Ms Rachel Kum, 27, Miss Universe Singapore 2009

Current job title: Co-founder of skincare and cosmetics brand, Rachel K.

What have you been focusing on since the pageant?

I decided to combine my entrepreneurial spirit with my love for beauty to create my own cosmetics brand in 2010.

My primary focus has been growing my cosmetics business.

Besides Singapore, Rachel K is now stocked in Watsons and Guardian in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

We are carried in about 180 stores in these markets.

We are also available in the United States via www.rachelkcosmetics.com and we hope to expand to Europe soon.

How has winning the pageant helped you?

The experience was a positive boost to my confidence and self-esteem.

It led me to some places I had always dreamed of going, such as the Bahamas and the Maldives, where I went for the Miss Universe pageant in 2009.

Along the way, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet other contestants from all over the world.

The pageant has also been a good platform for me to start my own cosmetics business.

Being a beauty queen helps me to be a good ambassador for my brand.

What is one common misconception people have of beauty queens?

People think beauty queens just need to walk about on stage and look beautiful.

They don't realise that we have causes we support and would like to champion.

In 2010, a group of my good friends asked me to help raise awareness for thalassaemia, a form of blood disease that leads to anaemia, in Sri Lanka.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered as the best ambassador for my brand, which is the first Singapore-based line to launch a Colour Control (CC) cream in late 2010.

I am very proud of the fact that the buzz around Rachel K CC cream has been generated not through a million-dollar campaign, but by word of mouth.

What do you fear most about ageing?

The biggest worry is declining health.

The sad truth is that we don't get to choose what illnesses we may succumb to in our advanced age.

I try my best to stay healthy and take good care of my body.

I visit the gym two or three times a week, drink lots of water and try to go on a raw food diet once a week, when I eat only fresh greens and raw fish.

As a beauty queen, what is the best beauty tip you have to offer?

Drink between six and eight glasses of water a day.

Water is good for your complexion and your skin needs water in order to function at its best.

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(Photos: ST, TNP, Miss Universe Singapore, Avalon, DP Photography)