Star Awards 2024: How a makeup artist in Singapore preps his celebrity clients’ skin 

When Star Awards season rolls around, we eagerly anticipate who won what and look forward to seeing all the eye-catching hair, makeup and outfits come down the red carpet.

And of course, we’re also just as interested in finding out what goes on behind-the-scenes as our favourite celebs get ready for one of the biggest nights of local television. After all, who doesn’t want to know what skincare and base makeup celebs rely on to get that candescent glow? 

Luckily for us, veteran makeup artist Lasalle Lee, who has touched the faces of stars like Elvin Ng, Romeo Tan, Pierre Png, Jernelle Oh and Gao Mei Gui, to name a few, has revealed all his favourite skin prep techniques and products to create a flawless base that will last all day. You can thank us later. 

Lasalle explains that no matter the artiste or look, he will always start by hydrating the skin. If he’s faced with a time crunch, he’s picked up a few shortcuts to speed up the process including using a generous amount of moisture-boosting face mist. “Due to time constraints, I will go in with the Gucci Brume De Beaute Glow Hydrating Mist, $130 to give parched and lacklustre skin an instant hydration boost.” he says. 

Depending on his client’s skin condition for the day, he might reach for a fast-acting mask like Saborino Morning Facial Sheet Mask, $20.25 (a multi-purpose face mask that doubles up as a toner pad and makeup primer) and follow up with a depuffing massage with the Est.lab VitaLift A+ SmartSculpt Buddy, $298 and Est.lab OptimaLift A+ Intelligent Eye Revitaliser, $106 devices. 

Next, for that added glow, he will prep the face for makeup with the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, $155 (for 100ml) and apply a small amount of the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Eye Base, $93 to brighten up the under-eye area. 

Then, to ensure the makeup stays in place and create a smooth canvas for foundation, Lasalle primes the face with the Gucci Sérum De Beauté Fluide Soyeux, $105. To finish, he takes his time to spread out the Gucci Éternité De Beauté Foundation, $105 and tackle problem areas with an additional layer of the Gucci Cushion De Beauté Compact Cushion Foundation, $115.