I’ve been fortunate to sail the world – not literally of course; I’ve hardly been on a boat. But I have experienced numerous countries, cultures, and traditions. I love to see the difference in how we all live and express ourselves, and I think makeup is actually a great defining factor in how different our cultures are, especially in terms of women’s concept of beauty. I thought it would be fun to discover the make-up styles of countries and cultures, and I was right!
Travel the globe with me, makeup product by makeup product.
The Spanish Flamenco Look
A beautiful, deep and impacting look, Spanish Flamenco makeup is meant to stand out and display the power and prowess of the woman. Dark hues, fake eyelashes, and black eyeliner will make the woman’s eyes beautifully fierce and place the focus on her gaze.
The Japanese Geisha
When you think of Japanese makeup, it’s the porcelain beauty of the Geisha that comes to mind. Geishas try to make their skin look like a beautiful, flawless porcelain, as white as possible. Some are even known to use bleaching products daily. Lips are painted red and eyes and cheeks may be lightly painted with pink colors. It’s the ultimate in beauty and eroticism of ancient Japan.
The Middle Eastern Belly Dancer
Exotic glamor makeup is just part of the beautiful Arab belly dancing costume. Thick, dark eyebrows are colored in, brown and silver eyeshadows create a sense of ethereal beauty, and dark black eyeliner does its magic in aiming focus to the eyes. The skin is usually painted a little lighter than the real skin color to cover all flaws, and cheekbones are emphasized with a blush. Gorgeous!
The Exotic African Queen
Women really do look like regal ladies with this makeup. It’s a relatively natural looking makeup but the colors are stunning against darker skin. Light colors are used on the eyelids to emphasize soft beauty, and beautiful purples and pinks do wonders to attract the gaze to the lips. Truly stunning & soft makeup job in the video below.
The Asian Anime Makeup
A lot of Asian girls have fallen into the deep abyss of trying to change the natural form and shape of their eyes to make them look more Caucasian. Makeup, eyelash extensions, and big contact lenses can make that magic happen, and it gives them a bit of an anime character/childish look, which is actually quite desired in certain Asian societies.
The Bollywood Princess
Bollywood makeup is dramatic and cannot be mistaken for any other. Gems, henna or stickers can be placed between the eyes (on the “third eye”) to add a touch of Hindu exoticism to the look. Emphasis is drawn on the cheek bones and cheeks which are delineated with a natural pink glow, and copper and golden browns are often used on the eyelids. There’s no such thing as taking it too far with the colors – the Bollywood look is all about drama!
