Ziyi Zhang in Memoirs of a Geisha
Make-up by Noriko Watanabe
When Zhang’s character Sayuri was a housekeeper, at school, or at home, she had a fresh young look. Watanabe wanted to show that Sayuri had the kind of natural beauty that made her stand out to be chosen as a geisha.
Skin care: Kiehl's make-up remover and Dr. Hauschka cleansing lotion to give a mini-facial at the end of each day. For exterior shots, Kiehl's sunblock was used under the make-up.
Foundation: Mix of MAC 15, Clinique in Ivory and a Shu Uemura shade. A wet sea sponge was used to mix it and apply it very thinly.
Contouring: Shinto 8, which is a very dark color, was used to accent bone structure.
Concealer: The same foundations were mixed without the sponge (so they were undiluted), then applied with a very thin brush. The key is not to overuse it.
Powder: Giorgio Armani and SK II. Watanabe waited until the actress was under the lights, then applied it lightly for a gentle glow.
Cheeks: Shu Uemera cream blush in Peach.
Eye shadow: Shu Uemura in Peach, MAC in Ivory as a reverse shade to see where the darker shade was needed, then MAC in Taupe applied lightly.
Eye liner: A little grey and brown liquid liner. For the young look shown here, it was smudged immediately. In scenes when the character needed to appear older, Watanabe extended the line to accentuate the eye shape.
Brows: A mix of brown and grey. Pencil or powder would work.
Mascara: Lancome waterproof mascara. Brushed the lashes with a clean brush after applying so just color remained, no texture.
Lips: Applied foundation with lip brush to create lip shape instead of using liner. This makes lips appear natural and plump. Gloss is Stella in Peach.
Contacts: Blue-grey contacts were worn.