Her World Singapore – September 2019

TO KNOW

B

PHOTOGRAPHY

VEE CHIN

TOP

SPORTMAX

BANGLE

APM MONACO

PANTS & BELT

CYNTHIA CHUA’S OWN

SheturnedBrazilianwaxing

fromataboo,hush-hush

procedureintoaroutine

partofgrooming.Through

cheeky,clevercampaigns,

shechangedthewaywomen

inSingaporeviewhair

removal,makingitafun,non-

intimidatingexperience.

Chua,48,says:“Before

theStripsalonswere

launchedin2002,Brazilian

waxingwasmostlyaWestern

concept.InSingapore,it

wasoftenassociatedwith

dodgystudiosthatdishedout

unhygienicandpainfulwaxes.

Iwantedtogivewomen

betteroptions.”

Afreespiritwhoretainsa

child’scuriosityandwhy-not

mindset,sheattributesher

wide-rangingbusinessideas

topersonalexperiences,the

gapssheseesinthemarket,

andthepeopleshemeets.

Thesehavegivenriseto

servicesandproductsboth

inventiveandunusual.Her

SpaEspritmassage-and-spa

chain,forinstance,isknown

foritsquirkyvibesandnovel

treatments,suchastheSuper

Vibratorwhichusesthe

soundsofTibetansinging

bowlsandtingshacymbals.

Thespasalsointroducedcult

andindiebrandslikeSCO

andMalin+Goetztothe

Singaporemarket.Thenthere

istheBrowhauschainwhich

drewattentiontoeyebrow

THE TABOO

BREAKER

CYNTHIA CHUA

FOUNDER OF SPA

ESPRIT GROUP

and eyelash grooming like

never before.

Her overarching goal

was always the same: to

help women be completely

body-confident. And this is

why she came up with her

latest beauty venture – the

evocatively named Two Lips

range of vulva-care products.

That’s right, skincare for

your nethers.

“I want women to reclaim

their vulvas and vaginas as

assets that need to be cared

for with the same love and

attention we give to the rest

of our body. I know I’m taking

on a taboo subject – but I

make it fun and accessible,”

she says.

“Many customers and

friends have spoken to me

about vulva concerns such as

dry and itchy skin. I saw the

need for products that are fun,

multipurpose and effective.

It’s really heartening to see

that the Two Lips Blackout

mask sold out worldwide just

2 ½ months after its launch,

and we recently hit the $1

million mark just shy of our

first anniversary. This is the

best validation we could wish

for,” says Chua.

“I want

women to

reclaim their

vulvas and

vaginas as

assets that

need to be

cared for with

the same love

and attention

we give to

the rest of

our body –

but I make

it fun and

accessible.”

86 HERWORLD SEPT 2019