The first regional style-centric event – StyleCon Asia – was recently hosted in Kuala Lumpur and the two-day affair brought together a community of beauty lovers and style makers as they engaged over common interests (beauty and fashion) while connecting with some of the top beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands on a global scale.
Brought to you by Gushcloud and StyleHaul, StyleCon Asia toured in four cities – Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Manila – with some of the biggest beauty influencers from these cities, together with global YouTube icon and beauty guru Lindy Tsang, who is better known as Bubzbeauty.
For the stop at Kuala Lumpur, girls got to hear from Lindy, as well as other influencers like Singapore’s Roseanne Tang, Malaysia’s Emily Quak, FaaFirds, Mina Rosli, BeautywithTashy and more. As beauty lovers ourselves, it was a privilege to be a part of the activities and panel discussions to learn from these successful influencers.
As you can tell from the title, we were lucky enough to be given an opportunity to hang out with Bubzbeauty! Yeap, we’re still pinching ourselves and are extremely grateful. She’s such a wonderful, kind and humble soul, and we couldn’t love her more. Read below as we spoke of her YouTube channel, advice for aspiring YouTubers, being a mother and little quirks that make her her.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your YouTube story.
A: My name is Lindy, although people know me as Bubz. It’s been eight years since I started on YouTube. What made me start was when there was an economy crisis and I was working at my family’s restaurant with a lot of time during the day. When I was in university, I watched a bunch of beauty tutorials. Even just five minutes a day really helped to lift my spirits up and remove me from my stresses. When I started to make videos, it was just so I can share what I was learning. I wasn’t great at it, but my motto is, “be willing to try and learn.” So, it’s been eight years and I’m still running.
Q: What did you expect to take from coming to Asia for the StyleCon Asia tour?
A: I knew the food would be fantastic. Everybody has been raving about the food here and yesterday, we were given Wagyu fried rice and it was amazing (from Hacha Mecha)! It was the best fried rice I’ve ever had! So far, not disappointed at all. I’ve been told that the people are really friendly too.
I feel really excited to be in Malaysia, because for the first time, I get to meet my Malaysian followers. I just hope to take home good memories. We had an intimate makeup session earlier and it was the best. It’s just being able to meet the Malaysian folks in real life, being able to hug them and hear their stories.
Q: Who are some YouTubers you watch?
A: I don’t watch tutorials as much as I used to. Michelle Phan will always be one of my favourites. She’s one of my good friends and she’s always been very inspiring. She’s so calming to listen to. Blogilates, I just love her. I watch a bunch of vloggers. I love Judy! I like Pony, PearyPie and Nigahiga. There are so many inspiring people out there!
Q: What would you say is the necessary mindset to have to build a legitimate YouTube career?
A: When a lot of YouTubers first started, they clearly didn’t know they were going to make it. They just love to share, tell stories and create. You need to be passionate about what you do and not be distracted by numbers. These days a lot of young people are frustrated and disappointed because they don’t have as many followers, but as long as you are passionate and when it’s meant to be, it will follow.
You also need to be open to criticism; good and bad. Good criticism can help you improve, and bad – you need to develop a thicker skin. You need to be able to take judgement and realise that you can’t please everybody. You have to accept that not everybody is going to like you. Being exposed to the raw side of YouTube actually made me feel more comfortable in my own skin. You can let it destroy you or use it to your advantage to be a more secure person.
Q: What are some of the challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
A: People are surprised when they find that online bullying doesn’t bother me that much. So many people have asked how I deal with negativity. My answer has always been that I don’t have to deal with it. When someone gives you a poisonous snake, you don’t want it. When someone gives you judgement, you don’t have to take it. I can’t control what people say or think, but I can control my own attitude.
Another challenge I have is finding inspiration. I try not to give myself as much pressure as I used to. In terms of disappointment with the growth of the channel, I don’t focus on my numbers. Even until now I don’t know how many subscribers I have, not because I don’t care; I’m thankful for every one of them, but to me, it’s not the most important thing. I do what I love and I don’t stress about my views. There’s so much more to life than money.
Q: You’ve lived in several countries. What would you say is the biggest difference in beauty trends you’ve noticed?
A: I’ve lived in Hong Kong for six years and there, they follow K-beauty. In the U.K., it’s a bit more edgy and spunky. People experiment with makeup more in the U.K. In Hong Kong, the K-beauty trends that they follow are quite specific. The styles aren’t as diverse as the styles I’ve seen in the U.K.
Q: How do you strive to be that beautiful person inside and out? What keeps you going?
A: It’s definitely a journey. Some days I’ll have good days and some others I’ll have bad days. Honestly, I don’t see myself as role model material but I try to do my best. Also, I try to accept all the flaws about myself and other people. When you realise that nobody is perfect, you just have more compassion for them. You can’t see beauty in other people unless you see beauty in yourself.
Q: What keeps you sane, amidst the popularity that you have and your hectic schedule?
A: I love to get my rubber gloves on and clean the toilet. This is what my life has come down to! When my house is completely clean, it makes me feel so good. I just love to have a good, clean house and cook a good meal. Party time!
Q: What has changed since becoming a mom?
A: It has changed in every way. Back then, I was so good at thinking about me. You just learn to compromise and be selfless. Last time, I would get up, brush my teeth, and if I wanted to, I could go to England. Now, I think of whether my son is fed, or whether he is hungry. Before we go out, I need to bring my baby bag and pack stuff he may need.
For my beauty regime, I definitely don’t have as much time as I used to but it’s important for me to take care of myself. I learned that beauty products work to an extent, but when you’re not drinking enough water and you’re not eating right, nothing can cover that.
Q: Tell us five things people don’t necessarily know about you.
A: 1 – I’m quite allergic to oranges. 2 – I think I’m actually 1.49m in height rather than 1.50m, I just rounded it up! 3 – When I was young, I used to go on chatrooms just to troll other people because I thought it was fun. 4 – I used to be a magazine designer. 5 – I once sat on a durian when I was a child. Someone put it into a rice sack and I didn’t bleed but I remember it really hurt.
Q: What are the contents of your current makeup bag?
A: I’m loving the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone and Rose Gold, the BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Ultimate Brow Palette, the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Naked 2. Recently, I discovered an amazing highlight for the under eyes from Make Up Store, called Moonshadow. It’s the perfect amount of champagne peach put together. It’s unique, I’ve never seen anything like it.
Q: If you could only use three makeup products for one year, what would they be?
A: It would be a brow palette, concealer and a tinted lip balm. It’s easy!
Q: What is your ideal lazy day outfit when you’re going out?
A: I just go out in my PJs. In the U.K., it’s so cold so I would wear a jacket to cover up. Having said that, I do just go out in my gym gear. It’s quite trendy now so even if you go out, it’s still quite stylish. You feel quite good about it. Even though people are really stylish there, I don’t care what people think. Yesterday, I went out in a sheet mask to look for my friend in another room.
You can stay updated with Lindy by following her on YouTube (Bubzbeauty and Bubzvlogz), Facebook or Instagram. Do also check out our interview with Malaysian beauty guru Natasha Afzal! 😉
