“For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer. I wrote a lot of stories when I was a kid, and every one of them featured a blonde, blue-eyed woman. I went to Smith College. It was only after attending school and learning about the concept of internalized racism that I realized that I had unconsciously distanced myself from my Chinese heritage all my life. I changed my mind and decided to study abroad in Beijing instead. I reconnected with my roots, which changed the course of my life.
career
I graduated from college in 2009, when the United States was in a recession. It wasn’t an easy time to find a job, so moving back to Beijing, where the economy was booming, seemed like an easy decision. I started as an intern at a local expat magazine and worked my way up, eventually becoming the style and lifestyle editor.
After four years passed quickly, my family asked me to move out. They wanted me to join their family’s insurance brokerage business in San Francisco, but I was very reluctant. I was hit with intense reality and reverse culture shock. As I moved from journalism to the insurance industry and from Beijing to San Francisco, I lost all of my identity. I got used to the difficulty of living in a foreign country, and I started to feel bored at home. During that time, I started sharing photos of my outfits and lifestyle on Instagram as a means of coping.
At Wang Insurance, I am the Chief Marketing Officer. Obviously I’m in charge of marketing and social media, but I’m also a commercial insurance broker. Our company provides personal insurance to people, but on the business side, which I focus on, we provide support to many local small businesses such as coffee shops, bars, restaurants, manufacturers, and gas stations. I have insurance.
As for Instagram, it was just a light hobby for me at first. It took me a few years to grow my following, but for a long time Instagram was just a way to reclaim my identity. It’s funny, but I still remember the first time I was offered free alcohol. I thought, “What, am I going to get something for free?” It was a very new industry. When I started getting offers for campaigns and partnerships, I started treating it like a job.
I wake up at 6am and work on Instagram for the first 3-4 hours of the day. From creating content to answering emails to filming, I do it all on weekends. After that, I go to the office and work until 6pm, and sometimes I participate in events in the evening. I love being able to balance both worlds and don’t take it for granted.
beauty
I’ve always been very interested in makeup. I remember secretly borrowing my older sister’s eyeliner when I was a teenager. For years, I couldn’t leave the house without eyeliner. I’m actually going to do a full smoky eye. It all goes back to the Eurocentric beauty ideals I’ve internalized. I definitely considered myself “never as pretty” as a blue-eyed blonde woman, and having a smokey look was pretty much a way to hide my eyes for me. Now I have a simpler look. Part of it has to do with being in my 30s and being more comfortable with myself, but the transition to a more “natural” beauty has finally allowed me to learn to accept myself.
skin care
I took my skin for granted until the last few years, when I realized it was duller and needed more hydration. I’m currently focusing on preventative anti-aging, but I’m trying to keep a low lift. In the morning, I wash my face in the shower. Pharmacies Whipped Green Cleanser. I don’t get any pimples and it removes them really well. What to use after going out: Grown Alchemist Detox Serum. I feel like the moisture is returning to my skin. I’m also interested in minimal packaging. [Laughs]
When I was in my 20s, I didn’t wear sunscreen. I thought, “Oh, I just want to get a tan.” But now I use it all the time.I love Glow Recipe Watermelon Niacinamide SPF 50. It gives a glow under makeup and goes on really smoothly and blends well. I’m also trying to add more “clean” skin care into my routine.I don’t use these products exclusively but I really like them True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil. Her sister introduced me to this brand. I’ve been addicted to oils for a while and this one feels so good and locks moisture into my skin.
I double cleanse at night. Shu Uemura’s “Ultim8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil” To remove makeup. If you’re too lazy to wash your face or just put on some makeup, Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water Instead, apply it to a cotton pad and then apply toner. My absolute favorite is Pharmacy Deep Sweep 2% BHA TonerHowever, I recently ran out of it, so I’m currently using it. Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Toner, which I also love, but use less often because retinol and PHA + BHA are not supposed to be mixed. Follow up with a pharmacy cleanser in the morning.
I’m really hooked estee lauder advanced night repair serum. I received it quite a while ago, but I didn’t use it. Then I found this older Asian woman on TikTok. She was glowing and she said she had been using her serum for decades, so I started using it every day too. She really likes it because it’s a little sticky, but she blends in well.i will follow it up Caudalie Vino Perfect Radiance Dark Spot Serum And that Pharmacy 1% Vitamin A Retinol Serum.I sometimes add Kiehl’s Hyaluronic Acid 1.5% Serum And that Kiehl’s 5.0% Niacinamide Serum.
i always come back here Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. It’s just so neutral and easy. Revea also recently opened a small studio in San Francisco and used machines to study my skin texture. Customized moisturizer For my skin. To be honest, I was a little skeptical, but the moisturizing power is amazing. I have dry cheeks and oily forehead, but the moisturizer really helps hydrate without making it oily.And this is how the night ends L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Eye Balm.
body
Every time I take a shower, luv scrub mesh body exfoliator. It looks like a fishing net. [Laughs] What I usually use is Necessea body wash I’m not a fan of strongly scented products, so Nécessaire’s products are quite subtle.
