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Debbie Dundan; Underneath The Layer of Foundation

Hanzky

Hanzky/ 59

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Everyone knows that she is the go-to girl in the Make Up and Skincare department. Not only for her beauty stuff collection that can rival a Sephora store (Well, at least Singapore Sephora :D), but also for her extensive knowledge and the skill to create just about any look.

If you’re not a regular at the forum, here’s a little bit about her contribution here. Most of the time, she can be found at the forum (her post count has almost reached 8000)..but she also writes in the blog whenever she feels like it..:). She joined the forum since its newborn days (June 09 2007). She currently resides in Washington DC but she goes home every November – February, coincides with our annual Make up classes.

Let’s get to know her better.

When was your first encounter with makeup?

Kalau perjumpaan pertama dengan makeup mah udah nggak inget, tapi kalau pakai makeup beneran, itu waktu saya kelas 1 SMP, ke pesta pernikahan. Pakai palet eyeshadow Sari Ayu punya ibuku. That was the first time I specifically got into palette addiction.

Why do you love about make up?

What’s not to love? Makeup is like a playground and I am a 5 years old.

What is makeup to you?

It’s more of a “Happiness Rx” rather than a “Beauty Rx”.

When was the time you went overly crazy with make up purchase?

Kayaknya nggak pernah deh saya beli sekaligus banyaaaakk banget at one go. Ada lah jaraknya, 2 hari, gitu? (Sama aja, cong! :D)

Kalau saya suka sebuah produk karena kualitasnya bagus, maka biasanya saya jadi kepingin koleksi semua warnanya, contohnya, MAC Pigment dan lipstik YSL Rouge Volupte.

OH! Ini menyinggung BB Cream saya yang 40 biji itu, ya? Hahaha! Habis, orang pada heboh banget, jadi saya tergelitik untuk menilik produk ini. Produknya, marketingnya, sejarahnya, dsb. Hadeehh… Masih utang artikel review BB Cream nih untuk FD :p

If you can only use one make up brand?

MAC. I guess 75% of my makeup is from MAC.

What is your inspiration in makeup?

My mood, generally and interior design. The colors, I mean.

What exactly is a dunia dandan?

Dua tahun lalu saya pernah punya segmen di program Pop Notes VOA yang ditayangkan di JakTV. Nama segmennya “Dunia Dandan Deborah”, isinya liputan tip-tip kecantikan. That’s a name that tells all.

Turned out, in addition to makeup junkie, you are also a shoe, bag, accessory and antique junkie?

Duilee, I’m not a bag & shoe junkie, hanya karena saya bawa sepatu 16 pasang waktu mudik kemarin (dan pulang dengan lebih banyak lagi *ngelirik Toko Dua Amoi*). IMO, a junkie or an enthusiast has a deeper meaning. They don’t just collect or have a lot, but they study it, they hunt it, they talk about it.

My baby junks include 25 congklak boards, 20 wayang puppets, and 200 something kretek packs that I get from all over Indonesia.

In fashion, I love anything by Whiting & Davis, the first company that created metal mesh bag in 1876 in the US. I collect their antiques (from the 1920’s) and vintage as well as retro purses and accessories. Tadinya kepingin presentasi koleksi jadul Whiting & Davis ini di depan Komunitas Djadoel Djakarta, tapi sayang, waktunya tabrakan dengan Kelas Dandan.

Do you think your fashion & makeup change significantly now compare to your eh, younger, 20s days?

Dulu masih mau pakai hiking boots untuk ke kantor, tapi sekarang ogeng 😀
Makeup-wise berubah, karena sekarang lebih berpengetahuan aja, sementara dulu cupu. Waktu masih kuliah, mau pakai lipstik aja nyari temen dulu. Berasa aneh aja. Apalagi SMA-ku waktu itu cewek semua, jadi agak kagok emang.

The surprising thing is,behind what seemed to be a high maintenance lady lies a caring heart…hahaha. Can you tell us a little bit about your volunteer experience in Aceh?

Bukan high maintenance, tapi high strung 😀

Saat tsunami di Aceh terjadi, 26 Desember 2004, saya dan beberapa teman di organisasi Mahasiswa Pecinta Alam Universitas Indonesia (MAPALA UI) memutuskan untuk menjadi relawan. Kami naik pesawat Hercules ke Banda Aceh dan tiba di sana pada hari kelima setelah kejadian. Pemandangannya menyedihkan banget, deh. Mayat-mayat masih bergelatakkan di mana-mana. Hampir aja saya menginjak mayat saking berantakan banget situasinya. Belum lagi gempa susulan. Ogah tidur di dalam rumah karena takut rumah rubuh, saya pun mendirikan tenda dan tidur di halaman rumah. Masalahnya, di halaman rumah ada tiang bendera! Nggak ketiban rumah, tapi ketiban tiang bendera ini judulnya.

