She’s Asian and beautiful
If you have a darker skin tone, embrace it, as you are blessed with the ability to get away with bolder shades.
“Choosing colours that are too light, for instance, will result in an unnatural, ashen and unhealthy look. Also, choose those that contain a natural sheen that will reflect light and give off a healthy glow.
“Asians should also look to mineral makeup. As they tend to have sensitive skin, a mineral (rather than pigment) base works better for them. Their skins are often smoother too, and as such, a light coverage is sufficient,” Zin adds.
Many Asians often have single or heavy eyelids that make the eyes look tired or smaller. Also, they tend to have less prominent cheekbones. This makes their faces appear wider and rounder.
The trick here is to play up your natural features and avoid trying to transform yourself into something you’re not. It’s quite easy to subtly enhance other areas with the right shading and tools to make them appear distinctive. For instance, Haritha Shan, senior make-up artist for M.A.C, is of the opinion that Asian women tend to have sparse eyebrows. This can be a problem as brows work to help frame and define the face.
“Almost every woman, no matter her ethnicity, has sparse brows that need to be filled in, but Asians in particular, may need a little more help. Doing so will balance out your features beautifully.”
Haritha adds that one should try custom-blending foun- dations. She says that if you are unable to find the perfect shade that suits your skin tone, try mixing two different shades to get one that will match perfectly.
Wearing foundation that is too light for your skin tone will have you looking like a ghost. This will look unnatural and clearly shows that you’re wearing foundation, and one that’s not flattering to your look.
Too dark and you’ll end up looking like you’re wearing a mask. But if you want to play it safe, choosing a foundation that’s just a shade darker will look like you’ve just got a tan, and this can be evened out with a lightercoloured loose powder.
Other recommendations include playing up the lips with either rich or extremely soft colours. Blushes should be applied high on the cheeks to make your face look more sculpted.
In Malaysia, women tend to leave out liners, but these along with the right eyeshadow, can make a difference in highlighting the eyes and make them look larger.
US make-up artist and TV personality Jeannie Mai (born to a Chinese mother and Vietnamese father), is a regular advocate of Asian beauty. She frequently talks about how it shouldn’t be dismissed for Western ideals.
In a video posted on YouTube, she speaks about Asian eyes and how gorgeous they are. Her video demonstrates how one can accentuate them to look sexy and gorgeous with the right make-up.
“Embrace your face. Embrace exactly the way you look. Use make-up to enhance your natural features. Avoid trying to transform yourself into something you’re not,” she said in an interview.
In an article on multi-cultural beauty by Gerrie Summers, celebrity make-up artist Monae Everett Geark said that dark skin tones can generally wear almost any colour. Warmer tones such as gold or bronze complement darker skin tones the best. Dark colours look more natural and beautiful on dark skin such as deep purples, dark blue, and black eye shadows, she added. The powder is formulated using 100% minerals without any oils, additives, preservatives, fragrances or animal products. All the colours are well-suited to Asians, but the Natural Buff is reportedly a bestseller here. As a Malaysian brand, Ronasutra products are halal and safe for use by Muslim women. There is no need to use a cleanser before performing ablutions, as the make-up is easily removed with water.
Nars Orgasm Blush
It offers a natural, healthylooking colour that immediately enlivens the complexion. The shade is of a peachy hue, making it suitable for slightly darker or tan skin tones. A light application of its high-intensity colour can deliver a warm flush for great effect. Nars blushes also use a micronised powder formula that is soft on skin.
M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow
Baked minerals refined into a powder formula provide an exceptionally sheer and lightweight application. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage. Recommended shades for Asians to try out are the Sea Sky and Fresh Green Mix.
L’Oréal Paris Le Rouge
The lipstick delivers a bold, luscious colour that lasts all day long. It also hydrates your lips to keep it moist and comfortable. Medium skin tones have a versatile lip palette, so they can take advantage of the wide range of colours. People with darker skins can go for bold reds like the Infallible Ravishing shade.