There may only be a month of summer left, but sunshine, beaches, flip-flops, and more time to spend with friends is what we’re all about here at Cliché. However, with all this excitement comes sweltering weather. If you’re a beauty guru or wear makeup on a daily basis, you know that this type of weather tends to scare away the thought of wearing any makeup at all. For this reason, we’ve enlisted the help of Cheve Chan and Chika Chan, co-founders of Make-up Pro, to give us pointers on wearing makeup this season. Make-up Pro is a company where clients wear the makeup, not the other way around, giving all women a space for individualism, while providing that “It” factor we all search for.
Cliché: What is considered the traditional path of make-up to you and how do you counteract that by offering creativity to clients?
Cheve Chan: Make-up traditionally is geared towards making people look and feel beautiful. This look and feel varies between different cultures, occasions, and stages in a person’s life. At Make-up Pro, we view beauty not as a cookie-cutter image, but rather to bring out the unique and defining qualities of an individual. Traditionally, in order to look “beautiful,” you had to be born with a certain kind of nose, lips, or smile. In our view, whatever features you possess can be incorporated into a “beauty” that is you.
What inspired you to create Make-up Pro and what motivates you now to continue?
Cheve: Being a minority in the States comes with a sense of being an outsider. While there is much hardship involved in bringing a foreign tradition into a melting pot such as NYC, a primary goal of our brand has been to integrate Eastern and Western looks, techniques, and styles to generate an altogether new culture. During the past 7 years of training over 1,000 students, we have developed collaborations with top brands such as L’Oreal Group, Estee Lauder Group, and LVMH. The opportunity for Make-up Pro to sponsor main-calendar events in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Milan, and Hong Kong drives us to expand our network and our message even further.
Where does your inspiration come from for new looks?
Chika Chan: Exposure to new artists, traveling to unfamiliar destinations, and keeping up-to-date on politics all serve as inspiration for creating a new look. It’s not only clothing designers, but also musicians, visual artists, and dancers; anything emotional, anything meaningful, anything that can be used as a metaphor to influence the final look. Beauty today is all about finding ways to reflect experience through the art of the lashes, lipstick, shadow, etc. to render the art of make-up.
If you could only use one make-up product, what would it be?
Chika: No one product completes a look, but just one product can complete a face. When applying a specific look to multiple models, we emphasize focusing on the main feature of a face. For some faces, the eyes require the most attention, while for others, it’s a matter of applying foundation. While no one product is suitable for all, every person has a product that works magic!
You offer eyes, lips, and face products, along with skin care products. What is the customer’s most-loved product?
Chika: Our most talked-about products are the collagen and eyeshadow. Whereas the collagen contains proteins that help to maintain firmness and moisture in the skin, the shadow is highly pigmented and offers a variety of color options that are customizable to one’s own preferences. Equally essential are our professional brushes, which were carefully selected by myself, and provide quality textures at an affordable price point.
What makes an “It statement” to Make-up Pro?
Cheve: We often encourage our clients and students to “get an inspiration” rather than becoming a replica of some other person. The “It statement” is a way of discovering who you are in order to reach your full potential when applying different styles and looks. Therefore, you can look good in a natural look and you can look good in a dramatic look, too. We believe that make-up should be fun; it is a means for discovering different things about oneself and the world. All ethnicities, sexualities, genders, and ages are invited to come together and share this philosophy.
Summer is trend season. Can you offer any tips on how to keep makeup looking good during the heat?
Chika: First of all, lighten your layers! With hot weather comes sweat, so waterproof products are definitely advised. Avoid shimmer or anything too luminous, unless you want to look extra-shiny. Keep blotting papers close by to soak up any excess oil or perspiration. A good primer helps to hold your make-up in place well into the evening. By then, you should be fine!
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Makeup Tips From Make-Up Pro: Photos courtesy of Make-Up Pro
