TOKYO, Nov 8 — Four months of workshops, mentorship programmes and online time-based beauty challenges culminated today, with 23-year-old Soraya Wongsatayanon from Bangkok beating 21 other finalists from 11 cities — including two from Singapore — to nab the top prize of the inaugural Beauty Bound Asia competition.

Popular beauty guru and entrepreneur Michelle Phan, who is head judge and mentor for the competition, said she chose Wongsatayanon, because she “went above and beyond with the videos she made”.

“She put herself in uncomfortable situations to get a good shot. And I find that when someone does that, they are really more than just talent. They’re truly creators; they’re directors, (and) actors,” she said.

“And when I see that someone is so passionate, how hardworking they are - that is the difference between what makes a successful creator and a creator who just wants to do it for the fame and money.”

Tasks the aspiring YouTubers had to complete include filming themselves giving summer essential makeup tips, achieving a natural no-make-up look, and unboxing challenges.

Wongsatayanon who goes by the YouTube moniker Jane Makeup, won over US$10,000 (RM43,584) worth of prizes from the competition, which is presented by SK-II on YouTube.

This includes access to products from top beauty brands such as SK-II, an all-expenses-paid trip to Tokyo and New York City, and camera equipment, as well as opportunities to learn and collaborate with some of the world’s top beauty social influencers.

The crowning of the top “beauty creator” for the contest was revealed today by Phan in the YouTube Space in Tokyo.

Wongsatayanon said she felt her videos stood out because her videos were different and she dared to “push things further”. “I think out of the box and try to make my videos have a storyline to them, so it’s a lot of difference from others,” she said. Her channel has some 28,000 subscribers and about 1.8 million views.

Meanwhile, although they didn’t win, the two Singaporean finalists, Jyoti Sagar Singh, 27, and Jazzy Tan, 23, remained upbeat about their achievements. The pair were the top two finalists from Singapore to get one of 22 spots, out of over 3,000 submissions across the 11 cities.

Singh, who quit her job as a research professional to work on her YouTube channel full time under the moniker SuperPrincessjo, said the competition has taught her valuable lessons, such as on skincare and make up, which she will apply to grow her following.

Her channel enjoys a strong following, with close to 200,000 subscribers and over 48million views.

“Only one person can win, and all 22 girls who have come here are winners,” she said.

“I’m not disheartened, it’s not going to take away anything from me, in fact it has given me a lot,” she said.

Agreeing, Tan said she hadn’t pinned much hope in winning because of the quality of many of the finalists.

“Even though I didn’t win, the journey continues. I’ll use the experience to create better videos – I’m not going to hit the upload button without thinking now,” she added.

Pointing out that the challenges set out for the participants were not simple, Phan said: “I’m honoured to have been part of their journey, and I know every single finalist will go on to achieve great things, regardless of who won the competition,” she said. — TODAY