While we were busy perfecting our #dalgonacoffee recipe, the Singaporean actor worked on pursuing his other dream of launching his own beauty brand, Grail
How I’m Making It is a weekly series in which Tatler speaks to influential individuals about their unique journeys and what keeps them going.
What do you remember being busy with during last year’s circuit breaker?
Were you working out? Baking? Perhaps trying your hand at the #dalgonacoffee trend?
Not Lawrence Wong though. The Malaysia-born Singaporean actor was busy creating his own skincare brand. That’s right, while the rest of the country were noshing on the latest food trends or working on our fitness goals—he decided to pursue his other dream of starting his first beauty brand, Grail.
And why shouldn’t he? The handsome actor, who rose to international fame in China’s 2018 hit period drama series Story of Yanxi Palace, is well known to have enviable flawless skin. But it wasn’t always a bed of roses for him in terms of his skin’s health. He admitted that he had “really problematic skin” since he was a child, to the extent that his skin would flare up due to various factors such as the weather, makeup and reactions to certain skincare products.
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“A lot of people think that I have good skin and will often ask me what I do or use on my skin,” Wong shared with Tatler in an e-mail interview. “It was a long journey and process for my skin to be healthy as it is right now. So, I want to apply all my knowledge and experience throughout all these years and create essential products with the aim to become the holy grail items in anyone’s life.”
Grail made its debut in January this year, with a multitasking face mask named “Do-it-All” as its first product. The hydrating mask incorporates the world’s only Japan-patented moisture locking technology, a premium cellulosic filament nonwoven sheet from Asahi Kasei. It’s also naturally sourced and made up of botanical ingredients, as well as packed in biodegradable packaging.
Wong wanted to launch an effective product that was suitable for everyone to use, especially those who lead hectic lifestyles just like him but needed to give their skin a little TLC. And just like how Wong is dedicated to his craft in terms of acting, he was deeply involved in every step of the way for his skincare brand.
“It’s been a dream of mine for many years now, but it was only during Covid when I had the time to fully materialise it, with the lockdown and all,” Wong said. “I took my time to really focus on conceptualising my brand direction, ingredient selection, down to the design and packaging.”