Beauty, flaunt it or hide it?

If you have a hot bod and a pretty face, would you use it?

For Chinese radio DJ-singer Regina Lin, the answer seems to be yes.

Last October, she released her debut photobook-cum-studio album of Cantonese and Mandarin originals, Beloved. It includes a series of sexy pictures that show her bare-shouldered and gazing alluringly at the camera.

"I'm fine with sexy shoots, so long as they're done tastefully," shared Lin.

"Many years ago, before the use of social media in China exploded, my listeners knew me only by my voice," said the Music FM Radio Guangdong presenter in Mandarin.

"But thanks to the Internet, they could see pictures and videos of me and they realised 'Regina's actually pretty!'

She admitted to relishing the growing attention she receives over her porcelain skin and dainty features.

"It's quite rare for listeners to be bowled over by a radio DJ's appearance, so my fan base has definitely increased."

Lin, who declined to reveal her age, has more than 129,000 followers on her Sina Weibo microblog (China's version of Twitter).

One of her longest-running radio programmes, Natural-Born Happy Folks, has nearly 57,000 followers on its Sina Weibo fan page.

The doe-eyed DJ was in town along with Hong Kong actress-singer Kate Tsui and several other Asian entertainers to perform at live music extravaganza Skechers Sundown Festival 2014 on Saturday.

Added Lin: "After I did Beloved, I posed for a photography exhibition where I had to bare my entire back. That's the most daring shoot I've done."

"I have my limits though. I'm not for full-frontal nudity, that's for sure."

DIFFERENT TAKE

Hong Kong actress Tsui, 35, has a different take on her looks and beauty.

She is considered one of TVB's smouldering bombshells, but she prefers audiences to ignore her beauty.

"It's tiring being a pretty face all the time," she said in English.

"I think I've been lucky so far...I've acted in comedies where I had to uglify myself on screen and I've been given roles with challenging emotional scenes. That's something I really appreciate."

While most showbiz stars (and women in general) yearn to stand out for their good looks, Tsui felt flattered when a movie director pointed out that there was nothing extraordinary about her appearance.

"(He said): 'You know what's the best part about you? It's that everything about you is average, including your looks and your body,'" she said, recounting the conversation which took place in her second year in the entertainment industry.

His comments highlighted "the advantage" she had over her peers, she said.

"He meant that I could be moulded and sculpted into a more versatile actress, (as opposed to becoming stereotyped)," she explained.

Asked if she was planning to venture down the path of a singer, she laughed and said: "I will keep singing as a sideline."

Tsui has produced only one Cantonese EP (extended play), Kiss Me Kate (2009).

She said: "I consider myself more talented as an actress. I'm better at that. Though I must say I enjoy performing on stage a lot, as it's fascinating to interact with a live audience."

keeyunt@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Nov 24, 2014.
Get The New Paper for more stories.