Sherly SusisRaya is here! You’ve picked up your outfits from the tailor’s, the house is impeccably immaculate, and you’re ready for the feasting, as well as the countless photo-ops.
All you need is a great makeup look to top it all off!
However, if you’re having trouble nailing down that perfect glam highlight or that natural no-makeup makeup look, we here at Neue are happy to lend a helping hand.
So let’s break down the steps to ensuring you’re Raya ready, from your brows to that perfect pout, and how to make your makeup last and stay fresh all day – even when you’re preoccupied with the rendang.
Step 1: Base
One way to keep your base makeup smooth and not cakey or flaky is by making sure your skin is hydrated first, even before putting on your makeup! If you’re wondering where to start, here’s a step-by-step process to get that healthy, moisturised sheen to your cheeks.
After hydrating and moisturising your skin, it’s time to lay a base for your foundation with a primer. Since there might not be too many chances for you to do more than a simple touch up, picking a good primer is essential as it’ll help your makeup to stay put and adhere to your skin. However, different skin issues require different types of primers, suited to your needs.
If you’re a combo to oily-skinned kind of girl, a mattifying primer is your best bet to keep your makeup from sliding, or even disappearing from your skin.
However, for my drier-skinned beauties out there, a primer that’s more hydrating will ensure that your skin doesn’t dry out and become flaky, especially if you’re planning to use foundation that has a mattifying touch.
After priming your face, the next logical step would be to put on foundation, and again, there are all kinds of textures and finishes; the trick is knowing which one is best for you!
If you’ve got a matte primer on, try not to go for a foundation that has the same finish, as it can cause your makeup to look too cakey and bunch up in the corners of your nose or any errant wrinkles. Instead, choose a foundation that has a more satin-like finish if you’re still afraid of looking a little too shiny by your third plate of satay.
And if you’re looking for a complexion that has a bit more glow, a dewy foundation would do the trick! Do keep in mind that some foundations with this particular finish can be a little more slippery, and it would be best to have a cushion foundation on hand for much-needed touch ups. Setting your face with powder would also do a world’s difference when it comes to making your makeup last.
When it comes to concealers, choose one that’s thin in texture but is able to give a high amount of coverage in areas where you might need to conceal your blemishes a bit more.
Using translucent powder, particularly on the areas where you tend to get a little shiny like your cheeks or T-zone also helps extend the lifespan of your makeup look, and keep your foundation looking natural as well.
Step 2: Eyes
Just as you’ve got primer for your face, eye primer helps to lay out a smooth base for your eye looks, especially if you’re planning to go down the more intricate route! Don’t fret if you don’t have any eye primer lying around; concealer works in a pinch as well.
When it comes to eye looks, one sure way to make your entire Raya ensemble pop is by doing a makeup look that complements your outfit, as opposed to matching your eyes to your baju kurung. Since most baju kurung tend to be on the brighter and colourful side, easing up on your eyeshadow will make the entire look from your makeup to clothes appear coordinated.
For example, using neutral eyeshadows that lean towards brown or taupe, with a pop of highlight in the centre of your lid as well as the inner corners of your eyes will give your eyes the definition they need, without going over the top. And if you find it a little too simple, adding a pair of fake eyelashes will help to lift the whole look.
But if your outfit has a more minimalist design, you can definitely be more adventurous with your makeup!
Go for something more glam with plum and dark purple shadows, which are incredibly flattering for brown-eyed babes, as they’re contrasting colours, making the eyes pop and appear brighter! Or, if you still want colour but you’re not ready to dive off the deep end, you can give your look a touch of spring with a sweet, floral and pastel look with rose gold and pink eyeshadows, like the look in this video below:
And if you’re not too confident about blending eyeshadows, a winged liner and a good mascara can go a long way towards elevating your look.
Finally, the shape of your brows can totally change the look of your face! If you’re going for a softer look, straight brows will contrast with the roundness of your eyes, making them seem bigger and give off that ‘innocent’, youthful vibe; these kind of brows go very well with neutral or floral eye makeup looks.
