How To Apply Dark Eye Makeup on Asian Eyes

I have always wanted to know how to apply dark makeup without closing up the eyes like stars in Hong Kong. Will you be able to tell me how to create an evening look, like how Kathy Chow has it please?



Smoky dark eye makeup can add a hint of mystery to your peepers and drive them boys crazy. But unlike Caucasians, us Asians often do not have deep-set eyes to pull off the look. So how can we wear dark eye makeup without making the eyes look smaller? Check out these tips below:

* Pick the right color. If you look at pictures of Chinese celebrities, they seldom use black all over the eyelid. Instead, try something a little softer like deep navys, plums, emeralds, coppers or charcoals. These colors will make dark brown eyes pop without looking too harsh. If you insist on using black, make sure you keep the color close to your lashline and crease.

* Opt for eyeshadows in shimmery and metallic formulas over matte ones to help add extra sparkles to your eyes.

* Always highlight the inner corner and brow bone with a lighter color to open up the eyes.

* Make sure you blend and blend the edges. Slapping on a really dark color without blending will only make you look like The Grudge – SCARY!

* Avoid lining your waterline with a dark color if you have small eyes. It will make them look even smaller. Instead, apply extra coats of mascara on your lower lashes and use a charcoal color to line if necessary.

* Never forget to apply false lashes when you are working with really dark colors. It will help make your eyes look a lot bigger and balance the whole look. Some of my favorite brands are Ardell, MAC, Shisem and generic Taiwanese brands.

* Skip brow powder and brush a tinted brow gel on your eyebrows to keep them neat and understated. You will never see Chinese celebs with dark eyebrows and dark eye makeup.

Celebrity Skincare Secrets

All those beautiful actresses are not as clear of complexion as the magazine covers may lead you to believe. Emma-Charlotte Bangay uncovers the sore spots of celebrity skin, and how to treat them (sans photoshop.)

From Amy Adams to Nicole Kidman and Emma Stone, actresses are lauded for their skin as much as their style.  And both are as manufactured as each other, it would seem.
See, no actress is trusted to style herself. There is a multitude of fashionista’s behind the scenes who see to it that not a well-shod foot is put wrong. Same goes for skin. Dermatologists, facialist and makeup maestro’s play a part in keeping complexion clear and spot free.
But I’m not even talking about wrinkles and lack of tone. It’s pigmentation that causes the first real ageing problems for these young actresses – and many of us mere mortals.
For some reason, that cute spattering of freckles worked with the pigtails, but doesn’t quite crack it teamed back with Prada on the red carpet.

Here are some of the secrets of the superstars – which you can use at home – to put pigmentation out to pasture:

Skincare:
“Topical antioxidants, zinc-based sunscreens, hydroxyacids and vitamin A are an absolute must,” says Chemist and founder of Rationale Skincare, Richard Parker. “UV is the most aggressive source of free radicals that cause premature ageing, pigmentation and skin cancer, and antioxidants and sunscreens keep these oxidative processes in check,” he explains. “Hydroxy-acids are also necessary as they keep our cell turnover at optimal levels, preventing precancerous damaged cells from “hanging around” where they can cause problems. Additionally Retinol (Vitamin A) helps repair UV-induced damage to skin cells.”
Yes, it takes commitment and coin to use treatment skincare, but when you take into consideration the increasing factors that nurture the onset and onslaught of pigmentation as we age - including hormones, sun, pregnancy - you need an arsenal of actives to maintain vibrancy, even if your skin hasn’t seen damaging daylight for decades, Richard expalins.
“Skin pigment –producing cells (melanocytes) appear to have a “memory” so episodes of hyper-pigmentation will continuously occur throughout adulthood,” he says.

Cosmetics:
There are some nifty makeup tricks that can help to ease the appearance of pigmentation too. The secret is not to suffocate skin though. It’s best to let natural vibrancy shine through, which is far more beautiful than trying to mask it entirely.

