Q & A with Sara Au Yeong

Amaterasu Beauty

Interview by: Ainslee Nellis

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL OR FAVOURITE MOTTO?

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

~ Einstein

I have the privilege of studying with some of the most loving, kind, and wise souls. I learned if we want change in our lives, we need to change the way we do things and especially the way we think about any situation that is holding us back.

WHAT ACTIVITY INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES YOU TO BE YOURSELF AND DO WHAT YOU LOVE?

Drawing and painting with my little one brings me back to my childhood. It reminded me that creativity has no limit, and it gives me a sense of absolute freedom to create. When I am having one of those stuck days, meditation reminds me of the infinite possibilities the universe holds for us. My passion to innovate and to help others solve problems continues to be a huge motivator.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CAREER PATH?

I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer and received a scholarship into fashion design, later started producing fashion shows. In one of the shows, I met Rena Hutchison (then Makeup Director at John Casablanca).

She asked: What type of looks are you looking for? I said: Oh, you know...dark eyes and red lips. She said sternly: Look, if you want to succeed in this business you have to learn to use proper terminology.

I realized I’ve so much to learn and there is no better person than Rena. I asked when her next class was and told her I will be her next best student. The rest is history! I pivoted and went into the world of makeup and loved it even more. Rena was a huge inspiration; she was so confident and darn talented.

After makeup, I went on to complete my business degree and worked as regional manager, then national executive and trainer for several international beauty brands. Thereafter, I became a consultant to many natural skincare and beauty brands and eventually started my own line.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU HAVE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR OR IN BUSINESS?

As an indie brand, I choose to allocate my budget to creating the best quality and clean ingredient product. I do believe if we do things with the right intention people will naturally share their love. This was what happened with Amaterasu Beauty. I was very lucky to have the top indie boutiques retail my brand. Through word of mouth, key artists and celebs ended up mentioning us during interviews and this led us to being featured in Elle, Flare and

The Zoe Report. One day a good friend called me up to say: Congrats! I saw you in Vogue today. It was a fantastic feeling.

CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL

FB: @AMATERASUBEAUTY

IG: @AMATERASUBEAUTY

TW: @AMATERASUBEAUTY

SHOP ONLINE: www.amaterasu.ca teamclintonhalifax halifaxmortgage clintonwilkins teamclinton