My Nina's Touch Experience

Yesterday, I visited my good friend and one of my mentors, Nina Dumpa, who happens to be one of the top makeup artists in the industry specializing on airbrush makeup. It was her birthday last week and since I knew she would be in her studio, I wanted to drop by and give her something.

I first encountered Ate Nina while browsing through Multiply. I saw her work and I found them very creative I was wowed at her techniques in makeup plus her skills in bodypainting. I also wanted to model for her before when she was looking for folio models but I was shy (I wasn't a pro makeup artist then yet). As fate may have planned it, we did meet and she became one of my idols, friends, and mentors in the industry. She taught me the value of sharing my talents to others, as she does to her assistants and even when she blogs.

A teacher, a makeup artist, a businesswoman, a mother, a friend, a photographer - Nina has played many roles and each role she plays she plays well. We have common friends also, and we love her not just for her work (Check them out at http://www.ninastouch.com/) but for her generous and loving heart. Despite her extensive portfolio and international accreditations tucked under her belt, she remains the down-to-earth girl that she always has been. Since we had some time together, she offered to give me an airbrush makeover and I gladly agreed. I asked her if I could blog about it and she said yes. So for the first time, I'd like to blog about my airbrush makeup experience.

After prepping my face (she likes to start with super clean and moisturized skin and lips), she concealed my blemishes and some undereye circles. She analyzed my facial structure, skin type, and studied my skin color to know what foundation she used. After mixing the foundation to approximately match my skin color, she proceeded airbrushing my face. The airbrush experience was really something. It felt cold but it was not uncomfortable. When I looked at the mirror, I saw how even my skin was (even up close). "The coverage is even and you don't need much retouching if you use airbrush foundation," she said. "This is very popular in the US and many celebrities use this." Despite the coverage, I didn't feel that I had a lot of makeup on. When I touched my skin, there was no caking of makeup. It didn't feel heavy or greasy or did I feel that my pores were being too suffocated.

After airbrushing the foundation, She set my makeup with powder and contoured my face. I found out that day that I had a square-shaped face. The corners of my forehead and jawline were defined and my face was not that long. She brought out my cheekbones and contoured my nose a bit, to make my face look 3D in photography makeup. Her hands were very light and I'm also very particular about having the lightest touch, especially when it comes to the eye part. She knew what colors to put and I love how she blended all colors to make them look seamless and my skin glowy. She knew what features to conceal, minimize, and enhance.

After contour and blush, eyes came next. She gave me an electric blue eyeshadow look that was not too 80s. "I'll give you an Eva Mendes-inspired look!" I love how my eyes looked huge afterwards. It was a smoky blue-plum color highlighted with a bit of yellow-gold. She also perfected my eyebrows and she made it frame my face and she didn't make it super thin nor super dark. Orange-gold lips were the first choice, but she decided on something darker next, which looked absolutely fabulous (pink, both our favorite colors). For my hair, they set it in curls and they were let loose in bouncy, sexy, Victoria's Secret model curls.

So this was me before airbush makeup:

No makeup, hair down... super simple

And here's me all made up looking fab by Nina's Touch

hair up

hair down

and hugging a pretty pink pillow

I love how she didn't totally change how I look but enhanced what I have with color, contour, and a little bit of her own creativity. The curls really stayed too and so did the makeup. Minimal retouching was needed. Of course, one plus to me was she had a very light hand and didn't poke or scratch. :) Nina's truly a pro.