Telum Talks To... Amira Azman, Beauty Editor, STAIL.MY
Interview

Telum Talks To... Amira Azman, Beauty Editor, STAIL.MY

As the Beauty Editor of STAIL.MY, what does your typical day look like?
The beginning of my day will always be a brainstorming session with my editor, Azreezal, and the rest of the STAIL.MY team. We put our heads together to deliver fresh, new, daily beauty content on our website. On top of that, I also produce weekly / monthly social content shared on YouTube and Instagram. Being in the digital industry requires me to be on full-alert mode for the latest trends, so we can quickly react and adapt within our means. A good example is when PR kits are sent to us, I need to quickly test and review the products before recommending it to our readers who will be exposed to similar content. By being quick on our feet, we are constantly solidifying our place on the frontline of the industry.

You have the power to shape the beauty content of STAIL.MY. What considerations do you take into account before starting a new piece?
I like to put myself in our readers’ perspective. We always approach a topic with the intention of helping them with skincare / beauty challenges that they face, or educating them on topics that they would be interested in. The effective way to do that is by asking questions to people around me. From there, I would kick off the research by talking to experts and digging through the Internet for a better understanding of what I am writing about. At the end of the day, my readers are the top priority so it’s important for them to not only enjoy, but also benefit from my content.

There’s 15 Fresh Faces on STAIL.MY's website as we went to press. Tell us more about the initiative.
STAIL.MY Fresh Face is our annual initiative to provide a platform for Malaysians to showcase their talent. It has been running for five years and we have discovered many talented individuals across the country. We choose millennials with a clear vision of where they want to be, and at the same time are currently on the lookout for a starting point to launch their career. Our task is to fill in the gaps and let them shine in this industry so that they can create portfolios that will allow them to hopefully open some doors. Through the programme, we introduce them to the glitz and glam of fashion and beauty through photo shoots / events for them to learn and have fun at the same time.

In your opinion, to what extent does the media and PR community have the ability to influence a society's beauty standard, given that the definition of beauty is subjective to one person?
I believe that the media still has a strong influence on society when it comes to beauty despite the rapid rise of beauty influencers dominating the market. Considering ourselves to be a modern media, we stay away from the need to educate readers to follow the beauty standards that the world has set for us. Instead, we focus on sharing authenticity and offer choices for them to consider based on ongoing trends. We believe that we are allowing freedom for our readers to define their own beauty based on the content we’re putting out as guidelines.

What are your thoughts about the rise of local beauty and cosmetic products?
We have so many local brands to choose now! However, in terms of quality, not all brands that we have seen are able to deliver. It is unsettling to see a number of these brands are using false advertising to push personal propagandas in their campaigns. The local beauty industry should definitely be regulated and closely monitored considering that we are now living in 2020. This mindset has to go for us to be able to catch up to our neighbours like South Korea and Japan that are thriving in the industry.
 
We are not saying that our industry is not excelling. A lot of local brands are making us proud with their products. I myself use an eye palette from a local brand to create my everyday look, but it is important for us to remember that we are still growing, and we need to continue to support the local industry so we can move forward.

If there's only one beauty item that you can carry at one time, what would it be and why?
Lipstick, for sure. I carry at least 10 in my bag at all times! I can go through my day without a mascara or eyebrow pencil but not lipstick. I love that it is multi-purpose. I can use it on my lips, as a blusher, and on my eyelids to give a bit of color on my eyes. You can achieve all kinds of look - day, night, or even party look with a single stick! My current favorites are Benefit Cosmetics Benetint, M.A.C Taupe, and Rouge Dior 964. Without these three, I would say my life is over!

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Telum Media

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Amira Azman

Content Manager, Digital & Special Projects

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STAIL.MY

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