Chinese state media Guangming Daily recently published a scathing commentary on artistes who put on heavy make-up, adding fuel to the Chinese government's crackdown on 'bad habits' in Chinese showbiz.

The article called out stars who “look good but don’t know how to act”, use body doubles excessively, and request for their faces to be heavily filtered before they go on a live broadcast.

While the paper didn’t name any celebs, other media outlets have listed stars such as singers Liu Yu, Cai Xukun and Liu Yuxin, as well as actress Dilireba among those who have been guilty of abusing make-up to mask their looks.

Guangming Daily said that such practices have caused dramas and movies in recent years to plummet in quality as funds were used on “unnecessary areas” that compromised the production value of the projects.

The writer also slammed those who “used heavy make-up to make themselves completely unrecognisable” on-screen.

The article then proceeded to criticise male artistes who use “smoky eye make-up and lipstick to look feminine”, with the writer saying that men should look “tough and determined” instead.

The writer then declared that heavy make-up should be banned, adding that “getting rid of that effeminate air [around male celebs] takes more than removing their make-up”.

It was then suggested that these men need to “want to change from the bottom of their hearts” and use their “true beauty and talent” to prove themselves.

Um, okay.

Photos: PBE Media, HK01