Kedah Mortician Accepts Old Makeup Donations To Send Off The Deceased With Dignity
"Repair and makeup are very important to me. It leaves [the deceased] one last good impression."
By May Vin Ang — 12 Jan 2021, 06:14 PM
Meet Wendy Loo
She is a mortician hailing from Alor Setar, Kedah, who specialises in embalming and makeup services for the dearly departed.
While other women would often get bothered by their stashes of old and expired makeup, Loo has never had enough of it
The 38-year-old recently came into the spotlight when, according to Sin Chew Daily, she put out a request on social media asking people to donate their unwanted cosmetic sets and palettes to her, so that she could use them at work.
The mortician assured that while old makeup is not good for the skin of the living, it still does a good job of beautifying the skin of the deceased and it would be a waste if they were discarded.
She added that many of her clients did not mind that she used old makeup for their deceased relatives.
And unsurprisingly, Loo received an overwhelming response.
The artist received so many boxes that she has happily repackaged and shared them with colleagues in the same industry.
Speaking to SAYS, Loo said she is still accepting old and expired makeup, and expects that it will be a lifelong collection
"I'll always accept donations for old makeup. This will be a long-term collection as long as I'm still alive," she laughed.
Loo also told SAYS that she has been in the funeral and undertaker industry for over six years now.
The mother-of-five had previously shared with Hong Kong news portal TOPick that life had not always been easy, as after two failed marriages, she had to work multiple jobs tirelessly to feed the family.
She worked in sales as well as a bartender and waitress before finding interest in the funeral trade while she was looking for greener pastures in Singapore.
Since then, Loo has seen a better life - gaining the credentials to match her work and remarrying a supportive husband
She earned an embalmer's licence from a mortuary school in Manila, Philippines before returning home to Malaysia to work about three years ago.
The specialised embalmer is now based at Hock Soon Huat Funeral Service in Alor Setar and also offers her skills to other funeral parlours around the country.
After having a close brush with death and depression during the hard times of her life, she told Sin Chew Daily that she is not the least bit disturbed by the superstitions and taboos that surround her work with coffins and the dead.
Instead, she finds fulfilment with restoration of the deceased and believes that they should be given a dignified farewell
The mortician frankly said that when people pass away, their remains will look unsightly and family members often dare not look at their departed loved ones.
"Even adults are afraid, let alone children. So, repair and makeup are very important to me. It leaves them one last good impression," she said.
She explained that embalming involves a lot of manual labour and after that she also washes the body, puts on their clothes, and applies makeup to make them look presentable in their open caskets.
"Every time I see the reactions of the family members and the look of gratitude on their faces, I always feel hope that the restoration has helped the family," she said, adding that she is glad to help lessen the emotional pain for family members during those difficult times.
If you have old and expired makeup that you would like to donate to Loo, contact her at +6011-39293158.
