Karen Yiu, makeup artist, shares her tips and tricks

With a head of neon pink hair, Hong Kong-based Karen Yiu is one of the most recognisable makeup artists in town. The graduate of the University of the Arts, London, is known for creating her own innovative beauty techniques like body embroidery and now heads up The Art of Makeup by Karen Yiu.

As part of our beauty column Facetime, she gives us some pointers on Spring/Summer 2017 makeup trends and the items she can't do without. 


What are the make-up trends from Spring/Summer 2017 that you are most excited about?

I see different shades of green being used a lot; this would be a very interesting trend to play around with, especially as eyeliner. 

What is a common mistake that women make with makeup?

Lighting. The best lighting for natural-looking makeup would be sunlight, whereas the best lighting for an evening look would be yellow light. If you're getting ready for an evening event, do a test by taking a picture with your phone (with the flash on) to see if your makeup looks washed out.

If you have to give one tip only, what will it be?

 Don’t just follow make-up trends, choose the right look to suit your style and personality. As an example, the straight-shaped eyebrow may be a popular trend from Korea but it doesn’t suit everyone.

 What are some of your favourite makeup products?

If you could pack just one beauty item for a trip, what would it be? 

Eyeliner! My eyelids are single-fold so eyeliner makes my eyes look bigger. 

What advice do you have for people who regularly use a makeup artist? 

Good make-up artists get booked up quickly so have a few other makeup artists—someone who understands your style—as a backup.

Book your own makeover with Karen or check out more of her beauty tips at karenyiu.com.

See also: 7 Beauty Hacks From Cassandra Grey, Hollywood Beauty Expert