{"id":168560,"date":"2025-11-11T12:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T17:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=168560"},"modified":"2026-05-22T16:14:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T20:14:30","slug":"emi-kaneko-on-her-skin-focused-approach-to-makeup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=168560","title":{"rendered":"Emi Kaneko Knows Skin Is the Ultimate Beauty Statement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><em>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent.<\/em><\/p>\n<style>\n.quote {\nline-height: 1.2em !important;\npadding: 35px 25px;\n}\n.wp-caption {\n    margin-top: 65px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141369\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141369\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2025\/11\/Emi-Kaneko-image-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"4486\" height=\"4848\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-168562\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141369\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/emi-kaneko\">Emi Kaneko<\/a> | Image courtesy of Bryant Artists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/emi-kaneko\">Emi Kaneko<\/a>, Makeup Artist<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hometown:<\/strong> Los Angeles, California<br \/>\n<strong>Based:<\/strong> New York<br \/>\n<strong>Representation:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/agency\/bryant-artists\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bryant Artists <\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>How would you describe your work? What\u2019s your trademark?<\/strong><br \/>\nPolished and very skin-focused.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you first discover your passion for makeup?<\/strong><br \/>\nLike many young girls, I was fascinated by my mother\u2019s makeup routine. She would wear this purple YSL eyeshadow every single day, and on special occasions, she would wear it with a red lip instead of her usual pink. I was obsessed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Was there a specific moment that made you realize this was your career path?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve always loved fashion. Makeup, hair, and clothes have always been my way of expressing myself without saying a word, and I\u2019ve always found power in that. When I moved to New York, I got to see models transform and come to life; they seemed so grand and magical. I was in awe of the creativity that went into it, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s your process for conceptualizing a look?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt depends on what the look is for. It\u2019s slightly different for a shoot, a show, or an event. I consider the creative direction, the clothes, the model\u2019s or talent&#8217;s features, and most importantly, the light. Lighting can completely change the outcome of a look. From there, I draw from my research and references, whether from movies, artists, or current culture. I also love collaborating with the person I\u2019m doing makeup on, since they know their face best.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are there specific materials or textures you love working with?<\/strong><br \/>\nI love skincare and a textured\/finish. These days I find myself liking a bouncy, blurred matte.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What have been the biggest challenges you\u2019ve faced professionally?<\/strong><br \/>\nWorking freelance has its ups and downs. I think wrapping my head around the fact that you\u2019ll never be everyone\u2019s cup of tea was tricky at first, but now I prefer it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s something about your job that still excites you after all these years?<\/strong><br \/>\nWorking with creative friends and colleagues.<\/p>\n<h3>Selected Work<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2025\/11\/Em-Rata.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-168564\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nEmily Ratajkowski by Larissa Hofmann<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/beyond-noise-emily\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Emily Ratajkowski for Beyond Noise<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nI love this image because I love working with Emily ( Ratajkowski,) she really knows herself, and I remember going back and forth on her lipstick color and shape, etc. She said, &#8216;What about like this?&#8217; And it worked. I love collaborating with her. <\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2025\/11\/Vogue-GP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-168565\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nGwyneth Paltrow by Venetia Scott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/british-vogue-british-vogue-november-2025-cover\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">British Vogue November 2025 Cover<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nTurning Gwyneth (Paltrow) into a character was fun. I gave her a smoldering eye with so much mascara and kept adding more of everything throughout the day. <\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2025\/11\/Chloe-S.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1348\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-168566\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nChlo\u00eb Sevigny by Charlotte Wales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Chlo\u00eb Sevigny for Choppova Lowena<\/strong><br \/>\nThis was a collaboration between Chopova Lowena, Charlotte Wales, and Chlo\u00eb Sevigny. It was a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen\u2019s The Snow Queen, written by the poet Precious Okoyomon. We had so much fun reshaping her brows, making them pencil-thin, and giving her this wide-eyed look. We created multiple looks that day. Projects like this are why I love my job.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2025\/11\/Greta-Lee-Calvin.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-168567\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nGreta Lee by Mert Alas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/calvin-klein-calvin-klein-fall-2024-campaign\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Calvin Klein Fall 2024 Campaign<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThis was a pinch-me moment for many reasons. It was a Calvin Klein underwear campaign with Greta (Lee) and Mert Alas. I wanted to do her justice and highlight her natural radiance. The focus was all on her allure and beautiful skin.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2025\/11\/Mona-T.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1346\" height=\"1648\" class=\"size-full wp-image-168568\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nMona Tougaard by Davit Giorgadze<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/the-travel-almanac-mona-tougaard\/2368845\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mona Tougaard for The Travel Almanac<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThis was one of those shoots where I wasn\u2019t sure how it would turn out. Not because I didn\u2019t trust the team, but because it was shot on film. I had to bleach her brows without actually bleaching them. I blocked them out but left a few hairs to keep the shape, then used some makeup magic to make them appear bleached.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent. Emi Kaneko, Makeup Artist Hometown: Los Angeles, California Based: New York Representation: Bryant Artists How would you describe your work? What\u2019s your trademark? Polished and very skin-focused. How did you first discover your passion for&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":168562,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6476,12752,10414,16,13943],"tags":[12930,13154,10573,14623],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168560"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=168560"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":168601,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168560\/revisions\/168601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/168562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=168560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=168560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=168560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}