Where to even start w/ makeup for Asians?

[luvsic]

Hey to all you asian girls out there (or girls who know how to apply makeup onto asians),

Even though I've been wearing makeup for a very long time, I still barely know anything about it. I've had my makeup done plenty of times at places like

MAC: The MUA tried to contort my eyes with shadow! Ugh! I honestly don't know what her motive was, but my eyes ended up looking weirdly slanted upwards...it ended up looking terrible D: Although I do admit, I like MAC products, especially their gel eyeliners and their bold bright colors of shadow and stuff.

Perscriptives: The MUA did an ok job, but it was nothing wow-worthy.

Chanel: Even though the MUA was Asian, she didn't even know what mascara to use on my lashes. They ended up pointing straight downwards which bugged me, and I didn't want to mess up the eyeshadow by curling them again. If there's one makeup trick I know how to do, it's eyelashes. And she did a horrible job on them. Worse, it was my prom..and I didn't even like my own makeup

...but I want to learn how to possibly do some myself. I don't want to become a makeup pro, but just having some basics down can go a long way. Ok now onto the asking...

1) I have no clue what to start with in terms of eyeshadow. And since I want to start off simple, what would you say are some good colors (and please list brands, too) that compliment Asian skintone/eyeshape? Easy peasy stuff for now, please

2) Basic lipsticks, glosses, etc that won't overpower? Can Asians really pull off the red lip successfully?

3) I have never in my life applied anything to my skin by choice EXCEPT maybe coverup for a blemish. Do you guys use makeup for the face on a daily basis? (foundation, powder, makeup) Do you recommend it?

4) When applying eyeliner, what are some good looks? Winged? Top only? Tightlining??

Sorry I'm kind of generalizing here, I know that what may work for one person DEFINATELY won't work for all, and not all Asians should be grouped into one type of look/catagory. But thanks in advance for your tips!!

 

[XShear]

I would look around it the tuts and FOTD's. They're plenty of asian women here who do a fantastic job with their makeup and you could probably learn a few tips from them! HTH!

 

[luvsic]

hey there,

I've definately searched FOTDs and tutorials (I am a fan of snowkei), but most of them are super complicated and require lots of money for gizmos and gadgets like expensive brushes, and I'm a poor college student

so I'm hoping to just get some basics first before I move on to complicated stuff.

 

[goink]

I'm an university student, so I understand the money issue. I don't even wear makeup everyday, so I love multi-purpose products.

My favorite MAC MA introduced me to Brow Shader. I use it to define my brows, highlight and bottom line my eyes and even contour them. I'm not a big fan on eye makeup. I usually just tightline my eyes, curl my lashes, apply mascara on them and I'm off. The dark shade in the Brow Shader is sheer, so it's hard to make a mistake when contouring.

I'm Chinese with NC25 skin and I can pull red lipstick. A lip brush is a must!

I use Studio Stick SPF 15 as a foundation and concealer.

 

[XShear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvsic hey there, I've definately searched FOTDs and tutorials (I am a fan of snowkei), but most of them are super complicated and require lots of money for gizmos and gadgets like expensive brushes, and I'm a poor college student so I'm hoping to just get some basics first before I move on to complicated stuff.

Trust me, no one knows the poor college student better than myself! But, I do find things I can subsitute for my lack of funds. I just recommend playing around with what you have (or can afford) and eventually you learn your own techniques and what looks best with your features!

 

[purplkaret]

to answer ur first question, a fabulous starting point for eyeshadow for u would be the smoking eyes quad (I LOVE THIS). it is good for asian skin tones for a good smokey eye.

the only brush u need is the 224...

so total that'd be 50ish.

what u'd want to do is:

1)use 224 to apply next to nothing all over from lid to brow bone
2)use 224 to apply satin taupe all over lid, then blend it up into ur crease so it shows about .75 cm above ur eye with ur eye open.
3)use 224 to apply smoking (dark brown color) all over lid and blend it up till it shows when ur eye is open since u have the one-fold eye otherwise u'd never see the darker color.
4)use q-tip to apply showstopper as eyeliner on top and lower lash line. to save on a brush hehe otherwise u could use 266.

