The first pic is me when I wake up with no makeup and my hair looks like crap. Haha! I don't wake up looking remotely normal or naturally beautiful like some people. The 2nd pic is a much improved and enhanced me with a little help of makeup.
*Just to let you know none of the pics are retouched or edited to keep the products' integrity and to show its true results.
I was a makeup artist for Bobbi Brown for a few year during college. I love her philosophy of looking like yourself, but just "enhanced". I think this is a great everyday look because it's quick and simple, takes no than 5 mins & yes I do this every morning.
Keep in mind that I have combination skin and these are the products that work best for my skin type.
Step 1: Skincare
Under eyes: Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eyes Cream
Face: Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 15 - 4 oz.
Step 2: Face Makeup
Under eyes: Bobbi Brown Corrector (color- light bisque). This helps get rid of those dark circles. It's a pinky salmon color and it really neutralize the purples and blues under the eyes.
Foundation: Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation SPF15 (color - warm beige)
I love this foundation because it has really good coverage and has a satin matte finish. Most people can't tell that I'm wearing foundation.
Step 3: Bronzer & Blush
I have even out all the color variations in my skin and now look like a ghost. I need to put back some color on my face. I know it sounds silly!
Bronzer: Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder (color - light). Tip: if you tan red, find a bronzer that has a red under tone & if you tan golden, find a color that has a yellow undertone. How do you tell? Look at your chest and collar bone area. I tan pretty golden so I am light & if you tan red then you are medium in Bobbi Brown's Bronzing Powder.
*apply around the perimeter of the face and under the cheekbones. Do not apply all over, your skin will end up looking muddy!
Blush: Bobbi Brown Blush (color - slopes). The best and natural blush color will be very close to your natural lip color. Apply on the apples.
Step 4: Eyes & Lips
I don't have too much time in the morning, so I keep it very simple.
Base for all over eyes: Bobbi Brown Bone Eyeshadow.
Lid Color: Bobbi Brown Heather Eye Shadow. It's my favorite, because its just a little color to brighten the eyes.
Eyebrows: Bobbi Brown Mahogany Eye Shadow. *tip - if you have black hair, use either a gray or dark brown shadow for the brows, black is way too harsh!
Liner: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. This is my favorite because it is waterproof and I have tried every waterproof product out there and this one works the best for me. I have hooded lids so every other liner transfers to under the eye area.
For those of you who complain that this dries too quickly, scoop out enough product and put it on the wrist and use your wrist as a palette. Therefore you close the container quickly and this helps avoid the product drying out.
Lips: Mac LipStick (color - please me). It looks bright from the tube, but don't be scared.
Gloss: MAC Too Fabulous Cremesheen Glass (color boy bait). Love this gloss. It's sheer and not uber shiny or sticky!
*tip - to find the most natural lip color, find lip lipsticks/glosses that has similar undertones as your own lips. I look terrible with lipsticks that has a lot of brown undertones because I have a lot of pink undertones! Also, keep your blush and lip color similar. If your blush is pinky, choose a pinky lip color too.
I have a lot to say about makeup, but I don't want to bore you guys. Please feel free to ask me if you have questions about colors or application. I hope this was helpful.
Foundation: Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation SPF15 (color - warm beige)
I love this foundation because it has really good coverage and has a satin matte finish. Most people can't tell that I'm wearing foundation.
Step 3: Bronzer & Blush
I have even out all the color variations in my skin and now look like a ghost. I need to put back some color on my face. I know it sounds silly!
Bronzer: Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder (color - light). Tip: if you tan red, find a bronzer that has a red under tone & if you tan golden, find a color that has a yellow undertone. How do you tell? Look at your chest and collar bone area. I tan pretty golden so I am light & if you tan red then you are medium in Bobbi Brown's Bronzing Powder.
*apply around the perimeter of the face and under the cheekbones. Do not apply all over, your skin will end up looking muddy!
Blush: Bobbi Brown Blush (color - slopes). The best and natural blush color will be very close to your natural lip color. Apply on the apples.
