Watch Claire Jedrek and other inspiring women in Vaniday's International Women's Day campaign

Girl power

Text: Renée Batchelor

The connection between a beauty app and celebrating the strength and uniqueness of women may not be that immediate. But here's why Vaniday thinks its important to empower women anyway

To celebrate International Women's Day, beauty app and website Vaniday has created a campaign celebrating five different women and their unique paths in life. The Singapore-based women include race car driver Claire Jedrek, actress and entrepreneur Cheryl Wee and tattoo artist Jane Surin. Says Marine Perez de Germay, co-founder and managing director of Vaniday Singapore. “We believe there shouldn’t be any rules for how you want to live your life and how you want to express yourself and your beliefs. As women, ever since we were young, we have heard comments from society about how women should be. People tell us how we should behave, how our hair should look like, how skinny our body should be and the kinds of jobs and dreams we should pursue. However, we believe every women should be free to hear their inner voice, express themselves and their beauty as their prerogative."

To support the campaign Vaniday will donate $0.50 for every booking made on its app or website from 8 to 14 March which proceeds benefitting the Star Shelter — a refuge for women and children who have escaped domestic violence. We speak to Claire Jedrek, one of the five women featured in the video, and a professional race car driver and emcee to find out her thoughts on beauty and surviving in a male-dominated industry.

How did you get involved in this campaign?
Jane (Surin) is an old friend of mine, and she told me about it. To me the campaign is about showcasing breakthrough careers that can hopefully inspire women to step out of their own little boxes.

For International Women's Day, what message do you want to send out to younger women who might be at the start of their careers?
Don't be so hard on yourself, don't pin yourself against anyone else's happiness, career or life. Everyone's life pans out differently and you don't need to give yourself a timeline. There are no rules.

As a race car driver, is beauty important to you at all?
As a driver I'm actually in the sun training a lot. It can hit 50°c in the car and it can be trying when you're doing endurance races — I recently competed in a race that was six hours long! Keeping hydrated is very important, so I drink a lot of water. So is UV protection. I actually use a lot of whitening protects. Contrary to what most people think, it's not about being fair, but about maintaining my skin and keeping my freckles at bay.

I also use mascara even when I'm racing. In the racing helmet, your eyes are the one thing that people can see. I rely a lot on waterproof mascaras like Maybelline The Falsies and the mascara as well as makeup from Make Up For Ever's Aqua range. After a race, there are a lot of pictures taken, and being in the media, I'm aware of how it's important to always look presentable. I find that guys look great sweaty... but women not so much!

Do you think feminism is still important today? 
I personally don't connect with that word. I believe that you are given what you deserve and if you work hard, put in the time and with the right timing, then equality and feminism means less. Focus on your self and your own abilities and then you will find your true worth. Surprisingly, being a in a male-dominated industry is a lot more welcoming than people think. The other drivers see me as a driver first and woman second.