Talk about beauty influencers and the one OG who reigned in your world (before you even realised it) was likely your momma. Before IG influencers, hairstylists, makeup artist and celebrities took over as beauty icons in your life, mom was the one who bestowed her grace and never-ending nuggets of beauty wisdom that cemented her status as the woman you want to be when you grow up.
Ahead of Mother’s Day this Sunday, the Buro team shares the best—and most memorable—beauty advice received by their mums, and for some, it was more meaningful than all the makeup tricks and skincare hacks you can find on beauty sites and the like:
“Wise words from my mother I never forget: ‘You are always enough.’ As a five-year old, I would come home from pre-school and after constantly being made fun of by other kids, would stand in front of the mirror—one finger over the beauty spot on my face—telling my mum that I would ‘better’ without it. My mum would transform all that self-deprecation into strength, shining a bright light on this one unique, standout trait that made me, me. And that who I am, will always be enough. That who I was going to be, or what I am capable of, were not defined by any physical trait (or ‘flaw’ as I saw it then). She also taught me that in life, we always have choices—learn to love yourself (moles included) or we can always have it removed when I grew older—so I never felt stuck. That kid has since gone on many wild adventures and checked off some life achievements with said beauty spot, and I can’t imagine a life (or look) without it—thanks mum!” – Terry Saw, Editor-in-Chief
“My mum always believed that beauty comes from within. Being kind, caring and thoughtful are good hallmarks of a beautiful soul. But along with that, she also taught me that it’s important to nourish the inside to look our best on the outside. Thus, water is life. Like all mothers would say: ‘If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen to me.’ So I make sure to drink up and keep myself hydrated throughout the day.” – Gwen Ong, Deputy Editor
“My mum’s not a big stickler of comprehensive beauty routines, but one thing she strongly believes in is masking regularly. From Korean bubble masks to hydrogel masks, you name it, we most likely have it—and I’ve definitely tried it. What I like to do is massage some of the essence from the mask into my skin first before applying the mask. After 20 minutes, I’ll dab the remaining essence into my skin, before supplementing with another lightweight moisturiser for a fully hydrated finish.” – Joan Kong, Fashion Editor
“One of my strongest memories growing up was seeing a bottle or tube of hand cream in almost every corner of the house. My mother is a dentist by profession but became a homemaker after I was born, and both jobs required a lot of hands-on work. Whether it was with alcohol and rubber gloves or dish soap and laundry, my mother religiously lathered up and the diligence paid off—she’s 62 this year but still has the softest hands. I’m nowhere as disciplined as she is but I do try to keep a tube of hand lotion at my desk in the office, and make it a point to moisturise on the daily. Here’s to hoping I have baby smooth skin when I hit 60, too!” – Stephanie Boey, Fashion Writer
“The sun is likely my mum’s #1 enemy when it comes to anything beauty-related. Overcast skies don’t mean anything to her—anywhere she goes in the daytime, SPF is always a must before heading out. I used to get chastised for not donning adequate arm and face protection when I’m behind the wheel: “You’d get irreversible age spots before you know it!” As a result I’ve become a little sun-averse myself—SPF is the one beauty product I cannot live without, and if you see a random motorist on the road with anti-sun gear (flap hats, visors, arm gloves that snake up to the shoulders), 50/50 chance it’d be yours truly (or my mum).” – Loh Wei Yeen, Senior Beauty Writer
“One word: Facials. My mum and I both have sensitive skin and thus, we’re usually wary of trying new products but if all else fails—or even if nothing does—regular facials is a must. They do wonders to clear up the skin (as much as extraction hurts) and set it back to a more rejuvenated state. Oh, and exfoliating is important too! We might not notice or feel it but all that buildup really piles up and will result in clogged pores, dull and dry skin as well as uneven skin tone. So no matter how expensive or effective your beauty product is, it’ll never work its magic if it’s unable to penetrate deep into your skin.” – Rachel Au, Lifestyle Editor
“Long before pimple popping started trending on YouTube, I had already inherited the spine-tingling pleasure of squeezing out the contents of various pustules that appeared on my skin—all thanks to my dear mother. Once a beautician herself, the dangers of extraction were somewhat lost on her, considering how commonplace the practice is during facials. “Pop it! Your face is young, it can recover,” is what she would say in encouragement of itchy fingers—and she’s been right! As long as both hands and skin are properly cleaned and treated, zits of all shapes and sizes can been successfully expressed sans scarring. Then again, the big 3-0 is approaching; now’s probably time to ask for advice for ‘less young’ skin.” – Alyssa Lee, Special Projects Writer
“Just like Carly Rae Jepsen’s incredibly long list of unreleased songs (2000, to be exact), I’ve received numerous beauty advice from my mum through the years. One that has stuck with me, as cliché as it sounds, is to always embrace my flaws. Flaws aren’t necessarily our favourite traits, but it certainly shouldn’t dictate our self-worth. Growing up, mum instilled the idea that nobody’s skin is perfect—but we should never stop loving ourselves. Also, never go Tap Tap Revenge on your skin—gentle pats will do.” – Ron Tan, Editorial Assistant
“Growing up, mum used to convince me that the less makeup I have on, the better. I’ve always attributed it to her conditional love for me, but lately I realise that it’s her way of saying that the more makeup you rely on to enhance your features, the more you depend on makeup to make you feel beautiful. That said, I do agree that it helps improve your self-esteem, but I’ve always stayed true to the less-is-more adage—and that everyone is beautiful in their own skin.” – Richelle Lim, Business Manager
“The first skincare product my mum gifted me was a bottle of toner. I grew up believing that adequately balancing my skin’s pH after cleansing helps to minimise pores, thus preventing the buildup—it’s inured in me now that patting on toner is a must-do in my skincare routine, no matter where I travel to or however lazy I get at the end of the day. Her go-to (for the longest I’ve remembered) is Kosé’s Sekkisei Lotion—she swears by it.” – Angel Yau, Project Manager
“My mum started me out on a complete skincare routine when I was younger, but one of her most memorable beauty advice that has been ingrained in my brain is the importance of regularly cleansing my face. I never fall asleep before removing my makeup—I can bet that my body subconsciously knows how to complete those steps even in a state of complete inebriation. One more tip (or two): it’s never too early to start on anti-ageing (because prevention is better than cure), and that it’s never too late to start taking care of the skin.” – Loke Weng Yan, Senior Marketing Executive
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