Neelofa made headlines in 2017 when she was appointed by French luxury skincare brand Lancome as its first Malaysian ambassador, the first one to wear the hijab.
Three years on, it seems the move was an excellent step for the company, who today announced that Neelofa will now be the brand's first Southeast Asia (SEA) regional ambassador, marking the first time a Malaysian is representing the brand on a regional stage.
The actress and entrepreneur says the brand has been incredibly supportive of her career over the last five years. "It has been a dream to work with a brand that shares the same values of always pursuing happiness, dreams, and living life to the fullest in the most beautiful and meaningful way," Neelofa said.
Neelofa says she looks up to her mother, Noor Kartini Noor Mohammed, when it comes to beauty.
"I loved reading fashion magazines growing up, but I didn't have a lot of role models who looked or dressed like me represented in the international media, so she has always been the epitome of modern elegance to me and continues to inspire me until today,"
"Besides her, I absolutely adore (model) Halima (Aden). She really broke a lot of barriers and put modest fashion on the map. Models like her have inspired hijabis like me to embrace our true style and not be afraid to make moves some people would consider risky in fashion terms,"
A universal beauty that Lancome describes as "the embodiment of feminine strength, independence, and determination," Neelofa will be representing all three key categories; skincare, makeup, and fragrance across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand markets.
She will also be featured in Lancôme's first Eid campaign next year, the company says.
Lancome brand general manager Angeline Foo says Neelofa is emblematic of the charismatic Lancôme woman whose outer beauty is a reflection of her inner happiness.
"After our five great years working in partnership with her, we are extremely proud to
be able to celebrate this tremendous milestone of Neelofa being named as the first Malaysian as the firs SEA regional ambassador," she said.