Next month, when the parade of Met Gala attendees streams through the latest Costume Institute exhibition, “China: Through the Looking Glass,” they will be met with a visual feast that spans centuries and continents. A slinky one-shoulder dress by Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent calls to mind a Qing Dynasty court robe; a voluminous Roberto Cavalli design reinterprets blue-and-white porcelain. Of course, China has supplied the fashion world with more than just inspiration: An increasing number of today’s most sought-after models call the country home. With that in mind, we tracked down six runway favorites, from all-star Liu Wen to newcomer Luping Wang, to talk about local beauty traditions and the skin-care lessons passed down from mothers and grandmothers.
LIU WEN
The 27-year-old Yongzhou native, known for her winsome dimples and sporty street style, celebrates her fifth anniversary as a face of Estée Lauder this month (she’s the first China-born model to hold the title). These days she shuttles between New York City and Beijing, “but most of the time I feel like I live in airports all over the world,” Wen says. Her powerhouse status is clear no matter how you crunch the numbers: 855,000 followers on Instagram—and another nine million on the Chinese microblogging site, Weibo.
What’s your first childhood beauty memory?
My mom styled her hair a certain way: shoulder-length and curly. As a child, I thought that was very womanly. She was also very good at putting on eyeliner, but it wasn’t via makeup. She would go to a beauty parlor and have the black outlines lasered on!
Any local beauty rituals you observed at home?
We used raw egg whites directly as face masks. Of course, there were cucumbers on the eyes, too! For Chinese New Year, we drew a red dot at the center of our foreheads; I think it was for good fortune. It went along well with the red clothing we were expected to wear for the holiday.
Can you define the Chinese beauty ideal?
Where I’m from, good skin was a great indicator of beauty. But on the inside, beauty always meant a woman with a warm heart and a diligent spirit.
Who is your beauty icon?
My true icon is my mom, but outside of the family, the actress Gong Li was one for myself and many others.
Any natural remedies you swear by?
I love to boil the fruits of the Chinese soap-pod locust tree in water and use that as shampoo. You can also boil wormwood plants in water and use it as soap for the skin; it helps reduce irritation and rashes. And whenever I go back to China, I buy a lot of red dates and goji berries. They’re great to put in water, tea, or congee to drink or eat. The result helps your skin stay healthy and glowing.
FEI FEI SUN
With her regal cheekbones and wide-set eyes, the 26-year-old has become a regular in the pages of Vogue and appeared on the magazine’s cover this past September alongside her fellow Instagirls. Hailing from Weifang, in Shangdong Province, the model has logged miles on the runways (including Chanel, Givenchy, and Alexander Wang) and on the streets of Manhattan, her adopted hometown.
What’s your first childhood beauty memory?
My mother’s red lips and her curly hair—when I was six years old, she would bring me to the hairdresser.
Any local beauty habits you observed at home?
My mother often told me to apply sunscreen before I went outside in the summer. She was insistent upon it, even on days when the sunshine wasn’t so strong.
What hometown health or wellness rituals do you miss?
Healthy eating was emphasized because my parents love vegetables so much. We ate light meals prepared with less salt and oil. My mother cooked red date soup for me once a week, with walnuts, brown sugar, goji, longan meat, and red bean. My hometown has a tradition of cooking this soup because it’s really good for skin and health.
Can you define the Chinese beauty ideal?
Smooth skin, beautiful bright eyes, and a feminine smile.
Who is your beauty icon?
I have always looked up to my mother; family is very important to me. Outside of our home, I looked up to Gong Li. She’s such a beautiful woman!
XIAO WEN JU
There’s an undeniable sparkle to the energetic 22-year-old—and we’re not just talking about the Swarovski eye embellishments she wore when she closed the recent Rodarte show. Raised in Xi’an, she appeared with fellow cool kids Binx Walton, Cara Delevingne, and Sam Rollinson in the spring DKNY campaign that entertained many a taxi-riding New Yorker (of which she is one); she also cruised around Paris with Zoolander’s Derek and Hansel after their Valentino cameo.
What’s your first childhood beauty memory?
My grandma really liked using powder. She always looked chic, with her white face, red lips, and red nail polish. The only thing my mom wears is lipstick. I don’t remember the color [back then], but I still remember the taste because when she wasn’t home I tried on her lipsticks.
What beauty or health rituals from home did you take with you?
[Growing up,] my mom didn’t want me to wear any makeup. She just wanted me to have really good skin. In the summertime, she said, “Don’t go into the sun. You need an umbrella!” And she asked me to go to sleep earlier and eat healthily—fruits, vegetables. It’s all about the inside health. In my hometown, we don’t care about makeup. The only thing we really like are masks to help your skin. I use a clay mask, and also the white of the egg. I do it three times a week.
