Empowerment by colour

SOMETIMES all you need for a quick boost of confidence is a fresh swipe of lipstick to tackle your day head-on, like an invisible force encapsulating your entire being, and to think, all that just from a little crimson on your lips.
What’s perhaps, even better is that now, your little pigment-packed essential can help you contribute a part in an effort to advance women empowerment, with Elizabeth Arden’s latest March On campaign.
Enlisting A-list celebrity, brand storyteller-in-chief, and female advocate, Reese Witherspoon, the beauty brand with an extensive history of compelling women’s movement, is pledging to donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of its limited edition March On red lipstick to UN Women.
The pledge includes a US$1m donation to UN Women in support of their work to help women across the world achieve their full potential.
In an intimate gathering on March 21, in Cocott KL to support the cause, the company invited two surprise speakers, Selangor state assembly speaker YB Hannah Yeoh, and SushiVid CEO, Yuhwen Foong, to share their inspiring experiences.
According to regional brand manager, Jean Chan, the two women represented fields that are traditionally more male-dominated, and was chosen for each of their unique presence in politics and tech.
“For Wen [Foong], I thought it was really quite interesting because she started off with being a banker, and then an aspiring actress, a business analyst, and then she decided, hey, let’s do something different,” said Chan.
Foong specialises in the tech world – which flourished from personal interest in coding – where she’s created a niche in influencer marketing, connecting brands to people with significant social media presence.
“You don’t find a lot of women who have that kind of technical skills to understand it [social media and tech] to present it.
The major theme that was stressed that day was women empowering other women, and how to be fearless in seizing opportunities that usually tend to favour males by speaking out.
Chan says: “At the end of the day, we need to empower ourselves, but we need to support each other, and making a statement can come in a lot of forms, from speaking out, to wearing bright lipstick.
“It is about a statement … [when] you put some colour on your lips, you will feel confident, you will feel happy, and it’s very uplifting."
One such example is from Elizabeth Arden herself, who, in 1912, was an early advocate of women’s rights, and gave red lipsticks – at that time a taboo – to the suffragettes marching on Fifth Avenue.
Meanwhile, Yeoh urged the younger generation of girls “to not reduce yourselves into a box that society sets for you,” saying that because of peer pressure as a student, she opted for science stream instead of arts.
“Don’t let people dictate to you what you should be doing with your life, I think that’s very important, and the bold thing really is to pursue what you know you are good at,” encouraged Yeoh.