I tried the viral C-Drama makeover — without flying to China

As a child, I was obsessed with Chinese fantasy period dramas. I loved the flowing robes, elaborate hairstyles and, most of all, the pretty hair ornaments that seemed to transform every heroine into something out of a fairytale.

I would stand in front of the mirror playing dress-up, draping bedsheets around myself and raiding my mother’s collection of hair accessories and ribbons to recreate the looks I had seen on screen. I wasn’t exactly convincing, but in my delulu mind, I was the main character - obviously. 

Fast-forward to today, and like many others, I’ve been swept up in the C-drama wave. My long-standing love for period dramas was instantly reignited, and somewhere between watching one series after another, I started noticing something else: people getting transformed into C-drama heroines for elaborate period-style portraits.

I was intrigued.

Coincidentally, I had also booked a trip to Chengdu, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to finally live out that childhood fantasy and have my own pictures taken in the style of the period dramas I grew up watching.

Then I discovered something I hadn’t expected: I didn’t actually have to fly to China to do it.

There is a studio in Singapore offering this very specific kind of Chinese period photography experience, complete with the elaborate costumes, hair, makeup and styling. After doing some research and being suitably impressed by the photographs, I decided to give it a try.

The Transformation Begins

Weeks before the shoot, Sharon Lin, 37, the owner of Dressed Up Dreams Studio, arranged a consultation with me. I shared my moodboard and the kind of looks I had in mind, and she offered her recommendations on what would work best for me.

On the day itself, she presented me with three different looks.

Then it’s time for the makeover - the part I was most excited about.

The makeup artist genuinely impressed me with her ability to transform me into a period drama heroine. I was floored. And no, it wasn’t some long, drawn-out process either. For such an elaborate makeup look, it was surprisingly quick, taking just about an hour. 

Naturally, while she was doing my makeup, we got talking (in my mediocre Mandarin) about C-dramas and our favourite actors. And when she told me who hers was, let’s just say I wasn’t surprised.

Zhang Linghe, of course.

It’s All in the Hair

The makeup was impressive, but what really fascinated me was the hair.

And here’s the surprise: it was styled by Sharon herself.

As I chatted with Sharon while she was styling my hair, I discovered that she is something of a multi-hyphenate. She explained that finding someone who could create these highly specific traditional Chinese hairstyles wasn’t easy, so she decided to learn the craft herself. She started in 2018, which means she has now spent eight years perfecting the art — learning from books and video tutorials, and practising on her friends along the way. 

Her background makes the whole thing even more interesting. Sharon studied theatre in the UK before returning to Singapore to pursue her passion for the creative arts. Today, she’s not only the founder of the studio but also takes on the roles of hairstylist, photographer, set designer and art director for the shoots.

Talk about being talented.

What struck me most was her attention to detail and how deeply she understood the visual language of Chinese period photography. It wasn’t simply about putting on a pretty costume and posing in front of a camera. She guided me through everything from the angle of my head to the positioning of my hands and, yes, even the styling of my fingers.

Apparently, there is a right way to hold your fingers when you’re trying to look like a graceful period-drama heroine.

Who knew?

Channeling my inner heroine

I’ll admit, grace does not exactly come naturally to me. I am not someone who instinctively knows what to do with her hands, how to tilt her head elegantly or look wistfully into the distance.

Thankfully, Sharon was extremely patient, guiding me through each pose and movement until I started to feel less like myself and more like the heroine (well, not really, but God knows I tried) I had imagined all those years ago.

And somewhere between the elaborate hair, flowing costumes and dramatic poses, something rather sweet occurred to me.

That little girl standing in front of the mirror, wrapping bedsheets around herself and using her mother’s hair accessories to play dress-up, had finally gotten her moment.

Except this time, there was an actual photographer.

And stunning pictures to hold on to those memories.

Now all that’s missing is my leading man.

Zhang Linghe, where are you?