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- How MasterChef Judge Melissa Leong’s Lipstick Never Smudges While Tasting Food
How MasterChef Judge Melissa Leong’s Lipstick Never Smudges While Tasting Food
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There are some mysteries we will never be able to wrap our heads around when it comes to the MasterChef kitchen.
But the biggest one of all is, how does Melissa Leong‘s lipstick never appear smudged when she is constantly tasting food?
It’s a question I’ve asked myself many times and as it turns out, so has Twitter.
@fooderati Melissa Leong, women around Australia want to know how your lipstick does not move at all when you taste the dishes? @masterchefau #MasterChefAU
— Lisa Jones (@LisaJon02778115) May 3, 2020
Besides Po, I also stan Melissa Leong’s red lipstick. YUM! #MasterChefAU
— Josh Daveta (@JoshDaveta) April 13, 2020
If it hasn’t happened yet, a beauty brand seriously needs to sign up Melissa Leong @fooderati as a lipstick ambassador. HOW do you always keep it looking so perfect even whilst eating the messiest of foods!?! Teach me your ways 🙌#MasterChefAU pic.twitter.com/vnccg6pvRx
— Jacynth Bassett (@JacynthBassett) August 18, 2020
How does Melissa Leong’s lipstick stay intact even after so many rounds of food tasting 🤷🏻♀️
— RR (@ramya_ranjini) June 17, 2020
Anyone who has has tried to keep lipstick in place while chowing down on a bowl of food knows it’s no easy task. So what’s the trick? Melissa herself lifted the cloche on the answer.
“My secret? I know people are dying to know it,” Melissa previously told 10 daily. “It’s having a full-time hair and makeup artist that attends to Jock, Andy and myself.”
Of course, us mere mortals don’t have a makeup artist nearby to top up our lipstick between mouthfuls. But another trick is using a lipstick specifically formulated to last.
“Long wearing lipsticks are great, and we love having MAC Cosmetics as a sponsor for the show,” Melissa said in 2020.
“But I have a handful of go-to’s that I trust to wear well, and the rest is up to [hair and makeup artist] Maureen Moriarty, our mama hen, to make sure hairs are in place and lipstick stays put.”
Maureen explained she applies Melissa’s lipstick in the morning, after lunch and then in the late afternoon.
“It’s MAC matte lippies — they stay on!” she said.
And in Maureen’s makeup bag are some iconic MAC lipsticks including Ruby Woo, Lady Danger and Velvet Teddy, as well as Pigeon Pair, Down To An Art, Mangrove, Chili and Sultry Move.
A red MAC lip pencil also helps to keep everything in place.
Also used are Charlotte Tilbury’s Red Hot Susan, Glowing Jen, and In Love With Olivia, with Melissa’s lipstick choices ranging from bright reds and vibrant pinks to more subtle nude shades.
Melissa has become as synonymous with her bold lip colours as her statement earrings, both tying in perfectly with her outfits in each and every episode.
“I’ve always worn a bold lip and a strong earring, so it’s funny that it’s become such ’thing’ when I’ve rocked this for years,” she said.
“We can only hope in life to find our own style and a strong lip or accessory can be like a piece of armour, I like that.”
But Melissa’s look isn’t the only to be considered, with everything from her outfit to her accessories having to tie in with her fellow judges Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo.
“We don’t just turn up and accidentally look cohesive as an ensemble,” she said.
“We are a team and we are dressed as a trio, while still maintaining a sense of our own comfort and personality within that.”
Getting the balance right between all three of the judges’ outfits is something that’s considered ‘every single day’ during filming.
“The way Andy, Jock and I look together is thought out, and deliberate,” Melissa said.
“Textures, tones, it’s all about harmony visually… even if the audience don’t pick up on that.”
