By Renée Tse
If you’re ever in need of skincare ASMR, Nam Vo’s Instagram may be the cure for you. Her soothing and hypnotizing hand movements when layering on makeup and skincare will relax every muscle in you and inspire you to go and spend some quality time in the bathroom with your favourite products. The celebrity makeup artist (who has worked with Chrissy Teigen, Rosie Hungtington-Whitely and Kylie Jenner) is most known for the “Nam Vo Glow,” as well as coining the trending skincare hashtag #dewydumpling, a term to signify juicy-looking skin that is reminiscent of freshly-steamed dumplings. Oh, she also has a cool 354k followers to boot.
We caught up with IG’s reigning queen of glowing skin on all things K-beauty (she recently partnered up with derma-cosmetic K-beauty brand, Dr. Belmeur, for the launch of its latest Red Pro-Retinol Serum), her most memorable beauty treatment and what she misses the most about travelling. Because even though we’re not able to travel at the moment, it doesn’t mean we can’t still dream about it.
What is your first memory of K-beauty?
My first memory of K-beauty is when one of my friends took me to a store in K-town, and all of a sudden it was snail this, goat milk this and bubble this. I remember asking myself what in God’s name is going on? She’s Korean herself and she said “honey, we’re 10 years ahead of the U.S in terms of technology and in our ingredients.” I think that impressed me the most. I love my American [brands] and all, but I think Koreans are at the forefront of beauty and Dr. Belmeur is the same—in terms of technology, the high-quality ingredients and the research that goes into the products.
What does the dewy dumpling glow have in common with K-beauty’s glowy, glass skin trends and how is it different?
I grew up Vietnamese and it’s very interesting culturally. We’re obsessed with our skin and we’ve been taught that way since we were children. For Korean and Vietnamese women, I think it’s normal for us to invest more in skincare. It’s very much a skincare culture. I always tell people my parents own salons and I grew up with all these ladies who might not have had a big income, but would spend more on their skincare than they would on their handbags and their clothes, so I think that was ingrained in me. I put on a thousand things and to me, it feels like luxury. It feels like I’m treating myself.
The difference between the dewy dumpling glow and what’s happening in Korea is I think dewy dumpling is more three-dimensional and it looks like your skin had a drink of water. And from what I know about the Korean culture, it seems like it’s a more one-uniform look–from forehead to the neck, it’s this very clear, porcelain and perfect look, but not as moist and juicy like a dumpling skin.
What do you miss most about travelling? What’s the first place you would travel to once travel safely resumes?
I live between New York and London because my boyfriend lives there. Back in 2019, I was being a brat. I would cry to my boyfriend saying “I don’t have a life. I’m on an airplane every week.” And right now, I’m like “my God, put me on an airplane.” I just miss the buzz, the energy, eating, exploring—I just miss human contact and meeting people from different cultures all over the world. So where is the first place? I’ve thought about that. I have vision boards. I’ve never been to Tuscany, and I’m such a foodie. I want to gather my friends and my boyfriend and laugh and be free and eat like pigs.
What’s your favourite city to shop for beauty?
My favourite city is probably my hometown, New York City. It’s the mecca, whether it comes to K-beauty or European beauty because I think all roads lead back to NYC. A lot of people, editors and brands are headquartered here. I’m supposed to go to South Korea once the world opens up, so I think Seoul could also become the city for me.
What was the most memorable beauty experience you had while traveling?
For me, a good facial is a combination of touch, good products and technology and ambiance. There’s a lady who works at this clinic in London called Skin Matters, and she put me in this bed that felt like a cloud. She massaged my feet and my face and then went and used the latest gizmos and gadgets. I fell asleep, too. A good sign is when you fall asleep, which is rare for me because my mood is usually all over the place. It was one of my favourite experiences. People always laugh and write on my Instagram saying “Nam, I’m waiting for your face to fall off because how is it humanly possible to get so many facials every week?” I’m very privileged and lucky that I get to try everything under the sun—every laser, every serum, every whatever. Even if I wasn’t in this business, I would have gotten a facial every single day. It’s my favourite thing in the world.
What kind of beauty packer are you when you travel?
I’m so extra, it’s sickening. Since I work in beauty for a living, I bring the whole kit and caboodle. I actually don’t know anyone as high maintenance as me. I don’t eat on the airplane because I don’t trust airplane food, but I’ll nourish my face. I pack sheet masks, mists and even LED lights. It’s kind of funny when you look at my suitcases. The suitcase for my clothes is my carry-on and the suitcase for my products is this big jumbo one. It’s embarrassing. I bring whatever I can. If I have the product in a sample size, then I bring it. Dr. Belmeur has these travel-size ones that come in these travel kits. I really like these sizes because I don’t like packettes. You tear it and there are two drops in it. Deluxe samples can last me up to two weeks, and I’m usually not gone for more than two weeks.
What are your beauty tips on how to take care of your skin when travelling?
Hydration, hydration, hydration. And more hydration. Although I have oilier skin, I like richer, more nourishing and fuller-bodied cream, like as if I’m talking about wine or something. I just like creams that aren’t greasy. So my tip for travelling is misting, hydrating, masking and layering. Less makeup and more fuller creams.
Any tips on how to recreate that dewy dumpling look at home?
I like things to really look three-dimensional. It’s really fun because makeup can wash off. It’s not much of a commitment and that’s what’s nice about makeup. You can visually see it and tone it out, blend it out or add more. There’s a little more artistry to it. Skincare takes time to really discover and what works well for you. But a tip I would always say is that beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin. I get a lot of questions about what concealer is great to cover zits or cover melasma. But instead of investing your money in the best foundation and concealer, you should invest the money into creating good skin rather than the illusion of good skin.
What advice do you have when it comes to taking better care of your skin?
I’ve had every treatment under the sun, but the two treatments I circle back to is microneedling and radio frequency. What’s really nice about microneedling is that whatever you use on top, it makes whatever products you use–whether it’s your retinol or your Vitamin C serum–absorb 100 times more. A for radio frequency, it helps tighten the skin and stimulate collagen in the skin. It’s 2021–use some tools and technology because it’s going to make your skin look so much better.
Nam Vo’s Go-To K-Beauty Products:
Dr. Belmeur Red Pro-Retinol Serum Set, $70
“People get scared of using [retinol, but this Red Pro-Retinol Serum is really good because it works well with sensitive skin. Typically, retinol has a yellow-y tint, but this doesn’t at all. It melts into the skin without leaving any residue and doesn’t irritate. I’ve had retinol irritate my skin before, so this was a life saver for me while I was travelling in London.”
Dr. Belmeur CICA Peptite Intense Mist, $38
“What’s really unique about this is that it has a beautiful spray pattern. A lot of mists might be great but ruin your makeup. This spray gives you this veil of moisture and feels really nice and light.”
Dr. Belmeur CICA Recovery Cream, $60
“One of my favourite creams is the Cica Recovery Cream. When you see the texture, you think it’s a fuller texture, but it’s really a gel cream. When you put it on, it feels so nourishing and light, and it doesn’t leave a greasy residue on your face, so if you want to move on and put your makeup on—concealer, tinted moisturizer and all that yummy stuff—you can.”
Dr. Belmeur CICA Eye Cream, $43
“I like this eye cream because it’s a combination of high-tech and natural ingredients. I also really like that it’s at an accessible price point.”
