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.