Beau Geste: Generations of Asian women reflect on beauty

“My grey hair identifies who I am,” shares 65-year-old entrepreneur, model and grandmother, Ong Bee Yan who runs a blue pea flower rinse through her hair to keep brassiness at bay. “It represents freedom, wisdom, contentment, accomplishment, self-expression and happiness. My grey hair has become a conversation starter and gives me the opportunity to share my mission about empowering and encouraging mature men and women to get out of their comfort zone, challenge themselves and learn new things.”

“Inner beauty is ageless. It attracts people like a magnet. When you are comfortable in your own skin and accept who you are, you feel liberated, confident and empowered,” says Bee Yan.

“As I grow older my skin is drier and begins to sag, more wrinkles appear and my metabolic rate slows down. So I pay more attention to what I eat and exercise to keep healthy and fit. I use sunscreen to prevent pigmentation and dark spots. In fact, I look after my physical and mental health now than when I was younger. My job keeps me mentally alert as I am constantly learning and interacting with young people. My spiritual wellbeing: reading my Bible every morning keeps me grounded and focused on my values and existence.”

“Being 65 does not stop me from constantly exploring, challenging myself and learning new skills. It may or may not take a little longer to learn and overcome these challenges. I may not excel in everything, but at least I make an effort to try and this to me is a victory. I want people to know that you can teach old dogs new tricks.”