#LOFFBeautyTalk with Yoyo Cao on her new venture of ROMI Beauty
ROMI Beauty makes its debut with a multitasking makeup and skincare hybrid.
Better known by her Instagram handle, @yoyokulala, Yoyo Cao (and her borrowed-from-the-boys looks) is one of the OG street style icons and she has recently embarked on a new venture with the launch of her beauty brand ROMI Beauty.
Yoyo and fellow entrepreneurs Arissa Cheo and Lin Ting named their brainchild after the Latin expression “dew of the sea” to reflect their optimism and belief in boundless possibilities. They reckon that beauty routine should be straightforward and uncompromising, hence the introduction of its debut line, the Dream Skin Tint.
It brings together the soothing properties of niacinamide with replenishing hyaluronic acid and anti-inflammatory camellia sinensis leaf extract to reveal a healthy luminosity. The formula is super blendable and the finish is sheer and dewy, making it a daily ally to humidity-proof your canvas. Did we mention it’s also equipped with SPF protection?
L'Officiel Malaysia caught up with Yoyo Cao as she shares more about Romi Beauty:
Congratulations on the launch of ROMI! How’s your 2022 been?
It’s been a whirlwind, but I’m happy and grateful for the whole process and experience! It’s been a long journey of getting to where we are, but we are so glad to finally launch ROMI this year.
Tell us more about the story and the beginning of ROMI.
The three of us— Arissa, Lin Ting and I— love skincare and makeup, and we understand how therapeutic and relaxing a beauty routine can be. For many women, it’s a time of self care. But sometimes, beauty routines can take a long time or seem complicated, and might not necessarily be an enjoyable thing for those with busy lifestyles.
Our mission at ROMI is therefore, to create multitaskers that fit right into fuss-free beauty routines while keeping in mind to celebrate you and your skin. ROMI is about self-care and self-love. We’re inspired by women, as well as real skin, real routines, real values, and our quest for clean beauty that enhances yet nourishes.
What are your respective roles at ROMI and how do the three of you balance each other’s vision?
As the co-founders of ROMI, the three of us work very collaboratively, with Ting overseeing operations and finance, Arissa in charge of product development and marketing, and I am taking care of creative marketing and creative direction.
The three of us knew what ROMI was going to be from the start, and it’s been about pulling together our strengths and working towards that same vision.
Bringing a brand to life is a sweet and sour journey, were there any setbacks or mistakes that taught you lessons along the way?
We didn’t start out with any professional beauty background, so there was a lot for us to learn, and it’s an ongoing process. ROMI is a young and new brand, and I know there will be challenges, but I’m so overwhelmed and blessed by the support from our Romies since we launched and that motivates us to come out with better products to cater to them.
What inspired Dream Skin Tint and what makes it ROMI’s debut formula?
The Dream Skin Tint started as a very personal skin and beauty need that we also saw in women around us. Many of us women especially in our 30s & 40s onward want that dewy, natural “feels like skin but better than skin” look.
The tinted moisturisers that we came across however, did not have the perfect combination of all the good things we were looking for— clean ingredients that had skincare benefits, good coverage, SPF, the right amount of glow and hydration, etc. The Dream Skin Tint was formulated without controversial ingredients, moisturises and protects with a last-all-day formula that melts into the skin, evens out skin tone and gives it a lit-from-within glow.
How should we incorporate Dream Skin Tint into an existing AM routine?
Let it be your last step in your beauty routine and your first step in your makeup routine. It’s designed to hydrate and protect while giving you light coverage, so it means you may opt to skip sunscreen, heavy moisturisers, primer and foundation. It’s perfect for that “no makeup, makeup look” that celebrates your skin, not masking it.
It’s love at first sight with the soft pink shelfie-worthy, jet-setter friendly packaging. Is there any story behind it?
Thank you, we worked hard on it! We designed our bottles to be travel friendly, but still efficient and functional. We also use recycled plastic for the pump and cap, and glass for the body as part of our mission to be a planet-conscious brand. It’s all wrapped up in a timeless pink-nude colour.
What’s your take on building a digital beauty community?
Skincare and makeup routines are personal, but they’re also things that are refined over time through exchanges and interactions with fellow aficionados. I'm inspired by that moment when you find out someone else uses and loves something that you also swear by, and you want other people to join the club too and hear about this good thing.
It’s that shared enthusiasm. I also want ROMI to be a brand that listens and is inspired by our community, because we want to create products that will instantly be loved and earn a permanent spot on a beauty shelf.
What are some of the beauty products you can’t live without?
The Dream Skin Tint, of course! Other can’t-live-without products would have to be lip balm and mascara as well.
Can you give us a glimpse of what’s to come from ROMI?
No spoilers! Stay tuned to the second half of the year. And, like the Dream Skin Tint, it will be a multitasker!
