Francis Lim doesn't normally wear glasses, except for Google Glass, which recorded a make-up session by the Singaporean who was recently in Bangkok to showcase how beauty meets technology.
YSL Beaute's partnership with Google equips make-up artists with the wearable tech used for filming personalised tutorials. The digital retail experience has already been launched at cosmetic counters in the US, South Korea and Hong Kong.
The Parisian brand plans to bring it to Thailand by the year-end, and Lim was in Bangkok to show how it works along with creating the spring 2015 look at Siam Paragon.
"I love technology, I love make-up. Google Glass is a good collaboration between two different industries. The retail service shows that the cosmetic counter is still the place for good advice on personalised make-up," said Lim, who's one of two YSL's Asian make-up experts.
YSL spring 2015 collection include the Ombres de Jour Couture Palette (2,900 baht) with five eyshadows.
Google Glass records images exactly as the make-up artist sees them, as well as his voice as he goes through each step, resulting in a video that is later emailed to the client.
"Women can go on YouTube to watch tutorials. They can pick up certain tips and techniques but the cosmetics used and the make-up look may not suit them," he said. "YSL's interactive tutorial shows the 'before and after' and a list of products used to get a flattering tailor-made look that women can recreate by themselves."
Basic tutorials can be on complexion, eye or lip make-up. Clients tend to request eye make-up the most, he observed, and they can learn how to get one of the brand's signature styles: Cat-flick, Edgy and Tuxedo eyes.
"Doing the eyes is always challenging as you have to consider the eye shape and use techniques to create dimension and accentuate the eyes," Lim said. "When we demonstrate it on a client, they are closing their eyes so they don't get to see the process. But via Google Glass, the takeaway make-up session helps them get the sexy Cat-flick or smoky Tuxedo eyes."
At the Siam Paragon event, Lim demonstrated how to do the Edgy Eye look by using the Couture Palette from the spring 2015 Desir de Jour collection.
This make-up style gives structure and depth to the eyes, firstly by lining the eye with a pencil and blending it into the crease before applying a wash of eyeshadow on the lid, then curling the lashes and applying mascara to the upper and lower fringe.
"YSL is known for using bright colours in past seasons. But the spring 2015 look involves pink and earth-tone colours. This is a polished day look so we don't want to use crazy colours," he said of the make-up inspired by Catherine Deneuve in the 1967 movie Belle De Jour.
The spring look also emphasises a fresh and radiant complexion created with the newly-launched Fusion Ink Foundation, whose 24-hour staying power is inspired by ink, its dispenser is inspired by the way a calligrapher would dip a quill onto a pot of ink, and the plume applicator designed with an ant-drip guard.
Fusion Ink Foundation (2,400 baht).
The easy-to-blend foundation is also long-lasting and sweat-proof, ideal for combination to oily skin and wearability in Southeast Asia's hot and humid climate.
Creating the perfect complexion needs a customised approach too, Lim noted, with the difference in skin types, tones and problems determining the skincare and make-up products.
"Skincare products play a big part in priming the skin so that you can use a minimum amount of foundation," he said. "The complexion tutorial starts with preliminary advice on this, and shows techniques such as using a buffing brush to perfectly apply foundation."
Lim has been a make-up artist for more than 10 years, seeing an increasing number of beauty products that may confuse consumers on what would work best for them.
"Again, you can get the best advice at the cosmetic counters and test the innovations there. YSL step-by-step make-up tutorial via Google Glass demonstrates our commitment in educating and empowering women to do their own make-up, and it's just a matter of practice to be good at it," Lim said.
YSL Beaute sexy spring 2015 look.
