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How-To: Kristi Yamaguchi's Champion Makeup Look

BellaSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:00:43 -0700

I haven't seen the iconic and friendly figure ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi for what seems like years, but she looked fantastic at last night's premiere of boxing flick The Hammer. We'll be seeing more of Kristi's moves in the future since she's appearing on Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars. If you're interested in recreating her fresh and clean makeup look at home, read more.

FACE: Begin by applying a light shade of creamy concealer under the eyes and to any visible red areas. Next, dust your face and jawline with a mineral foundation such as Amazing Cosmetics Velvet Mineral Powder Foundation for a flawless face. Then, gently blend a touch of brightener around your orbital bone to create that wide-eyed, angelic effect.
CHEEKS: Dusting an apricot blush on your cheeks and on the tip of your nose will add warmth to pale skin. Use a light hand (you don't want to over-do it) and skip bronzer.
EYES: Kristi's eyes are actually quite simple to achieve. Believe it or not, you can create this look with just three products. Start with a neutral shadow palette like Smashbox Eye Shadow Trio in Headshot. Use the base color all over the lid and then add the pinky tone to the area between the top of the lashes and the crease. Next, blend the soft brown shade in the crease, focusing on the outer corners of the eyes. Line your upper lashes only with a creamy black pencil such as Lorac Front Of The Line Waterproof Eyeliner and wing-tip the edges to make your eyes a little sexier. Lastly, apply two coats of black mascara to your top lashes and one coat to your bottom lashes.
LIPS: A sheer, brick/burnt sienna shade looks beautiful with a neutral face and neutral eyes. One of my favorites is Mind Game from the new Nars Exotica Collection. If you like, you can add a sheer red or a clear gloss on top for extra punch.

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Bella Interview: Lan Nguyen, Makeup Artist

BellaSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:00:53 -0800

Lan Nguyen is a London-based self-taught professional makeup artist most famous for creating edgy looks on the runways. I was lucky enough to interview her backstage before the Inbar Spector show during London Fashion Week.

I watched her in action and we gabbed about our shared love of makeup, her experience working with Michael Jackson and Madonna, and makeup tips for Asian women. For all the details, read more.

How did you get started in the business?
I was working in PR while I was in school studying fashion. One day I was asked to help out with makeup for a photo shoot, even though I had no formal training, and they loved my work. I started to do makeovers and then filled in when they were short staffed. I loved it and when I eventually starting doing shows I worked with Pat McGrath. She became my inspiration to pursue makeup as a full-time career.

What do you see as the next big makeup trends for Spring and Fall?
The look for Spring is fresh skin and strong, bright, neon-colored lips. Fall makeup is grim, gothic and rich. You'll see a lot of contoured cheeks and eyelashes are back too. People aren't afraid to look a little bit more stylish.

What has been your favorite fashion week show to work on?
I'd have to say the most recent Gavin Douglas show. I loved creating a new take on old Hollywood glamour.

You work with all types of ethnicities. Can you give our Asian readers and makeup artists in training any advice?
Absolutely.

Asians always want to do a smoky eye, but they often wind up looking like they are punched in the face. Because Asian eyes are small, try putting dark colored shadows in the socket line (crease) only.
Also, I recommend staying away from matte pastel shades as they tend to make Asian skin look ashy.
Lastly, any type of cream shadow is great. They look really nice on Asian skin tones.

Bella Book: Asian Faces

BellaSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:00:29 -0700

I've been looking forward to reading this new book, Asian Faces ($24.95). It's in bookstores today, and I have a feeling it will become the beauty bible for Asian women of all ages and ethnicities.

Written by Korean-American makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian, Asian Faces features illustrated, step-by-step guides for creating night and day makeup looks. It addresses topics often overlooked by Western makeup artists, such as the best foundations for yellow-undertoned skin and applying eye shadow to flat eyelids. The foreword is by Yoko Ono, who I'm sure has something insightful to say!

