Beginners: Flattering Makeup For Asians (East Asian)

Hi everyone. I decided to do a new series for Beginners to makeup. So all of my dear friends from Blogger, you're probably going to find this series fairly redundant and boring as you probably know a lot more than me about makeup. But to those of you who are new to makeup, this new series addresses helpful (I hope you will find them helpful) tips and tutorials for makeup and skincare.

Today's beginners post focuses on makeup that is flattering on Asian skintones. Asian in the UK refers mostly to South Asians such as Indians, but this post refers to East Asians such as myself.

The picture above is of Lin Chi-ling portraying legendary beauty Xiao Qiao in the film Red Cliff. Her makeup consists of pink cheeks with pinky red lips, which I find extremely flattering on Asian women.

I did not even begin to try and look like Lin Chi-ling, but here is a look I did using blue-based pink cheeks and plum/red-pink lips. I may do a look in the future where I try to replicate her makeup.

I have left out foundation for this look (as they seriously irritate my skin! I know, how sad), but for those of you who prefer a little coverage, a tinted moisturiser or light BB cream is great for flawless healthy looking skin. A favourite tip of mine is 'less is more'. Start with a light layer and build on it if necessary. That way you would not end up with too thick a layer of base makeup.

Cream coloured eyeshadow on the upper lids helps to brighten the eyes. I used the cream shade from the Revlon Glam Eyes in Orion.

Curl lashes with a good eyelash curler (I highly recommend Shu Uemura's, or my new favourite - Koji no. 71) and a quick flick of lengthening mascara for the appearance of fluttery long lashes. I used Clarins Instant Definition Mascara.

For those wanting to give the appearance of even bigger eyes, a nude eyeliner at the waterline of the bottom lid does a great job of subtly opening up the eyes. I used Dolce & Gabbana The Eyeliner in Nude.

I find blue-based, cool toned light pink blush really flattering on Asian skin, especially on fair Asian skintones. I love Nars Blush in Gaiety (applied with a light hand). I've seen numerous pictures of this blush on blogs and this blush varies from vibrant medium pink to a brightening light pink on different skin tones.

For those with fair skin and wanting a paler, less vibrant, less blue based blush, Illamasqua Katie is a great choice.

I find plum-based pinks on lips very flattering, and love the new Bourjois Smile Enhancing Gloss in 04. Since this gloss has teeth whitener on one end, it further flatters the face by whitening the smile. For a subtler look, I applied this gloss onto my lips and smudged it slightly with my finger to blend the colour with my natural lip colour.

Lip stains provide equally flattering lip colour. I am in love with berry or cherry red stains which gives that 'just been kissed' lips, as well as brightening up the whole complexion.

The look below is exactly the same, except I have swapped the lip colour for a cherry red stain. I used one from the Korean brand Baviphat.

Berry/cherry lip tints instantly lifts the complexion, for a brighter, healthy look (great for days when you feel your complexion looks a little dull or if you didn't get much sleep the night before).

Tutorial: Nude Makeup

Hi everyone, here is my second makeup tutorial. It's my step-by-step take on how to easily achieve a Nude Makeup Look.

As Nude colours can really wash out a complexion, it's really important to find shades that suit your skin tone. This can be achieved by trial and error or testing out shades at the makeup counter. I personally avoid too light a lip colour as those tend to make me look really ill.

1. For me, good skin is the key to this Nude Makeup look. For an even complexion, I recommend tinted moisturisers or sheer BB creams over foundations as they let the natural glow of your skin show through. I'm all for enhancing the skin rather than masking it.

I tried out my new Garnier BB cream. As BB creams have quite a thick consistency, only a small amount is needed to blend over the entire complexion. This BB cream was nice and sheer, and left the skin with a dewy glow.