Di sana kami melakukan assessment atau pendataan kamp-kamp pengungsian yang dibuat oleh para korban tsunami sendiri. Hasil pendataan (yang terpenting adalah kebutuhan air bersih, bantuan medis, dan sandang serta pangan) kami salurkan ke organisasi yang lebih besar agar mereka tahu ke mana mereka harus mengarahkan bantuan.

Dua minggu saya di sana, dan bulan Februari 2005 saya kembali ke Aceh bersama NGO Mercy Corps dan bekerja di bagian revitalisasi sosial. Baru 1 minggu tiba, I found out that I was pregnant (with Ben, now 4). Waa.. surprised banget! Saya tetap tinggal di Aceh sampai usia kandungan 7 bulan dan hanya pulang ke Jakarta tiap bulan untuk kontrol ke dokter kandungan.

Oh iya, salah satu proyek saya di Aceh adalah mengajak anak-anak usia SD untuk menuliskan pengalaman dan apapun yang mereka rasakan dengan adanya bencana tsunami tersebut. Cerita-cerita mereka bikin mewek abis! Apalagi waktu saya temui mereka satu persatu. They are amazing kids, the way they handle the situation, the spirit to be back on their feet and run again.. *tercekat*

Kompilasi tulisan ini saya edit dan diterbitkan oleh penerbit Kelompok Pustaka Gramedia, dengan judul “Kiamat Sudah Dekat”.

So, what do you miss most about HOME?

The possibility to do 10 different things in one day.

Do you feel grateful to have found Fashionese Daily?

Nothing compares to having a play date with other makeup enthusiasts. Learning and teaching, that’s what we do at FD. I wished there was something like FD when I was wayyy younger. FD members can learn the importance of sunscreen, the magic of makeup, the ability the dress up stylishly, and also how to believe in themselves. That’s priceless!

Tell us a little bit about your job there..

Membuat berita, membuat feature, menjadi host. Di sini saya musti bisa melakukan semuanya: mencari bahan, menulis naskah, menghubungi narasumber, syuting, dan mengedit. Dulu mah di RCTI (1996-2004) tinggal nyuruh cameraman atau editor.

If you can have everything your way, what would you be doing now?

  • I would buy an original jengki style house (arsitektur karya putera Indonesia setelah era kolonial, tahun 1940-an hingga 1960-an) in Menteng and live there. Ada yang saya taksir tapi harganya 15M! Wakwakwakk.. Di Bandung juga boleh, masih banyak banget malah rumah jengki di sana.
  • Jual-beli barang antik. Mudah-mudahan ada yang saya jual, nggak cuma beli doang. Hehehe…
  • Mendirikan semacam spiritual centres. Inilah kegiatan saya di Amerika. Ikut perkumpulan spiritual ini-itu, ikut workshop spiritual tentang macam-macam, and I love it!
  • Menjadi penerbit buku-buku spiritual. Too many spiritual books here that I want to share with Indonesian readers.
  • Mengaktifkan kembali kesukaan mengeksplor gua-gua. Caves are beyond amazing!  Waktu kuliah, saya pernah menjadi koordinator Caving (penelusuran gua) di MAPALA UI.
  • I would sit down and read my books 5 hours a day.

Tell us something about you that we don’t already know!

That I am a spiritual junkie (eh, udah dibilang ya di atas :D) Pengalaman-pengalaman spiritual sejak saya berusia 7-8 tahun, dan terutama yang terjadi sejak 4 tahun terakhir, telah membentuk saya sampai pada titik ini. I read a lot and I learn a lot. I take classes and workshops, and I am grateful that I met great, great teachers here in the US as well as in Indonesia.

My favorite quote is my signature at FD and Facebook:

“We are not human beings having spiritual experiences. We are spiritual beings having human experiences.”

It is so true you can’t afford not to believe it.

Favorite books?

Love, love, love everything about Oost Indische (Hindia Belanda), Indonesia before 1970 era, and old Indonesian kingdom classics. Such an old soul I am. Last but not least: spiritual books.

Who inspired you the most?

The spirits. No jokes.

——

Alright, I didn’t see that coming (the answer to the last question). But that’s the thing with Debbie, always full of surprises….:).

We love you full Deb….*cup cup*…

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