Last week, we had the pleasure of interviewing one of Singapore’s pioneer beauty bloggers, Sesame Chew (Vivawoman), when she came to try out our Just For Her Ritual. Here’s the full-length interview we did with her!
1. Can you tell us more about yourself?
Blogging about green beauty is a hobby for me. I enjoy writing and like to experiment with digital designs. I am not a professional, but I enjoy dabbling and tweaking the elements on my blog at vivawoman. I used to spend more time online, but recently I have cut back due to time constraints. In my free time, I like to spend quality time with my family. We could be chilling out at a cafe or going on short trips on the weekends.
2. What made you start a blog to review beauty and skincare tips?
I did not start off in this category, to be honest. In fact, one of my first personal blogs was about parenting.
In the mid-2000s, blogging was a trend, and I heard about the hype from my students. As a teacher, I always try to relate to my students and speak the same lingo as them; understanding what my students do and what they read is important to me.
Along the way, I came to realise that there were many beauty bloggers in the USA, but only a handful here in Singapore. I had always been interested in beauty, but I lost touch after my child came along. Most beauty bloggers also liked to talk and review commercial products, which are common. I thought it was a great opportunity to kickstart a beauty blog with a niche in organic and natural skincare, since going green was a big aspect of my lifestyle.
Being a skincare fanatic, I decided to blog about skincare to better take care of myself and, at the same time, to provide advice to busy women who don’t have time to take care of themselves.
3. What do you enjoy reviewing most on your blog?
I don’t like to review products because it is a bit boring to me. In fact, I am more excited writing about skincare. Recently, my interest is more in K-beauty. Their products and tips somehow work for me.
4. What is the best skincare advice you received?
Facial massage! I realised that it’s effective, and I first learnt it from beauticians. Along the way, I did some research and found out about a famous Japanese beauty expert, Yukuko Tanaka and her anti-ageing massage techniques. It worked well for me, so I simplified it and incorporated the technique into my daily skincare regimen.
5. What is the biggest misconception about beauty bloggers?
Some people used to think that beauty bloggers like to write fluff about beauty and reviews. Many also used to see them as superficial or vain. I believe that there is more to it than just vanity. Skin is the largest organ in our body, and it is important to take care of skin health. To me, applying sunscreen is not a form of vanity, but rather more as a way to protect your organ from the harmful effects of skin cancer.
However, this misconception has cleared over the years. Even professional dermatologists have come online to contribute their expertise, providing a huge help to the readers out there.
6. With so many beauty blogs in Singapore, how do you differentiate vivawoman.net from others?
I’m probably one of the few beauty bloggers who blog about green beauty. Although my niche is in beauty, I have also expanded my blog focus to be more holistic with green lifestyle features.
7. Tell us about your first experience here in Ikeda Spa
A few years back, my colleague mentioned her experience at Ikeda Spa to me. Her review prompted me to seek an exciting experience at the Hinoki Onsen Bath.
I had seen Ikeda Spa Prestige’s interior online, but I was surprised when I first stepped into the spa. I never knew an Onsen would fit in this kind of setting. All in all, the entire place looks soothing, contributing to the pleasant experience I had here.
8. What piqued your interest in the Just For Her Ritual?
When I first saw the treatment, I did not have any idea what it was. It looked interesting and elegant to me, and I knew the little details were well taken care of.
9. Who will you recommend this package to?
I will recommend it to my colleague. We have done a 6-hour spa before in Batam, so knowing that she loves visiting spas, I will recommend it to her!
