Up Close with Alexa Bui
Posted on 15 June 2017
We asked makeup artist, Alexa Bui to share with us a peek at what's inside her Monogram Tote. Growing up between Canada and Hong Kong, Alexa dabbles in fashion and beauty blogging as well as being a mother of two, Alexa shares how to juggle that work-mum life.
1. What are your go-to items in your bag?
My go-to items always include a variation of the following:
- A wallet that can hold a LOT because I like to carry my whole life with me
- Lip balm and a red lipstick of some sort because you never know when you need to add some pizazz to an outfit and the best way to do that is with a hot red lip!
- A good read: Whenever I find some time, I try to read a couple pages. It takes me forever to get through anything nowadays with the two kids but I still try!
- A pair of sunglasses. Even when it's raining I will always have a pair on me and I tend to favour cat-eye styles.
- MAC Cosmetics pressed powder and lately I've been using Benefit's Shine-vanishing Pro-Powder because dewy skin is great but and oil-slick is not.
- Byredo's newly launched Kabuki Powder Perfumes are great to travel with and really work! It's great to throw in the bag for after-gym or just midday touch ups.
- A treat for my kids (or me) because you never know when a meltdown will hit.
- My phone because after two kids my brain is swiss cheese and I can't remember where I'm supposed to be otherwise.
2. What product can't you live without?
3. How do you juggle work-mom life?
I don't carry it with me because I have yet to find a good portable one, but sunscreen! Living in Hong Kong, we don't notice it but the sun is quite strong and we get a lot more sun than we realise.
3. How do you juggle work-mom life?
I have a very strict policy that divides work and family. Weekends (especially Sundays) are for family only and you will almost never see me out on a Saturday night. During the week it helps that the older one is in full-day school so I can focus on the younger one but come September she will be starting nursery so I expect I'll have a bit more time to myself then!
I love that I work freelance because that means I dictate my schedule but I find that I tend to over-schedule myself and when that happens, I just have to admit that I can't do it all.