Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina really needs no introduction. One of the best dressed celebrities in town, she exudes an aura of sophistication and elegance. She’s Malaysia’s version of the 1960s screen idols whom she herself admires for their timeless style. She was centrestage at MAC’s preview of the 3 makeup looks for Nora and talks about her latest musical, “The Secret Life Of Nora” and her favourite MAC products (she is a long-time fan of MAC and has a huge collection of MAC products).

I understand that you admire famous women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie O, Grace Kelly & Sophia Loren, all of whom were prominent in the 1960s. What is it you like about women of that era?

Tiara Jacquelina : The 60s was a very iconic time – it was classic, timeless and bold. There’s something very distinctive about women then, they were forward thinkers and made a lot of fashion statements. There’s a spirit about women in those days that I love, they were sure of themselves, empowered and emancipated. They discovered their inner strength then.

Malaysia had a lot of beautiful actresses too back in the 60s. Are there any in particular you admire for their style?

Tiara Jacquelina : Saadiah & Saloma (they starred in a lot of P. Ramlee movies). They really stood out and not many modern women are as bold as they were. Back then, women were portrayed as much more confident. It was a different time back then with not as many restrictions. I want to promote liberalism, unity and harmony in a subtle way, through my musicals.

Why did you choose the cabaret as a background to “The Secret Life Of Nora”?

Tiara Jacquelina : If it was just a straightforward spy story, it would be too masculine and dark. I wanted to balance it with frivolity and femininity. The story is about someone who was not very confident who found inner strength through helping others. From someone who was insecure, she grew to believing in herself.

You’ve mentioned in one of your previous interviews that theatre is all about clockwork timing and precision. Do you enjoy producing theatre to working on a movie set because it is live and therefore more challenging?

Tiara Jacquelina : With theatre, there’s hundreds of cues going on and you have to change before the music comes on, for example. I find theatre more fulfilling as I get instant gratification out of it. I am a stickler for perfection.

Have you ever fogotten your lines onstage and what do you do in such a situation?

Tiara Jacquelina : Yes, a lot of times. I just rely on my muscle memory to bring back the lines.

How long have you been using MAC, what do you like most about MAC and what are your favourite MAC products?

Tiara Jacquelina : I have been using MAC products since 1995 and have a huge collection. I l. They ove the variety of their products which can be used everyday to stage makeup. They come in a variety of colours and different textures. As I love to paint, MAC colours are like a palette and I feel like a kid in a candy store every time I step into a MAC outlet.

My favourite products are:-

(1) Angel Lipstick (frost pink which happens to be Kim Kardashian’s favourite too)

(2) Zoomlash Mascara

(3) Smoulder Eye Kohl

(4) Well Dressed Blusher for its sheen

(5) Brow Sets in Girl Boy and Beguile.

My absolute must-have MAC product is Select Moisturecover (Concealer) because it hides lines and pigmentation.

Note : Thanks to Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina and MAC Malaysia for the interview. The 1960s was a much more relaxed decade and it was a good time to be young, what with the proliferation of fairs, dance halls and cabarets. There may not have been modern conveniences like mobile phones, laptops, Tablets, iPads, Blackberries and other 21st century communication devices but you can’t miss what you don’t know about. People spent more time outdoors at beaches and parks since shopping malls were unheard of. It was a decade where women sported beehive hairdos, dark eyeliners a la Amy Winehouse, mini skirts and beautiful lace kebayas. They had incomparable style then and we often look back to the vintage fashion of yesteryear to inspire us today. If time travel was possible, I’d love to travel back to the 1960s and be a fly on the wall. From what I’ve heard about life in the 1960s, it seems like a much more carefree and stressfree era, a time when life was much more simple and much less complicated. This was the decade when the best Malaysian movies were made and yes, I am referring to P. Ramlee’s unforgettable movies and songs.