"When I got in touch with this job, seen a lot of people, I felt that life is nothing but this.
"Apart from death, there is no insurmountable obstacle, and difficulties can be overcome,” she said.
It’s this job as a mortuary makeup artist that couldn’t serve with a smile that changed her life.
When she was in secondary school, she had mild depression. She just wanted to hide every day and did not want to talk to anyone, and she was always depressed for no reason, which made her lose her life motivation.
Facing death, she further realized the deep meaning of life, her mood gradually became brighter and her melancholy mood was gradually released.
She said that when she was exposed to part time marketing of funeral products until she stepped into the work of a mortuary makeup artist, she became cheerful and willing to communicate with the outside world.
It was Cynthia Soong Kar Wen, 23, a mortuary makeup artist, a young lady with a clear face and beautiful eyes that contrasted sharply with this job.
Soong embarked on a career as a mortuary makeup artist due to a documentary
When Soong was in secondary school at the age of 16, she watched a documentary about a Taiwanese mortuary makeup artist, from which she learned about the process of putting makeup on a mortuary and the experiences shared by that makeup artist, which left a deep impression on her.
This documentary, attracted her interest in this special profession.
She said that her brother joined this industry first and worked in product sales marketing for the funeral industry.
Because of her brother, she also worked part-time with him in funeral sales marketing when she was in secondary school. It was from then on that she slowly got in touch with the funeral industry.
After graduation, she fulfilled her wish and started to develop towards the career of a mortuary makeup artist. From there, she has been in this profession for 3 years.
Soong glad to get parental support
Affected by traditional thinking, everyone thinks that the funeral profession is a taboo. However, Soong is grateful to have the support of her parents.
"In the beginning, during my study period, I had a part-time job in the marketing of funeral products.
"My parents did not agree with it very much because they did not want that job to affect my studies.
"But later, after I decided to enter the funeral and makeup artist industry, they did not feel that the job is a taboo.
"Instead, they thought if I could do this job well, they would not be against the idea.
"Since my brother was in the funeral business from the beginning, when my brother was doing it, my parents changed their minds and further understood the funeral business, so when I entered as makeup artist, they did not give any objection,” she said.
Music credit: Instrumental Worship - 15 Minute Music for Devotion from The Daily Post
As a mortuary makeup artist 24 hours must be standby
As a mortuary makeup artist is on call 24 hours a day, so it can be said that there are no vacation days and their own times.
Soong said that whether she is drinking tea and chit-chatting with her friends, she must make sure that the ringtone of her mobile phone is set to the loudest, in a good communication condition, as well as she must also hear the ringing tone of the mobile phone ringing in time.
"Sometimes I have to move in the middle of night, about 2am or 3am, in short, I must always be there,” she said.
There is no fear of facing the corpse
Soong remembered that the first time she started to put on makeup was for an elder who died of illness. She said a colleague led her to the deceased.
She said she remembered her colleague led her in front of the deceased, when the white cloth covering the deceased was lifted, the deceased’s eyes were not closed and just stared at her.
"In fact, when the white cloth was lifted, I looked at it with a normal feeling and I did not feel afraid.
"My superior is an insider, but in order to test me and chose not to say anything to me.
"In the end, my superior told me that he thought that I would be afraid but actually I did not have the psychological stress,” she said.
Many friends are curious whether Soong is not afraid of this industry.
But to Soong, she does not think the dead are scary. She thinks that the human heart is more sinister and scary than the dead.
"I will always tell my friends that there is nothing to fear from the dead, they are also people but they just left this world,” she said.
Seeing the deceased “smile” and a thank you from the family are the greatest meaning of her career
Many people will think that what happened to Soong is weird and evil, and they do not believe that this incident really happened, but it is really happened to her.
Soong said this deceased made a deep impression on me. She said that when the deceased first came, she saw that his brows furrowed.
"The impression he gave me was that firstly he was a very serious person and secondly he might have struggled before he left or he might have walked in pain.
"Usually when I do makeup for the deceased, I will talk to them because I think that they can hear what we say, so I tell this uncle that something is to be put down, go well, and be happy to another world.
"I told uncle when we help you get a neat and handsome look, do not frown. Then, I also said to this uncle that if you like the makeup I did for you, be a neat, tidy and handsome man, don’t frown and show me a smile,” she said.
On the day of the funeral, Soong went to the coffin to see the deceased one last time. Then, the expression of the deceased revealed a slight smile, and his brows did not wrinkle.
She said this look is not the same as the look on the first day when he came to her and his family also noticed that his look had changed.
“That for me, seeing the deceased “smile” is the greatest meaning to my career.
"Not only that, whenever the family members hold my hand and say thank you to me after makeup, I am really happy and feel that this is the biggest meaning of her doing in this industry,” she said.
No matter how hard it is, she still chooses to continue as a mortuary makeup artist
Soong said because this job had changed her a lot and she has devoted herself to this career.
Her relatives would joke with her: “if we left, would you help us? Because of this joke, Soong felt that they gave her a big recognition in her career.
"My family's support and the experiences I have worked hard all my life are the greatest motivation for me in this industry.
"I think I am fine in this career no matter if I can’t make a living, whether I make money in this industry or not, whether it is hard or not, I think I will continue to do this career,” she said.
(All photos credit to Ms Cynthia Soong Kar Wen.)
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