When I first got into kbeauty, I started to follow a handful of makeup artists and influencers on Youtube – one of the first being Pony. She’s a very famous Korean youtuber who got her start with a makeup blog and a resulting how-to book, but she has since moved on to be a beauty creator with her own channel and a bunch of brand collaborations. I respect her a lot as a beauty influencer, as I find that she has a lot of personal tips to share, which are especially good for people wanting to improve their own skills or to experiment (but perhaps not as relevant for professional make up artists). That being said, when I found out that she was coming to Sydney for a Masterclass, I bought tickets right away! All of her videos and tutorials are great for people who want to improve and learn to do make up for themselves (me included), while also exploring some more professional and artistic techniques and styles too.
I was also really excited because I rarely get the chance to meet these big Youtubers in person – especially one from Asia! Only a handful of people will come to Australia so most of our events are generally Aussie Youtubers only. I was also really excited to see Pony in person because… goodness, she is just so pretty and I think I just needed visual proof that she actually exists in this realm. LOL.
This isn’t going to be much of a blog post but I generally just wanted to share some photos from the day. Here we go!
So this masterclass took place at Myer Sydney – I was surprised that they didn’t do one in Melbourne as well, but I have no complaints! It was in a different place to the previous Tina Yong Masterclass that I attended and was also run a bit different. We were all essentially watching and listening as Pony ran the workshop, whereas in my previous experience, we also got to play with the products and test it out ourselves. This was a workshop in partnership with Shiseido so I actually expected to learn more about the products instead of just watching her use them (and, of course, she used only their products from their new colour line). I actually don’t think I got as much from this workshop as I did the previous one, especially because the translator wasn’t great either (correction: she was monotonous even with a script and there were multiple times when Pony actually stared at her waiting for her to translate), but I still enjoyed it.
Pony, unlike a lot of other beauty influencers online, has a more professional approach to how she teaches and talks to her viewers. Her tips are all very relevant and she also explains herself very thoroughly (or what the translator did repeat anyway) so you can tell that she really wants to impart her knowledge and experiences on people. A few quick tips from her:
- Start off with skincare and use your ring finger to tap in eye cream or serum – that is the finger with the least strength and pressure, so you can apply gently
- Focus your base make up (like a cushion) on drier areas that need more coverage like the cheeks and chin, but use less product on the T-zone (especially nose) to help it wear better over the day
- To set make up in place using loose powder and a brush, which is what I prefer anyway, roll and press the product into the skin to get optimum oil control and longevity
- When using the Shiseido Minimalist Whipped Powder Blush, which has a cream-powder formula, scrape the excess off of the side of the tub so that you can get a lighter and buildable application
And, really, that’s all I have to share from this masterclass!
Overall, I just wanted to share these photos because look at how beautiful Pony is! Seeing her in person is really proof that it isn’t all lighting and camera angles – she is just so beautiful and her bright, gentle personality also plays a big part in that. Truthfully, I didn’t learn a lot from this masterclass that I didn’t already know from watching her videos and I wish that Shiseido had allowed people to experiment with the new products – but I don’t regret the experience at all. We did get a small gift bag from the event, but it was just a mini lipstick (which I haven’t used yet but will because it’s a beautiful red) and a mini make up remover (which I will keep for travel).
For those who don’t know, Shiseido is currently undergoing a big rebrand. In the past, they have been well known for their skincare but they are now pushing their colour cosmetics as well to target a younger, new audience. If executed well, this could be a great opportunity for them to refresh their brand identity. The beauty industry has developed so much and so fast in the past few years that a lot of these luxury brands seem to be falling behind. There have been so many brands just as reputable, more accessible and affordable, with more on-trend products – especially with the launch of beauty giants like Sephora and, to a slightly lesser extent, Mecca. Brands like Shiseido need to keep developing and keeping on top of beauty trends , while also keeping in mind the level of affordability and quality that consumers are now accustomed to.
There were a few products that I was interested to try out – like their new Whipped Powder Blush and the multi-use Inkartist – but I’m actually more interested to see how they go with this rebrand! I’m hoping that they get a lot more media attention as they roll out more of these new cosmetic products and (hopefully) do further influencer marketing. Shiseido shouldn’t lose their original luxury audience in lieu of targeting this new consumer group, but I’m glad that they are now aware of how the industry has changed and are taking action to chase that!