Growing up, your mum is your superhero. A woman who can do no wrong and rock any look. Looking back and remembering those distinctive moments and beauty looks from over the years – whether that be brightly coloured eyeshadow from the 80’s or super thin eyebrows in the 90’s – we wanted to be just like our mums, no matter the beauty faux pas.
While most of us can’t be with our mothers this Mother’s Day, we encourage you instead to remember her most distinctive (the best, and the worst!) beauty looks over the decades. We caught up with Team Emolyne to find out about the beauty tips learnt from their mothers throughout their lives, and their standout memories that still make them smile today.
Emolyne, Founder
We caught up with our founder, Emolyne, who has always been a big lover of makeup, and traces most of her beauty secrets to what she learnt from her mother. “She really loved skincare and would look after herself. She taught me to keep my skin hydrated; I have always made sure I moisturise my body every single day, no matter how tired I may be. This is something I have passed on to my own children, teaching them to look after their skin and keeping everything hydrated, especially their faces, hands and lips”.
“I loved how she would always give me her free perfume samples so I could feel grown up too”.
Her ultimate memory of her mum is how she smelled, “she loved perfume, and always smelled amazing. I loved how she would always give me her free perfume samples so I could feel grown up too.”
Shannon, social media manager
Shannon expresses how her mum prefers to keep things natural when it comes to makeup, but when she’s looking to spice up her look for an occasion, she opts for her signature deep chocolate brown or intense berry red. “I will always associate deep nude lipsticks with my mother; she tapped into this 90’s trend before Victoria Beckham made it famous. Her go-to was, and still is today, an intense chocolatey-brown shade, which pairs well against her golden undertones.”
Looking back, there are many awkward Polaroids of Shannon as a child wearing a full face of her mum’s makeup. She tried to mimic the deep and rich shades she would see her mum wearing; as a powerful female figure in her life, she looked up to her mum and wanted to look like her too. “My mum has taught me a lot about beauty over the years, including the importance of a good skincare routine. In particular, how flourishing, youthful skin begins with a good moisturiser. This doesn’t just apply to the skin on your face, but lips too. You won’t ever find my mum without a pot of Vaseline and this has been passed down to me.”
“Flourishing, youthful skin begins with good moisturiser”.
“One of the main beauty lessons my mum has instilled in me, is the importance of keeping your nails clean and presentable. For as long as I can remember, she has always had such naturally lovely and fast-growing nails that I have envied. To this day, I always feel so put together if my nails are done.”
Shannon will be gifting her mum:
- Mali – this deep, brown toned nude is a classic shade for my mum
- Lagos – the perfect rich berry tone for that extra bit of glam
Rachael, Head Of Strategy & Sales
Giving us an insight into how she saw her mother growing up, Rachael shares that she used to steal her mum’s Crème De La Mer face cream and her J’adore perfume. “I have really fond memories of sitting on my mum’s bed and watching her doing her makeup at her dressing table. She always had rollers in her hair and did her makeup in her dressing gown. She mostly wore a red lip and kohl liner – at least, this is how I picture her most from my childhood.
“I was always excited for the big reveal”
“Red was her favourite nail colour, too, and she always applied her nail polish at the very last moment! I remember being so excited to see what she wore right before, like the big reveal. My mother never got a moments peace whilst she was getting ready….”
The biggest tip that she learnt from her mum that she still lives by today? “Always remove your makeup before bedtime!”
Rachael will be gifting her mum:
Emma, Executive Assistant To Emolyne Ramlov
We asked Emma of her favourite memory of her mum applying her makeup: “I loved watching my mum get ready for an evening out, I always sat and studied each element – it was mesmerizing!” And her look of choice? “Always a pink lip! A more pinky nude for daytime and a bolder pink for evening glam. Pinks seem to compliment her skin tone the most, giving a healthy, pulled-together look.”
“I always studied each element – it was mesmerizing!”
“She’s always had quite a stripped back skincare routine and I was always stealing her Clinique moisturiser as it smelt so fresh and I loved how hydrating it was. Now I buy it too, and it smells like her every time I open the lid. Less is more is also the message my mum promotes for makeup, and therefore natural makeup looks have remained my style from a teenager until now.”
Emma will be gifting her mum:
- Luxor – the ultimate pinky nude for everyday, my mum’s forever staple
- Marrakech – a deeper pink for evening looks
Fenella, project manager
Growing up in South-East Asia, it’s no surprise that Fenella’s mum drilled into her the importance of SPF, “I remember not being able to play with the other kids until I was fully slathered in sun block.” Her most distinct memory of her mum is “the way she smelled. She has been wearing Amarige by Givenchy my whole life. Whenever I see her and smell it, it transports me to my childhood. She was never that into makeup, but her hair has definitely made a statement over the years – from a Princess Diana cut, to ‘The Rachel’ to bright red hair in the 90’s, her hair is definitely her thing”.
“Growing up in South-east Asia, SPF was so important”.
When asked about her mum’s makeup revolution, Fenella says “she would wear a orangey-red lip for events to match her red hair. But these days, she much more about the natural lip – she’s even gone back to her natural hair colour!”
Fenella is gifting her mum:
- Fes – A soft, subtle peachy-pink shade
- Alexandria – A traditional red that’s not too bold
Amina, product developer
Amina remembers her mum best for deep red and dark berry lips “that’s always been her staple for as long as I can remember. My earliest beauty memory of her is probably watching her get ready before school. She was a teacher at my school so we used to do the drive together – I remember she would always keep a lipstick with her, in the car, in her bag, for touch ups before class.”
“Dry lips are the biggest no-no”
It’s clear that lips were her thing, and made her feel her most confident self. “If my mum taught me one lesson, it was that dry lips are a big no-no. I always look after my lips now, and really see the importance. If I want to quickly swipe a lipstick on, having hydrated lips makes the biggest difference to the final look.”
Amina is gifting her mum:
