Find Yourself Through Makeup

Around the ninth grade, I was introduced to makeup for the first time. The beauty community on YouTube at the time was dominated by Western makeup. My beauty gurus included Manny MUA and Jeffree Star, Patrick Starrr, and Tati Westbrook. I was taught to use thick foundations to conceal imperfections, and to create dramatic eyeshadow looks that weren’t suitable for my eyes. Because I was always drawn to the trends, I have never tried my own style. K-beauty was my introduction to eyeshadows. It was in high school that I began to experiment with different shapes of eyeshadow for my eyes.

It’s amazing how makeup can affect your appearance. Like fashion sense, makeup can change your look and spice up your outfit. There are many styles of makeup. For example, you can use Western makeup with a thicker foundation and dramatic eyeshadows. These are just a few categories of makeup styles to help you find your style!

Western makeup

These are the basics of western makeup:

• Matte foundations with medium to complete coverage
• You will find darker bronzers and blushes that are more vibrant.
• Eye-catching and dramatic eyeshadow colors
• The “block brow”, a defined eyebrow shape, is commonly known.
• Lip gloss with matte lipstick and over-lining lips
• Blinding highlight

These were my first looks and they didn’t age very well. When I look back at old photos, I am horrified at how matte everything looked and the amount of foundation I used. My face looked so dry because of the matte foundation. I didn’t realize that I didn’t have to use a whole face of matte products. It was actually drying my skin out, which caused it to produce more oil to compensate. Because double-eyelids are more open for color and details, western makeup looks tend to look better on non Asian eyes. Sometimes, I do eyeshadow looks that could be called “Western” for going out to parties.

Asian makeup/korean beauty

Korean beauty, or Asian makeup, focuses more upon skincare. Most Korean beauty products contained ingredients that are commonly found in skincare. For a dewy, light-coverage look, their formulations are more fluid and runnier. The downside to shopping for their products is the lack of shades. This is because East Asians and Koreans have light skin. Their products are therefore geared towards this group. Many foundations made in Korea, or Asian brands, only offer four to five shades. You may also notice that Korean makeup products are less pigmented. It’s not because they are poor quality, but rather because they prefer to build pigmentation in layers.

The pictures on internet show that the foundation looks just like their skin. This is called the “glass skin effect”. Because most Asians prefer to do “no makeup makeup”, their products aren’t as pigmented than Western brands. Their eyebrows are tinted lighter that their natural hair, and they prefer straighter eyebrows than the curvature of Western makeup.

Because it is light enough to add dimension and not be obvious that they are using shadow, most Korean makeup uses coral or pink colors for their eyes. To brighten their look, they use lots of glittery and shimmery colors. Their eyeshadows aren’t as intense as Western ones.

Editorial/runway magazine make-up

This makeup style would be considered experimental. This makeup style doesn’t conform to the usual rules of makeup. These are rare occasions when makeup artists are allowed to do whatever they like without being judged. However, the makeup looks must still be in line with the idea the fashion stylists had in their mind. They often experiment with a wide range of makeup looks including white eyelashes and heavy glitter, bleached eyebrows and even high-glamour looks. This is not something we would do every day, but it might suit your style.

Special fx makeup

You can dramatically alter your features with special FX makeup (also known as movie makeup). Some people use special FX makeup in their daily lives, changing the shape of their noses. This is a trend that has been growing in China. To make these makeup looks seamless and real, it takes hours of practice and dedication. Special effects are required for certain characters and movies that cannot be made with CGI. These effects bring out the character’s personality and make them more believable. SFX makeup is very popular during Halloween season. It can be used to make fake wounds, or to help you dress up like your favorite character. SFX makeup may be the best option for anyone who wants to change their nose without having to do a full nose job.

Gothic/e-girl makeup

Another popular style was e-girl makeup, or gothic. This makeup style consists of a bold, intense eyeliner and a bright, pink blush on the cheeks and nose. This makeup look has taken the world by storm, and has changed many people’s makeup styles.

Your style

Your own makeup style is the first thing you should do! It’s not necessary to stick with one style. If I had to describe my makeup style it would be a mixture of Asian and Western makeup. I prefer fuller coverage, but I also like softer eyeshadows. I have also stopped trying to cover up my imperfections with foundation. Makeup is an art form. There is no standard in art, other than your own. You can create whatever you like!