Did you catch my brief foray as a Beauty Influencer in my Reels? 

Today, I’ve broken down the TOP TEN basic products that I use to get myself Photoshoot Ready.  I’m not someone who has a full arsenal of Makeup because too many products can overwhelm me, so I try to stick to just bare essentials when it comes to Skincare & Makeup, and when I find something that works — I’ll use it again and again.

I seriously hesitated posting this for fear of looking ridiculous because I am by NO MEANS an authority on how to do makeup, but I realized that there is not a lot of information or makeup advice out there for East Asian women with monolids, like me.

What are monolids?

“A monolid is an eyelid shape that doesn’t have a crease. An eye that does have a crease is known as a double eyelid. Monolids are typically a facial feature of East Asian people. However, other races may also have a monolid or an eyelid shape without a crease. In certain regions, especially East Asia, surgery and cosmetic products are commonly used to create the appearance of a crease. In fact, it’s one of the most popular types of plastic surgery in this area of the world.” – Healthline

I started wearing makeup when I was 14 years old.  None of the eyes I saw in magazines or movies looked like mine, and I hated looking in the mirror because of it.  I basically experimented and taught myself over the years (and believe me, there were some scary electric blue eyeshadow phases …)

As I grew older, whenever I would get my makeup professionally done for weddings or special events, no one ever knew what to do with my monolid eyes: how to accentuate them instead of make them look even smaller and weighed down.  

It became an enormous source of embarrassment for me.  I watched my mom put tape on her eyelids to “train” them to have a crease, and she even asked if I wanted surgery to get rid of mine.  The message I’ve always received was that there was a standard of beauty for my eyes that I couldn’t live up to.   I was ashamed and would never step foot outside without my makeup on.  

Today, I know that makeup is a form of self expression: to enhance the beauty that is already there, not to hide it or get rid of it.  I’ve always used makeup as a means to hide what I believed to be imperfect and ugly about myself, but now I’m slowly accepting that my eyes are beautiful as they are, because now I have a very important reason:

My daughter inherited my eyes, and I want her to know that her monolid eyes are absolutely perfect they way they are.

My Basic Makeup Routine Checklist:

1. Moisturizer / SPF 
   • The daily moisturizer I currently use is Smoothness Bare Haven by Bare Minerals. It’s incredibly lightweight and has more of a serum / gel texture that hydrates my skin and doesn’t feel oily or greasy.
   • I have also in the past used Immortelle Precious Light Cream by L’Occitane en Provence. I loved this moisturizer because of its 2-1-in use of moisturizer and SPF 20 UV Protection.
   • I also recommend The True Cream Aqua Bomb by Belif.
     
     
2. Concealer
   • I never used to need concealer until the sleep deprivation of two kids hit the bags under my eyes. So now I use the Original Liquid Mineral Concealer by Bare Minerals to cover those up and mask any blemishes. There are many types of concealer available these days, but I enjoy the ease of their liquid tube format because it applies super smoothly and you only need a tiny amount to get amazing coverage, so one tube lasts a long time!
     
     
3. Liquid Foundation / BB Cream
   • A friend actually gifted me this Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 40 a couple of years ago and I have not been able to stop using it! It’s amazing and has become one of my Makeup staples. It has incredibly smooth coverage for a small pea sized amount and does not feel heavy on my skin. It also has SPF 40 UV protection which is a huge plus!
     
     
4. Powder Foundation
   • For powder foundation, I use BarePro by Bare Minerals. Application is super simple, with no loose powder. This foundation gives me a natural – looking matte finish and it does not feel like I’m wearing any makeup! Any gaps in coverage from using just a powder is filled in from applying the BB Cream in Step 3, although you can wear JUST the powder foundation but it probably won’t last you all day into evening without touching up.
     
     
5. Contouring: Bronzer & Highlighter
   • Ookay so I promise none of this is sponsored by Bare Minerals but I just really like their products and how natural and light everything looks and feels on my skin. I use their Endless Summer Bronzer, which is a Matte Bronzer and Endless Glow Highlighter in “Fierce”.
     
