We’ve seen the beauty realm evolve in a multitude of ways over the past decade. Long gone are the days when celebrity beauty ops would be dedicated solely to the red carpet with techniques used often obscured from the public eye. We’ve fast moved on to an aspirational age of social media: how-to tutorials by the professional artists themselves, established content creators sharing their own cosmetic hacks and even full-face routines by some of the biggest A-listers. And we’ve all emerged the better for it.
It’s undeniable—the likes of Instagram and TikTok have given us all a space for unabashed self-expression. And for some, an artfully made-up mien or a customised change of talons are the perfect canvases to do so. Pop culture has had significant influence in the sphere. Experimentation is abound, with novice creators and popular personalities alike attempting to ace a make-up look that is all the rage or share a thematic one-off look for others to recreate.
Then begs the question: how do we sieve out the best of all? Make-up trends surely begin somewhere, and learning from our seasoned celebrities is never a bad place to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Vogue Singapore might be of help to you on that front—with our monthly curation of captivating beauty moments, courtesy of our favourite faces from Hollywood, the K-pop scene and more, just for that fresh jazz of inspiration.
The start of September heralds a fresh season and, for all intents and purposes, a brand new fashion year. With that, the celebrity events calendar has been fittingly full. From the glamorous Venice Film Festival to the camp-powered Video Music Awards, the stars have been out in full force–with an array of bold beauty looks to take inspiration from. A number of high-profile series premieres have also been noteworthy on this front—just consider that viral haircut from The Summer I Turned Pretty.
With that, behold the best beauty moments from celebrities like Lola Tung, Greta Lee and more:
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Lola Tung
Leading lady of the moment Lola Tung sports a flushed, feminine make-up base that wouldn’t look out of place on her The Summer I Turned Pretty character—except amped up courtesy of a slick black cat-eye and face-framing tendrils.
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Greta Lee
At the premiere of her new film Tron: Ares in Paris, Greta Lee makes a bold beauty statement courtesy of celebrity favourite Nina Park. Her vampy make-up details, including a deep wine lip and jet-black eyeliner, are only enhanced by bluntly cut bangs.
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Jenna Ortega
Trust Jenna Ortega to tap into gothic glamour, à la her character Wednesday Addams, to make a statement on the red carpet. Appearing at this year’s Emmys, her make-up artist Mélanie Inglessis pairs frosted blue eyelids and a deep burgundy lip for maxed out boldness.
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Katseye's Lara Raj
Katseye have been absolute scene-stealers as of late, and their head-turning beauty looks at the Video Music Awards were no exception. The dramatic beat seen on Lara Raj—relying on bold lining of the lips and eyes—was revealed by make-up artist Marcelo Gutierrez to have featured Haus Labs’ Color Fuse Glassy Blush Balm Stick in Tangelo and Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Highlighter in Sunstone.
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Dua Lipa
Frame Fitness’s newly minted co-founder and chief creative officer Dua Lipa has been sporting fitness-friendly updos as of late, from a sports-ready ponytail to this elegant ballerina bun. Here, she pairs the sleek hairstyle with her signature sunburn blush at an event to celebrate the partnership.
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Lisa
At the Emmys, Lisa casts a Glinda-like impression with a romantic beauty look to suit her pastel gown. A rose-imbued mien and fluttering eyelashes pair perfectly with soft, swept back waves.
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Doja Cat
Doja Cat can always be relied upon to make a show-stopping appearance on the red carpet. Casting a suitably camp impression at the VMAs, her bombshell pout is owed to a trusty Mac Cosmetics M·A·Cximal Silky Matte Lipstick in Lady Danger.
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Margot Robbie
At the London premiere of her new film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Margot’s show-stopping ensemble was complemented by an artful updo. Celebrity hair stylist Bryce Scarlett was behind the look—and has dropped a full tutorial via Instagram.
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Emma Myers
“This look needed to be a wow,” says make-up artist Sían Fitzgerald of the pastel-imbued beauty look—one of many—she created for Emma Myers, in character as Enid Sinclair for a gala sequence in Wednesday. Revealing the full line-up of products used on Instagram, we spotted many a cult classic including Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara and the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer.
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Sabrina Carpenter
When it comes to retro glamour, there’s few references more dazzling than the disco-fuelled opulence of Studio 54. Sabrina Carpenter clearly got the memo, looking the part for her Studio 54-themed VMAs after-party in ultra-voluminous curls—and ’60s-style eye make-up, an even further throwback.
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Charli XCX
“I’m convinced there’s no more powerful duo than Nina Park and Bryce Scarlett,” reads a top comment on the pair’s collaborative Instagram post, highlighting this arresting beauty look they co-created for Charli XCX. Stepping out at the Toronto International Film Festival, the singer sports mermaid waves alongside her subtle make-up base.
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Havana Rose Liu
At the Toronto International Film Festival, Havana’s angelic beauty look incorporates loose, natural-effect waves tended to by Jacob Rozenberg, and a doll-like dusting of rose pigments across her mien by make-up artist Misha.