• Choose a BB Cream that offers coverage, protects against UV, hydrates, boosts a natural glow and evens skin tone in the long run.
• Never concentrate foundation on the pigment to begin with. Instead, dot foundation down the centre of the forehead, nose and chin, and blend outwards towards the ears, temples and neck for even coverage.
• Apply concealer after foundation. Look in the mirror by a daylight source and see where darkness still appears through foundation. Use a cream concealer here to gently press into skin and merge with overall skin shade.
• As a general rule, yellow or orange-based pigmented foundations and concealers tend to be deep enough to ‘lift’ and blend pigmentation. Stay away from pink based foundations and concealers as these wont hold enough weight to cover pigmentation, but may rather enhance their darkness.
• And next time you spy a starlet gazing at you from a gargantuan advertisement, just remember all the skincare, stealth cosmetic tricks, sun-protection (not to mention photoshop and filters) that have gone into creating such a vision of clarity!

Top Time-Saving Beauty Tips

Do you struggle to find any time to devote to your beauty routine each morning? Here are 4 tips from our Beauty Expert to help you achieve some morning wins!  

Each morning - between falling out the correct side of the bed, remembering to flip the pancakes, feeding the cat, patting the dog, coordinating your shoes, packing your phone/wallet/children and switching off the iron - there is beauty to deal with. Or, lack thereof it.
No human being wakes looking beautiful. At least not in my house. But if, like me, your maddening morning routine spits out a measly three minutes to ensure you have the world well-and-truly-fooled that you are, indeed, superhuman and shockingly beautiful even in the A.M, then read on. Just get that sleep out of your eyes first…

Here’s my timesaving, life-saving Morning Beauty Wins to ensure you use that 90 seconds each morning, and emerge with happy, and half-decent look to show for it!

1.       Get up (Earlier)
Sleep keeps you young. True story. So getting enough is imperative to allow your body to do several mind-boggling things; strengthen bones, increase muscle mass on a cellular level, up the synthesis of protein (which aids skin) and stimulate the immune system. Sleep smacks of regeneration and regrowth on a mind, body and beautifying level, but it’s key to be sleep smart; some researchers believe that every hour you sleep before midnight is equal to two hours after midnight, so if you go to bed earlier, and wake up earlier, you are optimising ZZZs.

2.       Prep in the PM
Before you even dive for the covers, covet yourself just that little bit more. By prepping yourself in the evening, you will save massive amounts of morning time – and stress. So tonight - once you’ve torn yourself away from LifeStyle YOU – blow out that hair, pluck and tint those brows, buff those nails and faux tan those limbs. By beautifying yourself for an hour after dinner once or twice a week, you are not only ensuring an escalated level of effortless hotness in the morning, you are also avoiding that Fig and Butterscotch Ice-cream beckoning you from the fridge.

3.       Drink to Brighter Eyes
Want to make those whites of your eyes pop? Well it’s not about labouring over your eyeliner or crunching that lash curler just a wee bit more. It’s actually how you treat your gut first thing in the morning that shows in your eyes – and all over your face - for the rest of the day. The gut is the absolute engine room of your visible vibrancy, so if you start your day with a dehydrating double-shot espresso and thin air, or a bonanza of bacon partying on your plate with a dozen fried eggs, well, the effervescence of your eyes and high-wattage of your skin will be the first thing to suffer. Make it a morning ritual that once you’ve smacked down that alarm clock, you flick the switch on the kettle. Warm water with juice of half a lemon first thing in the morning will aid your metabolism and help flush out those toxins that are just getting raring up for a new day. Liquid Chlorophyll (1-3 tbsps. in a glass of water) is also powerful alkalizer for the system, which benefits skin health, vitality and even weight management.

4.       Spray Smart
Now, we’ve established that your skin is cranking, your eyes are bright eyed and your hair is sleek and pre-tweaked, but what about that scent? I bet you have been guilty of the splash and dash scent-scapade. Am I right? You know the one where you aim your fragrance to some part of your body as you race out the door at 347kmph, hoping it will hit you and not your hat stand? Yes, well, this is false economy when it comes to applying a long-lasting aroma. See, The Scent-sible Set – you know the ones who waft into a café and make you want to propose/rip their clothes off in rapid immediacy - due to their perfume? Well these clever spritzers have no doubt applied their scent right. And that is under the breastbone. Yep, pre-bra or business shirt, give a light spritz just above the midriff, wait for it to settle, and then proceed with dressing. Throughout the day, as warm air rises, the scent with continue to ascend upwards as your body temperature does, ensuring the hotter you get, the hotter you get.