Dayang Atul, Founder & TV Presenter

 

I was born in Kuching, Sarawak and stayed there until I was sixteen years old. So for sixteen years, I was basically your regular Kuching girl except for one difference– football was in my life way more than it is for the average adult. The Sarawak State Stadium was my second home, some of my earliest memories were based there. Therefore it wasn’t such a surprise that my career path ended up where it did… a sort of cross between football and mass communication, which was always my other big passion.

People have a tendency to find it sort of weird that I’m in the field I’m in… and that I’m so happy to be in it. Especially since I’ve never made an effort to downplay what a typical ‘girl’ I am. I guess the expectation is for me to hate what I’m doing, and for me to be secretly applying to fashion companies or something. Haha. But that is the farthest things from the truth. Actually, one of the first articles I ever wrote in my field was one on female football fans and the stereotypes people place on us. I can love football and Kim Kardashian. Ten years ago I loved both football and Paris Hilton. It is more than possible.

Kuching is such a laid back place. I go back at least a few times a year and try to make it back for Raya every year, unless I absolutely can’t because of work or something. I love the city and the fast paced life but going back to Kuching is like a breath of fresh air. It always takes me back to being a teenager and buying, like, Silkygirl liquid eyeliner at Cindy’s in Hopoh. That would be the only makeup I would wear as a teenager, actually it would be for all my friends as well. Even today. Being obsessed and trying too hard to be trendy is just not the Kuching vibe at all. It’s all about effortlessness. The girls there sport a more natural kind of beauty, which I used to as well back then but things have definitely changed. Now, I like a statement look. Nicole Richie is my style icon, she inspires me to wear blue lipstick. Also, Jeffree Star who I’ve followed since the Myspace days is a total inspiration— his success is inspirational (just like those lipstick shades!).

Skincare is something I’ve just started getting into recently. I used to just wash my face and put on moisturiser but now I’m a bit older and that just had to change. I start my day by washing my face with Hada Labo Pore Refining Face Wash, although to be honest I don’t really think its necessary. I don’t believe that skin is dirty in the morning, but I do it anyway because otherwise it feels weird. Then I do Kiehl’s Calendula Toner on a cotton pad followed by their Ultra Facial Oil Free Gel Cream. Top it off with sunblock— Innisfree Eco Safety Aqua Perfect Sun Gel or Kiehl’s Ultra Light UV Defense— and that’s it for AM skincare! In the evenings I go all out, though. My work requires me to be in heavy makeup for hours, so before bed I make sure I do the double cleansing routine. I use the Biore Perfect Cleansing Water, which is the best cleansing water on the planet especially considering the price. Once a week I exfoliate with the Cure Natural Aqua Gel, cause I have really flaky skin and you’ve got to fix that. I also love the Avene Spring Water, which to me is the only face mist that actually works. Lastly, I use Avene Hydrating Serum and Ciracle Pore Control Tightening Serum which I follow up with Hada Labo Retinol Lifting + Firming Cream and Simple Eye Cream, although I’ve recently started using Kiehl’s Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream… by the time I’m in bed, I look like a total grease ball but it’s what works for me.

Getting your makeup done for work is supposed to make you hate makeup, yet its done the opposite for me. I LOVE makeup. I have too much of every kind, and could probably spend hours recommending products. Makeup base to me is so underrated— I guess no one really wants to talk about the makeup you don’t see. I love a matte skin look and the Cyber Colours Primer is my holy grail for achieving that. Its such a nondescript brand, yet it kicks any high end brand’s butt in the mattifying stakes— and it’s so cheap! Speaking of cheap and amazing, I only contour with the City Colours Contour Effects palette, which I bought for roughly Rm29 at Eve&Boy in Bangkok… Thailand, by the way, is makeup heaven followed of course by Korea. Korea gave us Innisfree, so that automatically makes it a must-visit for makeup lovers. I’m obsessed with eyebrows, yet Innisfree’s eyebrow pencil and browcara are the only brow products that did not disappoint me…

I don’t even know where to start with lipsticks. I probably have about fifty… My favourites are all matte, bright colours. Sheer lipsticks are not my thing at all. I like lips to be a statement, and to me the best ‘statement’ lip colors are MAC Smoked Purple and Royal Blue. But I do love nudes as well— MAC Kinda Sexy and Please Me are my favorites— but they can be so depressing sometimes. I don’t believe you need to pick between your eyes or your lips. Not saying you should be wearing orange lips with blue shadow up to your brows, but if you’ve got a beautiful smokey eye on, pair it with an equally beautiful lip!