You shared your most common issues about looking good. These tricks will help you tackle them for everyday perfection. By Simone Wu
You shared your most common issues about looking good. These tricks will help you tackle them for everyday perfection. By Simone Wu
#1 “How do I get perfect eyebrows?”
Makeup artist Larry Yeo says your face shape determines your brow shape, and how thick they go depends on your most prominent facial feature. Don’t follow trends. If you have softer, smaller features, bushy brows like top model Cara Delevingne’s will overwhelm your face. And if you have a square or round face, straight brows like Korean actress Song Hye Kyo’s will make it look wider.
FLATTER YOUR FACE SHAPE
• Square. Go for less angular, more rounded brows to counter a strong jawline. High, softly-rounded arches can actually help elongate your face.
• Round. Make them more angular and draw higher arches to better frame your face.
• Heart. Rounded brows with an angled arch will balance a small chin and make the upper half of your face appear longer and narrower.
• Oval. Straight brows with a low arch are perfect.
• Long. To subtly widen your face, go for straight brows with a gentle arch. High arches will only elongate your face even more.
TOP BROW TRICKS
1 Identify the start of the eyebrow by holding a pencil vertically against each side of your nose.
2 The arch – or the highest point of the brow – should be roughly two-thirds towards the tail. Never have your arch in the middle of your eyebrows – a la Ronald McDonald – or you’ll look perpetually surprised.
3 If you have dark hair and eyes, pick a brow colour that’s one to two tones lighter than your hair. If you have light brown hair and dark eyes, go for lighter brown brows. For lighter eyes, you need a darker brow shade to define your peepers.
TIP MAKE THEM LAST To boost the staying power of pencilled-in brows, apply an eye makeup primer first, dust on loose powder and then fill them in.
#2 “How do I pick the perfect red lipstick?”
There is no such thing! It all boils down to personal preference. However, colours that complement your skin tone will light also up your complexion.
• Warm skin tones. Use reds with peach, orange or coral tints. A blue undertone will make you look pasty and pale rather than rosy.
• Cool skin tones. Use a red with a blue undertone, or a shade that even veers towards fuchsia. Both will also make your teeth look whiter.
• Neutral skin tones. You can wear any shade of red with ease.
#3 “How do I tone down my blusher without having to start over or worrying that it’ll affect my foundation?”
If you’re using a powder blusher, dust on loose powder over your cheeks. Using the right brush helps, too. You need one with densely packed bristles like a flat-top kabuki brush, says Larry. This will properly set the loose powder on your skin and pick up excess blusher at the same time. You can tone down cream blusher by pressing a piece of tissue paper over it.
#4 “How do I hide dark circles more effectively?”
To conceal them properly, you need to identify the type that you have.
• They look grey or ashy Use a peach-toned concealer or one with red undertones to neutralise the greyish tint. Then, to even out the skin tone, dab on a yellow-toned concealer in a shade close to your natural skin colour.
• They have a hint of redness Apply a yellow-toned concealer in a shade that blends seamlessly into your complexion. Start with a tiny dab at the inner eye corners and blend outwards.
• They appear discoloured Skip concealer and dab on liquid foundation in a shade closest to your natural colour instead. If you can still see them, gently tap on peach-based concealer to help even out your complexion.
Why Your Concealer Doesn’t Last
Here’s what can affect the longevity of concealer on skin, explains Larry.
• Blocked tear ducts If you have sinus or nasal allergies, concealer under the eyes and at the outer corners tends to crease easily. Nose infections and chronic sinusitis may irritate and block the tear ducts, causing eyes to get watery.
• How you prep the skin under the eyes A lot of people apply too much eye cream under the eyes. The greasiness makes it impossible for concealer to stay put.
• Too much moisture When your concealer is too hydrating, humidity tends to make it smudge.
• How much you use When you apply too much concealer, it tends to cake or dry up and slide off.
#5 “How do I make my eyeliner perfect?”
Begin by prepping with a lightweight eye cream and a primer. This allows eyeliner to glide on smoothly and last longer. Practice makes perfect, says Larry, who recommends using a waterproof gel eye pencil as its creamy texture goes on easily and sets beautifully into a solid black line. If you want to remove a smudge or create a sharp winged tip, simply use a cotton bud and swipe away.
3 EASY TRICKS
1 Get in position. Rest the elbow of your drawing hand on the table or against the mirror to keep it steady. You can also rest the fleshy part of a thumb against your cheek.
2 Draw dots and dashes. It takes practice to create one single line across your lash line. In fact, even with practice, the line can sometimes turn out wavy and uneven. Instead, draw dots and connect them with short strokes. After that, you can gradually fill in any spaces to smooth out or thicken the line.
3 Wing it. Use the lower lash line as the starting point of the wing and draw the line upwards. There are no hard and fast rules for the angle and length. Draw it in at a higher angle if you are going dramatic or go lower for a softer look.
MAKE EYELINER LAST ALL DAY
To create extra staying power for liquid eyeliner, add matte translucent powder between two layers of it. Here’s what to do: After the first layer has dried on your skin, dip a small, fluffy makeup brush in matte translucent powder and dust it over the eyeliner in short strokes. Then, add another layer of liquid eyeliner.
