The year has passed us fast as we are entering the second half of 2023. However, we didn’t forget to bring you your favorite monthly read of Women Crush! This month we are proud to feature this beauty with brains who not only has a beautiful kind soul but also shines stunningly in everything she wears. Get to know Syarlene Rahim more up close and personal on what she does, what she likes and her future goals in life by reading our interview with her down below.

1. First and foremost, please give a brief introduction of yourself.

Hey Zalora! I’m Syarlene, a 25-year-old medical student and content creator based in KL. I’m also a founder & director of SKRLWN Society – a youth-driven, humanitarian organisation in Malaysia.

2. As a medical student, what made you passionate about stepping into the medical industry in the first place?

Being raised in a family of doctors meant I was exposed to the field pretty early on and it was always something that piqued my interest. I really felt that medicine was such a beautiful and soul-fulfilling career. You’re dedicating 10 years of your life towards saving another person’s – while simultaneously investing most of your fun, “growing” years planning for an end goal that’s 20 years down the road.

Ironically despite me growing up surrounded by medicine, I was always discouraged from pursuing it. My family wanted me to pursue my more creative passions because all of my siblings went on to follow professional pursuits (we’re all just doctors and lawyers, and they wanted at least one of us to be cool :p). Yet despite my better judgment, I always knew what I wanted and never wavered.

It’s funny, I recently stumbled across old school records and there were these forms my teachers made us write in class when we were kids on “what I wanna be when I grow up”, and I was only 8 years old but I wrote there clear as day, “Doctor”. I hope 8-year-old me sees this version of me now and is proud of how far I’ve come to make her dream a reality. 

 

3. AS one of the Founder & Directors of SKRLWN Society. Please share with us how it all started and the work that is done through the organisation. 

SKRLWN was first established in 2020 during the peak of the pandemic and its repercussions on Malaysian society. I like to think of it as me & Sherry’s pandemic baby. Back during those early days, we really were just a bunch of kids learning the ropes on how to help communities that were suffering, whilst also learning how to manage, fund, lead our operations, and raise a team of young individuals to carry and plan out missions. Everything was a trial and error process and we grew the most in those first few months because we were all so hungry to learn.

Most of those first few initiatives were solely food donations. From delivering food supplies by boat to 1000 residents in a fishing village in Semporna Sabah during a food crisis (we were so proud of coining the project CO-FEED Semporna ) to serving the homeless community for 3 months on “nightly expeditions” during Transcend Neighbours.

During Project Kibar which was our white flag movement, our team mobilised over 80 volunteers over the span of 2 months and raised almost RM25,000 to deliver monthly food packages to families that had been impacted by job losses during the MCO. Malaysians came out in droves to support this initiative, and our post promoting the program had almost 2000 shares from the public. It was one of SKRLWN’s biggest projects to date and the massive support we received from Malaysians was so heartwarming.

Alhamdullilah. I don’t think any of us expected it to have grown as much as it did. Currently, SKRLWN’s aid reach has helped over 3000 people in the 3 years we’ve been established. Within the first month of our website (skrlwn.org) launching, our volunteer application form had received over 800 responses from the public, all wanting to volunteer on our missions. It really showed us that there was this immense interest in the younger generation of Malaysians that really wanted to make a difference during such a dark and difficult period for our country. It was beautiful to see, and even more lovely to be a part of.

 

4. What are your future hopes and goals for the SKRLWN Society? 

Our current initiative for 2023 is the Native Project – an initiative targeting the indigenous community & combatting energy poverty through the provision of solar panels to empower and uplift their homes & communities. It’s been our primary goal to focus entirely on one village this year with around 250 villagers, to really make a sustainable difference whilst building a framework we can replicate on similar villages in the future. 

