Community Spotlight: J-Beauty in Hong Kong with Eve
Posted on January 24 2021
It’s been a while, but we’re back with another Community Spotlight! This time, we’re introducing you to Evelyn Yeung, the head of Email Marketing here at Cosme Hunt. Read on to learn more about Eve’s background, role at Cosme Hunt, and J-beauty faves!
Hey Eve, the community should know who the team is, don’t you think? Finally, the interviewer becomes the interviewee. So tell me about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do at Cosme Hunt, what you've studied, what’s your story?
I was born and raised in Hong Kong and moved to the U.S. during my pre-teen years. I have a degree in “Museum Studies,” which is essentially a fancy way of saying I love looking at all things beautiful, whether they are artworks sitting inside a museum or lipstick on display at Sephora. My interest in art and culture also cultivated my passion for storytelling and writing, which is why I love my role as the Email Marketing and Editorial Intern at CosmeHunt. The position allows me to flex my copywriting muscles while working with our amazing graphics team to produce stunning email visuals for our readers.
Oh wow the whole team is from all over! I know it was when you were pretty young, but can you tell me what the fashion and makeup trends were like in Hong Kong if you can remember? How different were they from the styles in the U.S. at the time?
Oh God, when I started getting into fashion and beauty, it was the early 2000’s, so fashion and beauty trends were horrendous no matter which corner of the world you were in. But overall, I remember pretty clearly, growing up in Asia, that they placed a lot more emphasis on skincare than makeup. Even as a young child, I remember seeing my mom purchasing the SKII Pitera Essence all the time!
Oh yeah, you’re right, the early 2000’s were fashion travesties. It definitely does seem like it’s the trend for Asian beauty to lean towards taking care of the base rather than focusing on covering the face, like the West. Out of curiosity, do you think there is a correlation between the art world and makeup world? Like, do they influence each other in your opinion?
Hmmm, I would say that perhaps in the past, yes. But increasingly, the beauty world is really influenced by the fast-paced influencer and consumer market. The high art/contemporary art world has always been in its own silo, with its unspoken rules of what’s good art and what’s not. The art world is actually a really exclusive circle, whereas the entire point of the beauty industry is to be more inclusive (to get more customers). I think there’s probably a higher correlation between contemporary art and high fashion, but even then, those fields can be pretty different environments too.
Ah, I didn’t know about that separation. I was just genuinely curious and wanted your opinion, haha. But it is very insightful! So hopping back to J-beauty itself, what was the product that got you into it?
I don’t know if there was one particular item! Growing up in Hong Kong, I’ve always been influenced by Japanese pop culture and surrounded by Japanese products. I think some of the first J-beauty items I ever tried were the Biore face wash, a purple eyeshadow from Muji, and the cult-favorite (at the time) DOLLY WINK eyeliner. I’ve been experimenting with different brands and different beauty items ever since!
Biore Face Deep Cleansing Scrub Available on Cosme Hunt
Oh yeah, I remember DOLLY WINK’s eyeliner had an incredible amount of hype around it when I first discovered Asian beauty! On that note, what are some of your current J-beauty faves right now? Or if you have one specific product in mind, what is your holy grail item?
This is such a hard question! If I had to choose, I would say that the Heroine Make liquid eyeliner is my all time favorite. Eyeliner is the one makeup item that I can’t live without, and this eyeliner is not only affordable, but it’s waterproof and stays on all day! Another current favorite is the Canmake cream blush. There’s so many colors to choose from, but they all look so natural. It’s perfect for that no-makeup makeup look!
Oh man, I hard agree with Heroine Make being bulletproof. Girl, it stayed strong after watching Toy Story 3.
Hahaha, I seriously can’t use anything else! For that price it’s basically unbeatable.
Hats off to super waterproof eyeliners! Well, I believe that is all I have for you today, thanks for your time Evelyn!
Well, that's all we had time for! Eve has been super amazing at organizing, writing, and sending emails out to our customers. If you haven't yet signed up for our newsletter, I highly recommend it! The designs are always cute, and they help keep your eyes peeled for new deals, new brands, and products you might've not known about otherwise.
To find out more, visit our website!
Leila Nevalasca
Leila is a self-proclaimed "child of the internet" as she has been a netizen since MySpace and Neopets days. The website that fascinated her most was YouTube, which eventually led her to graduate from San Francisco State's Broadcasting and Electronic Communications program. When she's not going down internet rabbit holes, she experimenting in the kitchen or doing weird voice impressions.
