#BestMakeupLook that will stand the test of trends and time? A delicate demi-matte complexion and a barely there blush are hallmarks of Singapore sirens like our #GirlCrush Jeanette Aw – even better, the entire thing is a complete cinch to pull off, and perfect for the office to boot.
Click through the gallery slides above for all the tips and tricks you need to snag the sexy silken skin and flawless face of your dreams!
Image: Instagram.
Want more? Get more bang for your beauty buck with these top tips to enhancing the efficacy of your lunchtime appointment with a facialist, and purge your pores by mixing your very own DIY rinse-off face mask – using a most unexpected ingredient indeed. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
I’m going on the assumption that you have solid skincare fundamentals down pat: Serum, emulsion, moisturiser, the works. Done? Now for foundation.
This look calls for the subtle sheen everyone and their mother’s so K-razy about these days. Now, beware, beauty beginners: This can be treacherously tricky to execute in Singapore’s sweltering clime – which one makeup misstep and you’ll come off as greasy, not glowy.
Happily, faking flawless skin needn’t be a futile endeavour, if you follow this top trick: Simply thin out your fluid foundation with a booster shot of facial oil. In any case, the recipe for this custom concoction is embarrassingly easy: Dispense said oil into your foundie, then stir well to create a soothing souffle-like mousse – sort of like brushing on a tinted treatment that comforts and conceals at the same time.
Leery of loading on too much product? Blending is of the essence. Use soft stippling strokes to skim the product from the centre of the face outwards. This gentle graduation also blurs out any discernible demarcation between your face and decolletage for that #IWokeUpLikeThis, is-she-or-isn’t-she no-makeup makeup look.
Yves Saint Laurent Beaute Touche Eclat Le Teint, $79.
Using a paddle-shaped brush for maximum malleability, swipe on a tiny bit of a creamy taupe tint that’s terrific for touch-ups throughout the day. To apply, simply sweep your shadow pen back and forth, going over the socket edges and smudging liberally for a soft smoulder. Grab a cotton swab to take off any excess that might gather in your crease, but don’t be too precious about this bit. Perfection isn’t a prerequisite here – casually smeared lids are entirely fine, desirable even.
Nars Velvet Shadow Stick in Oaxaca, $44.
Time to lock in your liner. With a steady hand, use a thin-tipped pencil liner in brown-black – use it to fill in your brows, too – and “connect the dots” between your lashes, following your eye’s curvature and getting as close to your upper lash line as possible. No Adele-esque winged tip, please; restraint is required here, so stop lining at the farthest end of your natural lash line.
Shiseido Makeup Smoothing Eyeliner Pencil in Brown, $32.
Mascara is equally muted: Lower your lids and sort of wiggle your wand a bit around the roots of your upper and lower lashes, dragging it out at the outer corners to elongate the eye. Finish by using a moistened cotton swab to sop up stray flecks, focusing on getting a really clean, tapered end. Gussy up your brows with a glossy clear gel and you’re good to go, at least on the eye end of things.
Tom Ford Ultra Length Mascara in Ultra Raven, $68.
No convoluted contouring to speak of here, which is par for the course when it comes to Korean-style aesthetics. Colouring your cheeks should take you no more than two minutes, tops: Simply suck in your cheeks, then use tapping motions to apply a creamy dual-toned product in a subtle champagne colourway – this should lend a universally flattering flush to just about any skin tone.
Here’s how. Start by shading in your jawline, temples and chin with the matte mahogany side of your stick. Next, switch to the highlighting hue and swirl up and outwards into your temples for depth and dimension. This V-shaped wedge of colour along the top of your cheekbones will lend a subtly lifted, superbly slenderising effect. As a finishing flourish, amplify the allure with a delicate dusting of Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder in 001, $90.
Dior DiorBlush Light & Contour Sculpting Stick Duo in 001 Soft Contour, $72.
Softening your smackers with a sugar scrub is crucial to preventing unsightly feathering, so be sure to do that the night before. (Or pile on petroleum jelly and tissue off after 10 minutes for a quickie DIY lip mask.)
You may consider coating your lips with a creamy concealer for a neutral base to work with, but this is strictly optional. For application proper, use an angled lip brush to transfer a satiny salmon shade onto your lips – try Cle de Peau Beaute’s seriously TDF Radiant Liquid Rouge in 16 $80 – starting from the center and fanning out towards the edges.
Now for a tip that’s an oldie but a goodie: Blot, re-apply, blot again. What you do is to fold a soft two-ply facial tissue in half, part your mouth, place it between your upper and lower lips, then press down gently. This blotting action wicks away oils, leaving a concentrated stain of sorts.
And you’re done. Perfect for Pinterest and incredibly Insta-friendly, this toned-down everyday look boasts the pouty puckers and glistening gleam worthy of any working warrior strutting her stuff in the CBD. Cheers!