This is a short post for Courtney/mediawar on lj – I hope this helps some of you!
Skin
That’s right – our skin is different. Surprise, surprise! Make sure to have yellow-based base products that will suit the very fair to the very dark! This doesn’t mean you have to have a zillion shades, though. Feel free to mix and match, blending a lighter and darker shade, as you would with any job.
When working with very dark skin, use two shades to avoid looking ashy: a lighter, slightly more pink one in the centre of the face, and a darker one around the perimeter. Always use natural colouring as your guide!
TIP: if you don’t have a shade dark enough, don’t fret! Do what you can (mixing a luminizer into foundation instead, for instance, or creating a very sheer TM in your darkest shade) and don’t sweat it.
Eyes
Depending on who you’re working with, the eyes could be very similar to Caucasian eyes — or very different. Case in point? Monolids, like mine!
When in doubt, use low-shimmer non-frosty neutrals. Be very careful not to bring the colour up too high, as it can get colownish fast! I know that if I apply shadow right from my lashline to my brow, I just look like a fool. Try a matte shade or concealer to even out the skintone and maintain a polished look between where your shadow ends and your brow hilghts begin.
TIP: due to smaller lid space (lol) a lot of monolidded girls look better with a horizontal colour placement instead of a vertical one, if that makes sense! For instance, instead of defining the “outer v,” I do an outer… blob, blending out and winging it a touch to give the eye some shape.
Brows
For Asians, brows have a tendency to… get very sparse and spread apart at the edges, if you get what I mean. (I was lucky not to get crazy brows!) Shape marginally unless you’re a brow expert or they’re a model and it’s part of the shoot – but always check with your client before you begin. If it’s for a shoot, use sfx makeup or concealer unless shaping is vital.
TIP: Brow powder and gel are a must-have. Use a medium to dark brown (never black) for natural brows; black should only be used in avant-guarde looks. I know the rules sound “strict”, but trust me – they’re just too harsh otherwise, even if your brow hairs are black!!
Cheeks
Go nuts with the cheeks. Keep very pigmented blushes in your kit if you know you’ll be working on darker girls, and don’t be afraid of layering the way you would with shadows! Contours, as always, are essential, but don’t go nuts with it. Sure, everyone loves a contoured nose, but don’t take it so far that the client is under the impression that their nose isn’t beautiful because it isn’t Western.
TIP: if you’re working on a personal client in a makeover-style job, rather than on a photoshoot, and you think a peach or a pink would work, ask the client what they prefer. If they’re not drawn to either, make the call — but if they pick one that really “calls” to them, even better! Cheeks complete the look, and they’re left feeling like they’ve played more of a part in their final look.
That’s all for now. As always, feel free to ask those questions! Sure, I’m not an MUA, but I am Asian, and I do work mainly on other Asians!