     
6. Defining Brows
   • I did hop on the microblade trend and microbladed my brows last year and let me tell you — I hated it at first. I was not used to seeing my brows so thick and there’s definitely a period of adjustment right after you have the procedure done. But now, a year later, it’s amazing to wake up and just have perfectly filled in brows. The only product I use to darken and clean up my brows is the Brow Master by Bare Minerals in “Chestnut”.
   • I have also heard good things about Anastasia’s Brow Wiz and I’ve used Sephora’s Retractable Brow Pencil.
     
     
7. Defining Eyes / Eyeshadow
   • I have been using MAC Eyeshadow since high school and have only needed to repurchase maybe three times. This eyeshadow lasts foreverrrr and has beautiful pigment. For the highlight under my brow, I use a color called Rice Paper with this brush.
   • The color I’ve always used on my lids with this brush has been discontinued, but I have found that using a color that is slightly purpley – tinted (I know, it sounds strange but bear with me) actually brings out the brown in my eyes. The color Sable closely resembles what I’m talking about! It’s Goldish Plum.
   • MAC has this neat option of being able to mix & match your favorite shadows in your own personalized compact, which I use because it’s easier for travel!
     
     
8. Eyeliner
   • Guys, I have tried a thousand different liquid liners and pencil liners, but my favorite liner for monolids is the Pro Longwear Fluidline Eyeliner by MAC in “Blacktrack” with this brush. I have been using these two products for years. The idea is to essentially be able to create the look of a crease by following the natural line of your eye, and this fluidline does not break down or smudge on your skin. You can brush the liner on with incredible precision and it is waterproof, smudgeproof, and lasts for a long time.
     
     
9. Faux Lashes 
   • If you have monolids, the thing that will give your eyes instant pop is faux lashes.
   • It felt so weird to me wear faux lashes for the first time — they felt heavy and unnatural on my lids, and I was afraid of it looking too artificial and garish, but I was amazed at how natural they can look and how much they accentuated my eyes and made them look so much bigger!
   • I am not one to wear these daily, but I highly recommend wearing these for special events or during shoots. I used to use traditional eyelash glue which was a pain in the butt because they are hard to apply properly on your own, but I recently found out about Magnetic Liner / Faux Lashes and these are a serious gamechanger. Not only are they super easy to apply, but they are also reusable! I have worn these during shoots on windy hilltops or on the beach and they stay on!
   • You can find them at all different price ranges and styles, but definitely give these a try!
     
     
10. Lips
    • To be honest, I am not a fan of lipstick or lipgloss. They smudge and/or dry out my lips, and application can be difficult. For the longest time, I just didn’t wear any. Until I found matte liquid lipstick. Lifesaving.
    • My favorite staple for my lips has become Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick by Bare Minerals. This stuff is amazing. This line of matte liquid lipstick is crazy simple to apply, lasts forever, and has beautiful neutral, natural colors. My favorite shades are “Juju” and “Swag”
    • A serious close second is Sephora’s Liquid Cream Lip Stain Collection. Tons of colors to choose from, dries matte, and stays on all day.

That’s it! I really hope you’ve enjoyed a peek at my personal comprehensive list of staples in my Makeup bag! It has taken me over 10 years to handpick what I consider essentials for my daily Makeup Routine and also just a couple key things for more special occasions and photoshoots.

Makeup doesn’t have to be overwhelming, intimidating, or complicated!

Remember that at the end of the day, you are simply accentuating the beauty that is already there, mama.

Feel free to leave a Comment or DM if you have any specific questions for me! I’m happy to help 🙂

Are you ready to capture some timeless, love-filled images of you and your family to remember for years to come? 

Contact me for details!

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Natural Light, Bright, Light and Airy Baby Family In Home or Outdoor Photo Sessions

Tiffany Chi Photography is a Newborn, Maternity, Birth, Baby, Family Lifestyle Photographer based out of Southern California, taking romantic and ethereal photographs.

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