Celebrated Hong Kong-based Singaporean make-up artist Zing, who's known for creating unforgettable looks for Faye Wong, Sammi Cheng and Shu Qi, has all the tea to spill about these stars and who they are beneath all that foundation and blush.

In a recent interview with Chinese Youtuber AHA LOLO, Zing recalled how he first got into the beauty industry when he was just 19.

Zing would approach pretty girls at night clubs, asking if they were models and if they could let him do their make-up. He then worked for a Singaporean magazine before moving to Hong Kong in 1992 to chase his dreams. 

Zing said he really wanted to be Sandy Lam's make-up artist at that time and his wish came true on his second visit to Hong Kong.

"It was for her concert, though honestly, I didn't do her make-up. All she asked me to do was her foundation and eyebrows, every thing else was done by her and she did such a great job. I picked up a lot of techniques watching her do her own make-up. It was magnificent," he said.

In 1993, Zing became Faye's make-up artist and he created some of her most iconic looks, including the 'sunburnt' look.

He was surprised by how well-received it was at that time as he thought it was just so-so. 

He admitted that Faye was quite a challenge to do make-up for.  "Beautiful people are not necessarily easy to paint," he said, adding that he had quite a hard time working with her in the early stages. 

"It wasn't very successful. At that time I was too obsessed with my techniques and the idea of a "standard" kind of beauty. I was too hung up on doing things as a make-up artist instead of doing them as a person," he professed. 

It turned out so bad that Faye said she would "never use [him as a make-up artist] again". 

"In the end she still hired me again, right?," he laughed, adding that he and Faye slowly learnt how to work together after that incident.

Zing and the iconic "sunburnt look" he did for Faye's Sing and Play album cover in 1998.

AHA LOLO couldn't resist getting Zing to spill some tea, like, say, who looks the most different without make-up?

While he initially didn't want to reply the question, Zing eventually said: "Sammi Cheng looks very different. Carina Lau as well."

But no, he wasn't being mean.

"I never met Carina Lau in person before and only saw her with full make-up on in magazines and movies. People said she's gorgeous. I thought she was okay, until I did her make-up for the first time. She came barefaced. Wow, I got a shock. She was so beautiful. I needed to make sure my make-up could enhance her beauty," he said.

Zing said many female stars actually look better without make-up. What he does is to make sure they look better on camera. 

Zing eventually became so influential, he even got to dictate whether Heavenly King Leon Lai, who was introduced to him by Faye, should or should not wear make-up for a performance. 

Recalling how he told Leon that he had really good skin, and needed no make-up that day, Zing said: "I told him: "You need to trust my judgement, not the products I use. You hired me, not a bunch of cosmetics. Now it's up to me to decide if you need to wear make-up, or how much to use if necessary"."

And he would still get paid even if he decided that Leon didn't need make-up, by the way. 

"Of course, the money is for my judgement, that's the real purpose of a make-up artist," he asserted.

Zing also lamented how many celebrities are looking increasingly similar to one another.

He thinks it all started with Fan Bingbing and how great she looks with bright and garish make-up.

"What I mind is everyone trying to look like her, so much so that at some point everyone looked the same. I don't think that was necessary."

He continued: "There was once I saw two huge signboards and two magazine covers. I saw Fan Bingbing and thought she was really gorgeous. Then I saw Angelababy and thought she was so pretty. In the end I realised both were actually Angelababy, she really didn't have to [follow Fan Bingbing]."

Sammi Cheng's iconic Nike eyebrow was done by Zing Zing also made Shu Qi up into a very beautiful clown for a shoot Photos: hk01