Red Lipstick

Every woman needs a sexy show stopping red lipstick to stop traffic! But red lipstick can also look tragically crazy and hooker-ish if done wrong. The key is in the application and underlying color of the shade. If the shade is sheer-ish or not too bright, a lip liner is not necessary. However, if it is a dramatic statement shade, lipliner is a must or it will look messey and tackey. For most asians, a pure bright red will not work unless it has slight orange undertones. This being, the yellow in our skin is warm toned and will clash with blue toned lipsticks.

Some reds that look great on asian tones: MAC Fresh Moroccan, MAC LadyBug, NARS Shanghai Red, Mongolian Red, Red Lizard, Anna Sui Semi Matte Red #450, Shiseido Red Cool, MAC Russian Red lipglass, MAC Chance Encounter Lipglass.

Contouring

One of the most dramatic ways to change a face is the use of a deep base shade to alter the shape of the face. Short of plastic surgery, there is no other more effective way to make such a drastic change in the face. However, contouring is often overlooked or misunderstood as being obscure and overly complicated. But as with all things, with practice, it will eventually become simple...I mean, I'm sure we all remember our first few times experimenting with eyeliners!

Because asians tend to have a "flat face" with less definition overall to their face, contouring is especially important. 2 important considerations are the color of the contouring product, and the quality and shape of the brush used. I suggest using a powder for easier control, and a relatively big and soft angeled brush. I do not suggest using bronzer to contour, the reason being the color may be off, as bronzers usually have an orange tone, and shimmer. We want something less conspicuous for contouring (so that people dont think its makeup thats giving you definition), something that is matte, and has a yellow based brown. I use MAC matte blush in Blunt. To reiterate, you really do want to find a neutral brown matte blush of some sort to do this, and NOT a bronzer- it will just look too fake and make-upy with the bronzer, especially in daylight or under strong indoor lighting. For brushes, I use the angled face blush brush made by MAC, and various Sephora brushes. In my opinion, these two companies make the best brushes. MAC is very functional for makeup artists, and sephora has affordable quality and the texture of the brushes feel great against the skin with very minimal shedding.

Placement of the contour on the face will differ on every face, and you must practice, practice, practice in front of the mirror until you get it right...but there are some general guidlines. To slim the face down, apply on the sides of the face, under the eyes, down the the upper chins on both sides. Also, to create shape on the forehead, color on the temple area, while utilizing highlight powder of some sort in the center of the forehead (be careful of overdoing the highlight if you have really oily skin). To define cheekbones and look like the models with razor sharp cheeks, pucker up your lips and apply where it caves in. To narrow the nose, apply on the sides, and do highlighting on the bridge. To create depth in the eye area, apply contour to the spot under your eyebrow and where the crease should be. Again, the amount and degree of contouring will take practice and will be different on every face. But with practice and a little patience, you will see what a dramatically sexy difference contouring can do!

Foundation

Like an artist's base canvas, foundation is necessary to set the scene for makeup. While wearing a full face every single day might not be practical for the average lady, everyone can benefit from some type of coverage, no matter how light. For everyday usage, I highly recommend Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. It is light but still evens things out. If you are serious about looking your best, one of the most used foundations in print and film in Hollywood is the Shu Uemura Nobara Foundation. It was the foundation used in the "Boys" remix video for Britney Spears, and is still the industry favorite in movies and film. The shade "564" is most popular, was used on Britney, and suitable for most light to medium asian tones. What's special about this foundation is that it is buildable, anywhere from sheer to heavy, and it truly covers everything...but more importantly, it does not cake, streak, or flake. Oftentimes we have to choose between covering up a lot and looking fake, or not covering enough. This foundation is just perfect and very versatile. You can purchase this online, or at some Nordstrom counters. One word of caution though, make sure to clean thoroughly at the end of the day, because this is a relatively heavy foundation and it MUSt be taken off at night to prevent breakouts.