I have to apply body lotion every day because I can’t stand the feeling of dryness on my skin.i keep it concentrated almond milk L’Occitane next to the bed. I know some people don’t like the feeling of lotion on their skin, especially when they’re in bed, but I love it. It feels truly luxurious.And I usually add Necessea body oil above.
compensate
The first thing I pick up when doing a full make-up is Saie Hydra Beam Concealer in HB two, I usually use it under my eyes, around my nose, and maybe spots on my forehead. Then what I use is: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation and Concealer Stick, and it’s my absolute favorite foundation. Liquid foundation is sticky and just sits on the skin, but Westman Atelier’s Stick blends in easily. It feels like a second skin and is very natural.I’m using shade Atelier VIII, for those with rosy undertones. I have always loved Bobbi Brown and used her products all through college. And right now I especially love Bobbi Brown. miracle balm in bronze From her new line, Jones Road. It gives you this beautiful dewy look.
I use the method of putting everything on and hardening it with a spray. MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Setting Spray right now. Let the spray sit for a while, then mix everything together. Huda Beauty Tantour Brush and beauty blender. I used to basically apply makeup all over the place, but now I’m pushing it into my skin. It takes time, but it will look better and more natural.
I set my under eyes with Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Setting Powder in fair— It really makes your skin look airbrushed.Then I have a hack: I know everyone loves it Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powderbut I’ll enter. Translucent medium deep Use it like a bronzer. I applied it all over my cheeks and forehead. Very evenly distributed and gives shine.i will consider it Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzer in Moderate. I also use it as an eyeshadow base.And as for blush, I Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in hopeor More glossy cloud paint in dawn. They have great staying power. My bronzer may fade by the end of the day, but I can still see the blush.
I’ve tried various products, but Asian eyebrows are very difficult to laminate and hold in place. Many of the ones I’ve tried have stuck. I’ve had the most success with REFY Brow Sculpt Shape and Hold Gel. Let dry for 1 minute and then apply on top glossier boy broweither black or brown. Before microblading my eyebrows, Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil and benefit brow kitBut I went more conservative and natural.
As part of my makeup journey, I ditched the eyeliner pencil I used to cover my entire eye and switched to liquid eyeliner just for my upper eyelids.I really like it Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eye Liner Because there are both standard points and micro points. I also found that it lasted for a very long time. In my case it’s about 6 months.
I went through a phase of eyelash extensions and had so many bad experiences. It was a habit that cost money and time, so I thought, “I’ll never do it again.” I’m currently applying 10 layers of mascara. [Laughs] I love all Yves Saint Laurent items, but the one I use is Lash Crush Extreme Volume Mascara now. I like when the tube is a little more dry and at the end of its life. I feel like they are more effective.
hair
I’m really clueless when it comes to hair. I never style. No brushing. In fact, I don’t even own a hairbrush. My hair texture is drier and coarser than the typical Asian smooth hair, and it got frizzy when I brushed it in high school.For now, I just dabble and apply a little bit a few days a week. Gisou hair oil At the edge.
People say you shouldn’t wash your hair, but I have an oily scalp so I wash my hair every day. I also swear that if I touch my face without washing my hair, I’ll get a rash. I only shampoo my scalp without washing the ends of my hair.I change my shampoo and conditioner regularly, but the one I’m currently using is Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo and conditioner.I love R+CO Blue Deluxe Reparative Shampoo, too. I may use it occasionally, but Ladore Tea Tree Scalp Clinic Hair Pack To get rid of buildup.
scent
I’m very sensitive to scents, so I’m particular about the perfumes I wear. Actually, I’m thinking of buying a small perfume cabinet. Because it’s more like a home display. But on special occasions or nights when I want to feel energized, I wear this. tom ford ombre leather. It has a woodsy, masculine feel to it, and that’s what I’m most drawn to. If you want something a little more feminine, Le Labo Santal 33 or Byredo Young Rose. If your perfume has any floral notes at all, it needs to be offset with woody ingredients. ”
—As told by Dice Vedra
Photographed by Meiwen See in San Francisco on July 12, 2023
