Stay-at-home mom and Nu Skin Representative Amy Qu hasn’t had her hair cut in 18 months. Her only request is that we not shorten her hair too much “because my husband won’t talk to me!” She and her English husband Stephen, a teacher at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), met and fell in love as students at the University of Sunderland seven years ago. Their daughter Molly (age 2) will begin attending DCB after the next Spring Festival.
On the day of the makeover, Qu and Malaysian-born Stylist Tom Yuen of Hair and Beauty by Hummingbird form an instant rapport. Yuen thoroughly explains all aspects of the process, not only walking Qu through the hair design but also teaching her how to properly wash, blow-dry, style, and brush her hair. It’s an approach that makeup artist Howard repeats, explaining the theory and techniques behind applying cosmetics as he works on Qu.
At one point during the process, there are four people simultaneously collaborating on her transformation. Yuen gives Qu a total of six separate treatments; as well as cut, color, and makeup, she also receives a brow reshaping, a hair mask, and a face mask. “I really wanted a makeover,” says Qu, “But I didn’t know where to go. I’ve never been treated like this before. I wish I knew Tom before my wedding day!”
Get the Look:
1. Yuen first changed the parting of Qu’s hair; a side part would give more lift and volume to her hair, he explained. He then added layers, removing four inches from the front and three from the back, and feathering the ends for texture.
2. Yuen dried and styled Qu’s hair before colorist Tim Chen got to work. Yuen and Chen believe in applying “designer-highlights,” matching highlight application to the natural wave of their clients’ hair. Chen applied a mix of bright and deep chestnut highlights using foils, after which Yuen finished the color with balayage highlights.
After the color developed, Qu’s hair was again washed and dried before being slathered in KeraStraight, a protein mask to make her curls more manageable for up to six weeks.
3. Makeup Artist Howard first reshaped Qu’s brows, then applied a face mask to prepare her skin for makeup. “Beijing is so dry,” Yuen explained. “If you don’t properly prepare the face, your makeup wears off so much more quickly and doesn’t sit on the skin well.”
Howard applied tape to Qu’s right eye to mirror her double-lidded left eye. He then applied a light liquid foundation along Qu’s T-zone and underneath her eyes, blending it into a darker liquid foundation along her jaw, cheekbones and brow bones. He finished the base with loose translucent powder.
He then rubbed a dark kohl pencil into Qu’s eyelashes, followed by a dark brown powder along the lash line. He blended a taupe shade along the crease and over the lid, wetting the same taupe powder with water and applying a second wash of pigment along the outer lid and crease.
He applied with a bright matte cream shade along the top of the lid and under Qu’s brows. He finished the eyes with a black liquid liner, and applied individual false eyelashes. He ran a brow pencil and brow gel over Qu’s reshaped eyebrows.
Qu’s cheekbones received a touch of pink blush, and Howard finished her lips with a flattering candy pink hue.
Makeup List
- RMK Liquid Foundation
- Helena Rubenstein Liquid Foundation
- Shu Uemura Matte Translucent Loose Face Powder
- Bobbi Brown pink blush quartet in pink
- Shu Uemura brow pencil in Hard 9
- Dior eyeshadow in Bronze
- MAC eyeshadow in dark brown
- Nars eyeshadow in black
- MAC False Lashes Mascara
- Revlon lipstick in Carnation
Tom Yuen Hair and Beauty by Hummingbird
Daily 10am-8pm. Unit 103, Bldg 3, Central Park, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6597 9119) www.hummingbird.net.cn
朝阳区朝阳门外大街6号新城国际3号楼103
This article originally appeared on p20-21 of the September 2014 issue of beijingkids. To view it online for free, click here. To find out how you can obtain your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.
Photos: Moxue Zhang Photography