since it's a smokey eye u just have to use some vaseline over ur lips.

for me i just had to get comfortable w/ one basic look, then start varying colors to add more funkyness

to answer ur second question, i always choose more neutral lip glasses like i love bare truth from the smoke signals collection. pinky nudes are also nice. i like 2 colors from the mattene collection too: flattering and composure. if u put clear gloss over those they're nice. and no, i still cant find a perfect red for me. although i WISH i could!! hehe

to answer ur third question, i put foundation on everyday b/c i have some redness cuz my skin is quite sensitive. although it seems like ur skin's pretty even u probably don't need it. i use nars balanced foundation in barcelona which is a great match for asian skin.

and ur 4th q, i normally avoid winged b/c w/o a lot of shadow it emphasizes the slanted eye. i wing only when i wear quite heavy eye makeup. i like to line all around and for the bottom lash line, make it thicker on the outer corner and thiner on the inner quarter. kinda makes the eye look less almond shaped for me.

whew that was a lot hehe hope that helps!

 

[aeni]

I have never known or seen anyone who can't wear red! It makes anyone look instantly elegant if done correctly.

The best lip palette I've ever ever ever EVER used is Kryolan's Lip Mini Palette. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:...ient=firefox-a

Don't let all the colors scare you on it b/c you can mix up your own. They're heavily pigmented (you can sheer them down with a chapstick or gloss) and should give you the most variety.

Also, look into a few different lip pencils (MAC Cherry, Dervish, etc). Any other MAC red lipsticks I'd recommend are the Russian Red or Lady Bug (if you powder it, it'll become matte)

And as for "what red should it be?" Go with what color you'd like your teeth to be. Warmer reds'll make them look yellower, cooler will make them whiter. I'm a hapa, very yellow based, and I choose red-oranges just b/c they give more oomph.

 

[nunu]

you should definately check out the fotd and tutorial sections, loads of asian girls post there and 2 of my faveorites are snowkie and stephie!

 

[Beauty Mark]

Firstly, the FOTDs and tutorials are your best bet for ideas. Someone named snowkei (spelling?) does excellent Asian tutorials.

Here's my take on your questions. BTW, I did a lot of trial and error when it came to learning how to apply makeup. It's good thing makeup comes in such huge containers.



1) I have no clue what to start with in terms of eyeshadow. And since I want to start off simple, what would you say are some good colors (and please list brands, too) that compliment Asian skintone/eyeshape? Easy peasy stuff for now, please
I often just wear a shimmery wash on color. I wear Urban Decay's Blunt for that, though Stila in Starlight works well for me too. If I want do some more things with color, I like Urban Decay's Twice Baked, Toasted, Smog, and Secret Service. They're various shades of brown and bronze colors, so they're pretty basic but nice looking on my brown Asian eyes.


2) Basic lipsticks, glosses, etc that won't overpower? Can Asians really pull off the red lip successfully?
I like Nars' Dolce Vita and Pigalle a lot. They're very basic colors, but they look good on me. I also like Stila's Ava and find that a lot of the sheer lipsticks work well (sheer lipsticks in general). I wore red lipstick yesterday and wear it quite often. My favorite is Nars' Red Lizard, though I like the MAC LE Lipglass in Red Romp. Anyone can wear red, because there are bunch of red shades. The key is the comfort level. Red Lizard is quite bold, so if you're not comfortable with that, it might not be the best pick for you.

3) I have never in my life applied anything to my skin by choice EXCEPT maybe coverup for a blemish. Do you guys use makeup for the face on a daily basis? (foundation, powder, makeup) Do you recommend it?
I usually wear a powder by Nars and a foundation stick by Benefit if I have a blemish. It really depends on your skin, but I think you should use something with SPF 15 in it.

4) When applying eyeliner, what are some good looks? Winged? Top only? Tightlining??
I never tightline. I do cat eyes a lot. Top only looks good, but I think bottom only looks bad. I usually line the entire top lid and half the bottom.

