A household name here in Singapore, Jeanette Aw has played the leading lady for many local dramas like The Little Nyonya and The Dream Makers. In 2017, she took a big step by leaving Mediacorp and her artiste management company Hype Records-Artiste Network to chart her own path. Jeanette continues to take on acting roles from time to time but mainly focuses her time on her bakery Once Upon A Time, which she opened in 2021.
When it comes to beauty, Jeanette often sports a laidback, pared-back style that enhances rather than conceals or distorts. Let’s take a peek at some of her stunning beauty looks across the years.
Basking in the sun isn’t the only way to get your glow on. Pick a warm-toned bronzer to add warmth to your skin. A matte bronzer would create a more sculpted look while a shimmery bronzer adds radiance. Sweep that bronzer across your forehead and cheekbones to give yourself that sun-kissed glow that Jeanette frequently sports.
A fragrance can easily elevate your mood and boost your confidence. Jeanette especially loves Dior fragrances such as Eden-Roc as seen in this snap. Eden-Roc is a woody white floral fragrance with vegetal and marine notes that conjure up images of summer in the French Riviera.
Jeanette doesn’t usually gravitate towards bold makeup. Instead, she loves the barely-there effect of carefully placed blush. She focuses the colour on the apples of the cheeks to bring in some fullness.
Start by including a body scrub to your routine to slough off dull, dead skin. Then, add a body serum to hydrate and nourish before sealing everything in with a body lotion or cream.
Got bangs like Jeanette? Keep your strands looking fresh all day long by mopping up excess sebum and sweat with a dry shampoo. This will prevent your bangs from getting greasy and flat.
Jeanette isn’t afraid to try out new, funky hair colours such as this ash green hue she pulled off effortlessly in 2020. But with fun colours come great responsibility. You’ll need to nourish your chemically-treated strands to maintain the vibrancy of your freshly coloured tresses.
Start by including a colour protecting shampoo and conditioner into your haircare routine. These are formulated to reduce colour loss while cleansing. Next, commit to using a deep conditioning hair mask at least once a week to revitalise your mane. Finish with a hair serum that has protective qualities to fight UV rays that can strip hair of its moisture.
Peach makeup is a fan favourite look. Don’t just take it from us, the veteran actress sported this fruit-inspired shade at the Spring/Summer 2018 Dior showcase in Paris, France. Peachy coral makeup may seem intimidating at first but the colour palette actually looks incredible on everyone. Regardless of how fair or deep your complexion is, peachy hues can add warmth and a skin-brightening glow to your complexion.
The trick to nailing the look is to focus on one feature and make a statement with it. For instance, if you want to make your lips the focal point of your makeup, you can use a cream or liquid peachy hue blush that is less pigmented and dramatic compared to powder blush. Pair your makeup with a coat of deep black mascara and neutral shimmer cheek highlighter to frame and add dimension to your face.
Can’t decide between a chic updo or dreamy flowy locks? Get the best of both worlds with this glamorous yet playful hairstyle seen on the fresh-faced beauty. Jeanette opted for this half-updo at the movie premiere of Ramen Teh, an Eric Khoo production about a young Japanese chef trying to connect with his Singapore family.
To get the look, start by sectioning your hair from ear to ear and then brushing the top section back before gathering the hair into a high ponytail. For a more polished look, hide the hair tie by grabbing a small section of hair from the bottom of the ponytail and wrapping it around the top.
Fun fact: Jeanette is actually half-Peranakan (from her father’s side). The 34-episode 2009 series stars Jeanette Aw as a long-suffering woman from a large Peranakan family in a story spanning 70 years. This was the role that arguably catapulted the prim actress to fame. Its finale peaked with a viewership rating of 33.8 per cent, attracting about 1.7 million viewers. For the role, Jeanette sported the au naturel “no makeup” makeup look.
To perfect that barely-there yet flawless makeup look, instead of piling on foundation, start by concealing any redness, dark eye circles and blemishes. The key is not to apply too much. Next, tap some cream blusher on your cheeks and apply some bronzer underneath your cheekbones and jawline so your natural features stand out more. Keep your eyelids looking bright and wide-eyed by curling your lashes and coating them with clear mascara. Lastly, add a wash of colour to your lips with a rosy, natural pink tone tinted lip balm or lip gloss.
Another way to pull off a smokey eye? Line your top and bottom lash lines (make sure to get close to your lashes) with a chunky (black, grey or brown) pencil. Next, with the corner of a makeup sponge or fluffy brush, dab, smudge and smoosh the colour. After all, that was what Jeanette did when she stepped out for an event for Fendi. And of course, no smokey eye is complete without long, lush and fluttery lashes. If you coat your lashes evenly with mascara, it will just weigh down the tip of the hairs and your lashes will look straight after a few minutes.
To make sure your curl stays in place, apply a thick coat of mascara at the root of your lashes and a lighter layer towards the end. You can do so by wiggling the wand back and forth at the base (almost creating a z shape) and then lightly combing through to the tips.
To master Jeanette’s dewy “glass skin” look, you have to commit to a solid skincare routine. This doesn’t mean you need to splash out on an elaborate and involved 10-step routine.
Instead, focus on cleansing and moisturising your skin. It’s also a good idea to pamper yourself with a hydrating sheet mask once or twice a week. Once you have your skincare routine down pat, you can give your face one last glowing touch by lightly dusting your face with an illuminating powder.
Shaggy cuts starting at chin length helps to add movement and body to Jeanette’s medium-length haircut. You can easily recreate the actress’s not quite wavy but definitely not straight style by twisting large sections of hair around a curling wand or iron, letting the hair slide out almost immediately.
Though a pink-toned, rosy nude is usually Jeanette’s go-to-hue, her bold pink lip packs just as much punch and adds an unexpected, yet elegant, twist. This look transitions easily from day to night so you could go from the office to a party without having to pull out your entire makeup bag.
To achieve this look, you want to prep your lips by exfoliating your lips with a clean, small mascara wand that will slough away dead skin so the pink colour goes on smoothly. Next, grab a lip liner and outline your lips to prevent bleeding. With a small lip brush, apply a pop of colour to your lips. To really make your pout stand out, line the outside of the lip colour with a cream concealer to clean up the edges of the lips.
One of the main focal points of Jeanette’s everyday makeup look is her well-defined eyebrows. When it comes to brow grooming, the actress goes for a subtle, natural arch.
This shape looks fantastic even without significant shaping. All you need is a little maintenance with a pair of tweezers and a brow pencil or powder to fill in sparse areas and you’re good to go.
This hairstyle seen on Jeanette is one of the most versatile styles for medium and long hair. The timeless ‘do combines the sporty practicality of a ponytail with the elegance of an updo.
While this style works better on second-day hair, even if you did wash your hair, you can still get the look with a little dry shampoo to add some texture and grip to your hair. Next, flip your hair over to brush upwards towards the crown. With a teasing comb or fine-tooth comb, tease your roots to add volume and lift before gathering your hair into a ponytail.