If you want a look that’s on the dramatic, highly-polished end, arched brows are definitely the way to go. This shape will lift the brow bone and give a stronger impact, especially if you’ve got a more glam look on for the day, and give you an excuse to perfect that raised-eyebrow look of disbelief in your selfies when you get skipped over during the handing out of Raya packets.
Step 3: Cheeks
To contour or not to contour?
If this is your first foray into the world of contouring, we suggest laying it off for another time — one wrong move could make your makeup look muddy and ruin your base, which means you’ll have to start all over again! But if you still want to give your face more definition, using bronzer, blush and highlight will definitely do the trick.
Use a matte bronzer that’s a couple of shades deeper than your skin tone, since you’ll be using this to sculpt your face, and focus on the areas that you want more depth, such as the hollows of your cheeks, jaw line, and your forehead. You could also use a thin brush and sweep your bronzer lightly down the sides of your nose if you want to define it.
Blush should be placed above your bronzer, on the apples of your cheeks and sweeping outwards towards your temples. Choosing a blush colour depends on your skin tone; if you have fair skin, a pastel pink will help to give a much-needed touch of colour! And if you’re on the tan side, a blush with plum undertones will create a natural, rosy glow. When you’re using both blush and bronzer, it’s important to blend them both together so there are no harsh, obvious lines between both.
To bring the entire look together, sweep on highlighter on your cheekbones, just above your blush and below your eyes to create that glow, as well as areas of your face where the sun would naturally hit, such as the tip of your nose, the centre of your forehead, your cupid’s bow and chin. Highlighter also helps to soften your makeup look, especially if you’ve got powder and a more mattifying foundation on.
Of course, you can skip out on any of these steps; perhaps you want a stronger, more sun-kissed look, so using a shimmery bronzer would definitely help you to achieve that! And while a sunburn doesn’t feel at all great, there’s something about that flush across your cheeks and nose that makes you feel younger, reminding you of sunny days spent at the beach. Go for a cream blush that’s warm in tone to look as sun-kissed as possible.
Personally, I can’t get enough of highlighter, so that’s one step I probably won’t let go. (Unless there’s an entire plate of tapak kuda, then I could maybe be persuaded.)
Step 4: Lips
After a month of fasting, the last thing you want to do is hold back on the feasting during Raya! That’s why a lipstick that’s lightweight and long-lasting is your best bet when it comes to picking a lipstick that’ll last through the talking and eating you’re going to be doing for the entire day.
And while lipgloss looks cute and gives your lips that plumping effect, it also fades easily, and who wants to be reapplying gloss when you’ve got to field questions about your career, love life and nonexistent plans for children in one breath while going for that second round at the buffet table?
Go for a matte, long-wearing liquid lipstick that’s comfortable and dries down quickly, because comfort absolutely matters; a lightweight texture makes it feel like it’s barely there, and doesn’t leave that pesky lip stain on your cup or glass.
Your lipstick should also complement your eye look; balance is key, and if you’re heavy on your eyeshadow and the false lashes, a nude, MLBB lipstick will give the balance your face needs, instead of making it look overdone. Neutral, and even shimmery taupe looks go well with a vampy, berry or a bright red lip, while a rosebud pink lipstick will complement your rose gold eyeshadow and give your makeup a touch of warmth and colour.
Step 5: Set!
Bring your entire makeup look together with a spritz of setting spray! Setting sprays will keep your makeup in place, and blend the powders together seamlessly. They’re a little different from facial mists, though, but you could definitely get away with using both – a facial mist has hydrating properties and won’t mess up your makeup, so it’ll definitely be handy to keep one in your purse for the day as you’re travelling from one open house to another.
And that’s it! While we’ve given you these handy makeup tips, the most important thing is to have fun with your makeup, and wear whatever you feel the most confident in. If that means going bare-faced, all the power to you too!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sherly Susis
A Bruneian writer who spends her already too-little time trying to catch up on anime, buying books she’ll never read, travelling on a budget and living her best ARMY life.