Easter Egg envy

In hard times it pays to have marshmallow wishes and cotton candy dreams. Wearing pastel makeup can be a tricky task, but this summer’s new look is a departure from the harsh fluorescent glare of the holiday neon tints. Ideally pastel colors look better painted on warmed skin, so even those with ivory complexions can benefit from a slight dusting of bronzer to let the candy hues look sweet and not saccharine.

Pastels can easily go wrong done without much thought. Today’s pastel look is more earthy and matte, as opposed to its more flamboyant cousin of the past which embraced froth and glitter. The new pastels warm up the complexion rather than wash it out. It brings out the golden undertones of skin, a light hand and resolved palette is essential in undertaking this new trend.

Gela Laurel Stehmeier is an in-demand makeup artist who can transform a doe-eyed Lolita into a heated nymph. She has been in the industry for five years. She trained in California at the Empire Academy of Makeup (taking the intro, expert techniques,and airbrush makeup; then later on took up some seminars on foundation techniques and latest makeup trends in Malaysia). Today, her schedule is kept busy doing bridal/commercial/advertising and print makeup in fashion and beauty.

Gela notes, “Since most Asian women have warm skin tones, it’s best to use cool colors on the eye area (colors like lavender, light green and pinks are great for Filipinas). Pairing it with a soft pink blush and bubble gum pink lips is also great! To bring light into the face, top the highlighted area with an iridescent powder.”

Pink is obviously the easiest choice when using this trend. It’s a universal shade that flatters, warms and uplifts. However, the range of salmons can be a surprising option, it gives a natural flush that has a slight illusion of fantasy. Greens are great for the eyes especially Asian, as they work well with brown or hazel peepers. A light dab on the lid is enough, one can go from dreamy to scary in a second. Lips can benefit from a slick of shy pink gloss to a more opalescent silvery pucker for night. For this look we used a fleshy peach to give the innocuous pastels a sultry edge. Gela advises that white should also be put in consideration in a pastel palette: “Primary colors are very hot this year, so to cascade the trend, we used pastel colors to show a fresh take on the primaries. Mixing whites with brights brings out the softness in one’s features.”