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:44 -0800

Pupa cosmetics makes palettes that look like geisha - FabSugar UK
Bobbi Brown's new mascara promises an extreme party - Temptalia
Nice eye shadows, shame about the lip gloss - Makeup and Beauty Blog
Victoria's Secret hires its first Asian model for its show - The Cut
Hand creams for big and small budgets - Beauty Snob
This scale tweets your weight to the world. - Lemondrop
Don't call the return of Scott Barnes a comeback. He's been here for years. - Stylelist
Kellie Pickler has drastically changed her hair color - People Style Watch
Bobby pins can be very fashionable - Fashionista

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:05:11 -0700

New MAC Warrior Collection comes tomorrow - Temptalia
Could Mr. Bubble have given you a UTI as a kid?! - Jezebel
Will Edward wear Ms. Behavin lipstick for New Moon like Twilight? - Lucky
Aveda Sun Care smells of wintergreen and cinnamon - Style.com
Rose Mesqueta's a skin saver for all seasons - Beauty Snob
Which hairstyle do you like best on Cat Deeley? - FabSugarUK
Why aren't there more Indian and South Asian models? - The Cut

Bella Donna: Nancy Kwan

BellaSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:01:29 -0800

Well into the 1960s, Caucasian actors often snagged the roles of Asian characters; Shirley MacLaine famously played a geisha in 1962. But things started to change, in part due to Nancy Kwan's rise to stardom. Born in Hong Kong to a Chinese architect and English fashion model, she trained as a ballet dancer during her youth. While visiting Hong Kong in her late teens, she was scouted and eventually cast in the lead role in The World of Suzie Wong. The film was controversial, as many people believe that the "hooker with the heart of gold" character created and reinforced negative stereotypes about "exotic" Asian women. Still, Kwan's performance earned her a Golden Globe (for Most Promising Newcomer) and turned her into an international icon.

See a gallery of photos and find out about her trendsetting style when you read more.

Kwan helped shape beauty trends in the '60s and beyond. After the famous hairstylist Vidal Sassoon gave Kwan a bob haircut, this iconic photograph appeared in Vogue. According to Sassoon, "My new style, which until then had been known as the Mary Quant cut, because it had been seen first at her collection, got a new name: the Nancy Kwan cut." Variations on this style continue to be popular today, and Kwan later appeared in the infomercial staple Pearl Cream. But her biggest influence may be off-screen. Along with starting her own film company, Kwan has been an advocate for homeless youth issues and has served as a spokesperson for the Asian-American Voters Coalition. Her most recent film appearance is in the 2007 documentary Hollywood Chinese.

View 10 Photos ›

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Reader Review of the Day: L'Oreal 2-Step Volume Construction Waterproof Mascara

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:00:56 -0800

Did you know that mascara is one of the most widely reviewed makeup items on the Product Reviews website? And now it's reader Mrsoh's turn to tell us about one of her favorites, L'Oreal 2-Step Volume Construction Waterproof Mascara ($13.50). Here's what she has to say about this "good buy":

I like this mascara a lot. I don't have full lashes but they are pretty long. Therefore, I always look for volume mascara and this works wonders on my Asian eyelashes. I get compliments every time I use it; it looks like I have fake eyelashes on. The only downside is that this mascara is a little difficult to take off.

If you'd like to submit your opinion on a beauty item, it's easy. Just go to the Product Reviews website and review away. You might just be featured on this daily post.

Margaret Cho Talks Beauty, Body Image, and Tattoos

BellaSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:00:31 -0700

Wanna know Margaret Cho? You're in luck, because the hilarious comedian is getting her own reality series. The Cho Show premieres tomorrow at 11:00 p.m. on VH1 (check the trailer here) and it's a hilarious look into her smart, funny, raunchy, and endearing world.

Cho is known for her riffs on race, sexuality, and saucy topics that most other comics won't touch. And she's not shy about talking about her long journey to self-acceptance - as you'll see here. Read on!

On The Cho Show, you mention that you didn’t feel glamorous as a girl, but now you do. How did you start accepting-and loving-your looks?
It was a process, and it is still a struggle, but I try to compliment myself as much as I can. I try to be as loving as I can toward myself, but it is hard. Growing up and being told that you are ugly and fat - and then going into show business, where when I first came on the scene, all people could talk about was how ugly and fat I was. I realize now that had a lot to do with racism. People had never seen an Asian-American face on TV, so they panicked and said I was ugly because they were so racist they didn't know what else to do. So now I just don't value those opinions. I am beautiful; that is all anyone needs to know about me.