Step 4: Eyes & Lips
Base for all over eyes: Bobbi Brown Bone Eyeshadow.
Lid Color: Bobbi Brown Heather Eye Shadow. It's my favorite, because its just a little color to brighten the eyes.
Eyebrows: Bobbi Brown Mahogany Eye Shadow. *tip - if you have black hair, use either a gray or dark brown shadow for the brows, black is way too harsh!
Liner: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. This is my favorite because it is waterproof and I have tried every waterproof product out there and this one works the best for me. I have hooded lids so every other liner transfers to under the eye area.
For those of you who complain that this dries too quickly, scoop out enough product and put it on the wrist and use your wrist as a palette. Therefore you close the container quickly and this helps avoid the product drying out.
Lips: Mac LipStick (color - please me). It looks bright from the tube, but don't be scared.
Gloss: MAC Too Fabulous Cremesheen Glass (color boy bait). Love this gloss. It's sheer and not uber shiny or sticky!
*tip - to find the most natural lip color, find lip lipsticks/glosses that has similar undertones as your own lips. I look terrible with lipsticks that has a lot of brown undertones because I have a lot of pink undertones! Also, keep your blush and lip color similar. If your blush is pinky, choose a pinky lip color too.
I have a lot to say about makeup, but I don't want to bore you guys. Please feel free to ask me if you have questions about colors or application. I hope this was helpful.
what a great post! you still look like you, but enhanced, just like you said. i think eyeliner is the best weapon for any asian girl. it makes our eyes awaken immediately :) i should do one of these posts too. i look atrocious before i cover up my dark circles xD
ReplyDeleteAww I'm SO glad you did this Ping! It truly is helpful. You've given some really useful tips that I've never seen other "beauty gurus" give, like the lip color + blush color tip.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I'm not just saying this b/c I'm your friend, but the foundation application looks absolutely FLAWLESS on you, and looks 5x better than ANY beauty guru I've ever seen on youtube and blogger... and you know I follow a bajillion of them! I zoomed in and was just amazed at how it looks! You didn't even photoshop, but your skin looks airbrushed and smooth and perfectly flawless! Great job! I hope you'll give more makeup tips, b/c women like me could surely use them.
Can I request a blog post on choosing lip colors that suit our skintone? I know you mentioned a bit here, but I'd like to hear more. I know for many of us, there are colors in general that we like, but against our skin and on our lips they just look terrible and we're not sure why!
Yours Truly,
S.S.S.
(Silly Snorting Sophia)
Wow.. amazing transformation :D I honestly think you don't need all that foundation because your skin looks flawless. But the eyebrows and the eyeliner made a HUGE difference. Also, I see it's very popular among asians with dark hair to have sparse brows(either plucking or trimming them down/shaving) Do you think it is better for me to go this route and have to fill them in daily for a less harsh look or keep my natural brows which are black and don't need to be filled in? I have done everything imaginable to my eyebrows so I don't really mind growing them back.
ReplyDeleteThis has been very helpful! Especially to a make-up dabbler like me. I really like your philosophy of looking like yourself but enhanced too :)
ReplyDeleteI've recently noticed that my dark circles are getting worse, but the concealers I've tried don't really seem to do that much to help. I also have horrible broken capillaries around the nose but concealers tend to cake up there and make them look worse. Also, stupid question but how do you remove your make-up at night? I hate how hard I have to scrub my face/eyes to get all traces of make up off (and even then I'm sure there's still some remaining).
I need to give that bobbi brown eyeliner a try, I think I need a new eyeliner cuz mine's not very waterproof! This is a really helpful post, thanks for doing it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these before, after, and step-by-step pics...I know when I did I was quite nervous!
ReplyDeleteI think it would take me much more than 5 minutes to do this...esp. with liquid foundation and bobbi brown gel liner. I used to use that until it completely caked & dried up.
May I request a future post (or video..hehe) on application methods and the brush/tools you are using with this "look?" I have no idea how to apply liquid foundation.
good information
ReplyDeleteOMG! GORGEOUS! I wanted to do a post like this because i'm too lazy to film a makeup vid. PING! Can you do makeup on me one day!?!? PLEASE!?
