Workshop at Hyatt Hotel with Elizabeth Arden

It's fun to always share knowledge. That's why this blog came about in the first place. When Elizabeth Arden contacted me to conduct a makeup workshop, I got really excited. The makeup workshop is a workshop conducted for the female employees of Hyatt Hotel in Manila. The looks are going to be standardized to a specific peg - neutral colors and natural look.

I took it up a notch and applied my own personal touch in execution - to make the procedure really quick and use few brushes as possible. Let's face it, colorful eye looks can be fun, but it takes a long time to do. Most women do not have one hour to do eye makeup alone and get overwhelmed with a lot of brushes. They have chores, children to take care of, and most importantly, have an hour at least to travel from home to work with the traffic situation. So makeup should be quick, the procedure simple, and the equipment few.

Prepping up for the event. Awesome makeup setup with lights, EA products (starting from skincare to fragrance, yes fragrance included).

Each workshop started with an overview with Elizabeth Arden makeup history. Gemma de la Costa talks about skincare, and what specific skincare to use depending on the skin's needs.

I learned that day to look for skincare with ceramides as that's the ingredient that prevents and slows down skin ageing. Currently, I'm using Elizabeth Arden Ceramide toner, which is alcohol free, and doesn't sting the skin.

I discovered too a makeup artist must-have - the Eight-Hour Cream, which is great on lips, nail cuticles, rough and dry skin, and reviving parched skin during the winter or long hours of travel. It works awesomely on chafed pole dancer's skin on off-pole days.

Image Credits

A tube of this goes a long, long way.

I started the talk with the very basics but most important stuff - choosing the right foundation shade and even taking into consideration how to shop for foundation on counter (i.e. testing it on jawline, wearing no makeup while shopping, and how to adjust if you're acidic) and the eyebrow basics.

For eye makeup, I limited the use to just 2-3 colors and 2 brushes - a stiff paddle brush to deposit, and a nice fluffy brush to blend. If you look at my toolbelt, I had relatively fewer brushes than usual.

Cheeks and lips were kept natural. I wanted cheeks with a natural glow instead of full-on paint. I like blush that sits softly on the face with just a hint of flush. As for lips, they should match with the blush. Elizabeth Arden lipsticks are very pigmented, but even though they're pigmented, they don't leave the lips chafed and tight.

Aside from makeup, I gave a demo on how to do a neat bun again following the rules of a busy working woman - fast, easy, with as little tools as possible. 

After my talk, the participants also got to practice how to apply makeup on themselves. It's nice to see that they were game to apply their lessons and feel good about themselves after their makeover.

I also answered and gave personalized demos to girls who have specific questions, like how to apply makeup on small eyes or smoky eyes, as there were restaurants that allowed a smoky look for their chefs.

Me with the morning workshop participants.

Some tips that I shared with them and I shall share with you (some you may know already, some, I learned that day).

• Makeup sits better on a clean face. Make sure not to skip on skincare. You may skip primer if you don't want to spend on primer but not skin care. Your skin will thank you for it.
• Eyebrow shaping is an awesome investment. If you're scared to shape it yourself, especially for the first time, have it shaped by a professional, and just clean and touch up by tweezing stray hairs that grow back and trimming overgrowths. 
• On eyebrow makeup, go a half-step or shade lighter than your head hair color for a softer, more youthful look. Dark, black eyebrow color can age you. Elizabeth Arden Dual Perfection Brow Shaper And Eyeliner is awesome for beginners who are scared to use pencils. The product is buildable so you could apply little product then build on as you go. My personal favorite is Soft blonde, which is a light, ash color.
• In touching up, it's not just piling powder on the face. Dab off dirt and oil with tissue or oil blotting papers and refresh with facial mist, if desired. then brush powder on the t-zone and blend outwards for a natural, fresh look that's not cakey. Swipe on lipstick and you're good to go.
• Never underestimate the power of your invisible accessory, that is, fragrance. Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea Collection (Classic, Lavander, and Camellia) are uplifting, fresh scents that are perfect for our weather. The scent perks up the mood too (spritz during the afternoon to revive your senses when you feel lethargic). 

It was a fun-filled day, I didn't feel tired at all. I really hope that I'll get to do another workshop with them soon as not only did I share my knowledge, but I learned new things too. Thank you Elizabeth Arden!