A photo of her kids keep her company during shoots.
Former pre-school teacher Angela Yeo has been a make-up artist for a few years now having worked on print shoots, advertorials and weddings (she did her sister Tina’s and her Mom’s for her wedding and both looked stunning!). After taking a short course at CAS or Center of Aesthetic Studies, she started her career. This entrepreneurial mother of two loves being creative–from decorating her home to making bento boxes to painting faces of models and brides. She has also recently been giving small group workshops at home on basic make-up techniques. Look her up at @beautylista on Instagram.
I got inquiries from my first workshop last month about make-up so I thought of approaching Angela for a simple step-by-step tutorial for the “no make-up” face transforming to an evening look. We chronicle the application, products and brushes used and I happily picked up a few helpful tips while shooting that I now use myself. This is for all the ladies out there! Enjoy.
Make-up foot notes.
Angela: I like taking notes! I go through my make up process mentally, and I list down the procedure and products I use when working with brides.
Brushes from Japan that Angela swears by.
A: I’m particular with my personal make-up brush collection. I like using brushes with natural hair that are very soft and delicate on the skin – perfect for people with sensitive skin like myself. These brushes are all made in Japan, where they are meticulously handcrafted. Brushes (L-R) Suqqu cheek brush, Wayne Goss 01 foundation Brush, Wayne Goss 02 contour brush, Chikuhodo face brush.
Eyeshadow brushes also all Japan-made.
A: My essential eye brushes: (L-R) eyeliner brush, brush for the crease and lower lash line, eye shadow brush, blending brush.
She calls this the Holy Grail of foundations.
A: My make up base: (L-R) RMK Primer preps the face for foundation application and helps in making the make up last longer. RMK Creamy Gel Foundation gives me good coverage without feeling too heavy on the skin. It also has a semi-dewy finish that lasts throughout the day.
A: Put a dollop of foundation on the back of clean hands. Color of foundation has to match your skin tone perfectly and should disappear upon application. If you see a difference in shade upon applying, you don’t have the correct color.
She applies foundation with her fingers.
A: Using clean fingers, apply foundation all over your face. I prefer using my fingers to apply foundation on myself simply because I don’t waste any product this way. The fingers also help in warming up the product into my skin during application.
Concealer for dark circles and blemishes.
A: My favorite concealers: (L-R) Nars creamy radiant concealer is smooth, hydrating, and gives a luminous finish. It can be used to highlight certain areas as well. Mac Prolong wear concealer covers dark circles and provides medium to full coverage. It also looks nice and smooth in photographs when used as a highlighter.
Concealer is applied with a brush.
A: Apply concealer on dark circles and blend.
For contouring, use a foundation shade 4x darker than your usual.
Contouring might look funny, but the effects are like magic!
A: I used Mac studio sculpt in NC45 to contour my nose, forehead and hollows of cheek.
It gives an instant slimming effect and a taller nose.
A: I strategically placed a darker color of foundation on the areas of my face that I want to slim down or push back, creating shadows. Remember to blend, blend, blend!
Eye enlightening essentials.
A: Shu Uemura Hard 9 is the Queen of eyebrow pencils. It looks natural and not too dark or harsh. I apply it on top of a dewy foundation over my eyebrows. Tip: have your pencil sharpened in the Shu make-up counter or use a blade at home for easier application. Maybelline Gel Liner: Aside from the fact that it’s inexpensive, it is smudge free and waterproof! Industry favorite Maybelline The Falsies mascara thickens thin lashes and is waterproof as well.
Find the natural arch of the brows.
A: Eyebrow pencil application begins on the same vertical line following the edge of your nose.
Trace the line underneath. Notice how the pencil’s tip is sharpened for maximum efficiency.
A: The first step is to create a straight diagonal line to outline the bottom part of the brows.
Fill it in.
A: Make the top line parallel to the bottom line like we did in the first step and fill in. The highest part of the arch should be here. Remember to round the arch a bit and avoid making it too sharp and pointy.
End brow here.
Clean up with concealer.
A: Clean and polish the brow by applying foundation/concealer to smoothen out the edges of your brows. This is crucial to achieving a clean-looking brow. Remember to blend the foundation/concealer into the rest of your face.
All-in-one eyeshadow and blush palette for no-brainer application!
A: Too Faced A few of my favorite things palette. For easy make-up, it’s handy to have a good well-rounded palette that can create day to night looks. It doesn’t have to be big! I recommend a small and compact one for girls on the go.
Start with the lightest shade for the base.
A: I used a light cream-colored eyeshadow on my lids.
I used this light brown shadow on my crease to create more depth.
Apply your eyeliner as close to the lid as possible for a more natural look, making the eye appear bigger.
Shu Uemura eyelash curler. A trade secret and the BEST in the market.
Apply mascara. See the difference? Curling eyelashes and applying mascara opens up the eyes.
Apply a peach blush on your cheekbones. Blend.
I love highlighting, it always gives a subtle glow. Here I used Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector.
Spot the highlighted area!
Occ Lip Tar is an amazing lip product. It is very pigmented and long lasting.
Use a lip brush to apply.
Ta-dah! Presenting, the natural face.
Next, how to simply add a few details to create the evening look.
Switching to the evening look: add black eyeshadow on the lower lash line.
Add a dark eyeshadow on the crease and blend well.
Chanel Les Beiges finishing powder.
Applying Chanel Les Beiges finishing powder
Mac’s Nouvelle Vouge lipstick is a pretty and fresh everyday lippie that can also be used at night to balance off smokey eyes.
Tip: to make your lipstick last longer, rest a ply of tissue on your lips, and dab
powder over the tissue.
How quick and easy it is to switch to night make-up!