Sulian Tan-Wijaya, Senior Director, Retail & Lifestyle at Savills Singapore, and Anastasia Ling, CEO of Quintessentially

When did you have your first beauty conversation with each other?

Sulian: A few years ago, Anastasia asked me about my role as a Key Opinion Leader for SK-II and the advertising campaigns I had done with the brand. That was when she invited me to be the brand ambassador for UK luxury concierge company, Quintessentially, whose Singapore operation she co-owns.

Anastasia: When I knew of Sulian’s SK-II involvement, I told her I thought she was a good choice for Quintessentially because she has naturally good skin and is quite the fuss-free person. 

Why do you discuss beauty with her more than with anyone else?

Sulian: To be honest, I don’t really have beauty conversations. I admire Anastasia for her natural and inner beauty. She is also very fit an active, so I often ask her about her fitness routines, which I feel is a more effective way to stay young and beautiful.

We’re both tomboys at heart. Anastasia hardly wears make-up and I’ve worn the same brown eye shadow everyday for 1.5 years. We both don’t wear any foundation and we don’t follow fashion trends. I think we will probably give each other a lot of wrong beauty advice if we start consulting each other.

But this is how we are. I’m inspired by Anastasia’s natural beauty and personality, so any advice I get from her is either fitness related or on how she manages to pack so much in a day without looking a day older.

Anastasia: I too don't have many beauty discussions in general. I am not the typical "girly" girl although I do like trying different skincare products. On the whole, I’d rather keep things as minimalist as possible, whether it’s fashion, my beauty regime or anything else.

I am always in awe of how Sulian manages to maintain her looks and health so well despite being a mother of two grown-up children and having a hectic work life. She is also the no-fuss type. I believe what keeps her so youthful is a having a youthful outlook on life as well as a beautiful heart, mind and soul! Of course, good genes help! 

Both of us are probably not very good with beauty advice considering we don't have much to dispense! Besides, there are so many products and regimes in the marketplace these days and you can find all sorts of beauty advice on the internet. We always joke that we look younger than our age because we enjoy the work we do (which keeps us on our toes) and we are grateful for the life we have. 

What are some of the things you do together to look and feel good?

Sulian: Because we’re both so busy with work, we try to catch up over lunch, dinner or by attending some fashion or jewellery events together. For us, this is an indulgence, a luxury and the closest we can get to doing “girl” things together.

We usually find time in between work to catch up on each others’ lives and we often turn to each other for practical advice, however impractical the matter may be.  Being time-poor, we try to cover as much ground as possible each time we meet. Its almost like a ‘meeting” but a whole lot more fun.

Anastasia:  Hanging out with each other while having meaningful and interesting conversations probably beats any beauty regime to look and feel good. We probably feed off each other's positive vibes and zest for life because both of us have so much energy and it is infectious. Or maybe we both need regular intellectual stimulation, which might just be the key to looking and feeling good! 

We also love to bond over food, so we enjoy trying different restaurants together.

What's the best beauty/wellness advice she’s given you?

Sulian: We both have the same advice…  
Anastasia: Stay natural…

She is beautiful because …

Sulian: she is exuberant, passionate and kind

Anastasia: she is confident of who she is and has a generous heart.