Features of makeup in the style of a Japanese geisha

Japanese geisha makeup is a popular trend that makes it easy to add an Asian touch to European facial features. Beautiful examples of such creativity can often be seen at theme parties, tea ceremonies, and theatrical performances. It is worth learning in more detail how to do simple Japanese-style makeup at home, what is required for this.

Japanese-style makeup can be very different, but it is the geisha that is the image that most people directly relate to the traditions of Asian culture. It is characterized by a complete whitening of the face - it is literally turned into an impenetrable mask, behind which it is impossible to see the age characteristics of a woman. In addition, it is very convenient to highlight bright, accent elements against a white background. A clear eyeliner, blood-red lips in this case do not look defiant at all, rather they give the look a certain doll-like appearance.

If the image of a geisha is created for a party, it is often not ordinary decorative cosmetics that are used, but theatrical make-up. It provides the ability to accelerate the desired effect, but often the use of such pigments is very harmful to the skin.

In addition to bleached skin, there are other characteristic features of this makeup.

1. General harmony of the image. Traditional Japanese makeup is complemented by a special hairstyle with a bun at the back of the head, a kimono and a belt.
2. Expressive look. It is created with the help of shadows, attracting attention with bright colors or darkening of the eyelid area. Cosmetics are applied to both the upper and lower eyelids.
3. Thin, defined eyebrows. Excess hairs are plucked out, the growth line is drawn with a pencil or liner. The color can be both natural and accent, bright.
4. Red lips. They always have a clear outline with a dimple along the topline in the center. Color options are not allowed.
5. Highly laid blush. The face of a geisha is white, like porcelain, does not accept a shift in emphasis, but sometimes it is still used. Blush is applied to the highest point of the cheekbones with clear strokes. The color matches the kimono.

On fair skin of women with a European type of appearance, geisha makeup can be created using the most common tonal means with very light pigment. But if the face has a yellowish or dark complexion, only make-up will help to obtain porcelain whiteness. It will have to be applied not only to the face, but also to the visible part of the arms, neck and décolleté. In Japan, geisha give the face the desired whiteness by using thickly diluted rice flour.

In general, the list of cosmetics for creating Japanese makeup at home is rather laconic.

• A dense foundation of the lightest possible shade. It is optimal if it lies flat, covering skin imperfections. If the cream fails to achieve the desired result, you will have to use theatrical makeup - you can buy it in specialized stores.

• White powder. It is applied over the foundation to ensure the purest possible tone. Better to take a crumbly version, apply with a brush or puff.

• Black and red eyebrow pencils. With their help, you can achieve the very unusual effect that Japanese women get. Pencils are selected that can provide crisp, dense lines.

• Eyeliner. The black liner should be dense, not crumbling. The thickness of the lines is arbitrary, it is better to use the option with a narrow brush or tip. The lower eyelid may appear in a lighter gray color.

• Cream eyeshadow or blush. They are applied to the eyelids to achieve the effect of "tear-stained" eyes, mark the line of the cheekbones. Japanese women usually use for these purposes only blush of a bright and pure red tone.

• Matt lipstick. You can take a liquid that lasts a long time on the lips. An exclusively red color is encouraged. The lips, like the rest of the face, are bleached. Lipstick should fit well over tone and powder.

• Contour red pencil. You need to pick it up to match your lipstick. It is optimal if these products come from the same manufacturer and match in texture.

• Mascara. It is not customary for geisha to draw special attention to this part of the face. If your own lashes are thick and dark, one layer of mascara is enough. Otherwise, the coating is applied twice.

Traditional geisha makeup at home is not so difficult to do. You just need to follow certain rules that distinguish this option from everyday or classic Japanese.

Make-up application always begins with the preparation of the base. The face, neck, décolleté, part of the hands not covered by clothing are painted over with white. The hairline remains free - it should be contrasting. In addition, on the back of the neck, there is also a section of skin shaped like a forked snake tongue. If you want to make your make-up authentic, you can purchase and prepare white rice powder - it does not clog the pores.

