YouAlberta
So you've done your skincare and your outfit is on. What's left to do? Well, makeup and hair are the finishing touches to tie everything together!
Some of you might be thinking, "Makeup? For a guy?" and to that, I say yes! In East Asian countries like South Korea or China, it's not uncommon to see men wearing makeup as a means of grooming themselves, similarly to how one would do their hair. For me, makeup is more often a means of highlighting my good features and concealing things I want to cover, such as blemishes and dark circles. While makeup can be transformative, my approach to makeup focuses on a natural look that is still my face but simply enhanced. Particularly, I follow more Asian styles of makeup: fresh and subtle.
So today, I'll be talking about some of my go-to makeup products and how I use them. To preface, I have pale skin with a neutral-to-cool undertone. Whether you're a guy, girl or anything in between, my tips and tricks can apply to anyone!
Colour Corrector - THE SAEM Cover Perfection Triple Pot Concealer
This is one of the most essential steps, and sometimes, I can even forego some of the next steps on days when I'm in a rush. The purpose of colour correction is to neutralize any undesired colours on your skin. For general redness and dark spots caused by hyperpigmentation, I use green, and for purplish to green areas like my under eyes and moustache area, I use a lighter peach colour. For different skin tones, this will vary, such as a deeper orange colour for deeper skin tones. I generally use my finger and tap the product into my skin, slowly building it up and blending until I get the coverage I need. I try to be sparing and keep the product within the areas it's meant to even out as, if it spreads out of it, it can instead make unaffected parts of your skin look green or peachy.
Concealer - THE SAEM Cover Perfection Tip Concealer #01
While usually, most people would use concealer after the next step, I tend to use it after colour correction to underpaint and add any additional coverage needed to pesky problem areas. The concealer I use is slightly brighter than my skin but not overly bright (although keep in mind that East Asian makeup products tend to lean on the lighter end of shades). Using the product applicator, I add small amounts over the same areas that I applied the colour corrector. I'll also apply concealer to the high points of my face, such as my forehead and my nose, to create further definition. I then use a damp beauty blender and concentrate the product into the problem areas before carefully blending it out into the rest of my skin. As needed, I'll repeat this step until I get the coverage I'm looking for. I'll then use the product powder puff to press in the ETUDE Zero Sebum Drying Powder on any areas that need mattifying or wherever is prone to creasing (such as the under eyes and smile lines) and brush off the excess with a fluffy brush.
BB Cream - PURITO Cica Clearing BB Cream #21
Instead of using foundation, which I find can be more noticeable on the skin, I use a BB cream as it's lighter weight but hydrating and still gives me a flawless base. I squeeze a small amount of the product onto the back of my hand and, using a makeup spatula, drag the edge through the product so that it picks up a thin layer of it. Then, using the spatula, I gently spread the product across the major planes of my face: the forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. I particularly like using the spatula as it gives an even thin layer of product over my skin. After, I use a damp beauty blender to blend the product into my skin until it fully adjusts and is spread evenly.
Contour - peripera - Ink V Shading #03
Now, I start chiselling my face, using a powder contour for a more natural and seamless look. While the BB cream is still slightly tacky, I start creating definition by using a flatter contour brush and applying the darkest shade around the perimeter of my face: along the hairline and under my jawline. It's important to blend but keep the product contained, as you don't want to create unnatural shadows. Next, while puckering my lips, I locate my cheekbones and start by pressing the product at the outermost corner. I gently pull the product into my face by following the natural shadows, cutting my cheekbones to give a sharper look and adding the middle shade by blending in circular motions.
My favourite part to contour is my nose. I begin by shading with the darker shadow under the inner corner of my eyebrow ridge, this time with the same brush I use around my face. I then mix the middle and darkest shades and apply them around the tip and underside of my nose, contouring it to appear smaller and more refined. Finally, I join the two by diffusing it up and down, keeping the product concentrated along the sides of my nose. The excess goes under my lips, and if needed, I'll build the shadows until I achieve the desired effect or use a slightly damp beauty blender and tap along the edges of the contour to blur it out.
