Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Lust, Caution - the most innocent looking could be the trickiest


I need makeup to purchase beer.

I am vain, I admit, when it comes to stepping out of the house in general but the bodega downstairs and gym are two places that I feel right at home sans mascara.

Except, without makeup, eyes lose impact, face contours seem to disappear and even a pout couldn't make my lips look any less blah -- and I look 15. Even with ID, I have to fight for my right to buy 6% alcohol content liquids.




So, how does fresh new comer, Tang Wei from Ang Lee's much awaited new film Lust, Caution, score her major wow-factor while looking rather bare faced?





Follow these tricks to look deceptively innocent:

1. Start with creating a natural facial contour

Using a soft, big, cheek brush, apply a peachy, bronzy blush starting on the lower edges of your cheekbones and moving up towards the upper edge of the ear. Lightly mist a little along the jaw line to add some dimension to the chin as well.
My summer current favourite is i.d. bareMinerals in Warm Radiance. Light, soft and slightly shimmery enough to not create any embarrassing blush lines on the sides of face or neck.


Second step to enhance the contour, take a beigey pearly loose powder, like Paul & Joe's powder in 002 (not the color shown), and dust across the forehead just above your eye brows, along the bridge of your nose and the center part of the face around the nose and under eyes.

Note: only dip the brush in the powder once for this entire "highlighting" process as too much shine in the middle of the face just looks plain greasy.

2. Eyeshadow should only be used to smudge the eyeliner


I've found that makeup books for the general American public recommend using eye liner after applying eye shadows but with a slimmer Asian eye shape, I find that eyeliners look too heavy on its own unless it is softened and smudged a little.

For this look, go for a dark brown shadow to lighten and slightly shade the area above the liner on the upper lid (2mm or so). This slight smearing definition to the eye area but keeps 'em looking bright, open and fresh.

3. Consider the decollete an extension of your face

The neck and decollete area is a girl's showcase point - ie. the Kimono. Accentuate the clean swoop of the neck and the collarbone with a slight dusting of the pearly powder from step 1 and also by standing with shoulders rolled back and down.

Actually, to get Tang Wei's linear, beautiful collar bones, it takes great posture and by my guess, a lot of yoga which will teach you to keep your collar bones down and straight!


xox