🏆 Winter Olympic Makeup Breakdown: Alysa Liu
The Detail Everyone Saw — But Few Analysed
After winning Olympic gold, Alysa Liu didn’t just celebrate.
She asked for her lip oil.
That moment wasn’t random.
It was intentional.
She was holding a Rare Beauty Lip Oil — a brand built around mental health awareness. Every shade is named after an emotion.
The shade she held? Many argued that it was the shade “Delight.”
Delight means quiet joy.
Not pressure. Not expectation.
Just happiness.
And this was her comeback.
After stepping away from competitive skating and speaking openly about burnout and pressure, she returns — and wins gold.
Performance makeup at this level is not accidental.
It’s narrative.
Looking for an affordable alternative to the Rare Beauty Lip Oil based on your undertone?
The Full Makeup Breakdown
Let’s break down the look itself.
Base: Lightweight, Performance-Safe
Foundation alternative:
If you want a similar lightweight, movement-proof base, look for a skin tint with flexible coverage rather than a full matte foundation.
A good example is Maybelline Super Stay 24H Skin Tint — it gives breathable coverage that moves with the skin instead of sitting on top of it.
The goal isn’t full glam.
It’s performance-friendly skin.
This isn’t influencer glam.
It’s built for movement, sweat and arena lighting.
Heavy base cracks.
Light base moves with the skin.
Eyes: Dramatic, Arena-Visible Liner
Her eyeliner reads more Korean-style than Western glam.
• Horizontally extended
• Not overly lifted
• Strong lash emphasis
• Inner corner precision
Why?
Because Olympic makeup must read from a distance.
It frames the eyes in motion without looking harsh up close.
If you’re recreating the eye look, avoid soft pencil formulas that fade.
A waterproof liner (for example KIKO Milano Unlimited Precision Automatic Eyeliner) will give you the clean, extended definition that holds under movement and heat.
Blush: Controlled Flush
Her blush isn’t dramatic draping.
It’s controlled.
• Soft placement
• Not overly high
• Balanced with lip shine
A lower placement matches her natural flush instead of clashing with it.
It supports the look without competing with the lips.
Neutral universal blush option:
For a universally flattering flush, a rosy tint like e.l.f. Cheek Tint in Cherry Cola is a great option. It sits between traditional cool and warm tones, and its sheer, buildable formula allows your undertone to influence the final result — helping it read naturally across many skin tones.
Why This Look Harmonizes So Naturally With Alysa Liu’s Undertone
There’s a reason this makeup didn’t read “trendy.”
It read balanced.
In a gold vs. silver comparison, her skin clearly harmonizes with warmth. The gold in her costume doesn’t overpower her — it blends seamlessly into her complexion. That’s the first clue. The warmth is already there.
The same harmony shows in her halo blonde hair. That golden tone around her face doesn’t wash her out or turn brassy. It brightens her. If her undertone leaned cool, that level of gold would compete with her skin. Instead, it enhances it.
Her lip and blush follow the same principle. They don’t sit on top of the skin or pull away from it. They move with her natural colouring. Nothing looks disconnected or overly sharp — everything feels integrated.
When skin, hair and makeup share undertone, colour stops looking like product.
It starts looking like harmony.
That’s why this look feels intentional rather than dramatic.
It’s not about a specific shade — it’s about temperature alignment.
Shade Recommendations
E.l.f. Plumping Lip Oil is the perfect alternative for Rare Beauty Lip Oil.
Why? Because it has high shine, it’s infused with moisturising Jojoba Oil and it ads a plumped up finish.
Here’s how to adjust based on undertone.
COOL UNDERTONE (blue-based flush)
If berry and blue-red shades suit you best:
Choose:
• Blue-based rose like Rose Envy
• Cool mauve like Money Mauve
• Berry with purple undertone like Jam Session
NEUTRAL UNDERTONE (balanced harmony)
If both warm and cool shades work — but overly bright tones overwhelm you:
Choose:
• Muted rose like Rose Envy (leaning cool)
• Soft mauve like Money Mauve (leaning cool)
• Balanced pink-brown like Honey Talks (leaning warm)
Neutral doesn’t mean boring.
It means controlled harmony.
WARM UNDERTONE (peach, coral, golden)
If coral and orange-based tones make you glow:
Choose:
• Peach gloss like Coral Fixation
• Warm pink like It’s Giving Guava
• Warm Coral Red like Red Delicious
Blue-based berry may pull grey instead of glowy.
Product Logic (Luxury + Affordable Options)
You don’t need the exact Olympic product.
You need:
• Correct undertone
• Correct depth
• Controlled saturation
• Glossy, lightweight formula
Affordable alternatives that match undertone profiles exist across brands.
It’s not the packaging.
It’s the colour inside.
The Bigger Picture
Alysa Liu’s Olympic makeup wasn’t heavy.
It wasn’t trend-driven.
It was intentional.
Lightweight base.
Performance liner.
Controlled blush.
Emotion-coded lip oil.
That’s not vanity.
That’s presence.
Not Sure About Your Undertone?
(Some links may be affiliate links.)