Party central: Make-up artists share their tips for the festive season
Sizzling nighttime looks from M.A.C, Shiseido and Dior
CLASS ACT
Her must-have skincare products include cleanser (Cleanse Off Oil) and a good serum (Prep + Prime Moisture Infusion). On top of that, she layers the brand's Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm Compact and Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder.
Lau's party look for the season was inspired by the autumn/winter trend for a "very juicy, focused lip in either red, orange, peach, purple or violet", paired with neutral-toned eye shadow and a slim eyeliner to "to make it more classy".
She opted for the darkest lipstick shade from M.A.C's new Indulge collection, Sweet Succulence, with a layer of clear Lipglass on top. To stand out, Lau suggests playing around with different textures and even false lashes. "People got the wrong idea that false lashes are too dramatic or fake, but there are lots of different and natural-looking styles. It takes a bit of practice but goes a long way."
And keep in mind it's only make-up. "You can always take it off," Lau says. "Try it, and if you don't like it try another colour. When you go to a party, that's the time to play around and have fun."
LASTING IMPRESSION
Make-up artist Leung Tang from Shiseido Hong Kong chose Sanguine, a bright red shade, when creating this season's party look. "You can use it without lip liner," he says. "Even with just one layer, the colour will stand out. And it's very long-lasting."
Sanguine is one of six new Lacquer Rouge shades, part of a collection of new make-up that includes an Eyebrow Styling Compact, three new eye shadow palettes and 10 new shades of Perfect Rouge lipstick.
Leung kept the focus on lips by using Shiseido's White Lucent Brightening Spot-Control Base UV in pink on the T-zone and cheekbones before applying the new medium-coverage Sheer and Perfect Foundation with the Perfect Foundation Brush.
"For night, choose a foundation shade that's a bit lighter and brighter, because it's better for the dark and in photos," Leung says. "You should also do more shading and highlighting than you would in the daytime."
For eyes, he suggests Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in Nude and a coat of black mascara. For cheeks, he recommends a light pink blush for Asian skin tones. "Wait 10 or 15 minutes and add another darker colour on top to enhance the features."
COLOUR OF LIFE
Continuing the trend in juicy red lips, Dior celebrates 60 years of its Rouge Dior colour range with a reinvention of Christian Dior's first and most classic lipstick. "I adore red, it is the colour of life," said the legendary fashion designer.
Coral Chu, make-up artist for Parfums Christian Dior, applied the richly pigmented shade 999 - a tribute to the original 9 - with a pointed lip brush when creating the brand's evening look. "Red lips are quite popular nowadays. But if you want to use an intense colour like this, it's best to use a firm line," she says. "A lot of people just apply a thin layer but sheer is not so good."
Chu suggests pairing a bold lip with smoky eyes or simple eye make-up. In this case, she used Dior's new 5 Couleurs eye shadow palette in Grège and Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara in Over Black.
For a healthy glow, Chu favours a radiance-enhancing primer such as the new Airflash CC Primer, a blend of multi-coloured pigments in an aerosol base, under a smooth foundation such as Diorskin Airflash ultra-fine mist. She also finds that light pink blush works best with red lips.
"And don't forget to put on loose powder," Chu says. "So many people put on primer and foundation and then forget to use powder, and then their face looks greasy. So don't forget this step."
Dior's new Nail Sparkling Powders provide the finishing touch, with black and gold glitter powders that can be applied on a transparent base coat.