Edit: Since I've written this post, Shu's nobara has been discontinued in it's original form. A new version has come out in twist up tube form. The ingredients are slightly different, colors are still the same, still performs similarly, although the new version is a teeny bit more full coverage. Shu is no longer carried in stores in the US, the only way to acquire it is through their website online.

Brightening up Facial Complexion

Ever wonder how celebrities have skin that look so smooth and lumnescent? The secret's in facial highlighters. Shimmery pigments blend into the skin and give off a glow that appears to come from within. But watch out for too shimmery particles. Remember that you are looking for glimmer, not overly glittery pieces. One of my staples in my makeup case is Mineralize Skinfinish made by MAC, I especially like the color Shimgpagne for highlighting. This is often on backorder at MAC, and a great if not better alternative is Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick ( I like the apricot one or the pink one). It is priced at about $38 I believe, which is pretty expensive, but it is huge and lasts about a year if not more. I believe in splurging for truly worthwhile makeup, and this is certainly justifiable. Highlighters are imperative to making you look gorgeous, especially in photographs, its reflective properties make you look heathier and makes your skin look very smooth. I can tell a marked difference between using just foundation and with layering this on foundation in pictures. It has a sheen and flawless airbrushed quality that cannot be duplicated. Drugstore or cheaper highlighters, if they are not made well, tend to have chalky finishes that look very unflattering, or they might have huge chunks of glitter, looking fake and teen-ish. This is definately a staple in my case, and is highly recommended especially for yellow or olive skin tones such as in asian skin, because the shimmering and smoothing qualities imparts a healthy glow to the general sallow ness that asians tend to have. Especially in pictures, asian skin flaws are magnified. I suggest a strong base foundation with MAC or Bobbi Brown highlighter.

Benetint by Benefit Review

In makeup artist school, one of the most touted products is the Benefit benetint. In theory, it sounds like a good idea, a sheer stain that stays put and makes you look natural as a blush.

But I have found that the true red wash looks clownish on yellow skin. If you have light pale skin with pink undertones, this will look natural and clean, but on Asian skin, it looks very unnatural.

Some great alternatives of this product are Tarte gel stains, or LORAC liquid stains. They have the same concept but the color is not a bright true red, there are purple or brown undertones that look much more natural and beautiful on asians. You can buy these at Sephora stores or on their website.

Cheap Thrills

In the sea of crappy drugstore makeup to be found across the nation, there are a few fiamonds in the rough. So, if you are on a budget, read on for some of the best drugstore finds I have found:

BonneBell Lipsmackers in Dr. Pepper is only, like $1, but it keeps your lips moisturized, smells delish, and gives a berry stain color that looks so natural and innocent. The shine is very natural, not a glaring lipgloss shine, its perfect for everyday use.

Milani~ this brand of makeup is my favorite drugstore line. If you haven't checked it out, I highly urge you to do so. Their eyeshadows and highlighters are spectabularly pigmented and smooth. Their blushes are also wonderful as well. The highlighters are called "shimmerstrips" and resemble my favorite Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick highlighters, although I do not find them to be as smooth or intense, but nonetheless, a VERY good product for the price. Their eyeshadows can also be used as a MAC substitute, although I definately suggest MAC for blendability.

Sally Hansen line is also very good. Their polishes are very long lasting on the nails, and their lipglosses (Lip Quencher and Diamond Treatment) have a high end sticky quality that makes it stay on, and the colors are beautiful.

My Favorite Products

Here are some of my favorite indispensable products that I use on myself or clients:

Best Everyday Wear Foundations:

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation~gives a luminous sheen to the face (hence the name), the coverage is perfect, being not too light or too heavy, and is buildable. If you prefer a more matte finish for oilier skins, the Matte formulation is also very nice. This is sort of hard to find online, due to licensing issues, but they carry it at most Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation~good medium coverage, buildable, this foundation lasts the entire day and would be ideal for everyday wear that does not have time to do many touch ups on their makeup throughout the day. This product is widely available, and can be found online or in department stores like Nordstrom, Saks, Macy's, etc. Visit their online websites as well if you don't have one nearby.

Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation~Bobbi Brown makes good colors in foundations because there is a slight yellow base in all of them, which complements asian skin, and does not make it look fake like foundations with pink or white undertones in them. I know that it is the trend in the asian community to make their face "whiter" but if that is your choice, you can still do that by picking a very pale shade, but again, it will look better if there was a hint of yellow undertone in that.

Best Special Occasion Foundations: For special events such as a wedding or party, and also for events where you would be photographed, or photoshoots, it is important to wear high coverage foundation. Wherever there is bright lights, it will magnify the flaws and discolorations on your face, so it is recommended that you create a flawless canvas with foundation so that you look your very best. I should also note however that these high coverage foundations should not be used for everyday for most people because your pores need to breathe and be cleansed out every once in awhile, and if you do wear these everyday, it will create pimples breakouts or other problems, especially in oily acne prone skin. I would only suggest that you wear them for a few hours at a time, and for special occasions. Here are some of the best:

MAC Full Coverage Creme Foundation~ this is probably the most potent foundation I have come across, it is a favorite of many runway modeling artists and the film industry. It is a thick creme in a pan that covers just about everything and still looks natural. This product is only available at MAC stores or the MAC webiste (maccosmetics.com), and not just MAC counters. It runs about $27 but lasts forever as a little goes a long way. Make sure that you apply a moisturizer before hand because a heavy coverage formula like this needs some "slickness" to blend in and not emphasize skin flakes. At the end of the day, make sure you REMOVE COMPLETELY all traces of this, either by using heavy duty cold cream, baby oil, or if you have oily or sensitive skin, some kind of nonmineral oil remover (MAC also sells a great oil washer for $20 on their website called the MAC cleansing oil)

Estee Lauder Maximum Coverage Foundation~ Great for covering up blemishes, and overall for special events, this foundation also photographs beautifully. It imparts a slightly sheerer finish than the aforementioned MAC one, and is easier to spread.

Best Concealer:

MAC Studio Fix~ the coverage is excellent, especially if you use a concealer brush. It is a bit on the dry side, so a moisturizer is needed to spread and blend, especially in the eye area, but the extra effort is worth it because it covers so spectacularly.

Best Blush:

NARS blush~ the cult favorite "Orgasm" color is much raved about, but I've found that it is too peach colored for most asian tones. The other colors that NARS makes are much more suitable, including their cream blushes. The color "Mounia" has the perfect rasberry blush that complements the yellow coloring of asian skin. Their cream blush, "Cactus Flower" blends beautifully into the skin and its gold shimmer combined with a sheer pop of pinky red lifts the sallowness out of yellow tinged skin.

Best Highlighter:

Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick~ comes in a variety of colors, all of them work well with asian skin. Because of our sallowness yellow issues, using a highlighter brings a radiance that lights up the enture face. This also photographs well. Apply to the cheekbones, upper bridge of nose and browbone.

Best lipsticks: MAC lipstick in Fresh Moroccan provides a beautiful sheer brick red with a tinge of brown, it is a buildable color so it can go from natural to dramatic at your discretion.

NARS lipstick in Dolce Vita gives a natural pinky color that freshens the entire face

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey looks scary dark in the tube, but on lips gives a sheer just bitten red that is perfect for everyday.

Best lipglosses: MAC lipglass if you are not afraid of the high stickiness gives the best shine and is the most longlasting. The clear one goes great over lipsticks or just by itself. My favorite color is a limited edition one that I am stocking up by the dozens on, called "Chance Encounter," a sheer red with slight coral undertones that brighten up and complements the yellow skin.

Chanel glossimer in Spark~ beautiful golden tinged red that makes lips look gorgeous and expensive. The formula is also more moisturizing and comfortable than MAC, making it ideal for everyday wear.

Best Eyeliner:

Makeup Forever Pearl Waterproof pencil in Black: one of the biggest issues with asian eyes is that eyeliner does not stay put. This one is the best I've found that does not slip off or give the much dreaded "panda eyes."

That's all I can think of now girls, I'll add plenty more soon, stay tuned!

Lipgloss and kisses,

Ming