 

[luvsic]

Thanks for all of the tips you guys!! Do you have any recommendations as to what might look good on me? Since my topic was moved .. (sorry mods, I didn't know that this didn't go in the Beauty of Color forum)

 

[Kuuipo]

I'm Hapa,and I find it best to stick with golds,golden greens,bronzes,peaches,and even oranges by the eye. I think eyelashes are very important for an open eye look,and a curler is important,followed by a little primer. I don't go crazy with liner,I don't wing it,I don't trace around the entire eye because it can make the eye look smaller. I use more liner under the eye-in a dark brown,than I do on my upper lid. Also, if you don't have a crease,try applying shadow more horizontally. There are some really good books about Asian makeup-sometimes in the library! U tube also has videos as well. I do use NARS foundation,all the shades-especially Barcelona and Budapest-have very gold and golden olive undertones and melt into the skin. I use Beach powder. If your skin looks flawless,you feel great! Blushes,I look for something in a golden rose shade,and lips I also wear NARS Pigalle the most,and also Russian Doll or MAC Sequin or Smashbox 35mm or Laura Mercier Dry Rose or Vincent Longo Grace. Most Asian women have full lips,and can make tham look even fuller by not going too red,and by adding some gloss on top. You don't want to have too many strong colors competing on your face. Really smoky eyes and really dark lips can be very overpowering. Sometimes too smokey an eye can make the eye look smaller. You really have to just sit down and play on your face.

Some people find their best colors by buying those really cheap palettes at the drugstore around Christmas-you know the 200 colors for 7.99 kind? Then just play around till you find your true colors before making the investment in a pricier line.
You already have really great skin,eyes,eyebrows and lips. You don't need too much, and you don't need any "corrections" because you have a beautifully balanced face. Makeup should be lots of fun!

 

[luvsic]

aww, thank you

I am so excited to start experimenting. I just have to make time for it (i'm drowning in homework at the moment.) I will def. be playing around w/ makeup for a while before I start to become a pro at it. Sometimes just plain mascara and chapstick isn't enough

(I mean, I wish it was for me, but it's not...)

and thanks to all the other ladies too for the product recommendations. I will be sure to try!!

 

[Beauty Mark]

I like playing up my eyes with purples. I find they really make my eyes pop.

 

[xIxSkyDancerxIx]

) I have no clue what to start with in terms of eyeshadow. And since I want to start off simple, what would you say are some good colors (and please list brands, too) that compliment Asian skintone/eyeshape? Easy peasy stuff for now, please
Browns lol. Stick with neutral colors and brach out. Milani quads are always good and they're pretty affordable too. I think purples and deep greens look nice on asian eyes too. Actually, I think a lot of colors in general look good on asians but that's just me lol.


2) Basic lipsticks, glosses, etc that won't overpower? Can Asians really pull off the red lip successfully?
Yup. Astronaut (i think that's her username) uses it a lot and she looks uber hot in it

3) I have never in my life applied anything to my skin by choice EXCEPT maybe coverup for a blemish. Do you guys use makeup for the face on a daily basis? (foundation, powder, makeup) Do you recommend it?
I don't put foundation on my face either so if you don't want to, don't. You can try a tinted moisturizer first and then go for more coverage if you want to.

4) When applying eyeliner, what are some good looks? Winged? Top only? Tightlining??
I'm scared to tightlining.. so I can't help you there haha. I'll wing sometimes, but usually I just line the top with black or dark brown and line my lower with a lighter color. For me black on the bottom makes my eyes look smaller unless I'm doing a dark smokey eye, but I see a lot of other asian girls do both and it looks really nice. Dumb eyes..

HTHs~

 

[Temptasia]

I had a few horrible makeup experiences before I realized that I needed to get all the tools and techniques to do my own makeup AND make it reflect who I am.

I love going through the FOTDs because these are real women who wear real makeup. There are so many different colors, styles, and features that it's quite exciting to see.