You can get the base in an easier way. It is enough to take a foundation of the lightest possible shade or mix the existing cream with white theatrical make-up. Do not experiment with ordinary paints - they can be toxic and irritate the skin. Special compositions for face painting are also not suitable - they are too transparent, although at a certain density of application this option is acceptable.

It is worth remembering that for face make-up, cosmetics are applied in a continuous layer, covering the lips and eyelids. In fact, you should get a white "canvas" on which the image of a geisha will be created. If the foundation is not enough, the surface of the face is powdered. Blush is optional, but if your look provides for it, you can apply a creamy version. They are not shaded, but applied at the top of the cheekbones with lines directed towards the tip of the nose.

The design of this area always follows certain rules. First of all, a line of eyebrows is drawn on the face, in shape resembling a gull wing. It is customary to make the base and tip scarlet, the middle black. It is not necessary to adhere to the natural growth line. On the contrary, refined eyebrows with a thin tip, raised high to the forehead line, are considered special chic.

Eyelid shaping begins with the use of coral red eyeshadow. At the inner corner, they are applied less brightly; you can use a translucent shading. To the outer part of the eye, the color becomes juicier, the shadows cover the entire edge of the upper eyelid and part of the lower, forming a kind of "bracket", pointed to the temple. Such makeup allows you to achieve the effect of tear-stained eyes. It is believed that this feature gives the female image youth and touching.

Geisha-style eye makeup provides a clear line of eyeliner. It runs along the upper and lower eyelids. The arrow should be neat, not vague, rather thin, but widening towards the outer corner of the eye. Sometimes parallel lines are drawn to the temple from the upper and lower eyelids. In other cases, the lines close at the outer corner of the eye.

Geisha lip makeup has a special meaning. First, the entire surface of the natural mouth line is covered with whitewash. It is necessary that your own lip contour should not be traced at all. After that, you can draw new outlines with a contour pencil. The most popular form is a bow or four-petal flower. The indentation in the upper lip area is very important - it should be clearly defined.

After the outline is drawn, you can apply lipstick. The use of pearlescent and other highly shiny coatings is not allowed. It is most convenient to apply a matte liquid lipstick inside the contour. It fits well and evenly, makes it easy to achieve the desired correction of the shape and color intensity. Creamy textures are also acceptable.

Modern stylists quite often use the image of a geisha for thematic and advertising shootings. They formulated a number of simple but useful recommendations for those who do this makeup for the first time.

1. In order for the tone to lie smoother, the face needs to be prepared. Stop cleansing with toner and applying a make-up base. It is especially important to follow these recommendations when using theatrical make-up that is very drying to the skin.
2. Use a corrector. Pigmented spots, dark circles under the eyes, and other pronounced skin imperfections will still show through under the foundation. A dense concealer will help mask the most problematic areas.
3. Replace the usual colorless powder. It comes in handy if your skin tone is already fair. The powder will fix the tonal base and help eliminate excess shine, which is unacceptable in geisha makeup.
4. Shade eyebrows. A typical Japanese version of their shape is wide at the base and thin at the tip. The eyebrow is drawn on the face with a pencil again, the inner contour is drawn with short strokes, the outer one is outlined in scarlet.The lines inside the "stencil" should be frequent and short. You can complete the work with black matte eyeshadows without shiny blotches.
5. Shade lips. After the outline of the flower or bow is drawn, it is worth painting over the surface inside it with the same pencil, and then applying lipstick. This will allow the decorative coating to adhere better, make the color denser and more saturated.

Here are some geisha style makeup options.

• The image of a mature woman in Japanese style. It is a faithful embodiment of centuries-old traditions, appropriate for a tea ceremony or theatrical stage.

• An interesting interpretation of the image of a geisha, which fits well with the image of a young girl. The general canons are followed, while the face is framed by light strands of hair - an excellent solution for a theme party.

• Not quite the canonical version of geisha makeup with accent long eyelashes. Otherwise, everything is quite harmonious, including the traditional "bow" on the lips and hair.

For information on how to do makeup in the style of a Japanese geisha, see the next video.