I Am Her: Evelyn Marieta On Living Conscious Beauty | Clozette


Our “I Am Her” series features the female movers and shakers of the industry to learn how femininity and power coincide beautifully and seamlessly together.


When it comes to quirky and whimsical, natural and effective products, Evelyn Marieta is the one you seek. She began experimenting on lip products for personal use, creating products that were kind to her skin. This eventually led to the birth of Wunderbath, which advocates handmade, vegan and cruelty-free bath and cosmetics items.


(Photo from: @wunderbath.co) 


Call her a bath scientist with a comedic edge. It was a mere prank on her husband that inspired one of her earliest creations — a soap shaped like a sunny side up egg — that kick-started this mission to offer users conscious beauty products and helped her carve her own niche in the industry.


You have amazing skin. Spill: what’s your top beauty secret?


My skin is super sensitive so my goal is to reduce redness and prevent flare-ups.


I got rid of sulphate (SLS/SLES) from all of my products because it irritates my [sensitive] skin. If you have redness all over your skin after a face wash, check your facial cleanser, as it may contain sulphates. Not everyone is sensitive to it, but if you are, switch to sulphate free formulation instead.


(Photo from: @wunderbath.co)


What sets Wunderbath apart from other brands?


We are fully customisable. Aside from manufacturing [products] we also help brands think of creative gift options through careful research and the use of plant-based ingredients.


Our products are tailored for the South East Asian market, for example, a Musang King flavoured lip balm, Kopi-C scented candle and even a sprayable moisturiser to suit the humidity in this region.


Who is your beauty icon, and why?


Audrey Hepburn. She’s such a beauty icon and yet she didn’t stop there. She has done so much in her life to contribute to society; she’s courageous, kind and passionate. Such an inspiration.


What is the #1 Wunderbath product that you would recommend to our readers?


Fairy Godmother body butter. We’ve had so many success stories on how this body butter helps people and their kids to keep eczema at bay. Many of our customers have sent us photos of their skin’s drastic improvement after using our body butter. The body butter range took me the most time to R&D too, so I’ll always have a special spot for it in my heart.


(Photo from: @evelynmarietta)



Name five essentials in your closet a.k.a. Clozette.


A well-fitted pencil skirt, a plain black or white top, fur jacket, anything with polka dots or stripes, [and a pair of] yellow pumps.


You wear so many hats and have excelled in all your endeavours. What's next for you?


Thank you so much, you’re so kind! This year I’m determined to explore other challenges and opportunities using the skills I’ve acquired from Wunderbath.


From that exploration, I’ve teamed up with two other amazing individuals to provide amazing quality ingredients in small quantities to help small businesses just like Wunderbath to grow. I was also lucky enough to be connected with a group of refugees who make their own soap! I’ll be assisting them with perfecting their handmade formulations.


On more personal matters, I’ll be launching DIY tutorials really soon, so stay tuned!


(Cover photo from: @evelynmarietta)


Inspired? Check out stories of other exceptional women here.


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Moisturisers have recently been put in the hot seat. After years of reigning as the ultimate skincare product, it's now being labelled as a non-essential by some members of the beauty community, and to some, it can be considered as useless.  It's said that the effects of moisturisers are just superficial and that it's just a temporary solution to addressing skin issues such as dryness and roughness. But in my personal opinion, the matter is not really black and white.


My current skin situation 


To recap, there are three main types of moisturisers: humectants, emollients and occlusives. Humectants are primarily those that have Hyaluronic Acid as their star ingredient. This powerful substance gets moisture from its environment then uses it to hydrate the skin. On the other hand, emollients, which are what most moisturiser critics are referring to, lubricate skin due to its own lipid properties. It can give you smooth and soft skin in an instant. Lastly, occlusives are those that form a protective barrier to seal in all moisture and serums to prevent TEWL (transepidermal water loss). So you see, not all moisturisers function the same way. 




Recently, I found out that I'm suffering from dehydrated skin, which means my skin barrier is compromised and TEWL is off the charts. That's a big problem because serums have light molecules and if they will just evaporate off my skin instead of penetrating deep into its layers then I'm wasting money. In my quest to quench my complexion, I came across some nice occlusive moisturisers and hydrating masks. These have helped a lot and I definitely feel my skin going back to its healthy state. So is it time to stop using these products? Can I ever go back to not using them again? I banished moisturiser from my routine to find out.


The Experiment


After a night of putting on only toners and serums, nothing changed. For four days I went on with this routine without noticing any detrimental or beneficial change; my skin was in a plateau. But by the fifth day, I noticed that my skin was becoming oilier during the day, especially in the chin area. It was alarming because having oilier than usual skin is a tell-tale sign of dehydrated skin. Believe me when I say that I wanted to be chill about giving up moisturisers but I can't just sit here and let my skin go back to its unhealthy form.




I tried looking for other replacements and luckily, I found one in Human Nature's Overnight Elixir, which is basically a concoction of different types of beneficial oils such as rosehip, sunflower and coconut. After using it for two days, my skin bounced back. No more excessive oiliness! 


Verdict


Once this 7-day challenge was over, I used both facial oil and moisturiser on my skin to see if there's a difference. I wanted to know if using facial oil alone would be sufficient. And the answer is yes — to an extent. Whenever I use moisturiser, there's still a noticeable difference in terms of texture so I won't be giving it up completely. Instead, I plan to apply it every other day. Although, once summer comes and creams will be too heavy for the weather, I'll stick to facial oils.


Next, find out what happens when you stop using a facial cleanser for a week here.


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There's no denying that we all aim to have skin that looks like it's lit from within. So we reach for products that illuminate our complexion and help it give off a healthy glow. That's exactly what the products in the Shu Uemura #myglowID box we received aim to help you achieve. 


Start off with the Stage Performer Block Booster Primer for a clean slate. It doesn't only prepare the skin for makeup but also protects it from harsh environmental elements. Next, for a naturally radiant finish, get your hands on the new and improved Lightbulb Foundation, which promises "breathable second-skin glow." If you want something lighter, go for the new Lightbulb Cushion Foundation, which has an ultra-thin texture that's so easy to blend.


To effectively apply the foundation, you need the right tool. For seamless application even with eyes closed, solicit the help of the Petal 55 Brush in Jet Black, which has 189,000 bristles for the perfect finish. 


Watch the video above to take a closer look at these products before heading off to your favourite Shu Uemura counter!


(Cover photo from: @shuuemura)


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