Recognized by Britishpedia as one of Malaysia's Successful People

Proud to be recommended by Britishpedia as one of Malaysia's successful people. I feel honored to be recognized amongst distinguished leaders and personalities. All the sweat, hard work and sacrifices are worthwhile and this will motivate me to go even further in my makeup field.

Pseudonym: Kelly Ngiam;

O: Professional Makeup Artist, Founder of Kelly Make Up Studio;

B: Penang, 07.09.1981;

E: 1988 - 1994 S.R.J.K. (C) Sum Sun; 1995 - 1999 Union High School; 2012 - 2012 Foundation in Make-Up Studies at NYX Academy;

Ca: 2001 - 2015 Kelly has worked in various industries such as Construction line, Semiconductors, Education, Food & Beverage, Shipping line, Beauty industry, 2015 - Present Established Kelly Make Up Studio;

WaCW: Featured in the Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Abroad (DWHA) UK Magazine 2016; Interviewed by TallyPress.com;

CaSA: Collaborated with many major brands such as Herbal Life, New Straits Times, EcoWorld, XYZ Theatre Company, TSL Jewellery, etc; Producing makeup and cooking videos on Youtube;

Aw: Winner of the Malaysia’s Top 10 Bridal Makeup Artists 2015; Winner of the Top Bridal Makeup Artists in Penang 2016; Top 10 Wedding Makeup and Hairdressing Stylists in Malaysia 2017;

Ach: Selected and featured in DWHA being the only Malaysia Makeup Studio in the Ten Makeup and Hair Artists from around the World; The ability to monetise her passion; Gained 3.7k subscribers through her YouTube channel “Kelly Home Chef”; Started her online business selling luxury grazing platters with champagne (IG: @gourmetplatterpg);

LS: Mandarin, English, Malay, Hokkien;

H: Travelling, Cooking, Workout, and Outdoor activities such as Hiking, Jogging, Swimming, etc;

PMM: In 2012, Kelly started studying makeup at NYX Academy while she was still a full-time employed admin at a local company. Upon graduation, she started applying the knowledge and skills acquired to serve clients during her spare time on weekends. As time passed, her growing portfolio and word of mouth attracted more clientele and garnered a significant following. She finally decided to quit her job and began honing her skills and learning the trade of the business as a freelance makeup artist. Kelly eventually took the leap of faith and established Kelly Makeup Studio in 2015.

Backed up with notable achievements and awards, Kelly Makeup Studio gradually rose to become a renowned brand in the wedding and beauty industry, they had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the major brands across different industries. In May 2016, EcoWorld appointed Kelly Makeup Studio as their official makeup and hairdo partner for their Mothers’ Day event at the EcoWorld Gallery, Eco Terraces. In October 2016, EcoWorld approached them once again for their corporate event. Kelly Makeup Studio also had the privilege to work with New Straits Times for their cover shoot of the LET interactive e-magazine at the Tropical Spice Garden in November 2016. In 2018, Kelly Makeup Studio collaborated with TSL Jewellery’s wedding campaign, who is one of the largest scale jewellers in Asia.

Contrary to popular belief, makeup artist is not an easy career. The hardships and challenges faced had never been apparent to the general public. Early mornings, long working hours, and dealing with demanding customers are all part and parcel of the job. To survive in this business, we have to be resilient to challenges. On the other side, it is also highly rewarding especially when witnessing the beautiful smile put up by clients, receiving gracious compliments, and knowing that clients are extremely pleased with the service received, are all invaluable experiences that one could hardly find in any other career.

Some of the challenges along the journey are the growing number of competitors in the industry as the market becomes more saturated, and it is increasingly challenging to stay competitive. Therefore, it is necessary to remain innovative and move up the value chain to ensure business sustainability. Another would be high staff turnover, especially during the MCO period where beauty services were rendered ‘non-essential’ and prohibited from operating. As a result, not many could stay committed to their dreams and chose to seek opportunities elsewhere.

As for Kelly, it was even more challenging as a businessperson, but fortunately, her cash flow was sufficient to sustain the business through the pandemic. In the meantime, Kelly did not just let time slip by. She was able to monetise her passion for cooking and started her own cooking Youtube channel, creating another source of income serendipitously

RoS: Figure a way to monetise your passion, be creative; Do not be afraid to go the extra mile. Because that is what differentiates the ordinary from the extraordinary; Never give up until your goal is achieved; Positive thinking is the fuel that keeps you pushing on; Never be complacent. Keep on improving; Continuous innovation and improvisation ensures long term business sustainability; Never be afraid to make mistakes, learn from them and grow wiser; Customers are the lifeline of a business and their satisfaction is the health indicator of a business; “Without customers, you don’t have a business. You merely have a hobby.” – Don Peppers & Martha Rogers;

Web: www.kellymakeupstudio.com; PSN: www.instagram.com/kellypromua/

Your index: Industry, Trade and Services

Successful People in Malaysia (4th Edition) Editorial closing date: 04.08.2022 Release date: December 2022