Any natural remedies you swear by?
My father cooks pork bone soup. He makes a huge, huge pot, and we drink it every day, before lunch or dinner. When you make the soup, all the pork bone’s nutrients [are released]. It’s good for collagen—it’s beauty soup!
Can you define the Chinese beauty ideal?
People here in New York City think there are so many different beauties, not only one type. In China, we still like big eyes and a high nose—that’s the classic beauty in China, although I think that’s going to change. Women curl their eyelashes; also, they put double-stick tape on their eyelids to make the eyes bigger. I did that too when I was living there!
Who’s your beauty icon?
Wang Fei [also known as Faye Wong], the singer. Watching her on MTV has been an inspiration. Also Gong Li, the actress. She’s an iconic Chinese beauty, for me—long hair, really strong face. Maggie Cheung, too.
SHU PEI QIN
Over the past five years, the 25-year-old from Kaifeng has parlayed her sculptural features and steady gaze into Maybelline ads, a Gap campaign, and, most recently, tours down the fall runways for Altuzarra and Chanel. She now splits her time between Shanghai and New York City.
What’s your first childhood beauty memory?
We used peach blossoms to paint our nails before the Chinese New Year. We picked them from our backyard. We would grind the petals, put them on our nails, and then wrap each nail with a leaf. Then we’d take them off the next morning, and we would have beautiful pink nails.
Can you define the Chinese beauty ideal?
Where I’m from, a few extra pounds give a more pleasing shape—a round face and big eyes.
Who’s your beauty icon?
Fan Bingbing, because she uses masks all the time. She takes really good care of her skin.
Any natural remedies you swear by?
I buy a lot of pu’erh tea to take to New York City. It’s a Chinese tea, produced in the Yunnan province. It cleanses the body.
What’s your favorite health or fitness destination in China?
I do NTC—Nike Training Club—at MFT studio in Shanghai.
LUPING WANG
The up-and-coming 22-year-old model from Sichuan walked in some three-dozen shows for fall, transitioning effortlessly from flushed cheeks at Michael Kors to graphic winged liner at Chanel to sporty ponytail at Stella McCartney. There’s a feline sensibility to her distinctive beauty, giving us the sense that she’ll roam far.
What’s your first childhood beauty memory?
My mother liked to wear lipstick and loved hats. She always looked elegant.
What’s the best beauty lesson you learned at home?
My mom loves cleansing and moisturizing. She taught me to keep my skin clean, eat lots of fruit, and drink plenty of water, which is essential to keep the skin moisturized. Growing up, we had a very healthy diet and regular exercise. My mother and I still like to take long walks when I am home.
Can you define the Chinese beauty ideal?
With time passing, I think that beauty is not just about how you look on the outside, but, more important, who you are and how you think. Inner beauty becomes very important with age.
Who’s your beauty icon?
I like Fei Fei Sun. She is so lovely in person. Gong Li, she is an icon for Chinese women: elegant, smart, and great acting skills. She also loves charity; she has a big heart.
Any at-home rituals you swear by?
I like doing facials, so facial masks are important to me. I use The Face Shop a lot. It helps me to clean my skin, especially to remove makeup.
JING WEN
This cinematic beauty from Guangzhou has the face for a wide-angle lens—strong brows, pillowy lips, hair that cascades over the shoulders. Now based in New York City, the 21-year-old has walked in a number of directional shows in the past few seasons, including Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Marni, and Proenza Schouler for fall.
What’s your first childhood beauty memory?
When I was a little girl, I liked to smell my mother’s hair. It was very clean and thick, with a delicate fragrance.
What’s the best beauty lesson you learned at home?
My mother and grandmother would often have to remind me to keep my nails very short and neat. They believed food for cosmetic effect is better than beauty products—for example, some soup with red dates. Being influenced by mom and grandma, I will often drink some good-for-the-skin soup or herbal tea.
Can you define the Chinese beauty ideal?
Most people don’t like too-thin girls, and a lot of women like skin that is very white.
Who are your beauty icons?
Gong Li and Maggie Cheung are my favorite Chinese actresses! I hope when I am 50 years old I can also be so elegant and beautiful.
Any favorite products from back home?
These are five classic Chinese products: Bee & Flower hair products; Helen Ou Dabao SOD honey moisturizer, Pechoin cream, Longliqi snake oil, and Liushen Florida Water.
The post 6 Chinese Models Share Their Hometown Beauty Secrets: From Egg-White Face Masks to Peach-Blossom Nails appeared first on Vogue.