The only way to be good at it is to practice...it's just makeup, you can always wipe it off. Experiment with neutrals first and excel with it. Then you can add more color and you'll also have the confidence to pull it off...

My must haves would be:
Revlon Colorstay Liquid liner (firm tip makes it easier to apply)
Maybelline Volum Express Turbo Boost in Very Black (waterproof)
Shiseido Eyelash Curler
MAC Expresso, Wedge, and Ricepaper eyeshadows
NARS bronzer in Laguna
NARS blush in Deep Throat
MAC lipliner in Whirl
Clear lipgloss

 

[darkishstar]

1) I have no clue what to start with in terms of eyeshadow. And since I want to start off simple, what would you say are some good colors (and please list brands, too) that compliment Asian skintone/eyeshape? Easy peasy stuff for now, please

-Hi!! I'll help you out a little here. I'm Asian too and eyes really are hard to do on our kind to be honest. x3 I'm Taiwanese.
-So I say for basics, get browns, but with shimmer. I recommend Gold Stroke Pigment from the Antiquitease collection. It's a beautiful chocolate brown and it's really easy to create a smoky eye with this shadow that's not too difficult or overpowering for Asian eyes. The trick is to make sure you apply shadow above the eyelid, when your eye is fully open, or shadows won't show well at all.
-And get a frosty white shimmer or pencil for the inner corner of your eye. It can really wake up your eyes and make them appear bigger. You don't even need any other eye make up than this shimmer if you want to have a fresh natural look. Lines like Revlon and Wet n' Wild have white shimmers.
-When you want to get more complicated, purple really brings out the gold in brown eyes. =) I find teal does this for me, but purple did it for me as well, just not as well. Try out these two colors and see what brings out your eyes more. Greens work as well for this. Most people say that purple makes brown eyes pop.

-Greens work wonderfully on Asian skin.

2) Basic lipsticks, glosses, etc that won't overpower? Can Asians really pull off the red lip successfully?
-I can pull off the red lip. =) You just need to find your right color, don't be afraid to experiment. I like the Red Romp LG from the Antiquitease collection as well. And I'm not really into lipsticks, I use glosses. You can try reds from Maybelline (Spoiled in Rubies liquid diamond lipgloss is good) and Revlon as well, for cheaper alternatives.
-Actually, I think Asians in general can pull off red. Look at the Geishas from Japan. =)
-Nymphette Lipglass (I love it, MAC artist used it on me for Prom and she did an awesome job.) It's nude with gold shimmer. But a darker nude for deeper skin tones, mine is like yours. =)
-Orgasm Nars Lipgloss. This is only available through Sephora if you're near one. It's pricey.. but I love it, with clear gloss over it to make a shinier. It's peach colored with gold shimmer. Anything with gold shimmer. =) Just warms you up. Don't go for lipglosses that are too pale nude in color, it'll wash you out!
-CLEAR GLOSS with shimmer. Lustrewhite lustreglass. Or any drugstore clear gloss will do.
-And if you're brave enough, try hot pink gloss. I recommend flashmode lustreglass or palatial lustreglass. It's not as scary or overpowering as it sounds, I find Asians can pull off this look easily, especially if you're more golden skinned than pale. There's a hot pink liquid diamonds color from Maybelline that I use for hot pink gloss also. It's cheaper as well.

3) I have never in my life applied anything to my skin by choice EXCEPT maybe coverup for a blemish. Do you guys use makeup for the face on a daily basis? (foundation, powder, makeup) Do you recommend it?
-I have to research on this myself. I've never ever used foundation in my life except for when it was put on me for prom.
-I'm going to find a light powder type though.

