Section 13: The Makeup Secrets of China's Top Ten Makeup Artists
Chapter Two: Faces as Delicate as Hibiscus and Eyebrows as Elegant as Willow Branches
The makeup secrets of China’s top ten makeup artists:
"Among the many face shapes, the most beautiful is the pear-shaped face."
"Eyes like peach blossoms, full of luster."
"Brows, long and crescent-like."
"Teeth, crystal white, shiny, and radiant."
"Hair, pitch black and dense."
"The neck should be symmetrical on both sides, proportionate, flat, smooth, and elastic."
"The skin should have a pinkish hue beneath its whiteness, with a vibrant texture that is fine and glossy."
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What are the standards for a 'Chinese-style beauty'? Does having a modern 'Chinese-style beauty' mean we can discard the classical beauty of 'a face full of charm and grace' or 'a rich demeanor with sincere intentions'? No, the ideal beauty of 'hands as soft as grass, skin as smooth as congealed fat,' 'faces as delicate as hibiscus and eyebrows as elegant as willow branches,' and 'cheeks blushed like peach blossoms and powdered like pear flowers' remains the most cherished form of beauty in Chinese culture.
If ancient people could only use natural cosmetics made from flowers or wild animals to simply adorn themselves, dreaming of 'a smile that could captivate a city, another that could captivate a nation,' or resorting to fasting to recreate the elegance of 'the slender waists favored by King Chu,' then modern people are much more fortunate. At least they can choose from a variety of methods to beautify themselves—painting their skin, enjoying the confidence brought by good hairstyles and makeup, or bravely letting beauty be reborn under the skilled hands of plastic surgeons.
Perhaps you might ask, who is the most adept at embodying the new standard of 'Chinese-style beauty'? It would be none other than China's famous makeup artists. Who are they? They include Mao Ge Ping, Li Dong Tian, Tang Yi, Jimmy, Guo Qiu Tong, Yang Yi, Qin Yi, Liu Jun, Zhang Shuai, Song Ce, Zhao Yuan, Shen Long, Ren Li... They have already become well-known figures. They possess the password to slow down the passage of time, each able to formulate an exclusive beauty plan, collectively creating an unprecedented feast of beauty secrets.
In reality, women who truly love beauty and understand life should know that what enables a woman to transcend the constraints of age and maintain self-confidence, presenting a generous, dignified, tranquil, elegant, and harmonious beauty, is a broad mind, outstanding talent, proper conduct, and rich experience, all refined through the trials of time into a powerful inner spiritual essence. This is a kind of 'natural and unadorned' beauty that is not afraid of fading youth and can withstand the erosion of time. It is like a colorful halo, the most beautiful decoration for a woman.
A seasoned makeup artist once said, "Third-rate makeup is facial makeup, second-rate makeup is spiritual makeup, and first-rate makeup is life makeup." A woman's most successful makeup comes from reading more books, improving artistic cultivation, thinking more to change one's temperament, and being optimistic about life, having faith in life, being kind-hearted, caring for others, and loving and respecting oneself.
Mao Ge Ping: Fundamental Techniques to Enhance Facial Features
One of China's top ten makeup artists.
Since starting his career in makeup in 1984, he has designed makeup and costumes for over 40 films and TV series and more than 20 stage plays. In particular, he created beautiful myths in the dramas "Empress Wu Zetian" and "The Burning of Afang Palace," earning him international fame as a magical makeup artist. Besides working on film and television, he also extensively involves himself in makeup and design for ancient costumes, daily life, advertisements, photography, and MTVs.
The face is the most fundamental part of a person's appearance. Traditional Chinese aesthetics places great emphasis on facial beauty. In ancient Chinese painting theory, there is the concept of "three courts and five eyes," which refers to the vertical and horizontal proportions of the human face. Any character drawn according to the "three courts and five eyes" proportion will have a harmonious face shape.
However, not every woman can have such a perfectly proportioned pear-shaped face. In the trend of "Chinese beauty," how can one modify one's face shape? Mao Ge Ping says that among various face shapes, the pear-shaped face is considered the most beautiful. The upper part of the pear-shaped face is slightly round, while the lower part is slightly pointed, resembling a pear seed, commonly referred to as an oval face. This is the standard face shape for Chinese beauties.
Mao Ge Ping's Perspective
The face determines the first impression. First, the face occupies a very important position on the entire head. When we look at someone, from afar, we see the outer contours first, and as we get closer, we notice the features, skin tone... and the details. The size and shape of the face often influence our initial judgment. For example, young girls usually have fuller cheeks; older women tend to have sunken cheeks. Round faces often appear cute, square faces seem solid, and inverted triangular faces give a mature feeling. During makeup application, by modifying the face, certain impressions can be weakened or strengthened.
According to the characteristics of Asian face shapes, they can generally be divided into eight types: triangular, oval, round, square, oblong, almond-shaped, diamond-shaped, and rectangular. Among them, the oval face (pear-shaped face) represents the standard face shape for "Chinese beauty." Not only do the Chinese view it this way, but foreigners do as well.
This is the most harmonious and suitable face shape for Chinese features. Larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, the cheekbones and jawline structure are relatively soft. This face shape looks good from various angles—front, 1/2, 3/4, looking up, or looking down—and offers many advantages in overall image creation, especially in terms of hairstyles and makeup. Each face shape developed to its extreme is difficult to modify, so it must be adjusted using the correct makeup techniques.
Apart from the prosperous Tang Dynasty era where plumpness was admired, the idea of a pear-shaped face with a pointed chin has been deeply ingrained in the Chinese consciousness, becoming a crucial standard for evaluating beauty. The development of modern television media has further established the small pear-shaped face as a beauty model. Modern women, in pursuit of the 'beautiful face,' may go to great lengths, whether through surgery or tireless massage.
Actually, the slimming effect desired by ancient women did not involve sunken cheekbones or hollow cheeks, which would give an overly severe and aged appearance. In daily life, when we talk about needing to slim the face, it mainly refers to large faces with prominent cheekbones, which can be modified through cosmetic surgery or makeup. The principle of makeup is to compare it to the standard of a pear-shaped face, using slightly darker foundation on the outer side of the face to create shadowing, giving a visual effect of compression. However, care should be taken not to make the color too dark. Additionally, adjustments can be made by considering the overall proportion of the features. For example, the tails of the eyebrows and eyes can be extended longer, opening up the space between the brows and eyes. After expanding the upper part of the face, the lower part naturally becomes smaller. By adjusting the overall proportion of the face, the face shape can develop towards the pear-shaped face.
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