When Kim Chiu entered the studio for her July 2024 cover shoot with Preview, she immediately made a bee-line toward her makeup artist Jake Galvez. The two hugged as the actress enthusiastically greeted him with a happy birthday, albeit a couple of days belated. A little later, the glam area burst into song as Kim brought out a cake for the celebrant.
In a chat with Preview, Jake expressed that such scenarios are common when you work with someone as personable as Kim. 13 out of the 18 years the Kapamilya star has been in show business has involved sitting down in Jake's makeup chair. Throughout their time together, they've collaborated on countless looks for concerts, campaigns, magazine spreads, and more.
In between layouts during the shoot, we sat down with Jake and learned more about his process of glamming up the "chinita princess"
Jake Galvez on Being Kim Chiu's Makeup Artist
Hi Jake! So what did you think of the looks you did for Kim at today's shoot?
"Today's look is very different from Kim's usual makeup. She's usually really glammed up. Her usual makeup [consists of] full and dark brows and full on lashes, but for today, we opted for something that's very light."
"[It's] light in terms of the foundation, the powder, and the brows. Something very soft. She's not wearing any eyeshadow or eyeliner, [and she has] 'barely there' eyelashes [with her] extensions on. It's a look that we don't usually do every day."
I see. Over the years, how did you and Kim develop her signature makeup look?
"Kim's signature makeup is very Asian [in style], inspired by Thai and Korean makeup. Those are our inspirations when creating beauty looks. Basically, we do more of soft glam makeup. We usually like using nude tones with winged eyeliner and very diffused lips. That's something that's very current and very light."
How did you actually start doing Kim's makeup?
"I started doing makeup for Kim when she was looking for someone who specializes in chinita makeup looks. During the time [before we met], I was focused on doing makeup for a lot of Chinese or chinita clients, so that's how she discovered me.
"She started to have me do her makeup for live shows such as ASAP. And then after that, we started working together for all of the shoots and campaigns."
How would you describe Kim as a client?
"She knows her face very well. When I started working with her, she already knew what she wanted. Eventually, through the years, we were able to collaborate on certain looks that needed some changes. I would go, 'I think this is too much,' or 'I think we should change the color of your brows.' Eventually, she listened. "
Would you say she is someone who follows beauty trends or is she really set on a particular look?
"We used to do a lot of trendy makeup, especially since [she's part of an industry] wherein we do a lot of looks. You know, one day you look like a K-pop star, and the next, you're a rock star. We created so many looks through the years."
"But right now, we're kind of on the safe side, probably because she's actually grown up and some looks don't really suit her anymore. I think she's more mature in terms of the looks that we create together."
Why do you think she's gravitated towards that soft glam look now that she's matured?
"Because that's a look that's best suited for her face. She knows her face very well. There are some celebrities that [want to look] really made up, and there are some celebrities who don't want to wear as much makeup."
"Kim is the type of celebrity who wants to look like a celebrity. She loves makeup and she knows how to put it on. She knows what she wants."
What would you say is her favorite part of putting on makeup?
"I think she likes doing her brows and eyes because those are the most important parts for her. She always wants her eyes to look big and to be expressive. Must-haves in her makeup kit include a really good blush, something for the brows, eyeliner, and a nude lipstick or gloss"
So how is Kim as a friend?
"Oh my gosh. With her, what you see is what you get. She's very honest. She's very generous. I've been working with her for 12 to 13 years now, and, you know, working with her is such a breeze. She's so easy to work with. Of course, [part of it is] because I already know what she wants."
"As a friend, she's so fun to be with. We've traveled together and we have the same passion for eating and shopping."
So to wrap up, what's something about the "chinita princess" that her fans would be pleasantly surprised to know?
"I'm trying to think because she posts everything on Instagram already... [I guess it's that] she loves her glam team very much. She takes care of us. Like I said, I've been working with her for almost 13 years now. [And through the years], she's been very kind. She will never forget our birthdays."
Read Kim Chiu's Preview July 2024 cover story here.
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