cover your flaws, says blogger Brenda Ng

Each week, Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore profiles a beauty blogger that is based in Singapore. Get to know their beauty secrets and find out how you can improve your daily skincare and make-up regime. This week, we feature Brenda Ng, who runs the blog nsybrenda.com.

1. How did you start becoming a blogger?

I started off writing a blog merely as a means to express my thoughts and feelings, but it was mostly private until my amateur doodles and illustrations found their way to Instagram. From there, I gradually started posting more flat lays and photos of myself, sharing about products I loved and well, here I am today!

2. Can you describe what a typical day is like for you?

As a freelancer, I have full control of my daily schedule and a typical day would consist of me getting ready in the morning, spending some time with my pet hamster, blogging on the go on my Dayre, taking photos for Instagram and attending events!

3. What’s your morning beauty regime?

My morning regime varies from day to day as I tend to skip some steps if I don’t have the time. But a full morning beauty regime includes washing my face with just water, followed by lip balm, toner, serum and a leave-on foam mask, which might sound odd, but really helps keep my make-up in place! After that, I proceed with sunscreen and my daily make-up, which consists of eyebrow cushion, concealer, eyeliner, contour, highlight, lipstick and sometimes eyeshadow.

4. What’s your night-time beauty regime?

As I really dislike the idea of sleeping with a full face of make-up, I make sure to remove my make-up thoroughly using micellar water twice before washing my face with a mild cleanser. After which, I will proceed with toner, serum and a gel moisturiser. On some days when I feel like my skin needs that extra pampering, I add an extra step of masking right before applying serum and moisturiser.

5. What are your current favourite beauty products?

There are quite a lot of beauty products that I really like, but if I had to list, here would be my ultimate holy-grail products that I can’t live without.

Skincare:
Mentholatum Premium Rich Moist Lip Balm
Laneige Fresh Calming Gel Cleanser
Laneige Fresh Calming Toner
Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate
Mamonde Petal Purifying Bubble Mask (new item in Singapore, but fast becoming a favourite that I use two to three times a week)
Vely Vely Peach Skin Suncream Sunblock

Make-up:
Laneige Eyebrow Cushion-cara (No. 1 Two-Tone Grey)
The Saem Cover Perfection Tip Concealer (No. 02)
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Highlighter
Mamonde Highlight Lip Tint Glow (No. 15 COCO Red)
Laneige Two-Tone Matte Lip Bar (No. 2 Red Cashmere)

6. What is the most common beauty mistake you’ve heard or seen Singaporeans making? How would you wish to correct it?

A lot of Singaporeans love piling on thick layers of make-up thinking that it’ll cover every flaw but honestly, those flaws end up looking even more obvious when the layers of make-up start melting off in the humid weather. Thick make-up can actually clog your pores. And especially in Singapore’s warm weather, sweat and dirt causes sebum to build up, which in turn, leads to pimples or even acne that you would feel compelled to cover up. It’s a vicious cycle, so my advice would be to just let your skin breathe.

7. Is there a beauty secret that you swear by?

I’m a huge lip balm junkie. I think lip balms are crucial especially if you’re a fan of matte liquid lipsticks! I always apply lip balm before bed time and it’s a quick step that makes a lot of difference in the morning.

8. How big is your beauty collection now?

Honestly, compared to other beauty junkies I know, my collection is probably… puny. I don’t enjoy hogging that many beauty products so once I decide I like a product, I commit to it! There are bags of unopened skincare and make-up products that I’ve yet to try though!

Read also:

• Chemical exfoliants are not as scary as you think, says beauty blogger Sarah Ee

• Buy skincare products that actually suit your skin, says blogger Venecia Lim

• Don’t skip moisturising despite our humid climate: Beauty blogger Faith Tan

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