5 Makeup Looks Inspired By This Year’s Auspicious Colours For CNY

The Lunar New Year is arriving in a couple of days and there’s no better way to celebrate the momentous occasion than to reinvent yourself with some fresh new looks, that’ll leave your cousins and relatives green with envy. Incorporating a pop of colour into your everyday makeup look is the perfect way to get yourself into the mood of things. So when it comes to a festive holiday like CNY, we’re serving looks inspired by the vibrant and auspicious hues for the Year of the Pig. Huat colours, you may ask? We’re thinking shades of red, gold, and this year’s auspicious colours — brown, grey and yellow.

From glittery makeup to shimmering manicures and bold eyeliners, there’s a myriad of ways to take your festive look to the next level. So if you’re in search for more inspirations on how to rock these hues for the Lunar New Year, look no further because we’ve got you covered with 5 makeup looks for you to try for the Year of the Pig.

BROWN

You can never go wrong with earthy neutrals, just like this number. If you’re opting for a bright and bold outfit this CNY, we suggest going for something a little more toned down on the upper. It’s all about balance — I mean, who’d want to look like a hot mess while you’re out visiting your relatives? Not us, for sure.

1. Huda Beauty Nude Eyeshadow Palette, $100. Available at Sephora. 
2. BECCA x Khloe Kardashian & Malika Haqq Bronze, Blush & Glow Palette (Limited Edition)(Made with Love by Malika), $66. Available at Sephora. 
3. YSL Beaute Touche Éclat Foundation, $92. Available at YSL counters.
4. Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer, $42. Available at Sephora.
5. Beauty Blender CNY Kit Limited Edition, $49. Available at Sephora.

To recreate this simple, yet effortlessly chic look, start out with a clean canvas using YSL’s Touche Eclat Cushion Foundation. If you feel that there are other areas that’d require more coverage, apply a high coverage concealer like the ones by Tarte, before buffing it in with a Beauty Blender for a more airbrushed finish. Follow up by layering your lids with a mix of light and dark brown neutrals, dusting some on the lower lash line for a softer definition to your look.

RED

Prefer something that’s more avant-garde? Red has always been a hot classic amongst many, and what better way to rock a bold red lid than on an occasion like Chinese New Year! Side note: When you’re wearing red on your lids, tone down your blusher by gradually layering it on the apples of your cheeks — unless you’re planning to look like a red ang pao of course.

1. DIOR FOREVER FOUNDATION,$85. Available at all dior counters from 15 feb.
2. patmcgrath mothership eyeshadow palette (v bronze seduction), $189. Available at sephora.
3. m.a.c. lucky blush duo, $68. available at all m.a.c stores.
4. chanel rouge allure no.8 lipstick, $54. Available at all chanel counters and stores.

The secret to flawless looking skin? Peek Dior Forever Foundation. When you’re out travelling from one place to another, especially in the sweltering heat here in Singapore, you’d want to make sure that whatever’s on your face, stays on your face! Apply a dollop and work it in with a Beauty Blender or a foundation brush for a poreless, matte finish that’ll last you through the whole day.

Go big and go bold for your lids with a red shimmery satin hue like the one from Pat McGrath’s Mothership Eyeshadow Palette. The key to achieving bold lids is to never go soft and be hella generous when it comes to packing on eyeshadows. To end it off, dress your pout in Chanel’s iconic Rouge Allure No.8 Lipstick for the ultimate red pairing.

GREY

For a non-editorial, non-avant-garde style, you’re best sticking to the basics like the classic smokey eye, just like this look by Gemma Chan.  The smokey eye has long been on the top of makeup trends for the past few years, and it looks like it’s here to stay in 2019. 

1. PAT MCGRATH MTHRSHP Opulence Eyeshadow Palette (Limited Edition)(subliminal dark star), $84. Available at sephora.
2. benefit roller liner eyeliner in black, $39. available at sephora.
3. NARS AQUA GLOW CUSHION FOUNDATION COMPACT CASE, $20(REFILL SOLD SEPARATELY; $52). Available at ALL nars counterS.
4. NARS POWERMATTE LIP PIGMENT IN FLAME, $40. AVAILABLE AT ALL NARS COUNTERS.

Named as one of the auspicious colours to rock this Lunar New Year, this simple glam look is easily achieved by swathing on a few shades of grey on your lids. We recommend using Pat McGrath’s Mthrshp Opulence Eyeshadow Palette for a subtle wash, before following it up with darker tones on the corners of your eyes for that extra smokey effect. To add more definition to your look, use an eyeliner just like the ones from Benefit, for a sultry look that makes you impossible to ignore. As for the lips, keep it neutral with a nude lippie or go bold with a red lip if you’re transitioning your look from day-to-night!

GOLD

Want to make a bold statement this CNY? Choose metallic gold accents over sheer with this look that’s nothing less than extravagant! If you’re wondering where this signature combi is inspired from, well, it’s none other than BadGalRiri herself.

With a slew of launches from her Fenty Beauty line, it comes as no surprise that the beauty entrepreneur (cum singer) has made a banner of herself in the world of beauty — making her mark with some cult favourites just like her Killawatt Highlighter and Universal Gloss Bomb that’ll never (keyword: never) go out of style in our books.

1. STILA ALL FIRED UP GLITTER & GLOW LIQUID EYE SHADOW set, $35 (3 tubes). available at sephora.
2. FENTY BEAUTY KILLAWATT FREESTYLE HIGHLIGHTER, $50. AVAILABLE AT SEPHORA.
3. GIORGIO ARMANI BEAUTY Cushion Couture My Armani To Go Essence-In-Foundation Cushion SPF-23, $105. AVAILABLE AT ALL GIORGIO ARMANI BEAUTY COUNTERS.
4. FENTY BEAUTY Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer (FENTY GLOW), $31. AVAILABLE AT SEPHORA.

For this look, we’re going subtle on everything but gold. But before diving right in with the highlight, perfect your canvas with Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Cushion Foundation for supreme coverage and glow. For the eyes, try Stila’s All Fired Up Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow or use Fenty Beauty’s Killawatt highlighter as a duo for your lids and your cheekbones. Most importantly, apart from your cheekbones, dust on the highlight on the bridge of your nose and your cupid’s bow for an ethereal glow that’ll steal the spotlight at all your parties.

YELLOW 

A bright hue that juxtaposes against honey-toned skin is a look that’s inexplicably beautiful. When you’re introducing a bold colour to your lids, it’s important to keep the other parts of your face a little more muted — especially when you’re playing with shades of yellow. Not to mention, it also brings out a youthful, radiant glow to your look, which is totally what you need when you’re trying to ace that look while you’re out visiting.

1.VISEART EYESHADOW PALETTE (10 WARM MATTES), $128. AVAILABLE AT SEPHORA.
2. BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR CNY LIMITED EDITION — year of the pig, $58. available at sephora.
3. laneige bb cushion foundation — anti-ageing, $62. available at all laneige counters.
4. shu uemura rd163, $38. available at shu uemura.

Erase any signs of ageing and add some glow to your look with LANEIGE’s BB Cushion for Anti-Ageing that comes encased in a beautiful solid red compact specially designed for the Year of the Pig. Then, follow up by highlighting the high points of your face with BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfector, before layering on some yellow (and a hint of brown) on your lids for the perfect combi!