I’ve always wanted to meet our members outside of Jakarta. A few of them have dropped by to our events or to FDHQ on random occasions, but it’s quite different from going to their hometown and meet them there, right?
That’s why when Viva Cosmetics invited me to speak at their beauty class, I immediately said yes. The brand invited their customers, Vivers as they call them, from their Facebook Fanpage, along with some FD members, to get together and learn more about makeup and skincare. But carefully avoiding the typical “beauty workshop” format, Viva Cosmetics decided they would also include a talk show / sharing session about a topic unrelated to beauty, so the guests could leave with something else other than an armload of beauty products and a newly acquired makeup skill. And that’s where I came in!
I was happy to share about how Female Daily was incepted and how Hani, the rest of the early years team and myself, grew the company from one website to the biggest online women community in Indonesia 🙂
So off I went to Surabaya on one weekend in late June!
Viva Cosmetics, needs no introduction, I think. They are one of Indonesia’s largest cosmetic company which has been established since 1962. Proud of their tropical climate-suitable formula, Viva Cosmetics has a few brands under the holding company: Viva, Viva Queen, Viva White and Red-A. I find it interesting that, while most large enterprises decide to operate from the capital, Viva remains loyal to its hometown Surabaya. They took me to drive past their headquarter and factory in Surabaya..it was massive!
Anyway, we arrived in Hotel Santika Jemursari just as the first few Vivers arrived. They all seemed excited about the event and most of them came on time. In no time, the ballroom was filled with 60, beautiful women, all eager to start dipping their hands in Viva’s famous cleansers and toners.
The event was opened with a short speech by Bapak Danny Wibisono, Head of Marketing Division Viva Cosmetics, who explained a little bit of the company history. He said Viva was one of the oldest Made in Indonesia labeled cosmetic company, which has been serving Indonesian women for 51 years. How awesome is that?
Bapak Danny was followed by Swelinda, Head of Promotions Viva Cosmetics, who gave an insight on Viva’s best selling products, as well as their newest ranges. To explain the science behind all Viva products, their R&D officer came up to answer all questions from the participants. And they asked a lot of questions!
Now that they were all excited about the products, the MC invited some participants to come to the stage for a fun challenge…to do makeup on their friends! Look how these ladies swiped and blended like pros!
After winners were announced and prizes were given, it was time for the workshop to start. From understanding your skin condition, doing proper face cleansing, choosing the right foundations to your skin tone, to color coordinating eyeshadows, the Viva beautician patiently and effectively explained the techniques step by step. She even gave everyone a face chart so they can learn how to apply makeup on the paper before putting it on their face Love!
This beauty workshop was full of super useful tips and tricks. They were taught to do facial massage (very important to boost circulation and promote healthier skin condiiton!) to shaping and filling eyebrows. The participants were asked to practise what they learned on their own face and it made a huge difference as they could also learn from the other participants.
After that, it was my turn 🙂 I was touched that when I asked how many of the participants were members of Female Daily, I saw quite a number of hands in the air. I was also very happy that everyone seemed very enthusiastic to hear about my experience in managing and growing the company that I shared. During the Q&A session, I received a lot of questions – good ones, I must say – from fellow entrepreneurs or aspiring ones, about many aspects of running a business. I hope my answers gave them the insight they were looking for 🙂
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After the whole day of learning and sharing, it was time to close the event and say goodbye. Not before we took a group photo of course 🙂
Thank you so much Viva Cosmetics for inviting me and giving the opportunity to meet and get to know the fabulous Vivers! Till next time!
