On a quiet Monday morning, the studio buzzed with the low hum of preparation. Lights were being adjusted, electric cords were being shifted, and the soft hiss of a steamer rose and fell as it smoothed out fabric in the corner. Amidst the gentle chaos, Steph Hui sat in front of a mirror with her phone on a tripod beside her, carefully blending foundation onto her skin. “Oh hey, you’re here!” she smiled as she saw me through the mirror and leaned in for a quick hug before resuming her rhythm. It’s not every day you see the talent on a photoshoot doing her own makeup look — five makeup looks, in fact. Oh, and filming it too. But if anyone could pull it off, it would be Steph Hui.
“How have you been?” she asks, casually chatting with me as if she wasn’t in the middle of perfecting her look and creating content for over 3 million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined. It was fascinating, to say the least. With one hand, she put on her makeup; with the other, she swiftly pressed the red record button on her phone camera, occasionally turning to the mirror and back, adjusting the phone between steps with practised ease. “It is such an honour to be able to do my own makeup on such a big project,” she said, her face calm and focused as she paused to check her eyeshadow. Through the mirror, I catch a fleeting glimmer in her eye — pure, unfiltered joy, silently relaying just how much this moment means to her.
Coat, blazer, shorts, scarf and boots, all Givenchy.
The moment she slipped into a floral hooded bodysuit and stepped on set, the transformation was immediate. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharp and commanding, before softening into a playful smirk. The camera clicked furiously. As the photoshoot unfolded, each outfit seemed to unlock a new side of her personality. In a black and pink mini-dress, she leaned into her cheeky charisma, striking poses that were daring and playful. Moments later, she threw on a structured suit jacket, and her energy shifted completely.
Watching her pose up a storm so effortlessly, it is hard to believe that, not long ago, modelling had seemed like an impossible dream for Steph. “I’ve always loved modelling, but because I’m 5’3”, I was never taken seriously as a model,” she reveals, sipping her coffee during our catch-up three days after the photoshoot. “I wasn’t doing much modelling until I started growing my platform. Social media opened that door for me.” She pauses, taking a moment to reflect on just how far she has come.“I still remember this so clearly: my first TikTok that performed really well was posted on August 10, 2021. Before that, I’d done little dance videos, but that was my first make-up TikTok.”
Bodysuit, Louis Shengtao Chen. Shoes, Christian Louboutin.
Flashback to 2021. The world had come to a standstill. University graduation was upon Steph, enveloping her in an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about what was to come next. And there she was, isolated in an Airbnb in New York after testing positive for COVID-19. “I wasn’t doing well mentally or emotionally, so I turned to TikTok. My first makeup video was a simple transition video, and because I have a background in film, the editing just came naturally to me. The next thing I knew, it had 30,000 views, then 40,000. I was like: What is going on?!’”, she laughs. “I remember this one comment that said, ‘Why aren’t you famous yet? You should be!’ That comment really stuck with me. It gave me the motivation I needed when everything else in my life was falling apart,” she recalls.
Fast forward to 2024. For anyone who has watched her work her magic, Steph carries herself with the kind of sunny confidence that felt effortless, as if she had always embraced every part of herself. But behind that self-assured glow lay a journey — one where that confidence had to be found, piece by piece.
“Growing up in Hong Kong, I remember always nitpicking my face wishing I had more Eurocentric features – like a taller nose, sharper jawline and bigger eyes – because that’s what we constantly saw in the media,” she reveals. For years, she had felt the weight of those beauty standards, wondering if she measured up. But as her social media platform grew, her perspective began to shift. “Ever since building my platform and meeting more Asian and Black creators who have also entered the space and succeeded, that made me love my Asian features more and be proud of how I look,” she smiles.
Now, with hundreds of thousands of followers and an impressive portfolio of collaborations, Steph has achieved what many would consider social media success. But her definition of success has evolved over time. “When I first started, success was very numbers-based — like hitting 1 million followers or working with certain brands,” she revealed. “But now, it’s about overcoming the things that scare me. It’s about taking on challenges, like speaking on a panel for the first time for Business of Fashion or interviewing industry icons like Peter Philips, who handpicked me out of a handful of creators to interview him. I still can’t believe that happened. I think confidence comes from moments like that — when you realise: I can do this. Being able to tackle things I didn’t think I could do is such a satisfying feeling of success.” For Steph, the most meaningful moments come from the connections she’s built with her audience. “The most rewarding part of my work is seeing DMs and comments from people saying I’ve inspired them,” she said. “It’s especially touching when I meet my followers in person, and they tell me I’ve motivated them to experiment with makeup or take content creation seriously.”
When asked what advice she would give to those just starting out, Steph didn’t hesitate. “You have to invest in yourself, play the long game, and trust that the returns will come.” She continues. “To do social media at this level is like running a business. I have strategy meetings with my team every week, and I spend days scrolling through TikTok and Instagram to see what’s relevant and try to make it my own,” she explained. “It’s not just about copying trends — you have to figure out what you can bring to the table.”
As we wrapped up our chat, Steph leaned back with a smile, with the same unmistakable glimmer in her eye I’d spotted that Monday morning at the shoot. In the soft afternoon light streaming through the café window, she carried a quiet, assured sense of peace that contrasted her bubbly personality, yet somehow perfectly complemented it. This wasn’t a peace you stumble upon — it was the kind you earn. And, much like her vibrant makeup and playful outfits, Steph wore this peace with the ease of someone exactly where they’re meant to be.
Photography: Feicien Feng
Styling: Foxla Chiu
Hair Stylist: Keith Wo
Fashion Assistant: Summer Li
Editor
Kaitlyn Lai
