The 3 biggest makeup no-no’s for Filipinas

When you’re a makeup artist, you get to experience what it’s like to work with different kinds of looks. I have been one in the Philippines for more then two years now, so I have had my fair share of working with many different Filipina faces. From my work, I have noticed three consistent makeup mistakes that a lot of Filipinas commit. Here are the three most common makeup no-no’s and how to correct them.

1) Too light foundation

I have noticed that a lot of Filipinas pick foundation and powder coverage that are too light for their skin. The reality is if you have lighter foundation over darker skin, the face ends up looking “muddy” (when the makeup on the face looks messy) and “ashy” (when the foundation turns into a somewhat gray color). Instead, embrace that morena skin! I’ve met so many people abroad who wish they had the effortless morena glow, so don’t hide it with whiter foundation.

How to pick the right color foundation? It takes a lot of time and experimenting to find your perfect foundation, so be patient. When testing your foundation, apply it along your jaw line, under your eyes, and around your nose and cheeks. If the foundation disappears, then you’ve found the one.

To find your skin undertone (the base color of your skin), look at your veins. If your veins are blue/purple, then you have cool undertones, meaning your skin is more on the pink side. If they are green colored, you have warm undertones, meaning your skin is more on the yellow side. Most Filipina women are warm toned. If you can’t tell, you are most probably neutral-toned. Ask a makeup consultant to get you a foundation that has the undertone of your skin, so your foundation will be a perfect match.

2) Doll-like blush

Another makeup no-no I see is doll-like blush, wherein the application of blush is in a super prominent circular shape on the center of the cheeks. Blush is supposed to give you a healthy heightening of color; the more natural it looks the better.

How to apply blush for your face shape? Blush is supposed to mimic the natural rosiness we have in our cheeks. When you have lighter skin, its nice to go for pink blushes. If you have medium to dark skin, blushes that are plum/berry colors will look most flattering.

The application of blush depends on your face shape. If you have a long face, apply the blush on the apples of the cheek and blend out towards the temple. If you have an oval face, apply it on the apples of the cheeks then blend with a blush brush. If you have a round face, apply the blush in an angular motion blending from the apples of the cheeks to the temples. For a square face/a defined jaw line, apply it in a linear motion a few inches from the side of the nose.

3) Killer eyebrows

This kills me — don’t over do your eyebrows. Eyebrows frame the entire face, so it plays a vital role in makeup. I have seen so many people who have the wrong eyebrows for their face, making them look much older. Finding the perfect eyebrows takes work and experimentation, so really study your eyebrows because it can really change your look.

What is the best eyebrow shape for my face? Face shape plays a big part in deciding what eyebrow shape to choose. If you have an oval face, you can’t really go wrong, so play around with angles, thickness and color. If you have a round face, eyebrows with sharp angles look best, providing a vertical counterpart that gives more dimension. If you have a heart shaped face, I suggest leaving your eyebrows alone or keep them straight because there is already so much attention on your eyes and forehead. With a long face, you can get away with high or long arched eyebrows. Lastly, if you have a square face, to counterpart the jaw line, thick strong arched eyebrows are beautiful.

The amazing thing about makeup is that you are allowed to experiment and do whatever works for you. It’s a trial and error journey, but trust me it’s worth it. Keep experimenting and stay your beautiful self.

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Clara Nuguid Pettersen graduated from Manila Waldorf School in 2014, and entered Maquillage Professionnel School of Makeup Artistry. Since then Clara has worked in multiple fashion shows, photo shoots, weddings and salons. Aside from jobs here in the Philippines, she has attended conferences in New York and worked in Australia. Her truest passion is being part of the experience of allowing someone else to feel beautiful.

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Email clarapettersen95@gmail.com.