Singaporean make-up artist Zing may have enjoyed some limelight last week for making Hong Kong star Carina Lau look great for her wedding but ask him for snippets about the big day and he reaches for the concealer.

Lau, 43, wed long-time beau Tony Leung, 46, last Monday in a celebrity-studded wedding in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The lavish bash was closed to the media - hence the high interest in anyone shedding light on how it went.

Make-up maestro Zing, 38, told LifeStyle in a phone interview that Lau's request for his expertise was not the usual 'getting the job' gig, but more of an invitation for him to celebrate the couple getting hitched after about 20 years together. He has known Lau for 16 years.

Zing, who is in Thailand on a holiday- cum-business trip, said: 'This is a beautiful beginning of a happy ending.'

He added: 'It was very touching, especially for all of us who are Carina and Tony's good friends.'

When pressed to dish details, he would only say the wedding was a 'relaxed, close-knit, very private and beautiful event'.

But he did say that songbird and long- time close friend Faye Wong was there, whom he was 'very happy to catch up with'.

While Zing was tight-lipped, new details of the wedding have emerged after a reporter who interviewed Lau about it for the International Herald Tribune posted unpublished information on her blog, including the fact that Wong, who is in semi-retirement, sang to the guests.

Film-maker-turned-wedding- planner Wong Kar Wai set the romantic mood at the nuptials at the Uma Paro hilltop resort with tunes by Abba, Bee Gees, Sergio Mendes and Stan Getz, and Wong's performance, according to blogger Alexandra A. Seno.

Songs such as Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Happy Together and Even If were also on the playlist.

The wedding programme had a traditional tea ceremony for the bride, groom and their mothers at 10am, followed by a Buddhist blessing at 11am, then an Italian lunch and a barbecue buffet in the evening.

While the visual direction for the event was by Wong Kar Wai's long-time collaborator, costume designer William Chang (who, yes, found Lau's Vera Wang bridal gown in Hong Kong), the decor for the big day was actually designed by the Thai queen's florist, Sakul Intakul.

Flowers were flown in from Bangkok and incorporated with bamboo for the setting of the wedding.

And that evening, there was dancing, of course. Guests - numbering 140, according to Seno and including retired movie star Lin Ching-hsia, 1970s matinee idol Ti Lung and film producer Nansun Shi - bopped to more mood music.

A DJ was brought in from Hong Kong, as well as a five-piece band directed by Roel A. Garcia, who composed the soundtracks for Wong Kar Wai classics such as Chungking Express (1994) and Fallen Angels (1996).

As for Zing, he was at least happy to talk about Lau's make-up, saying his concept for her 'day' look was based on his belief that the bride should be at her freshest, youngest and most beautiful on her big day. So he incorporated the concept of 'morning dew' to give Lau a glow.

Her evening make-up was 'naturally more glamorous'.

Zing - he goes by only that single name - added that he told Lau to 'thoroughly enjoy herself and leave the prepping' to him.

The make-up maestro, who first met Lau in 1992 when he moved to Hong Kong from Singapore, flew business-class to Bangkok and from there transferred to the royal Bhutan airline Drukair to attend the wedding. He stayed in the Zhiwah Ling hotel.

On memorable moments, he could recall only this zinger: the spicy Bhutanese chilli sauce.

He said that he had never tried it before although he has 'had his own fair share of chilli sauces'.

Zing has made a name for himself in Hong Kong entertainment circles over the years, so it is no wonder that only his makeup magic would do for the nuptials.

He has worked his wizardry to beautify the faces of other stars such as Cantopop singer Sammi Cheng and Faye Wong since entering the profession 19 years ago.

The Maris Stella and Temasek Junior College alumni's mother still lives here and he has a sister who lives in the United States.

He lives in Hong Kong but returns home during Chinese New Year.

He also worked with MediaCorp actress Fann Wong when she first debuted as a model.

He is now involved with personal projects such as Zing The Makeup School in Hong Kong and his line of make-up brushes, Ink.

When asked if he has been approached for Fann's upcoming nuptials, he said, with a laugh: 'No, she has not and I am still waiting.'

tcheryl@sph.com.sg