For Cho's take on plastic surgery, plus a few words on her beauty "obsession," read more.

In your current tour, Beautiful, you talk about how we define beauty. What kind of response are you getting from audiences?
It is wonderful and overwhelming and beautiful. I love this show and I love everyone who is coming out to see it. I am so honored.

You blog about women being “constantly at war with our bodies.” What do you do to stop that war personally? What makes you feel better?
Doing good things for myself. Being happy. Eating what I want. Belly dancing. It all has to be celebratory - every act is an act of celebration and joy.

So from the trailer, we know you spend some time chatting about plastic surgery with Joan Rivers. What’s your opinion of plastic surgery?
I think it is something that women can choose, I don't have any judgment about it. I prefer getting tattooed, because that feels more right for me, but different women take different paths. We are all beautiful, no matter what.

OK, a few less-heady questions: Is your healthy skin really due to water alone? And what would we find in your makeup bag?
My skin is also my semi-obsession. I never go anywhere without sunblock. I also moisturize several times a day. My skin is dry and can look very thin, so I drink lots of water to plump it up. And I am a total makeup junkie. I love all MAC makeup and my great obsession is with Kat Von D's new line for Sephora. It is all the best colors - and there's lots of pigment, so everything is very rich and deep and perfect!

Photo courtesy of VH1.

Lightening Creams Are Popular Among Indians, Even For Kids

BellaSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:00:34 -0700

The last time we discussed skin-whitening creams, a lot of you had something to say. But after reading this article, I want to revisit this complex topic. In India, skin-lightening products flood the market; many contain harmful chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic. Despite the health issues, the belief that "white is right" keeps many people buying the creams. This isn't the same thing as Caucasians applying self-tanner to get a sun-kissed glow; instead, many people believe that light skin is simply superior to dark skin. (This ad gets that message across.)

But now it's not just adults who want their skin to be lighter. To find out how kids are getting into it, read more.

"I have clients who put their children on the product - some as young as nine years old, with a reference from dermatologists, so that they are not the slightly darker child in school or in the class picture," says former beauty queen Sorisha Naidoo, who markets a skin-lightening product. "In parts of the Indian community, being the slightly darker cousin or sister means that no matter how striking, intelligent or skilled you are, being fair still means more."

Many Bollywood stars such as Kareena Kapoor, shown here, have fair skin. And with light-skinned models and actresses outnumbering their dark-skinned counterparts, the beauty ideal is tilted toward the light end of the spectrum. I can't help but worry for that proverbial child, who's told that her beautiful dark skin is something that needs to be "fixed." What do you think it will take to create a broader, more inclusive standard for South Asian beauty? Or do you think that whitening creams are just a different kind of beauty product?

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Fashion Week: Where's the Diversity?

BellaSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:38:22 -0800

Every time I go to Fashion Week, I keep a little tally at every show, counting the women of color who appear on the runways. And at almost every show, my notepad has disappointingly few marks. Jezebel has also noticed the diversity void, noting that black women appeared on only 5% of the runways. Asian and Latina women didn't get much catwalk time, either.

I talked about the diversity issue with designer Wenlan Chia, whose Twinkle by Wenlan presentations are consistently among the most multicultural. She said that she doesn't cast models with any quotas in mind, that instead, she looks for models that reflect the world around her:

"We have an open casting, all the girls come in, and I choose the girl who I think will work the best with the clothes. Eventually I always end up using different girls from different backgrounds. I think that's what actual life is. I work with Asians, I work with black people, so this is our environment. It's very natural to me. So if I had a runway show that was all white, it's not very natural to me. It's not my real life."

It's not my real life, either, and judging by your thoughts on the issue, you'd also like to see a little more variety. Just look through this gallery of models; I know if I were casting for a fashion show or beauty campaign, I'd have plenty of gorgeous faces to work with. What do you think it would take for things to become more inclusive?

View 12 Photos ›

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