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I have to try the foundation. As Sophia said, you look flawless and I can't even tell you were wearing foundation. Eyeliner is awesome too. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteAngie-- yes I believe eye liner is very important. It definitely opens the eyes & strong eyebrows frames the face!
ReplyDeleteSophia -- you're sweet! I think most people know what looks good on themselves. I was trained to help make other people look good. I remember when I first started, I tried to use the same colors on a caucasian....haha! I learn very quick that what looks good on me doesn't necessarily look good on everyone else. Everyone should remember that too. It's just best to go to the counters and try stuff on and see it in natural lighting. Or bring a camera and have someone take picture.
Ushishi - I think your eyebrows look great. Theres a difference between natural black eyebrows and filing it with black powder. Black powder is really black and has no variation in the color. You hair does. I wished I had dark eyebrows so I don't have to fill mine it.
PetiteXXS-- there are many possibilities on why you concealer can be caking. Are you using the right color? You shouldn't have to put that much on to neutralize the redness. Is your nose nicely moisturized? When skin is dry and flaky, makeup (esp concealer/foundation) can look very apparent. Try using a corrector instead of concealer and then layer your foundation over it.
My favorite thing to take of waterpoof mascara or liner is:
Bobbi Brown Long Wear Makeup Remover-- its very gentle and it doesn't hurt my eyes!
Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover
If I'm lazy and don't feel like washing my face, I use nonscented baby wipes. Baby wipes are also great for cleaning brushes daily.
PAG--a video...hmmm haha. I need to learn how to use the video function on my digicam. For liquid foundation, use your fingers or any foundation brush (i use Bobbi's). For the gel liner, buy the ultra fine eye liner brush with the short handle, it will be the easier to use.
Susy - I'll do your makeup anytime.
PLG -- thanks! the eyeliner is awesome and buy the brush that comes with it.
hehe your skintone looks like it could work with a lot of shades. i always envy people like that. in the past 8 years i've probably found 4 shades that work on me D:
ReplyDeleteomg you look absolutely flawless! great job! i've heard a lot about bobbi brown foundations, are they really as good as i hear? you should totally start making video tutorials! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post and thanks for putting this up. I always heard good things about Bobbi Brown but I have yet to try it. Filling in your eyebrows and adding eyeliner definitely makes a huge difference! =)
ReplyDeleteWow, you look amazing! And the cool thing is that you don't need a lot to look the way you do :D You have such good skin, I don't even think you need much of a foundation :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so awesome that you used to be a Bobbi Brown makeup artist! :D I have to try the Bobbi Brown eyeliner soon :)
Your skin is perfectly FLAWLESS and I am forever jealous!!! :) Honey, foundation SHOULD NOT be a word in your beauty dictionary!
ReplyDeleteHOW COME I DIDN'T KNOW THIS?!?! NO WONDER YOUR MAKEUP LOOKS SO AMAZING!!
ReplyDeleteI feel stupid. I didn't see this post until today. =(
It was nice shopping and spending time with you this weekend. You need to get twitter so we can all tweet with you.
Thanks for all the tips Ping. I never knew that a salmon color is better at correcting discoloration that green. [What you said at Amore and also noticed it on how to fix dark under eyes.]
I really like your make up. It is natural but still enhances natural features.
I realized last night why Boy Bait didn't come out the way I expected it to. I didn't use a lipstick base or anything. -_-; Stupid me. I actually might grab another creme sheen glass some time.
I'm going to pester you for help about makeup techniques now. {*heehee}
I'm going to check out your youtube video now. So happy you started blogging. =]
<3s Serena.
PS. Your skin looks freaking amazing even without foundation. It looks perfect. O_O
ReplyDeletehi, thanks! your tips are great. Everything you did was subtle but really helped to freshen up the morning look.
ReplyDeletecan you show us how you apply your eyeliner? I have hooded eyelids too and I never know how much to wear. If I put on a simple line, it just gets covered by my eyelid and if I do a thick line, it seems like it is too much, especially when I close my eyes!