Lifestyle

Breitling Ambassador Caxsandra Tan Talks About Beauty Standards and Life in the Public Eye

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Caxsandra Tan Breitling ambassador
Picture: Reuben Foong

For a lot of girls, a lot in life just isn’t merely given to them. Breitling ambassador Caxsandra Tan is aware of this properly. As a self-made entrepreneur and workforce athlete with wakesurfing faculty Wakemusters, she has needed to construct her enterprise and her popularity within the sporting world painstakingly on her personal — that, on prime of coping with gendered critiques about her talents and look.

“I’ve by no means been bothered with how folks have seen me over time,” says Tan, who arrange her personal magnificence model, byCaxs, in 2017. “It really by no means occurred to me to alter, to be less complicated, or to be extra modest in my dressing.

Inform me about byCaxs. Why did you wish to depart a cushty full-time job and begin your personal enterprise?

Once I first began byCaxs, everybody was obsessive about the Ok-beauty look. And Ok-beauty again then was extra in regards to the “no make-up” look, tips on how to look extra pure, tips on how to have glowy pores and skin — however I used to be by no means into it. I used to be nonetheless into the winged eyeliner, the smoky eye, the complete lips — I knew that it was very area of interest, however I knew it existed. And I knew that there have been different ladies like me who would get pleasure from bolder, louder seems.

Once I began byCaxs, it was actually with the goal in thoughts: That I needed everybody to have the ability to attempt daring seems with out feeling shy, or ashamed, or uncomfortable. As a result of it’s about our tradition — the place girls are extra shy to indicate who we actually are; we’re afraid of being judged. 

So we’ve got tapped onto one other aspect of ladies, permitting them to really feel a bit extra comfy in their very own pores and skin. Whereas my merchandise do improve the seems — eyes, lashes, issues like that — I truly need girls to really feel extra assured in what they wish to seem like. In the event that they wish to look bolder, they need to really feel the liberty to take action, and never really feel shy about it. 

Ladies are sometimes judged quite harshly on their appearances. Have you ever skilled this in your life?

For me, I’d enter the workplace on days the place everybody’s working from residence, and I’d have a full face of make-up, in my highest heels. Nobody would see me, I wouldn’t even take a single selfie. But it surely makes me really feel higher. And there are days I’d go for occasions with no make-up on in any respect. I actually assume, on the finish of the day, it’s about how you are feeling, and the way you wish to current your self. 

That’s additionally the logic behind byCaxs: it’s actually not about doing it for different folks. It’s nearly feeling your finest. I really feel actually completely happy when my purchasers inform me how they’ve tried our merchandise and it has modified their life. It sounds actually shallow — like how can it change somebody’s life? — however I feel it empowers them in a manner. Like: ‘Hey, I can truly use blue lenses, and I’m assured sufficient to put on it.’

On the finish of the day, that’s what you need. So long as you are feeling good, then I don’t assume it issues how different folks see you.

You’ve spent a few years within the public eye. How do you take care of the strain that comes with it?

On social media, everyone has a say in your life, in what you do, or the way you gown. And so they assume that they’ve a proper to it. I really feel that if you wish to put your self on the market, there are undoubtedly going to be individuals who don’t really feel the identical manner as you. So I do really feel that it’s vital to know your self — particularly as a girl — to know what you stand for, and what you imagine in, in order that when folks do communicate, it doesn’t hassle you. 

I’ve by no means been bothered by how folks have seen me over time. I do know that the best way I carry myself just isn’t very typical. But it surely really by no means occurred to me to alter, to be less complicated, or to be extra modest in my dressing. It has by no means bothered me. I’ve by no means, ever, felt the have to be a unique particular person — to alter the best way I did my make-up, or my hair. I do know who I’m, as a girl, I do know my values, and what I stand for. 

Would you take into account your self an introvert or an extrovert?

The buddies that I’ve are the chums I’ve had since I used to be 10. I’m an introverted particular person, however when byCaxs opened its first bodily retailer final yr, it pressured me to come back out of my consolation zone. I needed to communicate on to shoppers, I’ve run the shop myself. I’m usually tremendous reserved, however that basically needed to change. However that additionally implies that throughout my off time, I actually attempt to change off.

Trying again on how far you and your model have come, do you are feeling such as you’ve ‘made it’?

Tasks like these all the time make me assume again on how I get began, and I do assume that my total workforce and I’ve actually labored actually arduous to be the place we are actually. However it can by no means be sufficient. I feel that there’s a lot potential. And I feel that’s what makes day by day extra thrilling, as a result of I do know that there’s a lot extra to achieve, and there’s a lot extra that we will do.  Whereas I do know that there’s a large potential, I’m very happy with the place we’ve come and the place we’re in the meanwhile.

I feel that irrespective of at which level of time in my life, in case you requested me whether or not the issues that I do, or the person who I’m, whether or not it’s sufficient, I don’t assume there’ll ever come a day that I’d say that I’m sufficient. However that comes from a spot of all the time wanting to enhance and be higher.

This interview first appeared on L’Officiel Singapore.

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