Make a bold move with these beauty trends

A hot lip trend is red lipstick as seen here on Jisoo, member of South Korean Kpop group Blackpink. — Dior

For most, Lunar New Year events this year will be toned down due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and while the festivities may be somewhat muted, this doesn’t mean your makeup has to be!

Your entire ensemble – clothes, shoes, accessories and bags – won’t be complete without makeup and hair that complement your personal style.

Red and gold are the favourites when it comes to attire and accessories, and you can choose to match your makeup – or not!

Check out the following Lunar New Year beauty trends for 2022.

Go for bold

If you normally shy away from a red lip, there’s no time like the present to embrace this look, which is a hit with any type of skin tone.

Worried about your lipstick disappearing after a hearty meal and copious amounts of snacks? Try a lip stain which is meant to be long-wearing and transfer proof.

Check out Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Metallics Lipstick, a striking shade with a high shine finish which is meant to be hydrating and last up to 24 hours.

Go for the two-toned lip trend. — maccosmetics/Instagram

Another option is Dior’s Rouge Dior Couture Finish refillable lipstick as seen on Jisoo, member of South Korean Kpop group Blackpink. It comes in four couture finishes: satin, matte, metallic and velvet and is extra long-wearing.

Double the fun

Can’t decide on a lip colour? Try experimenting with the two-toned lip trend which emerged a few years ago, but which is seeing a revival this year.

But why limit yourself to sporting two different shades (one on the upper lip, one on the lower)? Go all out and mix it up with different formulas. A suggestion by MAC Cosmetics is to go matte on top with their Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Love Weapon and creamy on your bottom lip with the Love Me Lipstick in Ruby You.

If you’re not feeling so adventurous, give the ombre lips a shot by choosing two compatible shades from the same colour family and a lip liner.

For your lip liner, choose a tone darker than your lipstick to shade the corners of your lips, and then pick out a lighter hue and apply it to the centre of your lips.

Go glossy

All happy occasions and celebrations have something in common – an abundance of food! There’s no doubt you’ll be chowing down on delicious dishes, whether they’re treasured family recipes or catered selections, and yes, your lipstick will definitely take a hit from all the munching.

While experimenting with bright hues is fun, by the end of the day, touching-up may become a bit of a pain, and that’s where the matte and glass lip looks come in.

Layer on the gloss over your lipstick or simply go with a tinted gloss for a shiny effect, or stick with a long-lasting matte lipstick. For those who desire thicker-looking lips, look for lipsticks that include 3D glow pigments that make lips appear fuller.

Luxurious lids

Level up your look with striking eyeshadow in shades of gold and of course, red.

Huda Beauty’s limited edition Tiger Wild Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette will help you ring in the celebrations with fierce colour combos.

Choose from four luxe, innovative textures in this nine-well palette and line your lids with dark liner to create a unique tiger stripes-inspired look.

For a dramatic look, give deep shades a try, like Shu Uemura’s “merlot gradation” shadow, which involves three shades and a dot or two of glitter.

For the adventurous, line your gold lids with tiger stripes. — hudabeautyshop/Instagram

Another interesting look from the same brand is to apply a shimmery gold shade in the centre of your eyelid to make your eyes pop.

Not a big fan of reds? Take it down a notch with peach, coral or pink tones to give your face a soft look that captivates.

Shimmer and shine

For a fresh look, swap out your dark eyeliner for a coloured liner, and to make a statement with very little effort, make it a glittery one.

Whether it’s liquid or pencil, either a bright colour like hot pink or a more muted gold shimmer will do the trick.

Try to add a little highlighter to the inner corners of your eyes if you’re wearing a matte eyeshadow, a time-honoured trick that instantly brightens your eyes.

Dewy glow

Maybe you just don’t have the patience or time or simply aren’t interested in eye or lip colour, so for low maintenance ladies, dust some highlighter over your face and you’re done!

Another word for highlighting – strobing! Use a cream-based highlighter to create a dewy look that give your skin a luminous glow and to accentuate those cheekbones.

If you haven’t heard of holographic highlighting, worry not as it’s a relatively recent trend that may not have caught on due to all the mask-wearing we’ve been doing for almost two years.

Neutral highlighters are one shade, but holographic highlighters, which have a clear, opalescent base change colours when the light hits your face, resulting in cool rainbow hues!

Some brands even claim their highlighters blur imperfections and reduce the appearance of pores, but of course everyone’s skin is different so choose carefully when selecting a product.

Mane ideas

The Lunar New Year comes once a year, and if you’ve been growing your hair out for a while, now’s the time to do something spectacular with it for this festive season.

Shiseido Professional artistic ambassador Nick Koh of Signature Hair Expert recommends a voluminous, curly style inspired by tresses from the 1970s.

Loose curls with lots of volume and middle-part bangs give this style a laid-back feel, and is easy to style on all types of manes.

Loose and voluminous retro curls are a trend to try out. — ShiseidoProfessional

For an even lower maintenance ‘do, go for a fuss-free cut recommended by Philo Hair Studio’s Fyn Han, a Shiseido Professional artistic ambassador, who drew inspiration for this cut from the God of Youth, Hebe.

This short, retro-style features warm orange toned inner layer highlights which complement the rich beige brown base. With the addition of soft waves, it shows off the blend between the two coral and warm beige hues.

All-in-one makeup

If you have a lot of gifts to give your family members and can’t spare any extra cash for makeup, consider an all-over makeup set.

These come in the form of all-in-one sticks that you can use on your eyes, lips and cheeks, some which include SPF.

Apart from being great for achieving that glowy, monochromatic look, these multi-use makeup sticks are super convenient to carry around as you go about your day.

Tiger nail art is all the rage this year. — thenaillab.sg/Instagram

Nail art

This is the one time in the year that you can unapologetically go all-out with nail art, no questions asked.

Every year, Zodiac animals are the focus of many a manicure, and there are no limits to how “extra” you can be.

Polish aside (bright red and gold are always top choices), get your nail stylist to go all out with embellishments such as tiny charms, stones, studs and sequins.