Chloe Bennet Calls Out Makeup Artists Who Try to ‘Open’ Her ‘Asian’ Eyes

As a half-Chinese actress, Chloe Bennet has been outspoken about racism in Hollywood. The 26-year-old has spoken in-depth about the difficult decision she made to change her last name from Wang to Bennet to land roles in an industry that has historically left out Asian and Asian-American actors. Now, the “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” star is speaking out against the beauty industry and makeup artists who try to erase her Asian features by attempting to “open” her almond-shaped eyes.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Bennet, who recently partnered with J-beauty brand SK-II, opened up about her relationship with her Asian features and how, when she does her own makeup, she likes to accentuate them, instead of hiding them to play up her half-white background. Bennet’s preference to show off her natural Asian features is in stark contrast to many makeup artists whom she has worked with in the past who she said try to make her eyes look bigger, instead of highlighting her natural almond shape.

“I really like accentuating my Asian features and the the almond eye shape that I have. For a long time, a lot of makeup artists would try to open my eyes really wide and I felt like I didn’t look like myself and like it changed the shape of my face,” Bennet said.

Source: Instagram

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Olivia Munn, who is also half-Chinese, has also been open about how makeup can change an Asian person’s features. In an interview with Byrdie, the actress talked about the difference between working with an Asian makeup artist who knows how to accentuate Asian features and one who does not. Munn cited two appearances, one where she was glammed by Asian-American artist Patrick Ta and another where she wasn’t, where she looked drastically different.

“I’m Chinese and white, and I actually have more of a Chinese bone structure but more white features, and little things completely transform my face,” Munn said. “Like putting shimmer in the corner of my eyes can make me look cross-eyed. There are some people who can wear any makeup style, and they will look beautiful. But for me, I can see drastic changes. Like when I work with other makeup artists, sometimes they’ll do the same thing to me that they’ve done to a lot of white girls, and it doesn’t work.”

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Double eyelid surgeries, a plastic surgery to make the eyes look bigger, are some of the most popular procedures in Asia. It’s important that Bennet and Munn are speaking out against westernized beauty standards and encouraging Asian people to embrace their natural features, instead of change them. We hope makeup artists take note.