Product used: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-in-one BB Cream

2. I applied a pale nude eye shadow over the eye-socket to even-out the upper eyelid.

Product Used: Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in Trench 0.2

3. I tightlined the upper eyelid with a waterproof pencil liner.

Product Used: Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Eyeliner in Black

4. I then neatly lined my upper eyelids with a black gel liner.

Product Used: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black

5. I then curled my upper eyelashes and applied a coat of black mascara.

Products used: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, Lancome Hynose Doll Eyes Mascara

6. To prevent looking washed-out, apply a neutral shade of blush the cheeks. I used a subtle shade of light pink with a golden sheen.

Product used: MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (LE Liberty of London)

7. Nude coloured lips are another key component to this look. I only own one shade of nude lipstick, so it's definitely my go-to shade for nude lips. I love how easy to wear it is.

Product used: myface cosmetics Gigabyte Lipstick in Vintage Pink

Here's the completed look. I was going for was a natural, yet polished look:

Tutorial: Natural Looking Makeup

This is my first makeup tutorial, and I decided to stick to looks which I love. I'll be sticking to what I know best. Since I'm no expert in eye makeup application, I will refrain from any looks which require complicated eyeshadow techniques. My tutorials will mostly center around soft, subtle daytime looks, as well as the occasional evening makeup.

I've been inspired my minimal makeup recently and wanted to do a natural makeup look. This look isn't trying to look like I'm not wearing any makeup, but instead it's using makeup to enhance my natural features.

The tutorial takes inspiration from women who tend to favour natural looking makeup, and have glorious complexion like Song Hye Kyo and Jessica Alba.

Please note: I'm not trying to look like them, and this tutorial is not based on their makeup application. I'm just inspired by their natural beauty.

*You'll see pics of me looking very different in various stages of this tutorial. I'm not confidant baring my unmade face to the internet, but decided it's necessary for the tutorial!*

Tutorial:

1. Foundation should blend in perfectly with the skin, having absolutely no difference in shade from your face. Apply foundation only on areas where it is needed. It shouldn't be obvious that you are wearing foundation, so use a light-weight formula and only apply a light layer during the day. A tinted moisturiser would be ideal. For a super natural look, I advise skipping foundation altogether and let your own beautiful skin breathe.

For this tutorial though, I'm wearing an illuminating tinted moisturiser. It evens out my skintone, but I have noticed this shade does dull my skin slightly.

Product Used: Madara Moonflower Tinting Fluid

2. Either forego eyeshadow, or use shades that are light, natural and flatters your skintone. I used a warm neutral brown shade on the upper lash line.

Product Used: Chanel Eyeshadow in Sand

3. Unfortunately, my eyes need eyeliner to make them look more wide awake. Apply a thin line of eyeliner (either brown or black) to the lashline. I used the blending tip end of my pencil liner to gently smudge line for a softer look.

Curl the lashes, and apply a coat of mascara. I tend to miss out the mascara during the day (mostly due to laziness), but when I do wear mascara , Clinique's Naturally Glossy Mascara would be my daytime choice. It's one of the more subtle mascara's out there. It lifts and lengthens the lashes without the clumping and false lash look.

Products Used: Benefit BADgal Eyeliner in Waterproof Black, Clinique Natural Glossy Mascara in Jet Black


4. Choose a shade of blush that doesn't contrast too much from your complexion. For a healthy, glowing, natural look avoid blushes which are too powdery. A cream blusher is highly recommended, or a powder blush which has silky smooth texture.

I'm using a powder blush from Guerlain, and tapped off the excess powder before applying it to the apple of my cheeks (the flashy part when you smile). This blush is halfway between a blush and a bronzer, and gives a very subtle browny-pink colour to the cheeks.

Product Used: Guerlain Blush 4 Eclats in Tendre Aurore

5. Apply a tinted lip balm, or a subtle shade of lipstick. I find Laura Mercier's Sheer Lip Colour in Baby Lips my perfect 'my lips but better' shade.

Product Used: Laura Mercier Sheer Lip Colour in Baby Lips

The finished look: