CATE THE GREAT Oscar-winner, mould-breaker, and ethereal SK-II ambassador, the talented thespian Cate Blanchett drops by Singapore to talk changing destinies and inspiring a new miracle. By Li Ying Lim.
Often the moments in my life where the most profound changes happened, I’ve taken an unusual turning of the road. It’s opened up many other doors, because I haven’t stayed on the safe path necessarily. SK-II’s a really interesting case in point, in that I’m Caucasian, and I’m the ambassador for an Asian brand. And people are surprised when they hear I had been using the whitening range, because that seems to be a very Eastern obsession rather than a Western one. But I think there’s a lot that the West can clearly learn from Eastern notions of beauty. What I love about SK-II is that the science is real and it is also making people look the best they can. How may it manifest in a person? I look at certain people – artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Louise Bourgeois, or actresses like Liv Ullmann and Charlotte Rampling – and you can tell, through the way their faces have gracefully aged, that they had really interesting lives and that they’re especially magnetic. When you meet them, you meet their minds as much as their physiques. Their personalities continue to evolve and get so much richer.
SK- II Mid- Night
Miracle Essence,
RM232 HYDRATE 24/7 Cate Blanchett’s habit of carrying her Facial Treatment Essence in a spray everywhere she goes has inspired
the new Miracle Essences. With finer particles to allow better
penetration of the signature Pitera, these sprays come in Mid- Day for instant rejuvenation in the afternoon, and Mid- Night for a soothing effect to ward off the oxidative
damage of the day.
SK- II Mid- Day Miracle Essence,
RM232 Everyone talks about being hydrated internally, but you’ve got to feed your skin. It makes sense to moisturise with the essence continually. Hence my habit of pouring Facial Treatment Essence into a spray bottle and taking it with me wherever I go. I also put the masks and the eye cream in the refrigerator. There’s something about putting cold masks and cream on your eye area that is really soothing, and it also wakes me up in the morning. There is a sense that people with great intelligence could squander that. Those with great skin can have some exposure or use products and get an insane amount of cosmetic surgery and all you see is their panic. I think it’s what you expose yourself to, who you surround y yourself with, and what you actually do with your life. Just work with what you’ve got and don’t panic. It’s not a question men ever get asked, is it? It really isn’t. So a lot of what gets thrown at you has to be water off a duck’s back. Stay engaged with the world and think about yourself less.