Wear Realistic Virtual Makeup With Meitu’s MakeupPlus x Lisa Eldridge

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have Lisa Eldridge do your makeup like Gigi Hadid’s? Even if the thought has never crossed your mind — understandable, as it sounds like a far-fetched request — we can’t imagine anyone refusing that offer. Fans of the British glam guru know exactly why her YouTube videos have such a huge, loyal following. As one of the original beauty voices on the platform, she basically pioneered (and perfected!) the art of makeup tutorials everyone wants to copy. Now, she’s taking her formidable talents to a whole new level by partnering with Meitu’s cool app, MakeupPlus. We wanted to know exactly how the MakeupPlus x Lisa Eldridge partnership went down, so we went straight to the source.

“Someone showed me the app, and I was wowed by the representation of makeup on the face,” says Lisa. In case you’re unfamiliar, Meitu is the largest beauty app developer in the world, and has racked up over 1 billion unique downloads since its founding. MakeupPlus is their vitual makeup try-on app, which uses a patented facial recognition system to mimic realistic product application. Think Snapchat filters, but way more precise. “There are over 200 points on the face that we map out,” says Liz Goodno, global marketing communication manager at Meitu. “It allows the makeup to appear very natural.”

Lisa says that’s exactly what drew her to the partnership. “Everything looked so real and subtle and well-blended,” she recalls. “I thought it would be fun for my viewers to try on the makeup in one of my videos instantly — and for free — and see how it looks on them. You might go out and buy all the products, but if you try it on, you might say, ‘Oh no, the red lip’s not for me.’ Or, you might go, ‘Wow that looks amazing! I might not have worn it in a million years.’ It’s try before you buy, in a much better way.”

When it came down to deciding which tutorial would work best for her big MakeupPlus debut, she settled on one of her favorite combinations she’d previously done on Gigi Hadid — specifically, her cover look for Dazed magazine. “I felt it was a good one because it was quite a classic, a look that everyone would understand,” she explains. “A red lip, lashes, a cat eye. People are sometimes a little afraid to try a red lip in particular, so I thought it was a good one to do.”

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The final result is gorgeous, and you can see it unfold below. But, the real magic happens when you get to transfer it to your own face with the touch of a button, Gigi-red lip and all. If you find yourself totally enamored with the look, we took the opportunity to grab some further pointers from the iconic MUA. “I like to build up the shape,” she says. “In the tutorial, I put a layer of lipstick on first, then I blot, and then I use the pencil to create the size and shape that I want. Then, I add another coat from the bullet. Another nice way of doing it is not to overload the skin with too much foundation and other makeup, because a red lip by itself is quite a statement. It doesn’t feel vintage or dated or heavy.”

Try it on for yourself, and we’re betting you’ll feel the same way. As Lisa says, tech is definitely the future of beauty shopping. “I think it’s going to get to the point where you can shade match and shop instantly,” she predicts. “All these tools will be so tailored to your needs.”

That doesn’t mean she’s suggesting you abandon your throwback faves, though! We asked her to share her high-tech beauty essentials, but she countered with an old-school approach. “I’m a big advocate of facial massage and cleansing,” she says. “The only facial massager I like that’s not my own hands is the Darphin one. I like dry body brushing. That’s kind of old-fashioned, but I think it’s the best exfoliation.”

When it comes to tutorials, though, she’s definitely a fan of looking way ahead. While the app currently features a single look, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a whole series of Lisa Eldridge-created filters. And she’s not short on ideas, either. “I do love the kind of dark lip trend,” she muses. And I do love makeup to be quite pared-back, in terms of the skin anyway. I love a lot of the trends that encompass fresh skin, and I think highlighting is the queen of all makeup.” Consider it another win for team strobing.

“Clever highlighting is the key to good makeup,” she concludes. Well, that — and having Lisa Eldridge as your virtual MUA!

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