Blush - 3CE Mood Recipe Face Blush Rose Beige
This step brings life back to my face with a soft pinkish blush that gives me a natural-looking flush. I use a large fluffy brush, picking the product up and tapping off the excess. I concentrate the product first on the highest points of my cheek before blending in circular motions along my cheek. Using the excess, I gently add a bit of blush to my nose, forehead and chin with quick swiping motions. In a similar fashion to contour, I'll use a damp beauty blender to blur as needed.
Eyes - 3CE Mini Multi Eye Color Palette Almond Fudge
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so using eyeshadow to darken the surrounding area can make your eyes stand out even more. This step is very dependent on the person's eye shape. My approach is using a small blending brush to first pick up a mix of the cocoa colour and shimmery dark brown, tapping off any excess. I start with the outer corner of my eyes, being very careful not to overdo it with the product as I gently blend into the centre of my eyelid. Then, I add a bit more product and do the reverse, going from the inner corner and blending inwards. I take care not to blend too far out of my eyelids as it can look messy and obvious. Once I've laid down enough of the shadow, I use the palest colour to lay on the centres of my eyelids as highlights, blending it out into the shadows to create seamless transitions.
I also use my contour and a dense eyeshadow brush to define my aegyo-sal, which is the small pocket of fat directly under your eye. I find that doing so is a subtle way to create a more youthful look. Using the middle shade, I started by gently defining the shape by starting with the inner corners, following the natural curvature by swiping back and forth. I follow with the darkest shade on the outer corners, pulling the product towards the middle area. Finally, using the excess, I connect the two ends, blending them to create a soft shadow.
Eyelashes - Lancôme Le Crayon Khol Black Coffee
Your eyelashes help frame your eyes and make them pop more. I use pencil eyeliner as I find it more subtle and blendable rather than a bolder liquid liner. I start from the outer corner of my eye, sticking close to my upper lash line. I carefully drag the pencil in, trying to keep the line relatively thin, and only go about three-quarters of the way rather than using it across my entire lash line. I find that this helps it transition smoothly into your lashes as they tend to thicken towards the outer corners. I then may add a very subtle wing by pulling the liner along the natural curvature of my eye, which helps extend my eyes slightly. Finally, using my finger, I'll blend the product out, especially in the inner corner.
For the lashes themselves – I have longer lashes – so I start with an eyelash curler and hold it on my lashes in three-second intervals a few times. I then set it by using the Etude Dr. Mascara Fixer. As I want to keep the look subtle, I just use clear mascara, starting from the base of my eyelashes and brushing it out, making sure not to let the product clump on my lashes. It's important to remember to curl your lashes before applying mascara, as reversing the order can cause your lashes to get pulled out!
Lips - Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm Hibiscus
Again, the goal for this makeup is to look clean. To achieve this, I usually opt for a tinted lip balm rather than a lipstick or lip tint. I also usually take this out with me for easy and quick reapplication, especially if I'm going to eat. I simply rub the product on my lips, focusing on the inner and central areas of my top and bottom lips. Then, I'll smack my lips and use my fingers to blend out to create a soft ombre effect. If needed, I'll clean up and remove any excess that extends beyond my lips using my finger.
Setting Spray - SO NATURAL Face Makeup Setting Finishing Spray
This last step is essential to keep everything in place and prevent your makeup from flaking or melting off your face throughout the day. I simply spray a generous amount all over my face and then give it a few moments to marinate and set the products in. I also use my beauty blender, which at this point should only be slightly damp, to bounce off my entire face and press the setting spray in.
Once I've finished my makeup, I'll do my hair with some hair spray and accessories, put on some perfume and will be all ready. Whew, we covered a lot, didn't we? Most of the products I use are Asian brands, which can be found through online retailers.
I hope you had fun following me as I showed you all my makeup routine! And more than that, I encourage everyone to not get too caught up in ideas of social constructs. While makeup tends to get associated with women's products, in the end, it's just another form of cosmetics that anyone can use regardless of gender. So, if you've ever had an interest in trying it out, go out and do it! With that, that ends my "Get ready with me" series; thanks for following along!