Recently, a few colleagues and I just got back from a business trip to Tokyo, Japan.  Aside from trying to squeeze if fantastic meals between work, our primary reason to trek across the globe was to visit the largest beauty show in Japan, Beauty World, and to go through an intense 3-day training with Marie Louise, whose home base is located in Yokohama, Japan.

Beauty World, Japan

From being in Asia, speaking with estheticians and makeup artists there, as well as looking around at the trade show, shops and simply people-watching, we wanted to share some of the makeup tips and beauty trends that we found– some we can use in our daily lives, some are just… interesting.

The Power of Brown. Globally, women are becoming stronger, more independent professionals, successful in their respective careers.  But despite our ‘strong’ capabilities, we don’t necessary want to look like women who will eat men alive all the time.  In Asia especially, I was advised to ’soften’ my look by swapping out the black eyebrow pencil, black eyeliner, and black mascara I use, to only brown.  Since then, I have actually gotten several compliments– give it a try.

BB = Blemish Balm. BB = Blemish Balm. If you are ‘in the know’ of Asian trends, you have probably heard of the new fad of “bb creams” by now.  For those who are not familiar, become familiar!  Varying from brand to brand, this cream will be your new BBF since it generally moisturizes, has SPF protection, brightening/ whitening benefits, and sometimes anti-aging properties as a bonus– all the while it covers up all your–surprise surprise– blemishes.  Slightly thicker than a tinted moisturizer, if you should the right shade, this goes on much more naturally, giving you a finished look without looking like you caked on makeup.  While I have been using BB creams since a couple years back, I had never known that this cream originated in Korea, with Korean celebrities who needed to cover their scars from the ever-so-common plastic surgery and invasive procedures.

“Doey” Eyes. This is not a new concept—if anything, in Social Psych 101, we learn that it is people are generally attracted to facial features that resemble that of a baby.  Eyes are no different; it seems the bigger the eyes, the more attractive.  This is no different in Asia, despite the infamous stereotype of “Asian” eyes.  If anything, it’s all the more impressive out there.  It’s no longer just about one layer of double eye-lid tape, or even fake eyelashes; girls out there have perfected techniques using even THREE layers of fake eyelashes to complete their look or using the power of colored contacts or pupil-enlarging contacts.

The 'after' make up half of this girls' face (the other side is the 'before')...

Check out this video of a variety show in Taiwan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ImaaS2-MY&feature=player_embedded.  The show is in Chinese, but trust me, you won’t need to understand what is said to be able to appreciate the comparison of half of a made up face compared to their ‘natural’ look.  To skip the intro, scroll to about 3 min 18 seconds… and prepare to be amazed.

Stay tuned for more Asian beauty trends!