When I was 13 i started getting into makeup. First there was mascara, then powder, foundation, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow-the works. Slowly but surely I fell in love with makeup. It is an art form and there is so much that can be expressed through it. Makeup is used in every culture in the world whether its for a ceremony, a sign of status, a ritual or just for fun , it is everywhere and it has inspired me in so many ways. As I’ve been getting older and as technology is being developed I am learning more and more about makeup everyday and it is amazing. I’m starting to collect makeup books and read and study this diverse art because makeup is my life, my inspiration, my way of expressing myself and creating beautiful art on a human canvas. It is what i am most passionate about. Yes, I enjoy fashion but makeup is something I am really good at and i’m proud of it. I want to become a makeup artist- I want to make art. People are art, each individual is different and makeup can help further express our individuality (or you know, you can just wear it cos its fun too.)
Today I received the opportunity to do so. A friend of mine requested that I do her makeup for a wedding she was going to attend and of course I accepted! I was so excited to do her makeup because it gave me the chance to practice makeup on a face that is not my own. It allowed me to use different colours suited for a different skintone and understand different face shapes, what to highlight and whatnot. My friend, Phing is Cambodian and here in Cambodia when girls get their makeup done for a wedding it is heavy, over the top with crazy dark, thick brows and often doesn’t compliment their features as best it could. I decided to veer from the cultural norm and do something different.
This look is simple,delicate, using light colours and shimmery eyeshadow give her that glowing, warm appearance. Plus the dress she wore was pink so I had to make the dress and makeup compliment each other! (Its important to pull a look together)
The first step with anything of course is foundation. Since her skin is darker than mine but also lighter for Cambodian skin I mixed her foundation, which was too yellow for her skin, with my own to get the right colour. To blend it I used my Anastia Beverly Hills Oval brush (mine isn’t actually the real deal-I bought the copycat version in Thailand). It gives good coverage and leaves the skin looking flawless. I then moved onto her eyes, using a dark orange mixed with a lighter peachy colour to cover up dark circles (from Smashbox).
I used the neutral pallet from the Sephora Collection Color Wonderland Neutral & Vivid Eyeshadow Palette (limited edition). Since she has cute, small eyes I used brighter colours to make them appear bigger and to make her dark brown eyes pop. For the base I used a light brown. The shadow is two shades lighter than her skin colour, following the base I used a shadow two shades darker than the base to fill in the crease. I then used a peachy-orangish colour in the center of her lid, blending it into the outer corner and just slightly into the crease. To brighten her inner corner I used a salmon to draw attention to her dark brown eyes . For her eyeliner I made sure the line was just thick enough to be seen when her eyes are open (if the line cannot be seen with your eyes open then it is too thin). I raised the liner in the middle, almost like drawing in a hill (this makes the eyes pop even more). Since the liner was too harsh at first I took a Q-tip and gently smudged it so it wouldn’t contrast against her the light shadows I used. And of course, you cant have fancy eyes without fake lashes!
Following up i filled in her brow. For dark brows you should use a colour that is two shades lighter than your natural colour to avoid too harsh brows and for light brows use a colour that is two shades darker for a fuller effect. After the eyes I went in for the contour. Since Phing (my friend) has a round face I contoured under her cheekbone, jawline, nose and just below her temples near her the end of her brow. For highlights I focused on her forehead, bridge and tip of her nose, cheekbones, a bit on her upper lip (this creates an illusion of bigger, more defined lips) and her brow-bone.
For the finishing touches I added more pigment to the eyes with a light pink shimmer to highlight her brow-bone ( from Mac-its not the exact product but it is close enough). I then did a neutral, almost nude lip (also from mac). Lastly, I used a gentle pink blush to add a soft glow and now we have the finished look!
I really enjoyed doing Phing’s makeup and I’m so happy with the way it came out! I hope to do this again so I can get better, learn more and do what I love.
Peaches, browns and Asian eyes When I was 13 i started getting into makeup. First there was mascara, then powder, foundation, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow-the works.
