Jennifer writes me from Bali, but that statement itself is a contradiction. Born and raised in Bali, Indonesia in a bicultural family, Jennifer has always had a taste for extraordinary experiences. From traveling to new countries to spending her free time volunteering at animal shelters, Jennifer is always on the go and relies on products that will get the job done. I recently got the opportunity to chat with Jennifer about her job, beauty routine, and how the women in her life keep her grounded in the here and now.

“One week shy of my fifteenth birthday, I moved to California to further my education. In California, my love for makeup grew because of the variety and stores dedicated to beauty products. Back in Bali, the only place I was able to buy makeup was at a makeup counter in department stores. Now, we have Sephora and other beauty and personal care stores all over. During my time in California, I also learned about the importance of skincare. I tried many different skincare products, some didn’t work, some I liked, and some are holy grails that I cannot do without.

Morning Routine:

On a working day, I take a shower and cleanse my face. I don’t like to rush in the morning, I like to relax and calm my thoughts before tackling the day, so I always give myself a full hour to get ready before I leave for work. Depending on my mood, I’ll put on my folk-acoustic playlist or my R&B K-Pop playlist. To prep my skin, I use a toner, serum, and a moisturizing sunscreen. I add a couple of extra steps like an essence or eye serum for my nighttime skincare routine. For makeup, I like to keep it simple but still look put together and sophisticated. Sometimes, I can go without using a foundation, but if I do use one, I love using a cushion foundation since it’s quick and easy. Then I fill in my brows, add a neutral color shadow to my eyelids, mascara, peach blush, and either a nude brown or orange-brown lipstick. If I have extra time, I'll make myself a cup of coffee. Lastly, before I leave the house, I spritz some perfume on.

Skincare:

After moving back to Bali, I didn’t realize how difficult it was to find a lot of my favorite skincare/makeup products from the States. I wanted to find something local and good quality that had natural, clean ingredients and as cruelty-free as possible. Sensatia Botanicals’ Green Tea & Tamarind Facial Cleanser is one such brand and works! I love the aloe texture and the formula doesn’t cause any irritation to my skin. It doesn’t have any artificial fragrance only a nice light herbal green tea scent. For makeup remover, I’ve been using Bioderma Sensibio H20 for years and I have tried other micellar waters. Nothing beats this one. The main reason why I love this cleanser above all else is that it doesn’t irritate my eyes and leave my face oily as some micellar waters do. For toner, I use COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner. A lot of their products are geared towards acne-prone skin and they are very effective. This toner helps get rid of tiny bumps I sometimes get from air pollution from riding around town on motorcycles. I alternate between two serums for my skincare routine. I use Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Drops and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum. I also use an eye serum at night! I am currently using The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum to help with any puffiness under my eyes. For moisturizer, I like Sensatia Botanticals’ Indian Fig Finishing Dream Cream. It’s light and sinks into the skin well while balancing out sebum levels. For sunscreen, Kiss My Face’s Face Factor SPF 50 is great as a moisturizer AND sunscreen. It gets the job done and doesn’t leave a white cast, the most important thing for me when choosing a sunscreen. My absolute favorite lip treatment is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I only use this at night or if I don’t plan to use a liquid lipstick on top. Otherwise, I use Palmer’s Cocoa Butter All-in-One Everywhere Mini Balm. For weekly treatments, I do exfoliate my face twice a week and enjoy Sukin’s Super Greens Detoxifying Facial Scrub. For facial masks, I’m not so picky. I do love Korean sheet masks because they’re quick, easy, and pretty mess-free. I do facial masks about two to three times a week.

Makeup:

For foundation, I am obsessed with the YSL Le Cushion Encre De Peau Fushion Ink Cushion in Shade 50 and the Rose All Day The Realest Lightweight Foundation in Warm Honey. YSL has a glowy/dewy finish while the Rose All Day has a satin finish. I love the Mad for Makeup Incredibrow Brow Enhancer to fill in my brow a little. I love the skinny shape of the pencil rather than a thick triangular one. I top it off with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Espresso. My holy grail lipstick is MAC’s Lipstick in Whirl! I love it! I also enjoy Maybelline’s Superstay Matte Ink in Amazonian and BLP’s Lip Coat in Pumpkin Sorbet.

The Look:

For my everyday look, I love to look glowy, healthy, and natural. I tend to move towards browns, bronze, and peach in the color zone. I go light on the eyes and maybe use one or two neutral eyeshadow shades. I like to use foundation to even out my skin tone, but I still like to have my freckles show through. Too Faced Sweethearts Bronzer gives me a slight luminous glow so I apply that around the perimeter of my face. On a night out with my colleagues or friends, I do enjoy going bolder with my eyes, and maybe use a bolder lip color like Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella. I can’t live without a brownish-nude and orange-brown lipstick with me at all times. I always carry one or two in my purse, work bag, and travel bag.

Inspiration:

A lot of people inspire me like my mother. I love how selfless and forgiving my mother is and she was the first person who introduced me to makeup. She has a positive outlook on life, even when she faced so many adversities. She was not able to complete her high school education, so years later after she had me and my brother, she went back and got her high school degree. My free-spirited and creative grandmother taught me perseverance. She suffered from cancer for most of her life and eventually succumbed, but she was extremely resilient. She continued to make art and spend time with the people who loved her. I also love Emma Watson for her advocacy. She’s passionate about spreading awareness on gender equality and is so graceful and eloquent.

Current Projects:

I am currently working on becoming a better version of myself. I tend to compare my life’s journey to others and I often ask myself, 'Am I doing the right thing? Am I on the right track to becoming successful?' However, I’ve realized that when you are happy and surrounded by things, people, work that makes you happy then you’re truly successful. I want to continue to do things that I love. Whether it’s traveling, beauty, animal and marine conservation, interacting with people from around the world, and teaching. I love to learn and gain new skills. I just love to give back any way I can.”