From The Straits Times    |

Makeup tips to look younger Asian faces eyes

Image: Showbit

#1 Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!
Before we dive into the makeup, it’s important to ensure you’ve put enough effort into your skincare. We love a good anti-ageing product, and for good reason; looking young starts with your skin. The smoother, softer, and more radiant it looks, the younger you’re going to look. Keeping your skin soft requires diligent hydration, and getting it smooth means exfoliating regularly. A good night cream is extra important if you sleep with the air-conditioning on at night. Right before you apply makeup, you should also make sure you’ve applied a moisturiser tailored for your skin type. A hydrated face also makes your makeup apply a lot smoother and look more natural. 

#2 Smooth over imperfections
If you’ve got skin that’s on the oily side, you’re likely to have more obvious pores around your cheeks and nose. A smoothing primer like Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional, Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Start Instant Perfecting Primer, or Make Up For Ever’s Step 1 Smoothing Primer are going to do a great job at “filling” in the pores and smoothing over fine lines. The key is to perfect the canvas so you can go light on the foundation. 

#3 Pick a lightweight foundation
The goal here is to even out your skin tone without masking your skin entirely. I like a tinted moisturiser or lightweight water-based foundation, as these will give you enough coverage to even out your complexion while still letting your natural skin show through. Avoid mattifying foundations for a start, and if you’re looking to add more radiance to your skin, try something with light reflecting properties or mix in an illuminating primer for added dewiness. You can set oil-prone areas with a powder, but limit that to your nose and eyelids or chin, while leaving your cheeks and jaw more dewy for a more natural multidimensional look. 

#4 Brighten up under and around your eyes
Packing on concealer under your eyes is a no-no, and cream or stick concealers are out of the question as they’re way too heavy and cakey for a fresh look. Use a liquid concealer on the darkest part of the inner corner and under your eyes, blend it out, and go over that and the rest of your undereye area with something like a brightening concealer or illuminating pen. You can brighten the inner corners of your eyes further with a shimmery white eyeshadow.

#5 Keep the eye makeup minimal
No smoky eyes for this look. Keeping things light and fresh is really important. Stay away from dark eye shadows and go for lighter shimmery eye shadows if you like. You should also avoid dramatic winged liner – instead, keep your eyeliner close to your lash line in order to look as natural as possible. You can definitely get away with drawing in a small flick to give the illusion of a lift, especially if your eyes tilt downward at the outer corners. Curling your lashes is important here to make your eyes look more open. Apply some waterproof mascara to define your lashes and hold that curl, and you’re good to go. 

#6 Go easy on your brows
Filling in your brows too strongly or making them too dark can make you look a lot older. Straighter brows will look younger and more natural than overly arched ones. You can lightly fill in sparse areas with some brow powder and brush them with a tinted brow gel to keep them in place.

#7 Go for brighter lip and cheek colours
If your lips and cheeks lack colour, you can end up looking washed out or dull. Lighter pink or peach colours make you look younger and fresh-faced. How you apply your blush can make the biggest difference to your entire look. You should avoid blending the blush upwards and instead focus on the apples of your cheeks. Our skin gets drier as we age, so try using a cream instead of a powder blush, which will keep your cheeks looking dewy and hydrated. The same goes for your lips – fresh colours will keep you looking young, and glossy finishes are more youthful than matte finishes.

#8 Avoid contouring
As we age, our cheeks lose volume. Contouring will only further sculpt your cheekbones, which can make you look a lot older. I find the best option is to avoid a contour entirely, and go with strobing or highlighting instead. A hint of a cream or liquid highlighter on the highest planes of your cheeks can make your face look lifted and still give you the illusion of a sharper cheekbone. 

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