Just like Rome, the beauty empire Wilson Lee has architectured wasn’t built in a day. Decked with the symbolic, colosseum-inspired B.zero1 jewellery by Bvlgari, our December cover star gets candid on breaking into the female-dominated industry, shattering gender barriers along the way.

Wilson Lee is an enigma. He cuts an imposing figure, leaving a lasting impression without ever revealing all his cards. He carries himself not with quiet authority or loud affectation, but a genuine affability, yet his every move radiates uber-confidence: his voice steady, his gaze unyielding, and his stride assured. With every step, he casts a long shadow, a full six feet of presence and poise. It is perhaps a befitting persona for a young entrepreneur to espouse in a world still saturated in convention, where innovation is often met with resistance, as they teeter the line, learning when to stand firm in their values and when to adapt to the rules of the world around them.

Changes are never far away whenever Lee decides to assert himself. He has a knack for turning the impossible into the inevitable—and he does it oh-so effortlessly—if the story of Emax Beauté is anything to go by. From a wilting flower to a blooming bouquet of a business, the company rose from the ashes with his enterprising genius. Lee, in his role as the chief executive officer, identified and filled the gaps left by the bigwigs of beauty, diversifying the company’s portfolio with distinctive brands that cater to different segments of clients: Beauté Library, Venusde, Curvena, and B+ Clinic. All of this materialised within a mere decade—talk about having the Midas touch.

Lee’s business acumen in retrospect may have been evident from the start—what’s bred in the bone will come out in the flesh—as he grew up watching his parents leading a venture of their own, but his story is far from conventional. Intrigued by the whole setup watching his parents interact with customers from behind the counter, the moment that actually motivated him to follow in their footsteps was when their mobile retail outlet went under. “I was only seven years old but I thought there were so many things they could’ve done to save and improve the business. I often wondered about what I would’ve done differently if I were in that position,” he recalls.

The sudden reversal of fortune left Lee's equilibrium somewhat off balance especially when his parents decided to uproot their lives to Ipoh. He vowed, from that moment on, to prove to them that he had what it took to be a better entrepreneur—and he has made good on that promise. Whether or not he has earned the respect of his elders remains a question. “They are very traditional parents, very tough,” says the 30-year-old, his eyes linger blankly on the spotless mirror ahead. “They don't give words of affirmation, let alone compliments. They just don’t know how to express their feelings, but I think they are proud of me,” he adds.

Family Affairs

Realising the limitations of his upbringing, he made the deliberate decision to adopt a different approach to raising his three children. He would burn through self-help books just to cultivate better habits and to understand people and personalities more deeply. It is a practice that has profoundly enhanced his ability to be a better father to his children. “I give my kids space to be open. I want them to be curious. I want them to know the kind of life they want,” he says. When asked if he has expectations of his children to eventually succeed him at Emax Beauté, he offers a noncommittal answer: “I don't plan to have them be the successor, but I definitely need more hands to help me out.”

Being a male in a female-dominated space may sound daunting to some but Lee is not one to dwell on such trivial matters. He has never been the one to succumb to societal pressure. He is an exception to the rule; an anomaly. That archaic “makeup is for girls!” mentality has never made a dent in him no matter how hard society tries to force him into an oppressive sameness, and it traces back to his teenage years, even though his entry point was fashion. “I went to an all-boys school and I would always attract some kind of attention for the way I dressed, albeit only slightly differently,” he searches the corner of his memory.

A Boy in Beauty

He shares that he would opt for all things oversized when the skinny fit was all the rage, he would sport cropped tops, and he wouldn’t be caught dead in some run-of-the-mill white Converse. At school, he would observe the rich kids that crossed his paths, scan their outfits, and think how he would style them differently—and style them differently he did. “I would sometimes get into trouble, especially with the teachers but it did not stop me from wearing what I liked. You have to believe in yourself and your own taste. People are going to judge you anyway, so you really need to be confident in yourself,” he offers as words of wisdom.

The same audacity is now mirrored in his work ethic. He would be the first one to jump when an opportunity presented itself, wasting no time second-guessing himself. “Many people end up with an endless list of ‘what ifs’ because they are too afraid to take that step. When that happens, they miss out on the chance to explore their own potential,” he theorises. Lee also has an interesting take on the subject of burnout, imploring others to not fear it. “You wouldn't know where your true limit lies if you don’t push past it. It is okay to experience burnout—you can take a step back then and push again. Don’t ever stop discovering what you're capable of,” he says.

It goes without saying that beauty is a cut-throat business. From world-famous marques to boutique and celebrity-backed brands, it seems that competition lurks in every corner. Lee, having carved out a nice little cove for Emax Beauté in an ocean of opponents, takes the challenge in his stride and stands firm behind his work. “There are few things that separate us from the others, one of which is our dedication to research and development. Most of our treatments are developed internally like the Stem-K Regen+ with NAD+ and Crystal-K skin renewal treatment from Beauté Library and Stem-K Regen+ with Biofactors from B+ Clinic. They are our first and newly launched plant-powered facial treatments,” he says, beaming with delight.

