The passing of time is just an inevitable fact of life. People age as the years go by, there’s no escaping from this harsh reality. Well, unless you are Fann Wong.
It may have been more than two decades since Singaporean actress Fann Wong captured our hearts as Xiao Long Nu in The Return of the Condor Heroes but she could still play the role, looking as youthful now as she did in 1998.
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The celeb mum (she has a seven-year-old son together with husband and fellow actor Christopher Lee) who turned 51 on 27 January still maintains the lit-from-within glow she had in her early acting days. Meanwhile, the fervent home baker and judge of baking competition Crème De La Crème has partnered with a licensed baker to launch her own online bakery named Fanntasy.
Instead of just admiring her mind-boggling youthfulness from afar, here are some our favourite beauty looks from Fann and tips on how to recreate them.
If you zoom into this picture of Fann and Christopher enjoying a romantic dinner, you’ll notice that Fann’s eyeliner doesn’t extend all the way into the inner corners.
This is a smart move to keep the eyes looking as wide as possible as lining all the way can cause your eyes to appear smaller. The same principle applies for lining the lower lash line so do take note of this when you line your eyes.
A high ponytail does more than keep your hair off your face – it also imparts a lifting effect to the face. To recreate Fann’s hairstyle, start by teasing the hair on the crown of your hair with a fine-tooth comb.
Spray a little hairspray to help maintain the volume you’ve created before tying your hair back into the high ponytail, ensuring not to make it too taut to add body to your locks.
For Fann, “hydration is key” and it is especially more so since we have to wear face masks daily. To help to keep her skin hydrated, Fann keeps a face mist at arm’s reach so that she can give her parched skin a quench whenever needed. Here, she’s recommending the Livingcare iMist Shield, a brand that she is an ambassador for.
Buy it here.
Scroll through Fann’s Instagram and you’ll realise that she likes to spend time outdoors with her son Zed. Not only can they explore Singapore while working up a healthy sweat, but sun exposure also helps with the production of vitamin D which is essential for a strong body and development. Of course, heading outdoors into the sun should not be without…
It goes without saying that sunscreen is of the utmost importance if you want to maintain a youthful appearance. Fann is an ardent believer too.
To combat any white cast from physical sunscreens or to just use in place of foundation on off-days, Fann likes the Rationale The Tinted Serum SPF50+ to give her skin coverage and added sun protection.
Buy it here.
Fann’s anti-sun damage routine doesn’t just stop at applying sunscreen. She bolsters her effort with a wide-brimmed hat and oversized sunglasses that wrap around her face to further protect her face. And if you really want to kick it up a notch, complete your arsenal with long-sleeved sun protective clothing as well.
For those who love styling their hair with heat tools, you would know that choosing the right one is half the battle won. Fann is a particular fan of Dyson’s Airwrap that uses a lower heat setting and the Coanda effect to give waves and curls to her tresses.
The Airwrap also has different barrel sizes to create various textures and curl sizes. But before you start heat styling, always remember to use a heat protectant to reduce the damage on your strands.
Buy it here.
A glowy complexion denotes healthy and hydrated skin. While we recommend building a solid skincare routine that includes exfoliating and masking to achieve glass skin, a liquid highlighter works in a pinch.
Find one that’s close to your skin tone and apply generously atop foundation on the apples of your cheeks, cheekbones, forehead and chin. Finally, lightly set with translucent powder. Alternatively, you can mix your liquid highlighter with foundation before application to boost the dew factor.
Much like a baby’s facial features, full and plump cheeks are another sign of youth. To achieve that, your best bet is to use cream blushers. Cream blushers are more emollient compared to powder blushes and will impart glossier shine.
Using your regular blush brush, dip into the cream blush and dab off the excess onto a tissue or your hands. Then focus the application onto the apples of your cheeks, sweeping it slightly to the cheekbones. Repeat until you’ve reached the desired colour saturation.
In this short clip, we get a first-hand glimpse of how Fann’s makeup artist creates a flawless yet natural base. The secret? The artist applies a skin-toned illuminating powder from a Canmake blush palette all over Fann’s skin, specifically targetting the cheekbones and chin.
Such an application not only sets the base makeup, the slight radiance of the powder further boosts Fann’s glowing quality. Look for a finely-milled illuminating powder that is closest to your skin tone as anything too glittery could accentuate texture.
Fann has been a longtime advocate for skincare. And while skincare can get really expensive, what you really should invest in is a really good serum. Serums are potent concentrates of antioxidants and skin-loving ingredients which can help to resolve any skin issues you are facing, whether it’s pigmentation, ageing and so forth.
