Asian Makeup Tips

Asian Hair Coloring

2009-04-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Asian women are known for their glossy black hair. However, sometimes women just like to punch things up a bit and go with a bit of hair coloring. There are important considerations for Asian hair though. Asian hair is naturally thicker than other types of hair. With this trait, it makes it harder to color your hair. Unless you really know what you are doing, take home hair coloring kits will have little effect on changing your hair color. They just weren't made for Asian hair in mind. It is best to go to a hair color specialist and especially one who has experience in dealing with Asian hair. Still, it is always best to understand the basics of hair coloring just to keep an eye on the procedure.

You should discuss with the colorist on what type of colors best suits Asian skin tones. In general, because of the dark hair and eyes, Asians hair will look good with warm colors: red, auburn, dark or golden brown are good choices. Stay away from violet and blue blacks. This just deadens the look of the hair. For those who want to hide their grey and white hair, don’t do it with a black hair color. Since black hair is extremely hard to match, it gives off an unnatural look.

The colors to avoid also include brassy white and platinum blond hair. That is not to say Asians can’t go blond but you just need to be the right shade of blond. Again, you need a good hair stylist to do this because going so many shades away from the original color can be quite traumatic if not done right.

A good hair colorist will use products that are designed specifically for Asian hair. He/she will also instruct you on the care of your hair in order to maintain its shade for as long as possible. He/she can also recommend hair care products such as shampoo for color treatments that will help the color lasts longer and to avoid dry scalp problems. When washing your hair, use cool water as it helps to lock the moisture and the color in by tightening the cuticle. Conversely, avoid putting the hair under too much heat as that can break down the outer layer of the cuticle causing faster color fading.

With these hair coloring tips, good luck in find the right color for you and may the experience be wonderful. New hair color is a wonderful way to complete a makeover!

Finding Foundation for Asian Skin Tones

2009-03-28T14:17:00.001-07:00

Asians are a diverse people and we are all unique individuals. Therefore, finding the right skin foundation for your Asian coloring might be difficult. You might have anything from an ivory complexion to a tanned complexion. You might have a pink undertone to your skin or a yellow undertone to your skin. Most people get quite confused because unlike the Internet, nobody is a yellow smiley or a pink blushing smiley either. Things are not really that clear cut. For Asians to find out what their undertone is, check the veins of your underarms. If you have green veins then you have a yellow undertone. If your veins appear more bluish, then you have a pink undertone. Try this while looking at your skin in natural daylight. It might sound weird but this is an easier indication than something as subtle as differentiating between yellow or pink undertones!

Now that you have determined your undertone, match the correct shade to your skin. When trying to find the right shade of foundation for your skin, match it against your jaw line and neck area. You are trying to blend it and make it look natural. Having the wrong foundation color leaves a noticeable line right along the jaw.

Asians generally fall between the yellow or golden undertones, so you might want to try natural beige colors. Other Asians might be more fair skinned and if that is the case, try ivory shades or other lighter shades. Asians can have a tanned skin tone as well and they match well with buff shades or dark nudes. If you find yourself falling into two foundation shades buy them both. You can always mix the right shade for yourself! Individuals also buy more than one shade depending on the season as they become darker or lighter (even though you should always wear sunscreen!) but it could be due to your physical well being and just lighting can become a factor.

Finding the right foundation for Asians can be hard to pin down due to all the diversity of Asians and other factors such as lighting and season. It is subjective after all, and there are always professionals that can help you decide. Go to a makeup artist and have them teach you the ins and outs of a beauty system like Jan Marini products and then match your Asian skin tone while providing you with complete color palette that is individual to you.

Makeup for Asian Eyes

2009-03-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

The most distinctive feature for Asians is our eyes. Asian eyes are almond shaped and lots of Asians have issues with the lack of a double eyelid. It can be difficult applying eye makeup and people might think that the shape of their eyes is hard to work with but this is not so if you know how. All it takes is having the right tools, having the right technique and choosing the right colors to complement and to play up to our Asian eyes.

First off the tools of the trade are: a slanted small angle liner brush, a shading brush, a smudging brush and blending brush. Once you have assembled your brushes, it is time to prep the eyes.

Before applying any make up to the face, you need to have a base product. Use an eye cream that contains vitamin E to minimize the appearance of dark circles and fine line wrinkles. Next, use an eye primer that will smooth the textures and help blend the oncoming eye shadow colors.

With the brown eyes and black hair, Asians are blessed with the ability to wear pretty much any color eye shadow under the rainbow. For a day time look, sandy neutrals from champagne to chocolate browns flatter most Asians. For a more dramatic nighttime look, go bold by trying emerald and seafoam greens, turquoise, copper colorings, and deep purples. Whatever color you decide on, choose three colors of the shade in the same family from light, medium to dark.

Dust the lightest shade from your brow bone to the lash line. Next, apply the medium shade with your shading brush from inner crease to outer crease of your eyelids. You’re trying to create the illusion of double eyelids with eye makeup so you want to make sure that everything blends in. Use your brush back and forth until you get the look of a soft, air brushed appearance. Next, line your eyes with your darkest color with a water proof pencil or gel liner. To soften the harsh lines, smudge it around the lash base.

There you have it! These are the tips and tricks of how to apply makeup for Asian eyes. It might take awhile getting used to it, but the efforts of accentuating the uniqueness of Asian eyes are worth it. Work with what you have and be proud! Have lots of fun experimenting!

Asian Makeup Tips in a Western World

2009-03-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

If you are an Asian living in the Western world, it can be hard to find beauty tips for Asians that are specific to our coloring and physical stature. Following beauty advice written by and targeting Westerners can lead anywhere from to humorous to disastrous results. If that’s the case, there’s the stigma of “trying too hard” which results in even worse outcomes than not having tried at all and going natural.

Some examples of wrong choices made often by Asians include: picking the wrong tone for the foundation, an inappropriate hair highlight, and wearing a color palette that does not suit our skin coloring at all. This is understandable since there are very few prominent Asians in the Western media in which we can emulate. However, since this is the day of the Internet, there’s no reason why we can’t search for pictures of Asian women that we admire. Even though we might not understand the words of the website in which the picture was posted, images themselves speak a thousand words. Save those pictures of Asians that you admire and who you think you look like the most. Print these pictures off and the next time you go shopping, take them with you. Refer to these pictures as you make your next purchases for your beauty regiment. Or, if you are unsure, ask the sales person or stylist for guidance. If it looks like they are not familiar catering to or knowledgeable about issues specific to Asians, visit your neighborhood China town. They are bound to know what works and what doesn’t work for an Asian people.

It is a personal choice whether you wish to play off your Asian features or not. Living in the Western world, you might be biased towards Caucasian ideals of beauty. This is a purely a subjective opinion. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There can be some criticism when one chooses to look too Caucasian as not being true to their ethnicity. In the long run, no matter what the current fashion trend is, no matter what are the hottest make up products being promoted, or whatever else is the look du jour, if it doesn’t suit your style, or look right on you, then the point is moot whether or not it is Asian beauty or Caucasian beauty. You can only work with what you have. The idea is to be the best possible you and to have the knowledge to do it.

Welcome to Asian Makeup Tips!

2009-03-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to Asian Makeup Tips! On this site, we will give tips on makeup and hair styling that are specific to Asians to look our optimal best. Stay tuned for some great beauty secrets!