About Lei Zhang

Lei Zhang

Senior Artist Lei Zhang lives in Beijing. Having worked for three years at Anna Sui, she swiftly became sales manager at the brand’s flagship store. Prior to that she majored in Character Image Design at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, where she developed her skills in beauty, painting, makeup and hairdressing. “I was just crazy about makeup,” she admits, “I kept practicing, believing that one day I could become one of the best artists in China.” She is well on course to achieving her goal. With a career that spans editorial and fashion shows, as well as teaching prospective artists back home, Zhang is one of M·A·C’s most exciting young talents. Here she opens up about her style, ambition and dedication to makeup.

Building Blocks

“The goal of makeup is to make people feel beautiful and confident. I love using simple products. Anything too complex would be difficult to copy and learn. Also using too many products is difficult to maintain and does harm to the skin. When I’m teaching, I like to explain the basic skills for anyone to go away and use at home.

Screen Siren

“Films are always a source of inspiration in my work. Fashion films and even editorial and advertising campaigns can also provide lots of new ideas. I really like Japanese manga and Japanese TV dramas. I like the styles and colour schemes. Asian girls should focus on perfecting their real skin, emphasizing the eyebrows and lashes. Adding some colour on the lip and cheek in the last step to make it match the skin colour is also very popular right now. Makeup shouldn’t be used to change someone, but to bring out the person inside!

Keep it Clean

“My best bit of advice is to make sure you perfectly remove all makeup before going to sleep at night. This is the most important thing to remember. Then I’d suggest moisturizing your skin and fully massaging to reach all of the different layers. Exfoliate once a week circling the hands to polish the skin. To achieve a natural base the right brush is crucial. The 130 Short Duo Fibre Brush helps me create the perfect base when used with moisturizer and foundation.”