9 makeup tips from PONY that will give you a healthy, glowing look with half the effort

With a massive number of followings on both Instagram and Youtube, nobody can deny that Pony (also known as Park Hye Min) is one of Korea’s top beauty gurus. Believe it or not, PONY was originally a graphic designer! It started off with posting makeup videos online, which soon amassed a cult following on YouTube and caught the attention of other publishers. YouTube proved to be a turning point for her career, and Pony has since published four makeup books.

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She has also made a name for herself in the K-Pop scene when she became 2NE1 lead singer CL’s makeup artist in 2015, creating effortless and chic looks that brought CL’s image and style to the next level. With her growing success, Pony then collaborated with Memebox and eventually established her own brand, Pony Effect.

On her Youtube Channel, PONY Syndrome (previously known as PONY Makeup), viewers can find vlogs on top of her famous makeup tutorials. From bold celebrity transformation tutorials (we bet you’ve seen her Taylor Swift one) to your regular everyday look, Pony never disappoints with the diversity she includes in her videos. There’s really nothing that you can’t find on her channel! For international viewers, do not fret if you don’t understand Korean because all her videos include English subtitles.

Whether you’re a makeup novices or expert, we have listed down some makeup tips that any one can try their hands at. You have our word when we say PONY swears by it!

1. Makeup sponges = healthy-looking skin

Using a damp makeup sponge to apply foundation and/or concealer will help it blend seamlessly. The moisture from the damp sponge will also add in a bit of hydration to your look, creating a more radiant, natural finish that looks like healthy skin!

You can use a BeautyBlender, or you can also use other more affordable sponges from Daiso, or the Skinfood wedge puff (available at Guardian).

2. Always colour correct

Most of us don’t have an even skin tone, with darkness underneath the eyes, or redness in other areas of our faces. Foundation will only make these less obvious but not entirely invisible, unless you really cake on a full-coverage foundation. That’s where colour correcting comes into play.

Before applying foundation, Pony recommends using a peach-based primer or colour correcting cream to brighten up dull complexion, or even to better conceal darkness under the eyes. To cancel out redness, opt for a mint/green base. This sounds like an extra step but it will actually make your skin tone look way more even with way less foundation!

3. Cream-based concealers have better coverage

We all know what concealers do, but how do you make sure you are maximising yours? Liquid concealers have a wide range of consistencies, and it’s usually a fine balance between coverage and cakiness.

To conceal pesky spots or marks, Pony recommends using a cream-based concealer for better coverage! With a concealer brush, simply apply on the spot or mark, and the area around it. Be sure to carefully blend the concealer, fading it around the area for a flawless finish.

4. Draw more eyelashes on your lower lash line

We know this sounds a bit nuts, but hear this out. Try using a brown waterproof pen liner, and draw vertical lines close to your lower lash lines that mimics eyelashes. Brown is preferred as it is subtler, and won’t look as harsh on your lash line as black would. You don’t have to clump up that mascara anymore just to achieve a fuller-looking lash line!

Additionally, you can also make your eyes stand out more by applying black liner on the upper waterline (below your lashes, on the rim of your upper eyelid), and then using a brown liner above the upper lash line (where most of us would draw our regular eyeliner).

5. Set your makeup everywhere – except your cheeks

Setting powder is almost essential in Singapore if we don’t want our makeup to start melting off our faces after lunch time. You can continue doing that, but Pony recommends avoiding your cheek area.

It actually makes a lot of sense: your cheeks are the only place where you apply more powder products on top of your foundation, such as blusher and contour, so adding setting powder on top of that increases the chances of it caking up.

6. Use concealers as your highlighter and contour

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Not a fan of using traditional highlighters and contours, or you’re simply not sure where to even begin? Try finding concealers that is two shades lighter than your skin tone for a highlighter, and two shades darker for a contour.

Apply the highlighter down the highest point of your nose, on your cupid’s bow above your lips, the middle of your chin and forehead. Always make sure you blend, blend, blend! Use a damp makeup sponge as before mentioned for a dewy and radiant effect.

The darker concealer, or your contour shade, should be applied below your cheekbones, roughly where sideburns might begin, down towards your mouth (but draw it only two-thirds of the way or so). Once again, blend and blend again for a more defined look.

7. Recycle some eyeshadow to define your nosebridge

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If you feel that the area around your nose is flat, apply a matte ash brown shade to the side of your eye, around the nose bridge, nose tip and blend! This mimics the shadows produced when light is reflected off your face, giving it more definition and a fuller look.

8. Extend the lasting power of your blush

Blush is one of those products that always looks great when you first apply it, but then halfway through the day, it seems to have completely disappeared off your face.

Instead, Pony recommends using a cream blusher on top of your foundation, then followed by a powder blusher of a similar shade on top of it. This will set the cream blush, and extend the lasting power of the general colour on your cheeks!

9. Plump up your lips in a matter of seconds

Think your lips are too thin, and want something a bit more like Kylie Jenner? After applying your lipstick, use a lip brush to blend it just ever so slightly over your natural lip line. Of course, don’t go overboard with this, or your lipstick will look messily applied. This tip may require a bit of practice!

Did you know that Pony has also recently released her own makeup line, and it is available in Singapore, too? Read all about it here!