Flaming Red Lips for a Rad New Year: He Ying Ying

From picking the right shade to perfecting the application strokes, shu uemura shows how to create chic, wearable red lipstick looks. Here, He Ying Ying models for us.

Red lipstick: Some women never leave home without this makeup must-have, while others shy away from it. Whether you’re seeking new ways to elevate your red-lippie look or still searching for that ideal just-so-you shade of red, shu uemura will help you sort that out. Beyond offering an impressively wide selection of reds, the Japanese beauty brand also provides the essential tools and expertise to help every woman create her very own distinctively chic red-lip look.

In time for the Lunar New Year, we asked shu uemura to create two wearable yet stylish looks for Singapore actresses He Ying Ying and Julie Tan – looks that go from day to night with a few tweaks. The results? Stunning. Both artistes really rocked their red-lippie looks, which were perfectly designed to suit each individual’s unique features and personalities.

The Tokyo Edge

Drawing inspiration from Japan’s fashion capital, shu uemura Singapore certified makeup artist Jonathan Barrera created personalised looks for Ying Ying and Julie that captured the edgy chic spirit of the quintessential trendy Tokyoite. Red lips were the focal point, but by varying lip hues and textures, and tweaking the eye, brow, and cheek makeup, Jon was able to fashion two gorgeous and distinctive looks for each celebrity.

Classy Chic

To complement Ying Ying’s jovial and bubbly personality, Jon chose warm, vibrant hues for her lip and eye makeup. “This look is classy and edgy, upbeat yet not too dramatic,” says Jon.

Lips Ying Ying wears the limited edition rouge unlimited matte in OR570, a beautiful orange-red shade that goes well with Ying Ying’s fair skin. “Orange is an energising colour that really suits Ying Ying’s happy attitude,” says Jon. “A matte finish is also more wearable compared to a glossy finish as the shine tends to create more intensity.” Thanks to the infusion of Japanese Tsubaki oil in the formula, shu uemura’s creamy matte lipsticks are long-wearing yet moisturising.

I didn’t think I could pull off this shade, but I really like it.

He Ying Ying

Eyes Ying Ying wears two bronze eyeshadow shades with a pearl finish. A light bronze is applied over the entire eyelid, and a darker bronze is applied on the outer corners and then blended in. Jon was careful to apply eyeliner only along her upper waterline (and not beyond) to “define her eyes without making them look too big”. Her lower eyelid was lined with the two bronze eyeshadows – the inner half with the lighter shade and the outer half with the darker, and then blended in the middle – to create a gradation of colour. Finally, Jon also curled her lashes to “open up her eyes”.

Brows Using brow hard formula in acorn 06, Jon filled in Ying Ying’s brows following their natural shape. Her brows were kept soft and natural so that her eye makeup would not draw attention away from her lips.

Cheeks Jon chose coral blush 345, a versatile shade that combines pink and orange tints. “Ying Ying has pink undertones in her complexion so a purely pink blush would make her look rosy, and would create too great a contrast with the orange lipstick,” explains Jon. Conversely, an orange blush would be too similar and “matchy” with her lips. The coral blush was thus the ideal pick that brought the whole look together. For a softer finish, Jon applied the blush in a tapping motion across the apples of her cheeks.

Amping up the look

Lips To intensify the colour and add a touch of glamour, Jon applied a layer of the new limited edition rouge unlimited matte glitter OR570 on top of the matte OR570. This was a carefully considered move by Jon as the shimmer in the glitter formula imparts “a subtle intensity and a touch of glamour without changing the dimensions of her lips”.

Eyes Matte brown eye shadow in 894 was added to the corners of Ying Ying’s eyes to darken the look and lend more emphasis.

Cheeks More blush was added to balance the overall look.

More than Colour

When it comes to red lipstick, how you apply it is just as important as the shade you pick. You can create many effects using a single lipstick. For a more understated look, Jon suggests smudging the lipstick on with just a pinch of colour. “There’s also the ombre look that’s been trending for some time now, where you focus on the inner part of the pout and create a gradation outwards to create the illusion of thinner lips,” adds Jon. Or, you could go bold, where you opt for “full coverage and very well-defined lips”. As Jon put it, it all depends on your application.

The Prime Step

Beauty maestro Mr Shu Uemura always said, “Beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin.” The same goes for lip makeup, says Jon, which is why it’s important to prepare the lips before applying lipstick. Jon recommends using shu uemura re:set tint remover & lip conditioner as a prep step, to remove all traces of makeup that may be lingering on the lips. This marvel worker also gently exfoliates your pout, leaving it softer and smoother, which in turn helps lip colour glide on and last longer. All it takes is two to three pumps of re:set on a cotton pad, which you leave on the lips for about five seconds before gently wiping off.

Symmetry & Definition: The shu uemura Way

When applying an intense and vivid lip colour like red, achieving symmetry and definition is especially important. The wonder tool that many makeup artists swear by is none other than the 6F brush. The other secret to gorgeous red lips is shu uemura’s seven-step application technique, using this brush.

If like Ying Ying, you love a flaming red lippie with a warm dash of orange, shu uemura rouge unlimited OR570 could be the colour for you. The new year limited edition OR570 comes in a lush, festive red packaging, and is available in three finishes: satin, matte, and matte glitter. Also part of the flaming reds new year limited edition collection are RD163 and other trendy lip hues in various textures, metallic lip liners in gold WOW and bronze OHH, and three of shu uemura’s best-loved icons, namely the ultime8 sublime beauty cleansing oil, hard formula, and petal 55 foundation brush.