Datin Elaine Daly Has Her Eye On Bright Days Ahead

Words by Jessica Liew

September 27, 2018

The model beauty queen expands her realm of influence as the brand director of skincare brand MUCA and reveals big plans for the local new label.

Datin Elaine Daly has achieved the prestiges a woman can only dream of in a lifetime: Beauty-queen status, national director of Miss Malaysia Universe Organisation (MUMO), as mother of 2 beautiful children, and an esteemed entertainment career. Despite that, there’s no stopping her from diving into her passions, and discovering big breaks along the way: Datin Elaine recently added brand director for Malaysian skincare brand, MUCA, under her belt. Amidst her undertakings, the queen of multitasking, generously shared with us the fruits of her labour, from motherhood to the skincare venture.

Above Photo: Courtesy of Elaine Daly

Even after your second child, you’re not one to ‘retire’ into motherhood. What keeps you going?

I've always been a career-driven person, from modelling, action, hosting, and an entrepreneur. While I love being a mum, I also find purpose in achieving goals and fulfilling dreams. It’s tough, but nothing is impossible. It’s having a great support system and time management is key.

Technological advancements help, but as a whole, work-life balance is a myth. There's always the mummy guilt of not spending enough time with the kids and then vice versa for work issues.

How did MUCA come about, and what’s your role in it?

We identified a need in the skincare market for an affordable yet effective skincare range.

I’m the brand director for MUCA, besides my role as national director of MUMO and channel director of hurr.tv.

What makes MUCA stand out from the fleet of skincare brands?

We are launching the Vita Brightening Full care range, which combines the best natural ingredients and beauty technology. It’s affordable and highly effective and we have our hero product, the ampoule – the most affordable in the market, at the size of 50ml – as compared to regular ampoules.

How can MUCA fulfill the beauty goals of Malaysian women?

The application of products will unveil the brighter side of women: This gives them the confidence from good skin. it’s not heavy on the pocket.

Tell us more about the MUCA collaboration with Miss Universe Organization.

MUCA is the official skincare in the upcoming Miss Universe competition in Bangkok, Thailand, this coming December. If the most beautiful women in the world use MUCA and look and feel amazing, so should you!

Above Photo: Courtesy of MUCA

Above Photo: Courtesy of Elaine Daly

What future plans do you have for beauty queens in training?

To have a finishing school for young ladies who have just graduated or about to enter the workforce, as an enriching place with useful tools that help them adapt to the demanding world. I’m already in talks with a local educational institution to collaborate with.

What are you most excited about for the coming days at MUMO?

The wonderful team takes care of every aspect of the organisation, always planning and making future plans; we plan a year ahead. Currently, we’re preparing Miss Universe Malaysia 2018 Jane Teoh for the international Miss Universe in Thailand, and as with every year, we are in it to win it. We are also preparing for the 2019 gala.

What lessons do you hope to impart to the girls under your mentor?

To have goals, achieving dreams is not impossible and to always have empathy.

From the launch of hurr.tv in 2016, how has it evolved today?

The channel now has nearly 17 million views and 98,000 subscribers on YouTube. hurr.tv is at the forefront of Malaysian entertainment and lifestyle, and featured well-known diverse personalities such as Ain Edruce, Faizdickie, Zack Merican, and Sharifah Rose.

What does hurr.tv highlight capture about the spirit of Malaysian-ness?

We had a show 'Jejak Terrer' featuring 2 guys who cycled from KL to up north and back without a single cent. It was also a social media experiment that relied on the kindness of Malaysians for food and shelter and in turn, they raised money for charity. That highlighted how amazing Malaysians are!