Anthea Bueno at the Full Spectrum Masterclass. Photo by Excel Panlaque
Beauty trends come and go, but good makeup skills last forever. At the first Full Spectrum Masterclass, makeup artist Anthea Bueno dives deep into her techniques, along with fellow makeup artists Mark Qua and Jelly Eugenio.
If you ask other people how they would describe Anthea Bueno, they might say that she’s “shy.” But there’s nothing shy about her work. As timid and introverted as she may appear to be, the Filipina makeup artist has over a decade of experience in the industry and has worked with the country’s leading publications, celebrities, and brands. Now, she demonstrates her expertise through the first Full Spectrum Masterclass, along with fellow makeup artists Mark Qua and Jelly Eugenio.
“Polished” is a word associated with makeup looks. But for Bueno, a look that’s “too perfect” is a bit uncanny. During her masterclass with her celebrity muse, Janine Gutierrez, she shares her fondness for makeup looks that still “look like skin” as she demonstrates how she achieves glowy skin for editorial shoots. She also puts a twist on the red lips by adding texture to the classic lip color.
On doing editorial makeup
In doing editorial makeup, Bueno’s process is more collaborative. “My process is asking first,” she says. “What’s the story behind the shoot? What are the clothes? How does the designer want to portray the model wearing the clothes?”
Assessment is the first step in Bueno’s editorial makeup routine. Aside from collaborating with other creatives, Bueno has to know the model’s skin type, environmental factors, and the photographer’s treatment to deliver the right kind of look. Yet, no matter what shoot she’s working on, Bueno’s makeup principles stay consistent: less is more.
During her masterclass, Bueno demonstrates this throughout each step of the application process. Applying coverage in areas where she feels that it’s needed, putting just enough powder in the right places, and when it comes to applying dimensions to the face, she focuses on enhancing the model’s features. Her makeup style focuses more on “mimicking what skin usually looks like” and showing “minimal visible products.”
It may feel counterintuitive, but throughout her experience in editorial makeup, Bueno learned that it’s alright to see imperfections because “skin has to look like skin.” Skin texture, she says, is good for photos, and natural features give the face more “character.”
When asked during the Q and A session about where she finds her inspiration for makeup looks, Bueno simply says that it’s everywhere. “You can see different color combinations from paintings, from structures, and different things. Parang mas magkakaroon ka ng creative juice (You’ll have more creative juice) when you see other things, ” she says. he continues, “Sometimes it doesn’t help when you see what’s there on your makeup palette, because sometimes inspiration comes from everywhere.”
On social media and beauty trends
As a child, Bueno had no interest in makeup, always seeing it as a form of “vanity.” However, when she saw John Galliano’s Fall 2009 show, it changed her perception of the art form. Bueno was entranced by the Russian doll-inspired makeup looks by Pat McGrath, which featured frostbitten cheeks and kohled eyes with silver tears. “When I saw that specific look on the runway, I was changed. It’s a form of art that I’ve never seen before. And it’s a different set of canvas, a different set of tools that I can explore,” she says. “And it just gave me so much excitement that I decided on becoming a makeup artist all of a sudden.”
Bueno then began to learn how to do makeup through workshops and watching YouTube video tutorials, scouring for every opportunity to learn about the craft. After over a decade of gaining experience as a makeup artist, Bueno now establishes herself as one of the best in the country, having worked with multiple publications and brands.
Many things have changed since Bueno’s early days as a makeup artist. The rise of social media and online content has made makeup more accessible to the masses, with makeup tutorials, hauls, and reviews uploaded on various platforms. For Bueno, this shift has not only influenced the way most people view makeup but also the relationship between editorial looks and beauty trends. “I feel like editorials and runway trends influence social media,” she says. “It goes both ways. Trends and runways take inspiration from social media as well, because of diversity and everything they take into consideration, things that are happening on social media.”
Citing Pat McGrath’s porcelain makeup look for the Margiela SS24 couture show, she notes how beauty content creators have turned McGrath’s creations into a social media trend by recreating the couture makeup look. “Everyone’s been doing it on social media, and I’m so happy because I’ve been a fan of Pat. Like I said in the program, she is the reason why I did makeup. And I’m so happy that social media is celebrating her all over again,” she says.
According to Bueno, this accessibility has unleashed a new wave of creative freedom. “A regular person can do a Pat McGrath trend now. When before, we had to research the deepest, darkest internet sites just to find the secret of how to do runway editorial makeup. And now it’s free for all,” she says. “People are celebrating makeup in a way that it hasn’t been celebrated before. It’s interesting because you can go with everything. There’s so much creative freedom everywhere now.”
This sentiment is echoed in the masterclass, where the three makeup artists freely educated and encouraged aspiring makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts. When asked how she felt about the masterclass, Bueno expressed her excitement and nervousness over the event. “Oh my god! I felt like I died. Because this is one way of torturing someone who’s an introvert,” she says. “But I am so happy. I know it’s such a privilege to be standing here with two of the best makeup artists that there are, and I’m so happy to be doing it with both of them because they gave me the push I needed to do this. And I’m so excited that I got to impart some of the knowledge throughout years of doing print media work.”
With all her years of knowledge and experience combined, Bueno shares one piece of advice for aspiring makeup artists: “Always be open because there’s always a new idea that will be resurfacing every now and then. Just keep on trying out new trends and different materials. Because you’ll never know if one day you’ll be the one setting the trends.”
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