Ethnic Beauty Guide: Anum Rubec

Vv Magazine’s Associate Editor Azra Hirji will be the first to tell you that, as a woman of colour working in a predominantly ‘white’ industry where having strong beauty game garners you some serious brownie points, it’s often difficult to find a little beauty inspiration that suits her skin tone. Azra decided to take her woes to the streets of Toronto for inspiration and answers, resulting in Vv Magazine’s Ethnic Beauty Guide — beauty advice and tips from some of the most influential (and beautiful) ethnic women in Toronto. From overcoming their beauty struggles to letting us in on their must-have makeup products, Ethnic Beauty Guide profiles a new face every week, with the woman behind the gorgeous features divulging her best-kept beauty secrets, tips, issues, and advice.

This week on Vv Magazine’s Ethnic Beauty Guide, we chat with marketing professional and fashion blogger Anum Rubec of SummerxSkin about her secret to achieving a flawless finish with her foundation, the concept of “less is more,” and the makeup brushes she swears by.

Name: Anum Rubec
Ethnicity: Pakistani

Your biggest beauty struggle:
I have an ever-changing skin tone — some days it’s more pale or slightly darker than others. While it’s fun to play around with makeup, I find it difficult sometimes to find a shade of foundation or concealer that works for every season. I change up my routine every few weeks.

How you’ve overcome said beauty struggle:
Whenever I purchase skin products, I get them in two different shades — one on the lighter side and one on the darker. This way I can portion out what shade I need to apply more of and blend it accordingly.

What is something you’ve grown to love about yourself:
My hair. I used to hate it when I was younger, but over time realized that I just wasn’t taking care of it properly. Now my hair is one of my favourite qualities about myself.

If you were to have a daughter, what is one thing you’d teach her about beauty, the way she looks, etc.:
Less is more. Honestly, some days I feel most beautiful with just a peachy-pink shade of blush with mascara or a dark, bold lip with pale eyes.

A beauty tip you swear by:
Always use primer! Many people skip this step, but I think it’s important to protect your skin from the chemicals that are in makeup products.

A beauty product you can’t live without:
My Benefit Boi-ing Concealer — I’ve been using it for years and it’s never let me down.

Favourite nude + red lipstick:
I love my MAC lipsticks. My favourite nude is Creme D’Nude, and red is Russian Red.

Favourite beauty brand for women of colour:
I’ve been using Maybelline’s Dream Mousse Foundations for a while. I love that they come in so many shades and blend well to find the perfect colour for any skin tone.

Is there a beauty product that you love but can’t get in Canada:
I swear by my Sigma brushes, which are available for purchase online but I’ve never seen them in a store in Canada.

Body hair removal preference:
Threading for my face, waxing, and shaving for my body.

Brows, how do you like ’em and how do you groom ’em:
I love having my eyebrows threaded; I think it gives them a nicer shape overall. Then I use my Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express For Brows and Eyes to fill them in!

Celebrity icons:
I’ve always looked up to Sophia Bush because she’s a natural beauty and tends to find colours that work really well with her skin tone!

If you have any beauty tips, secrets, and makeup must-haves that you’d like to add to our Ethnic Beauty Guide, be sure to chime in on the comments section below or tweet us your thoughts on this week’s “Ethnic Beauty Guide: Anum Rubec” at @ViewTheVibe.