SHE'S effortlessly elegant and charming, as well as disarmingly soft-spoken and savvy to boot.
At every step, she exudes an equal measure of confidence and modesty, which mirrors her meteoric rise to success.
An honouree of Forbes under 30 Asia 2017, Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor, better known as Neelofa, is metaphorically dressed for success as she comfortably slips into her various roles as an actress, TV host and entrepreneur.
Never one to stay idle, the 31-year-old fashionista made good use of her time at home during the recent Movement Control Order (MCO) to entertain the masses with her informal online show, Berseorangan Bersama.
The stay-at-home series saw her chatting with various personalities such as actress Nora Danish and Indonesian singer Datuk Rossa, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Malaysia's top songstress, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza.
Aside from promoting the small businesses of regular Malaysians during the MCO on her Twitter account, Neelofa also launched her charity organisation, Pertubuhan Kasih Neelofa, last June to help the needy.
Born in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, she's equally at ease sitting in the front row at fashion weeks across Milan, Paris, New York and London, and distributing meat to the less fortunate during her Qurban Kasih Neelofa event in conjunction with the recent Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations.
REPRESENTING SEA
Neelofa has certainly come a long way since winning the Dewi Remaja beauty queen title in 2010.
Another historic highlight of her illustrious career came recently when she was appointed Lancome's Southeast Asia Regional Ambassador.
"This came as such a surprise. I was at home during the lockdown when I got the news and I was so shocked that I had to take my time to let it sink in," said Neelofa, when met recently at an event by the French luxury perfume, cosmetics and skin care house in Petaling Jaya.
She is Lancome's first ambassador for the SEA region and joins international icons such as Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts, Penelope Cruz, Zendaya, Amanda Seyfried and Lupita Nyong'o, who inspire women through their determination, independence and inner strength.
"It's a great honour and a blessing to be chosen. But as a Malaysian and Muslim hijabi, it's also good to know that this region is being recognised and further appreciated.
"Prior to this, the ambassadors for the Asian region were always from Japan, China or South Korea.
"So this is a wonderful opportunity to highlight and showcase this region. I look forward to meeting people from around the region and spreading positivity," she said.
POSITIVE OUTLOOK
Despite Covid-19 affecting her businesses, Neelofa said keeping a positive outlook was key to embracing the new normal.
"The global pandemic hit everyone with the same level of anxiety and stress, and on some days it wasn't easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It very much impacted me too, but I kept positive as much as I could.
"It's important to build inner and mental strength especially when there's so much unpredictability around us."
"Some things are within our control and some things are not. I make the best of each day and focus on what I can control. I always fall back on my faith and the people around me who love and care for me. Then I feel like I can do anything," she said.
On her success, she said: "There's no formula or model to it. I've been working really, really hard for a long time.
"But I believe that everything starts with the intention and having the right intention helps.
"I wanted to provide for myself and my family but also to help others, spread positivity and give people hope."
Neelofa is really excited to do more good with her new Lancome appointment.
"I'm always up for charity work and helping the less fortunate. I'm sure that there will be opportunities to collaborate in the future.
"The team has been very helpful and full of ideas. I love that they are also receptive to my feedback and include me in the process.
"One of the first projects that I'll be involved in is a global Eid campaign for next year, which came about after I suggested it.
"Projects are often tied to festivals like Christmas or Chinese New Year. This upcoming campaign will be the first for a Muslim festival," she said.
On the entertainment front, Neelofa, who has 7.5 million followers on Instagram and 2.6 million followers on Twitter, is currently busy with her own talk show, Next To Neelofa, which began airing on Astro Ria last month.
"I produce and host this programme which I've been envisioning for the past five years. It's great that it's now a reality and to be able to share the inspiring journey of these wonderful guests."
The show features a star-studded list of personalities such as Datuk Hans Isaac, Chryseis Tan, Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, Ella and Datuk Rizalman Ibrahim.
"And finally, there's a new TV series I'm working on in Indonesia at the moment. We'll see how it goes," she said with a smile.