4) When applying eyeliner, what are some good looks? Winged? Top only? Tightlining??
-Winged works, but not too long.
-I usually line the entire top with Sharkskin shadestick and about 2/3rds the bottom eyelid from the outer edge in. I smudge the bottom usually. And if I need to look a little more awake, I'll dab white frost into the inner corner where I haven't lined the eye.
-Other than Sharkskin shadestick, I use Sea Me Shadestick as well (I can use it alone... but I'll sometimes sweep other colors over it as well, other aqua/teal colors), I've lined with so many different colors, but I like teal and black the best.
-I don't recommend tightlining. Asian eyes are small enough already. If you tightline.. most likely your eye is going to look really small.
-Basic black eyeliner is always a must, but try green, teal, and purple. Gunmetal is great as a liner color too.
-Liquid looks good on a lot of asians too, I myself don't use it. I'm too lazy.

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner has worked well for me.

And about brushes:
-I'm a poor college student too.. so if my mom buys stuff that comes with a free brush set (like Estee Lauder gift things) I'll just ask if I can have them and she usually gives them to me. I don't have any fancy MAC brushes. I sure wish I did!
-Or... since I'm an artist.. I don't use all my artist brushes. I use the unused ones on my eyes! They work really well and are CHEAP. I don't know how many people recommend that... but yeah, I use artist brushes or free ones.

I hope that helps. Sorry I couldn't help much on the foundation aspect. I myself am looking around the forums for info on that. =)
And sorry if I wasn't too helpful on cheap products. I just save up like crazy and buy the expensive stuff. I like stuff from Maybelline though. Neutrogena has nice glosses too.

Good luck! Don't be afraid to experiment! It's all about learning. =)

 

[belldandy13]

i totally know where you're coming from i'm SO BROKE & have a baby to take care of so i try to find ways around spending too much $$$ on makeup...and i'm fairly new to makeup i just started wearing it this year because i found it difficult to use on my creaseless asian eyes lol~

snowkei's tutorials and FOTDs are great and she does use expensive stuff but i usually just buy drugstore brands of similar colours she uses. also, i usually don't duplicate her looks unless i'm going out somewhere special cuz her looks are quite bold imo...(dont get me wrong her looks are GORGEOUS i just don't normally wear that much makeup! =)

i don't know where you're from but NYX is a great mac-substitute for eyeshadows. they sell them at cherryculture.com for cheap. if you're not from the states, in canada they sell them at save-on-foods stores for $5.99 canadian.

i think with most asian gals, golds, browns, peaches, and greens are very safe for makeup newbies.

if you don't need to wear foundation or powder on your face (and you look like you have great skin) i wouldn't bother. i don't use it - i just use moisturizer on my face (nivea) before i apply makeup. you might want to consider getting some blush for a glowy look. i'm guilty of having expensive blush though. i have nars and bobbi brown shimmerbrick<-- omg so worth it!!!

lipgloss is a personal preference i think, i personally like nude or clear lipglosses (clear is great to put over lipstick too) for a natural everyday look. i recently purchased my first red lipstick and although people tell me it looks great, i'm not bold enough to wear it often. i do use mac lipglasses. (i love underage for a nude look). i have lipsticks as well, i think freckletone [mac] looks great (i saw it on snowkei and got it for myself!)

other fantastic asian gals i look up to on specktra for makeup ideas besides snowkei are:

theleopardcake
stephie06
mistella

just click on their names under the member list and click on the link that finds all threads started by that user, and look under their FOTDs or tutorials.

i hope that helps!!! good luck~!

 

[Kuuipo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU_8daJXhSQ


I found this today-its a Ford Model Video-that I found super helpful!

 

[etherealprey]

I'm taiwanese too! That was just a side note there, but I know its frustrating when you're starting out with makeup. it can be daunting. But agree with everyone else where, to check out the FOTD, snowkei and stephie are pretty awesome. You can check out youtube as well, pursebuzz loves all colors, enkore gives good tips on starting out stuff like wingled eyeliner, and i know there are others out there, other asian girls doing making up on youtube that I can't remember off hand. key thing is don't be afraid, you will have to experiment, there have been a couple of things i've tried that i know don't look good on me, but don't worry no one will see it. sometimes you just gotta pick up that brush and see what happens. best of luck

 

[Kuuipo]

Have to share a really gnarly blog


http://www.beautybentobox.com/