Here, Fann’s endorsing Shiseido’s Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate that employs various proprietary technology and botanical ingredients to combat the signs of ageing.
Folks with straight hair know the eternal struggle of trying to get more volume and thickness at the crown of the head. If you don’t want to use hair products such as dry shampoos and thickening sprays, blow dry your hair opposite of how it normally sits.
When your hair is wet, flip your parting and blow dry the roots first before your tresses. This will help add volume. Once your hair is dry, flip your parting back to normal, neaten with a comb and apply some hair oil to the ends only.
Eyelashes do wonders to make your eyes appear bigger and more awake, but there are some proper techniques to take note of. For starters, always curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler before applying mascara to give the hairs an extra oomph. T
hen, go in with a lengthening mascara, focusing it at the outer corners of the eyes for added lift. Need more volume? A volumising mascara would be next. Don’t forget about your bottom eyelashes too! (If you’re a glasses-wearer, here are some tips to accentuate your peepers).
Pink lips are trendy these days. They bring out the glow from your cheeky blush while adding a pop of colour to your makeup look without having to go all glam. Whether it’s matte lips or lips with a glossy finish, pink is a colour that’s bound to make you look effortlessly youthful.
To recreate Fann Wong’s pink pout, find a shade of pink that matches your skin tone. Since her skin is fair, she went for a lighter, brighter shade of pink. If you have a darker skin tone, opt for a slightly darker, mauve pink so the colour doesn’t wash you out. Just remember to apply lip balm beforehand to ensure your lips stay moisturised all day.
Fann Wong can pull off just about any hairdo, but our favourite is the classic straight-cut bangs that helps to bring out her youthfulness. We love how it falls effortlessly below her brows to help frame her face.
To get that look, get your hairstylist to cut you some layered and wispy bangs. If you’re worried about it being too long, have your bangs land just above your eyebrows for good measure. And before you head out everyday, grab some dry shampoo to spritz on your roots so your hair looks fresh all day.
If you are looking for a fresh new look but don’t really want anything too dramatic, follow Fann’s lead and braid your bangs. This simple hairdo is not only the perfect remedy for a bad hair day, it also makes for a great look for those who are growing out their bangs.
The key to making this look nice and clean is to keep your part in place. To do this, make sure to only add hair from the section around your hairline. Once you are at the temple you can continue to braid the section regularly. Fasten the ends with bobby pins so your braids last all day.
Though a pink-toned, rosy nude is usually Fann’s go-to hue, her bold red lip packs just as much punch and adds an unexpected yet elegant twist. This look transitions easily from day to night so you could go from the office to a party without having to pull out your entire makeup bag.
To achieve this look, prep your lips by exfoliating them with a lip scrub that will slough away the dead skin so your lipstick goes on smoothly. Next, outline your lips with a lip liner that matches the shade of your lippie. With a small lip brush, apply the pop of colour to your lips. To really make your pout stand out, line the outside of the lip colour with a cream concealer to clean up the edges of the lips.
As we scroll through Fann’s Instagram page, her wide eyes are always capturing our attention as they tend to make her look younger and more awake. And although some of us may be born with smaller eyes, we can still take down some tips to make them stand out more.
So if you want to brighten up your peepers, borrow a leaf out of Fann’s beauty book and apply highlighter or a shimmery light eyeshadow in the inner corner. This helps to amp up your makeup look and help you to look more awake.
A v-shaped visage is coveted by many, especially in Asia. Just take a cue from Fann herself. The v-shaped face shape helps to impart a youthful appearance and accentuates your facial features. This face shape has gotten so popular, many actually go under the knife to achieve the look.
If you’re not quite ready to get a nip and tuck, create the illusion of a slimmer face by contouring your hairline. Doing so would not only help to add definition to the face, but it’ll also help to create the illusion of thicker and fuller hair. You can use an eyeshadow that matches your hair colour and a small fluffy brush to shade all around your hairline.
While the celeb keeps her eye makeup to a minimum, her brows are full to frame her face. She tends to gravitate towards a straighter brow. If you’re recreating her look, refrain from getting rid of the arch completely.
You can tweeze a couple of strands from the highest tip of the arch for a rounded effect. With a light hand, fill in your brows such that you cancel out the arch. One thing to bear in mind is to use less product on the inner corners as it could make your brows look too overdone and unnatural.
When we caught up with the veteran actress, she told us that she is extremely meticulous with her makeup removal. She first starts off by cleansing her skin twice with the same oil cleanser before gently removing her makeup with a foaming cleanser.
Text: HerWorld