Mention Gwei Lun-mei and most of us would think of her role as Lu Xiaoyu in Jay Chou’s directorial debut Secret (2007) where they both played piano students. Since then, Lun-mei has found success doing films such as Girlfriend, Boyfriend (2012). Her latest project was the 2020 dark comedy movie A Leg where she starred opposite Tony Yang and took home the Best Leading Actress at the 57th Golden Horse Awards.
A Christmas baby, Lun-mei turned 38 on December 25. To celebrate, we’ve uncovered all the beauty secrets that the Taiwanese actress uses to reverse the hands of time and maintain her youthful appearance.
There are two must-do steps in Lun-mei’s skincare routine. The first is to remove her makeup completely. Doing this can ensure that all the gunk from the day is thoroughly cleansed away so that skincare can penetrate better. Taking that minute or so to remove your makeup can also be a therapeutic way to kickstart your self-care routine.
The second essential step in Lun-mei’s skincare routine is hydration. While she didn’t share what products or steps she uses or does in particular, we recommend layering on your hydrating toners, essences and serums while your skin is damp. For example, instead of drying your face with a towel after cleansing, pat in the excess moisture and follow up with a hydrating serum to lock it all in.
Whenever Lun-mei travels to a colder country, the use of facial oil is essential to her skincare routine. Facial oils can be an added emollient to smooth our dry skin cells and keep hydration. Try adding a few drops of facial oil to your nighttime skincare routine for those who sleep with air-conditioning. Besides facial oils, the actress also applies a thick layer of moisturiser when her skin is feeling parched.
Because Lun-mei spends a lot of time outdoors walking, filming or otherwise, she never forgets to apply sunscreen. On days off, she would wear little to no makeup and just head out with sunscreen and a dab of lip balm.
Lun-mei’s morning routine includes drinking a glass of vitamin C (those that effervesce and dissolve in water). Vitamin C is not only good for your health and immunity but it is beneficial for the skin and collagen production. Lun-mei also consumes vitamin C rich fruits such as kiwis.
Lun-mei admits that she is only human. So when she feels like eating, she won’t purposely curb the craving and eat whatever whenever she wants, but in moderation. That said, Lun-mei would balance with lighter options when her body feels burdened by heavy meals. In short, she listens to her body and maintains a balanced diet as much as possible.
Under the advisement of her nutritionist, Lun-mei makes it a point to have red, yellow and green fruits and vegetables in every meal. This balanced way of eating gives you a variety of antioxidants and vitamins as well as increases your fibre intake – all good things you want.
Lun-mei’s beauty beverage of choice is Tartary buckwheat tea. According to her, the drink doesn’t taste bitter but has a scent similar to chocolate and taste akin to wheat digestive biscuits. Tartary buckwheat tea is touted to have many health benefits ranging from aiding digestion and weight loss to lowering blood glucose, cholesterol and pressure.
While she doesn’t head to the gym often, Lun-mei makes it a point to walk as much as possible. The low-impact exercise is easy to start and incorporate into our daily lives. Lun-mei adds that she avoids taking the car to walk as much as possible and does yoga once or twice a week.
Managing stress levels is a method Lun-mei uses to maintain her svelte figure. That’s because when we are feeling stressed, we tend to emotionally eat and overconsume calories. As such, she will find time to reflect on the source of her stress before confronting and managing it.