Beauty for Lee Sinje is literally skin-deep
Lee Sinje has a tip to achieving overall wellness: Try crying. Yes, that’s right. The Malaysian-born actress, who made her mark in the Hong Kong and Taiwan movie industries (bagging a Golden Horse for her role in The Eye), believes that opening the floodgates is one of the most underrated ways to maintain one’s well-being.
Lee Sinje has a tip to achieving overall wellness: Try crying. Yes, that’s right. The Malaysian-born actress, who made her mark in the Hong Kong and Taiwan movie industries (bagging a Golden Horse for her role in The Eye), believes that opening the floodgates is one of the most underrated ways to maintain one’s well-being.
The SK-II ambassador, who was in town last week to promote the launch of the brand’s AurActivator CC Cream with fellow ambassador and actor Godfrey Gao, has been studying and practising Buddhism for more than five years, which helped her deal with marital problems that surfaced last May. The passion with which she explained how religion helped her make sense of what she was going through moved me to tears — literally.
“That’s very good, you are expelling the toxins!” she exclaimed in Mandarin. “They say that when a woman cries, it’s a good thing.”
Lee, who turns 39 this year, found Buddhism by reading books about the subject. Her yoga instructor suggested she attend a meditation camp. It was there that Lee picked up zen meditation, which helped her attain balance between her inner self, her emotions and the world around her. “When our inner world is strong, we won’t be easily affected by what is happening outside,” she explained. “One’s happiness really stems from what’s inside and not who you have, be it a boyfriend, husband or children. Of course, I’ve not attained that level of enlightenment yet, but I’m on my way.”
But seeking spiritual, emotional and mental enlightenment doesn’t mean you neglect your mortal body, and like most — if not all — women, beauty products are essential to Lee.
She uses SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence to hydrate the skin, the Cellumination Aura Essence for a radiant complexion and the Facial Treatment Essence Mask for an instant pick-me-up. It’s so effective she doesn’t use it only at home.
“I have worn the treatment masks on board aeroplanes,” she said. “Others will think that it’s very weird, but I’m fine with it; I don’t really care what people think. Sometimes, we have to work or meet people right after stepping off the plane and being on a long flight really dulls your skin. I find that after (applying) the mask, my complexion is brighter and more radiant.”
She has even worn a facial mask while driving in Hong Kong. “I was going to shoot a commercial, but I woke up late and I really wanted to treat my skin to a mask, so I slapped on my SK-II mask and drove off.”
Lee prefers a clean, make-up-free face when she is not working, save for her eyebrows, which must look thick and perfect before she heads out.
“The only make-up product that I will finish is my brow pencil. My friends would think I’m strange, asking why I insist on drawing my brows when they are already so thick. But I find that you can tell a person’s character just by looking at his or her brows,” she said. “If you see a woman who has thick brows, her character is probably very strong and resilient. I’m that sort of woman.”
The practical, fuss-free style of Lee’s beauty and skin regimen also drives her dress sense. When she does not have to adhere to dress codes for events, she prefers to dress down and keep it simple. “I really like wearing long skirts — ever since I was in high school — as they’re really comfortable. It’s trendy to wear skinny jeans, but skinny jeans aren’t exactly comfortable, they only look good,” she added.
And although she doesn’t religiously keep up with the latest trends, she admitted to having a soft spot for Prada and Marni.
“I like brands that are a bit more classic. When I buy something expensive, I would like to be able to wear that item for a very long time and be able to match it with different types of clothing,” she explained.
And you only need to look at what she’s wearing to know what mood she’s in. “For example, when I’m feeling romantic, I’ll wear red,” she laughed.
Onscreen, Lee plays a myriad of characters, from the wide-eyed Xiao Jie in Sylvia Chang’s 20 30 40 to Julie, the expert safe cracker and police spy in Choi Dong-hoon’s 2012 Korean hit The Thieves. But in real life, the Hong Kong-based actress just wants to come across as a warm person. Sure, she counts Hong Kong A-listers Gigi Leung and Charlie Young, as well as Taiwanese singer Valen Hsu as her BFFs, but Lee prefers hosting friends to a simple gathering at home to a glitzy night out. “I like to cook Western food, and my friends like my soups and salads. I’ve also tried my hand at preparing Korean dishes,” she said.
However, one gets a sense that for Lee, life isn’t so much a case of “live to eat”, but “eat to live”.
And not just living, but understanding and making sense of life and striving to attain “a beautiful mind”.
“I’ve always been searching for knowledge and understanding (to) help me understand what is going on, so that while I’m still alive and kicking, I can derive joy even from difficult moments.”
The new SK-II AurActivator CC Cream (S$92) is available at Shilla Duty Free at Singapore Changi Airport and will be available at SK-II counters downtown from March.
Photography: Jason Ho
Styling: Zhang Weifang
Styling assistance: Zhang Weitian
Stockists
Bottega Veneta - #01-04A, ION Orchard
Christian Louboutin - #02-10, Ngee Ann City
Dolce & Gabbana - #01-60/62, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Hermes - #01-02A, Liat Towers
Michael Kors - #01-16/17, Scotts Square
Prada - #02-15, ION Orchard
COVER: Gold lamb Sacred Heart dress with embroidery, S$20,000, Dolce & Gabbana; white lace top, S$2,300, Dolce & Gabbana; crystal jewels bracelet, S$1,030, Prada; crystal jewels necklace, S$2,720, Prada; crystal jewels earrings, S$890, Prada.
White lace top, S$2,300, Dolce & Gabbana; crystal jewels bracelet, S$1,030; Prada; crystal jewels necklace, S$2,720; Prada; crystal jewels earrings, S$890; Prada.
Striped pointe crop top, S$199, Michael Kors; Mist Ciel cotton tulip print shorts, S$1,270, Bottega Veneta; bracelet and ring, prices unavailable, Hermes; heels, price unavailable, Christian Louboutin.
The actress and SK-II ambassador talks about drawing eyebrows and finding happiness