United colors of beauty

MANILA, Philippines - Gone are the days when the quintessential standard of beauty was the fair-skinned girl-next-door. In the ‘80s, Caucasian models like Christie Brinkley and actresses like Kim Basinger were the aspirational figures when it came to beauty, with their light skin, bright eyes and luscious blonde locks. Then came the ‘90s, and slowly, women of different ethnic backgrounds started becoming more and more visible in popular culture, further broadening what it meant to be beautiful. The likes of Tyra Banks, Jennifer Lopez and Lucy Liu opened doors for women of color to be idolized, not just by girls of the same race, but by ladies from all walks of life. Multicultural beauty became the new standard and what it meant to be beautiful was no longer dependent entirely on skin tone or certain facial attributes. Global standards of beauty started evolving and they are still evolving to this day.

The past few years have seen a huge shift in what beautiful is in the global setting. Chinese supermodel Liu Wen can be seen in almost every major show and campaign. Beyoncé and Rihanna are global superstars and fashion icons. This year, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o’s gorgeous face and fashion sense whipped up a frenzy throughout the world. She has singlehandedly redefined what the term “classic beauty” means. With the dawn of HD video recording and photography, the integrity of the skin (its color, tone and unique texture) is celebrated by allowing the skin to breathe through seamless makeup and not by covering it up with tons of products. Create shadows with light by applying products that illuminate the skin. Brows should look like cousins and not like twins. Cheek color, a natural flush. Once you’ve perfected your canvas, then you can start playing with color. Lipstick shades and eyeshadow colors are fun and women should be open to trying out unique palettes to see what works for them and not just limit themselves to what society perceives as “appropriate” for their skin tones.

Photos by JASON QUIBILAN of At East | Jed Root, Makeup by JIGS MAYUGA using MAC Cosmetics, Assisted by JUSTINE NAVATO, Hair by JAIME SY of L’Oreal Professionnel, Modeled by YANA DUPLINSKAYA of Elite, GABRIELA BARBARA of Reco, JESSICA YANG, and NIKITA MCELROY of PMAP