Create some pop up top
Eyes should stan d out in an age of masks, celeb makeup artist says
The global pandemic has changed the way we do a lot of things. And that includes makeup.
“A lot of people now, they’re focusing more on the eyes because we’re all wearing masks,” celebrity makeup artist Hung Vanngo said recently during a virtual news conference streamed live from his home in New York.
In order to emphasize the area, Vanngo suggested playing with colour — especially for those looking to add pop to their virtual meetings — rather than sticking to more familiar tones.
“I think a lot of times people think they need to play it safe and wear all neutrals or natural colours. But sometimes a little colour is great. I think a little colour can make your eye colour appear so much brighter,” Vanngo said.
For a full-colour look with little commitment, the makeup pro suggested adding a sweep of coloured mascara to an otherwise bare eye to add an expected hint of a hue.
“I also encourage people to try colour liners,” Vanngo said. “If you’re only showing mostly your eyes, I think a little liner along the waterline or just a little on the corner of the eye is great. It’s a great way to switch it up.”
A conversation about makeup with the celebrated Vietnamese- Canadian artist, who moved from Calgary to Toronto then on to New York in 2006 to further his makeup career, wouldn’t be complete without covering a smoky-eye look. This is, after all, the artist behind many of the alluring eye- makeup looks spotted on famous faces including Julianne Moore, Jennifer Lopez, Joan Smalls and Selena Gomez.
For the virtual session, which was part of a launch event for the new Quo Beauty range at Shoppers Drug Mart, Vanngo created a stunning “smoky-bronzy eye” look that he said can easily be recreated at home. Using only Quo Beauty products, which are now available in more than 1,300 Shoppers Drug Mart stores, as well as 300 Loblaws locations and include more than 1,000 products in 12 different categories, Vanngo mapped out the look first using the Quo Beauty OneStroke Gel Liner in Cosmic Copper before filling in the framework with the Eye Shadow Palette in Sweet as Honey.
“I try to encourage people to use an eyeliner pencil, like a long- wear pencil, and use
that to map out the shape that you want to do. Before you use the eyeshadow,” Vanngo suggested. “That way, you use a lot more depth and you know exactly where you want to go.”
The tip is a direct contrast to how many people apply their eye makeup, with the eyeshadow first, and the eyeliner more as a finishing touch.
“Smudge it out, blend it out. It’s like building a house. You build the exterior first. And that’s the best way to do the eye shape,” Vanngo stressed. “I use the pencil first, and then I smudge it out. Then I say, ‘OK, I want to go a little bit further out,’ so then I smudge it further. And then I put the eyeshadow on top.”
The idea of building on a makeup look in stages is one the Makeup Artist of the Year winner at the 2019 Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards said is one of the best lessons he has learned throughout his lengthy pro career.
“Light- handed is always the key. If you watch how I do makeup ... the makeup may be really intense and I may use all of the colours, but the way that I apply is very light- handed. And you stop when you think it’s great.”
Before an eye- catching look is complete, Vanngo turns his attention to the brows. To build out natural eyebrows, Vanngo recommended layering different brow products to achieve the desired look.
For his Quo creation, Vanngo used three brow products in the same shade, Quo Beauty Ultra- Precise Brow Pencil, Microstroke Brow Definer and Brow Defining Gel, to achieve the bold appearance.
“Each of them give you a different effect,” Vanngo said. “And you can use each of them to get the effect that you want.”
Makeup is, after all, about the individual, Vanngo stressed.
“I always say makeup is personal,” Vanngo said. “Makeup is an accessory, so I don’t think there is a wrong or right thing. I thinks it’s really just a different taste or way of doing makeup.”