Full time lawyer by day and busy beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogger by night, Mary Lu is a Chinese South African, who studied law at the University of Cape Town.
Focused on law “by choice,” fashion for “expression” and having beauty as her “fancy,” the lovely Ms Lu stopped by at SPICE to share her favourite products, beauty wishes for African and Asian girls and to talk about the time she rocked a one-eyed ‘panda look’;
SPICE: Hi Mary! What does beauty mean to you?
Mary Lu: Beauty is always projected from the inside for me. I’m not necessarily talking about a person’s personality - though of course that matters too – but beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin and having the most beautiful glow on the outside. It always starts from the inside; what you eat, how you handle your stress levels and how much water you drink per day.
What is your day-to-day beauty routine?
My beauty routine starts off with washing my face in cold water (I don’t use cleanser in the morning), then a good moisturiser to help me lock in the moisture for the day since I have dry skin. My makeup routine consists of a BB cream, concealer, powder, blush, liner and a good mascara. In the evening, I generally remove all my eye makeup first then proceed to cleanse off the rest of my face in the shower – I then tone, apply serum and end off with a rich moisturiser.
Do you have a signature look?
I think my everyday look is my signature look. As a beauty blogger, I’m always trying new makeup looks and experimenting with new styles, but I always go back to a dewy, glowing skin kind of look – I feel the best and the healthiest in that. 
What would be your must-have beauty product?
Definitely a good BB cream!
If we were to open your makeup bag, what other brands and products would we find?
Tons of MAC cosmetics, Dior, Lancome and many Korean and Japanese brands.
What are your beauty dos and don’ts?
Don’t sleep with your makeup on – do invest in a good set of makeup brushes, as it can really change your life!
Whose makeup do you always admire?
I love, love, love Kim Kardashian’s makeup looks. She always look dewy and absolutely flawless!
Can you please share an ‘oh no, I didn’t’ moment with us?
I personally don’t have a habit of taking my makeup with me in my handbag besides lipstick and a gloss. I was once in such a rush that I forgot to line my right eye after I had made a winged liner look on the left eye. Not only did I spend 20 mins in the bathroom trying to remove my waterproof liner, I ended up removing my mascara with it too. I ended up sporting a panda look for most of the day.
If you had to give just one beauty tip or piece of advice, what would it be?
A little goes a long way. I’d rather build up because it’s not enough than try to remove what’s been excessively caked on. This goes for everything – foundation, powder, blush, liner, lipgloss, lipstick, you name it. 
What is your beauty fantasy?
I wish that there was a dial where I can adjust my skin colour, then I’d have a beautiful tan all year round.
If you could, what would you like to change in the beauty industry?
I would like to change the fact that beauty is measured according to European or Western standards. It is sad that African and Asian girls including Chinese and Indians, unnecessarily try to whiten their skin with either beauty products of other measures. It is also sad that girls contour their noses or go under the knife so their noses can be small and pointy and “beautiful” according to European standards. Also, African girls, go through so much so that they can beautify themselves with straight, silky hair like other races. If I could change anything in the beauty industry, I would change it so that beauty is measured by your own standards, whether you are light, dark, curly or straight-haired. Beauty should be measured from what we do have, not by someone else’s ideals.
You can reach Mary via her blog at www.lovemarylu.com, or through Twitter and Instagram via @lovemarylu.
Image source: Mary Lu