Lee also prides himself in the synergy of his team, which operates as a single unit, even at the grassroots level. His foresight to nurture his subordinates by way of continuous training has paid off in spades and it has inspired him to take it a step further. “We are in the midst of establishing our own academy so that we can duplicate the service that we want. Plus, the competition in the job market is just as fierce as other segments of the business,” he shares. Going further into the matter, Lee does not mum the word when confronted with the question of staffing challenges. "People nowadays want to work less but be paid the same,” he says candidly.

Slated to launch sometime in the second quarter of next year, the academy will offer a comprehensive syllabus in accordance with the government’s requirement, which includes services foreign to Emax Beauté like manicure and makeup. “We are laying the groundwork as we speak. We are moving into our new office in Jalan Ampang, a dedicated space measuring 30,000 square feet that would accommodate up to 130 staff members, very soon but we’re sticking with our training centre in the meantime,” he adds. The latest undertaking, riffing off on the Emax Beauté moniker, will be called Elit.

Big, Small Brand

Lee, standing in the vanguard of the industry, always has his finger on the pulse where his business is concerned. This means noting the rising advocacy of inclusivity, including body positivity, which has been dominating the culture. So it stands to reason that some may find Emax Beauté’s business model flies in the face of progress. Curvena, for instance, promotes body slimming slash shaping, whereas B+ Clinic champions anti-ageing treatments and aesthetic procedures. To this, Lee offers a diplomatic answer: He is not here to perpetrate the same unrealistic beauty ideals that have been regurgitated ad nauseam.

"What I try to cultivate in the public is more on self-improvement. Curvena gets its name from an Italian word that translates to ‘a healthy curve’ and that is pretty much self-explanatory,” he says. Insisting that the brand is only there as a support system for its target audience–women in post-pregnancy who wish to get their groove back–Lee stresses that Curvena does not force the women to keep losing weight after their initial goal is achieved. “The key point here is that the customer has all the power; it’s all about what they want. We don’t pressure them into treatments that they do not want or need,” he further elaborates.

On the toxic trap of social media, which often becomes the cesspool of negativity impressionable teens get sucked into, Lee suggests a hack to surviving the virtual world. “You should be inspired, not influenced. You should know what you want so that you won't be affected by the judgment of others,” he mulls, his brows furrowed. Comparing oneself to others is another definite no-no, he adds, claiming that it would only invite self-critique that is often mean-spirited. “I am a strong believer in the idea that everything will fall into place, which means sometimes you just have to go at your own pace and follow the flow,” he says.

Unpopular Opinions

Self-love is indeed a lost art in an age of constant comparison, external validation, and relentless pursuit of perfection. Many forget to nurture the worth that already resides within themselves, not realising that the act of kindness to oneself could start from something as inconsequential as a sheet mask. “I love those masks. I would be sure to apply them three to four times a week,” says Lee, sharing his method to some TLC, before adding toner, moisturiser, and sunscreen to the list. As for the extras, he admits that he would occasionally undergo laser treatment, hair regeneration therapy, and skin booster injections, among others.

Listening to his exploration of the beauty trends is a delight in itself. His latest find, a cleanser by a Hong Kong brand, stands out from the rest. “What’s interesting about it is that it comes in tablet form, which gives way to a gel-like texture upon contact with water,” he says. His jubilation, however, was short-lived. The pill-shaped cleanser proved to be a gimmick that did nothing to his skin, a flagrant display of a hype machine at work. “I still think it’s quite smart to package it that way. Say, each bottle contains 30 pills, with just one pill a day you're set for a full month of use—making it a convenient way to keep your skincare routine consistent,” he looks on the bright side.

The advancement of technology in beauty, and wellness in general, excites him. "I believe we are going to live longer. I’m really into biohacking, so I take up sauna sessions, ice baths, supplements, meditation, and exploring neuroscience, in addition to regular exercise,” he says. Anticipating it to lead the conversation in the immediate future, noting that the desire to live longer and look good while doing it is too irresistible a hook to ignore, Lee contemplates if biohacking is a lucrative business opportunity waiting to be seized. “Because we always say that life is short. The world moves so fast now we often don’t take the time to just sit and be present,” he adds.

While biohacking isn't yet on his horizon, Lee has a whole slate of intriguing ventures in the works, each one more ambitious than the last. One particular passion project, revolving around health and wellness, is poised to propel him to new heights as he branches out in pursuit of something separate from Emax Beauté. All of these achievements, unlocked at such a young age, are almost unfathomable. “A close friend of mine, Ee Soon Wei of Art Printing Works, always says that I'm an overachiever. I think I can see that,” he concludes the conversation, steadily stepping onto the set. Before long, the camera flashes begin to blaze.