By Arthur Tam
Makeup can be a drag, especially in the morning when you’re half awake and crunched for time. To make things a bit easier for you, we've talked to Juliana Yang of Make Up For Ever. She’s been with the company for over 30 years and is the principal of its Make Up For Ever Academy. Basically, she knows her stuff and is here to give you a few tips that will help you look ready for work in no time.
For the ladies: makeup in 15 minutes
1. Apply a simple foundation that matches your skin tone.
2. Trim and shape your eyebrows regularly, so they’ll be mostly ready when you wake up. Just use a pencil to accentuate the arches and the end of your brows.
3. Add some earth tone eyeshadows because they’re easy to pull off, and they match most outfits. Eyeshadow really makes your eyes pop, and this year orange and pink are the trending colours. So, just dab a little orange or pink around the top edges of the earth tone shadow. This will make your eyes look even more vibrant.
4. Draw on a bit of eyeliner. If your eyes are round, simply draw at the end of your eyes to extend them. If your eyes are long, put a bit of eyeshadow at the thirdway point of the eyelid (from the outer corner) and brush upwards to round out your eyes. Then take your eyeliner and draw along your lashes. You may also put on some mascara on your lashes to enhance the look.
5. Some girls like to use eyelash curlers, but they don’t have any idea how to pick one. Just because an eyelash curler is more expensive doesn’t mean it’s better. Curlers have different curvatures and you should pick one that matches the curve of your eyes.
6. Blush is one of the easiest products to apply. Just smile, and brush the top of your cheekbone. If you want your cheek to look slimmer, apply some blush starting from the middle corner of your ears towards the corner of your lips for a bit of contouring. Just lightly blend it in for a natural work-appropriate look.
7. Your lips should always stay moist. Putting on a clear lip-gloss or matte lipstick is just the protective barrier you need against the dry air in the office. If you want to enhance the shape of your lips even further, use lip liner to draw the outline of your lips first, then put on your lipstick. You may also cover parts of your lips with foundation to enhance the shape and keep your lipstick from smudging.
If you only have five minutes…
Stick to using foundation and drawing in your eyebrows. Putting on foundation only takes two minutes. If you already trimmed your eyebrows drawing them in will also only take two minutes max. And for the final minute, spend it on your lips and just add a simple nude lipstick or gloss.
For the men: Yes, we all deserve to look our best! Here are some simple tips for our male colleagues.
1. For guys, well-trimmed and shaped eyebrows can go a long way. Some men may have thinner areas on their brows, so fill them in to create an even colour tone. Draw the brows according to the direction the hairs grow. For man brows, it’s all about a subtle enhancement.
2. For foundation, go for a thinner one and a slightly darker shade that matches your skin tone. A darker tone is slimming and adds a more masculine feel. Apply just a thin layer of moisturising cream on your face, wait 3-5 minutes before proceeding to foundation. For areas with an unbalanced skin tone like the under eyes, take a makeup sponge and just dab on a bit more foundation.
Yang’s recommended product: Mist & Fix Setting Spray
“Use it after makeup application to help your makeup hold longer. This is the secret we makeup artists use for people before they go on a shoot, on stage or in front of a camera. This is also super helpful during rainy season. Even the performers in the show House of Dancing Water use this product to keep their makeup from running from all the water being splashed on them. For people who wear glasses, put some on their nose, and the glasses won’t slip that easily. "
Want to learn more about beauty and skincare? Click here to read our fascinating story about LVMH brand Cha Ling and their use of historical tea trees in their products.
Special Thanks: Anshel Ma and Cristie Lam, cast of PROJECT AFTER 6: Cube Culture