Lance ThooWelcome to another edition of “What’s Neue from 9 to 5”. In this segment, 9 questions would be about people’s opinion on general and everyday things, while the last 5 questions would be fairly chill and more tongue in cheek.
We here at Neue believe that every person out there has a story to tell.
This week, we find out What’s Neue with EaHui, the founder of @eahuimakeup.lash.
“At first glance, you might think that I look fierce, especially when I don’t smile,” said the makeup artist and lash stylist. “But I do smile … well, more on the inside!”
“I’m really a friendly person,” she said (with a smile, of course!)
Let’s see how she responds to this week’s #Neue9to5 questions.
The Tough 9’ers:
1. Who are you thankful for having in your life?
My parents. They’ve always been there for me – through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, as well as the good times and bad. I’m very thankful for having a healthy and happy childhood.
2. Everyone has a story. What’s yours?
I’ve always enjoyed exploring from a young age. Growing up, I’ve dabbled in dance performances and bagged some awards along the way from tournaments.
However, it was during my teenage years that I grew increasingly interested in earning my own money.
(Confession time!) When I was 13, I would download music and burn them on CDs and sell them. (Hehe!) Aside from that, I also earned commission working as an agent overseeing the sale of clothing, fashion accessories, Valentine’s Day gifts, among other things.
During my uni years, I worked part-time as an account assistant for an IT company and also as a cashier for my university’s minimart.
After university, I learnt more about makeup and hairdos by attending courses conducted in Malaysia and Taiwan.
When I returned to Brunei, I worked as a Human Resources (HR) officer while moonlighting as a makeup artist. After working for 3 years, I resigned from my office job to fully focus on my makeup career.
3. You’re a makeup artist. What are the challenges of pursuing this as a full-time career?
It was tough in the beginning. A lot of marketing work was needed. I started off by working closely with models who’d get their makeup and hairdos done by me. I would then share these pictures on social media. Over time, the number of followers grew and I began getting more enquiries from prospective customers.
After 3 years working in an office, I decided to resign and to focus all my time and energy on pursuing a career in makeup artistry. I can honestly tell you that I enjoy doing this full time!
4. Ever felt like giving up?
When I first started doing eyelash extensions, I learnt the hard way that this was something that required LOTS of patience! In my early days, I’d spend 3 hours working on a client and my eyes would be tired and sore by the end of it.
My advice to anyone who’s thinking about giving up is this: “Remember, it takes determination and hard work to make your dream come true!”
Over time (and after lots of practice), I was able to complete eyelash extension work on my customers in 1.5 hours. So never give up!
5. What is something you wished people knew about you?
I’m just going to be perfectly honest here: I tell a lot of lame jokes!
Take, for example, the following:
Question: Lim, Tan and Goh, who knows everything?
Answer: It’s Tan! Because Thanos. (Get it?! Tan … knows?!)
I did warn you earlier that this was going to be a lame joke! (Haha!)
6. What is your hope in the future of Brunei?
Brunei truly does have tremendous potential. After all, we do have so many talented people. (Some of them might be hidden though!) I sincerely hope that all those talented people would be given a good platform to showcase their talents that’ll make Brunei proud.
7. What’s something that you’ve learnt over the years that you would like to share with the world?
I’ve learnt to be more expressive, no matter what problems I may be facing or how happy or upset I may be feeling.
I get inspiration whenever I talk to people about my problems.
I find ‘coaching’ to be rather therapeutic. I’d normally turn to coaching whenever I feel lost in terms of my career or personal life.
8. Knowing what you know now … what’s something you wished you knew about life much sooner in your younger years?
I wished I was more forgiving during my teenage years. I think I’d be a lot happier back then.
9. What would you say to someone who’s thinking about getting married but cannot afford to have a big ceremony?
A wedding ceremony doesn’t have to be big and luxurious.
I honestly believe that couples can work within their budget. Perhaps they could do more research on their budget and learn from other married couples.
I think if couples were to spend more than they can afford, they’ll struggle financially, which may possibly lead to an unhappy marriage.
At the end of the day, it’s best to work within your budget. Honestly, you don’t need to invite everyone you know. Close relatives and friends would do just fine too!
The Easy 5’ers:
1. Shark diving, bungee jumping or skydiving? Choose one!
Shark diving? Nope! I honestly don’t want to be eaten by a shark! (Come to think of it, who does?)
Bungee-jumping is terribly unnerving to even watch, what more to actually do it! And I think when it comes to bungee-jumping, I think we’re just too close to the ground,, don’t you think so too? That said, I’ll give bungee-jumping a miss!
So I guess I’ll just go with skydiving. I mean it is, after all, high enough! (Well, higher than bungee-jumping that is!)
Plus, I’m sure the view up there would be simply breathtaking!
2. Would you rather never have Internet access again or never be able to take an airplane again?
Oh gosh! That’s hard! I wished I could keep both!
But I love travel and exploring far more than surfing the Internet.
I cannot imagine travelling without an aircraft!
3. If you could change one physical & non-physical thing about yourself, what would it be?
Physical: I wish I could be blessed with non-sensitive skin. My skin is so sensitive! I break out easily 🙁
Non-physical: I’d like to have more patience. And hopefully, this would make me less emotional 🙂
4. What song best describes your life?
“A Whole New World” from Disney’s Aladdin.
5. An 8-year-old version of yourself magically appears in front of you. You have only 1 minute to tell her everything that you know now before she goes back in time. What would you say to her?
“Hey little girl! Please stop bullying your brother. Love him more.” (I used to fight with my sibling for toys!)
“Be more forgiving and you will surely feel happier!”
“Smile more! You look prettier when you smile.”
Bonus question: What would you like to say to all our Neue readers? Do you have any words or inspiration or a life story you’d like to share?
Enjoy and appreciate every moment that you are having now. Don’t be too stingy to express love to your loved ones. It can not only brighten their day, but yours too!
See You In The Next #Neue9to5
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