The village we’re working with is Kg. Pos Titom, is an indigenous settlement in Pahang with 0 access to electricity and almost a 1.5 hour 4×4 drive away from civilisation. Our first round of solar panel installations in December of last year was actually funded by BNM, the Malaysian National Bank. Our team alongside ENACT and IMPIAN (our two collaborating partners for this initiative) installed solar panels for 3 homes that now have the ability to watch TV, conduct online lessons for the children, have light indoors and outdoors, and even charge their phones! 

Our goal is to make great advancements in helping these communities grow and thrive without disrupting their way of life. We’ve also recently secured more funding and are planning for another installation mission in August, which I’m super excited for  

5. You look stunning in every outfit you have on. Share with us who is/are your fashion inspirations.

I take a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and what I see on friends, on the streets of KL, when I travel, and on Instagram. Some style influencers I adore right now are: 

Isabel Tan (@Prettyfrowns)

Lena Helena Busch (@lena_helenabusch)

Jamie Nguyen (@lapetitejamie)

Tania Shroff (@tania_shroff)

Sasha Mei (@sasha.mei)

 

6. In three words, describe to us your sense of style.

I’d say somewhere along the lines of feminine, elegant, and playful-chic. I mix it up sometimes, and I do like going for statement wear once in a while, or a bright ensemble so the last description is pretty apt for when I’m being a little funky.

 

7. What is your go-to outfit if you are in a rush?

A slip dress and sneakers! Or a satin slip skirt with either a t-shirt, tube, or halter. I’m in a very simple but girly era right now and fully embracing my femininity and loving it. 

 

8. High heels? Sneakers? Ballerina flats?

Most of my friends would attest that I’m a heels girl. But after living in NYC these past 2 months, I’d have to say sneakers. it’s just so comfortable, and I don’t wake up with cramps after a long night out.

 

9. What is one item in your closet do you wear the most?

Currently, my SKIMS dress… she’s just so versatile! For a nice dinner, I style her up with heels, my hair slicked back and do some statement earrings; and for a more casual moment, I pair her up with some sneakers and a cute vintage shoulder bag. She’s just so flattering & feminine I’m pulling all my friends to get one. 

10. Drop us some fashion tips for women who want to elevate their everyday style.

This one took me a while to learn. But invest in your everyday pieces. That can mean anything from your chains, jewellery, footwear, or something as simple as an everyday basic top that you wear out with almost anything. It’s always fun to follow trends and style what’s cool for the season, but we always go back to our basics. And when your basics fit you just right, your entire outfit will feel elevated and look put together. Great fitting pieces just take the cake. 

Another good tip is, whenever I want my look to focus on what I’m wearing, for example, if I’m wearing a statement dress or an off-the-shoulder piece and I want the attention to be on my outfit, I’d slick my hair back. It’s just so simple and classy and I love it. Plus, no flyaways hehe.

 

11. Now let’s talk beauty! Your hair looks fabulous. Please share with us how your hair care looks like and what products do you use?

Thank you! Quite frankly, I bleached my hair to death last year and regretted it. So now I make sure to get trims every 2 months (either with Jojo, @jojoanton7, I love getting layers done with him & have gotten them with him for years) or lately I alternate and get trims with my favs at A Cut Above (shoutout @acagroup for always taking care of me ). No gatekeeping. 2023 we share all the deets with the girlies.

Also, since my hair’s bleached I invest a lot in keratin and sulphide bond re-enforcing products like Olaplex. I use their shampoo, no. 3 for treatment, and drop in some no. 6 right before I style my hair. Most of the time I style my hair with my Dyson Airwrap at home because it really gives me the best blowout. I top everything off with at home hair treatments using the Kerastasé resistance and Shiseido sublimic luminoforce treatments and do hair oil everyday to keep the frizz down in the Malaysian heat.

12. Name one makeup item you cannot live without.

My Fenty beauty blush in pumpkin. She’s actually a contour stick but gives me the most natural tint for my olive skin tone and I’ve been obsessed.

I also don’t know if this counts, but I love the DIY lash extension kits from @FluffedKL. Anyone that knows me knows that I’ve been a solid lash extension girlie for the past couple of years, and transitioning from that to giving my lashes a break, and only getting them done myself at home has been a growing curve for me and I’m proud. 

