My motto in life is "Things always happen for a GOOD reason." But not many people around me have the same mantra and in fact, because of this, I have earned the nickname "Mumbo Jumbo" by my friends.
Yasminne Cheng thinks the same way. This Class 95 DJ is both a beauty and brawn. Holding a Master of Arts degree in Transnational Communications and the Global Media from Goldsmiths College, University of London, Yasminne also doubles up as Assistant Music Director for Class 95FM.
Interviewing Yasminne concluded one thing for me - gratitude. Being grateful in life and for the people around you is utmost important. They say happiness is not an end goal but a way of life. And Yasminne reminds us to be just that. Someone who is as gorgeous and one with a heart only makes her even more beautiful.
Read her interview to see how she takes care of herself - mind, body and soul.
1. You’ve been doing this for years and so there must have been days when it gets the better of you. How do you sustain or keep that passion alive and stay positive?
Absolutely. I think the key to staying positive is always about perspective and being grateful for what you DO have. This may sound counter intuitive but it does work - whenever I get the down days, I think of horrible things and situations and myself in them, like I’ve been told I only have one week to live or someone close to me has passed on.
All of a sudden, everything comes into clearer perspective and I realize whatever I’m going through really isn’t all that bad.
Also, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that though I may not understand why at that point in time, it is to lead me to better things eventually. Every dark cloud does indeed have a silver lining, sometimes you just have to look a bit harder to find it.
2. What are the lifestyle changes that you’ve had to make over the years to accommodate the commitments associated with what you do?
That public holidays and festive periods could be working days for us and we may not be able to spend it with family and friends. But honestly I’ve never been fussed about it coz there are so many other advantages to what I do such as the flexibility of my schedule.
I’m grateful I don’t have a 9-5 job and I accept there are sacrifices to be made for that.
3. Being a public figure of sorts, you probably get loads of attention (be it an acknowledging look or downright skin-crawling stares) when you’re out and about. Has it ever been a chore to look good before you step out of the house considering how critical, unforgiving even, people can be?
I’ve been told that I do get stared at but luckily I’m blissfully unaware or blur as you might call it. Looking good is never a chore if you see it as fun. :) As for the critical comments, I just try to roll with the punches. Instead of getting angry, I try to put myself in that person’s shoes. Perhaps he/she is in a really bad place in his/her life right now and I’m just the unfortunate receiver of that negativity.
A bit of empathy leads to forgiveness and that, in the end, is good for me, because I won’t get weighed down by that negativity. But I also am grateful that we are pretty lucky here in Singapore with the absence of paparazzi and I think Singaporeans are generally very respectful of a person’s privacy.
4. Share with us your beauty regime; say on a social yet casual day out of meeting friends etc.
I’ll simply slap on moisturizer, sun screen and then some makeup (foundation & powder, eyeliner, blusher, eyebrows, and falsies are an absolute must). If I have a bit more time, I’ll just quickly tong my hair into curls. That’s about it!
5. What are the essential beauty products in your bag? How, if applicable, have they come to your rescue?
Eyelash glue!! The worst thing is have part of your falsies flapping out, very unglam! It has happened a few times so eyelash glue to the rescue! Also lip balm coz I do have quite dry lips. It also makes your pucker look nice, glossy and luscious.
6. Share with us some beauty, skincare and wellness tips that have been helpful to you.
Sleep is the best beauty/skincare therapy you can have really and it’s free. Try sleeping 9-10hours a day for 3 days in a row and suddenly you’ll find that your skin has a glow about it and it’s bouncy and supple. :) Alternatively a good hydrating face masque 2-3 times a week does help tremendously.
7. In your opinion, Is Beauty truly in the eye of the Beholder?
Absolutely, we each have different ideals of what beauty is. To me, beauty is not just the exterior but what’s inside as well. For example, you can be a gorgeous woman but if that exterior comes with a sour personality spewing negativity, it cancels everything out and you aren’t beautiful to me at all.