13. Your skin looks flawless. If you don’t mind, we would love to know how your skincare routine look like?

When it comes to skincare, I really try to keep my products to a minimum to keep it sustainable long-term. I mostly use a cleanser (currently COSRX), an organic spray toner (Sukin cosmetics is my favourite), serums – I alternate between actives like HLA, vitamin C, and retinol, and a moisturizer (I’m using Keihls everyday cream right now). I also do this thing called slugging where you lather a ton of petroleum jelly on your face after your nighttime skincare routine, and it’s really helped me repair my broken skin barrier. 

I do have to give a shoutout to Chucks for creating the absolute BEST sunscreen too which I love adding at the end of my morning routine. I’ve gone through droves of different sunscreens, but Chucks is my favorite, and gives me the prettiest glow without any white cast! and she smells like mint too.

 

14. What are some self-care practices that are important to you despite your busy schedule?

Keeping myself centered. I do that by reaching out to loved ones, and ensuring I spend time with the right people (people that uplift me, are reassuring, and that make me feel seen and loved). Meditating, praying, and definitely keeping healthy. I love going to the gym or to a quick spin class because it’s my little safe space. 

 

15. What is one thing that people would be surprised to know about you?

That I’m actually a really nice person and I hate gossip. It used to be a running joke that I’m the worst person to gossip with because by the time I see my friends and they’d ask me anything I’d forget the tea. I just have never been one to retain information like that.

One of my biggest criteria for whether or not a person I’d just met is not gonna be a 4lyfer, is if they spend more time talking about others rather than themselves. I personally love surrounding myself with people who love to grow as individuals, and whenever we meet they’d tell me about their dreams, goals and aspirations. I’m that friend that pushes all my friends to pursue their goals be it big or small. Mainly because I want to see all my loved ones win. Talking about anything else outside of that is fodder to me.

 

16. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Probably Berlin… I’ve always wanted to know if I could get into Berghain and I love the progressive and contemporary art scene in Germany. Lol. But aside from that maybe Capri/Positano, because who doesn’t want to sail across the Blue Grotto and soak up an Italian summer?

17. If you could live a day in someone’s life, who would it be and why?

If I could choose just one person I’d say our local gem, Dr. Amalina Bakri. Not only is she a hugely successful general surgeon hailing from Malaysia and working at one of the biggest hospitals in London, she’s also an outspoken women’s rights advocate, PHD. candidate in breast cancer, and has the most beautiful little family. I’d want to know what a day in her life looks like and how she does it all and still have such a lovely and fulfilling personal life. 

 

18. What is one thing that a woman should do at least once in her life?

Travel alone. It doesn’t even have to be somewhere far away or overseas. I tell my friends that sometimes taking a little solo staycation in the city with your AirPods on and a good book does wonders for you when you’re feeling stuck. It’s always so empowering to remind ourselves how capable we are of simply loving ourselves and our own company. 

19. What is the best advice someone has ever given you?

Life is a short wound-up clock of experiences. We live, we make mistakes, we fall, we get back up, we learn and we grow. Never fear making mistakes and be more afraid of having never made a mistake in your life. Getting everything right changes our worldview into thinking that life is just that easy when it isn’t. 

Safe to say I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my time. But getting called out for it and learning from them has allowed me to grow so much as an individual and it’s made me a lot more empathetic to others and their circumstances. So yes. you’re young, you’re allowed to figure this whole life thing out. Focus on you and tunnel vision your goals without fear, without comparison, and without envy of another person’s accomplishments. I promise you God & the universe will take you where you need to go. Trust!

20. Every woman should know how to…

Drive and be financially independent! No man is worth sacrificing your entire future for.

 

Interested to get to know this beautiful soul even more? Wait no more and follow her on Instagram @syarlenervhim . Who do you want to read about next for our next month’s issue? Please leave your suggestions in the comment box below. We would love to hear from you!