Just In Time for Summer

Look what I saw at the supermarket shelves when I went grocery shopping! With the cold weather drifting away, we know summer is fast approaching now and Sunsilk has released its limited edition Summer Fresh Shampoo, which hits the market when summertime comes. This time,. it's got a new companion... Creme Silk Summer Shine conditioner, so our tresses stay fry-free during the summer heat when we're basking under the sun getting our tans

Okay, so I'm not hitting the beach (yet) but going out with that kind of heat intensity, I could feel my hair strands turning into tempura-like consistency (heeheehee), so the UV protectors they promise could help.

I'm on my second day of trying this so far (my first time to use the conditioner, since it just came out this year). I love the smell, it's very light and sweet and it reminds me of a favorite fragrance I bought off Macy's a few years ago that I really miss. I'm glad that there's no more of that heady and heavy scent in this edition.

So that signals that summer is about to come. Gotta get ready for beach season!

Heal The Pain: A One-Woman Show

Approximately a decade ago, I was reading an article in a magazine on my way home from our family vacation about how teenagers cut and deliberately injure themselves to help forget the pain and trauma they experienced. The article has caused much of an impact to me never to forget it up to now - every detail on how they coped with the trauma. Up to now the thought of cutting or burning yourself after being a victim of rape or whatever trauma happening strikes haunts me.

I got intrigued and did research and was deeply moved to do this mini-project: a photoshoot to bring out awareness and hopefully prevent self-harm.These are just a few test shots I did a while ago - my own makeup, posing, photography (using available sources - available light and my trusty P&S), and application on my crash-course on digital enhancement.

(model, makeup, prosthetics, digital imaging, and photography: Bambi C. de la Cruz)

Far from beauty and glamour to something socially relevant (and something that we should bring awareness to, as many do not know much about self-injury, at least when I talk about it), I want to do something that's not just making someone beautiful in the outside. As a professional makeup artist, I want to go beyond my task of making someone beautiful until she rinses off with cleansing oil or cold cream or whatever makeup remover. The hurt that the self-inflicted wound gives will not remove the pain she feels inside... it will only get worse and the scar/s left behind will traumatize her for years.

This mini-project aims to reach out to those people who do self-injury and to their friends to put action to this

Makeupbybambi's workweek

Since I'm a pro makeup artist, I have an erratic work schedule and while people are slaving off during weekdays, I'm basically at home resting from my full workweek. So here's a recap of what I did during my super absence in the blogging world.

Shoot #1: shoot with Bella. Bella is my new friend I met thru ModelMayhem. She's based in Indonesia and she came here in Manila for a vacation and we had a shoot with Stan Ong. :)

It was absolute fun and Bella's gorgeous. She reminded us of Anggun and she had such a fantastic personality.

After the shoot, I walked around Ayala Center (depositing my malette first at Rustan's) to run some errands when I decided to finally cab it (with all my stuff to head over to DPI Makati for another shoot). However, it was 5:30, a rainy Friday afternoon and the cab line at Greenbelt was long. Traffic was hell and cabs were picky. I finally got a cab who barely wormed his way out of Makati and going around the location was hell. Ang traffic mga tsong! Had I not brought all my stuff - big malette, small malette, and backpack plus handbag, I would have walked the whole of Pasong Tamo.

When I finally got there, I set up and immediately did makeup to maximize studio time. Of course, I got to pose too. :) The shoot is for my friend's underwear clothing business, which he would be launching online.

A preview of the shoot:

Photo by Glenn del Rosario.

Here's me with the director/photographer Mike Yu

That's two pairs of falsies on my eyes. Now I know how my models feel when I give them the heavy ones. I couldn't open my eyes. :P

My shoot marathon didn't end there since I had a shoot at another location at 8 am in the morning (with barely a few hours to sleep and wash my brushes). The gowns were avante-garde and so was the makeup. It was really fun since I got to meet a new photographer through Model Mayhem with a totally different style. I sure can't wait for the pictures which I would definitely post very soon!

By the way, when I finally did get home to unpack, I had to re-pack again and wash my brushes and reassemble for.... a Sunday shoot with my friend, Kirk Barbosa at Rouge Studio. It meant getting up early in the morning to have a shoot. The shoot had two pegs and we were done in a snap plus we even played with my prosthetics.

Here's the model, Kat. The first peg was vintage where there were soft curls, red lips, and winged eyes. Here's the second peg, a natural, beauty headshot with luminous skin.

By the way, foundation here used was Paul and Joe Moisturizing Compact Foundation #30 under Paul and Joe Creamy Compact foundation in Clair, in case you want to know how the P&J foundation registers on camera. I didn't have to retouch her much.

Here's the prosthetics mini-shoot I had with Bugsy, another photographer friend of mine who hung out during the shoot.

Bugsy and I with our "slashes"

Heeheehee... barely any of my guy friends would say okay to makeup but for prosthetics they sure are game. We even wore the prosthetics when we visited Apy and Ardin for their Life in Mono Shoot and the guards at the studio building actually thought we came from an accident. With matching acting!

The following day, I had a 6 am shoot at Shaw for a magazine. :) Details to follow, when the issue comes out.

Since I was really tired, I went to get a massage and fell asleep right at the middle of it.

I'll probably be sleeping until my hectic workweek ends. But really, Erratic or not, I would not have it either way. I love what I do and wherever I am, there's nothing else that I could think of doing, hence my uttmost decision of taking it professionally.

Right now it's back to blogging again to rest and to recap the nice stuff that ever happened this week. :)

Makeupbybambi loves Paul and Joe Creamy Compact Foundation

My cosmetics fair loot that I highly recommend. During CAS Cosmetics fairs, big brands usually go there to introduced their products and offer them at a discount. When Paul and Joe had 50% off on base makeup (their bestsellers) I just had to jump at the offer.




Regular refill cost: Php 1,450
I got the refills at 50% off so I got two. :)





I buy the refills because it's cheaper and it could fit my tiny makeup case better (tip for makeup artists)

The creamy compact foundation actually is supposed to be applied with a sponge directly on the face. For photoshoots, I put liquid foundation under it but for everyday, I use this alone (Remember to use a clean sponge!) I like the natural dewy finish it gave me. The difference between this and the moisturizing compact foundation and the light cream/liquid foundations are that this one gives a more matte finish with a bit of dewy glow. When I saw the compact, I thought it was pressed powder until Von of Paul and Joe told me that it's actually a cream-to-powder foundation with a natural finish and he showed me how it's supposed to be applied. When I felt it, it was silkier than your average two-way foundation and it had a creamy feel to it. It felt light on me and I didn't feel like I'm wearing foundation.

Not to mention I keep getting compliments on how good my skin is but they can't just know why. :)

Pink is So Pretty!

The reason for that bag above is that four shoes of mine decided to die smiling and the shoe shop told me that it could no longer be salvagable. Plus, it was super-duper affordable knowing how People Are People slashes their heels on sale.

I got the pink one for one thing I like pink and the last formal shoes I bought (along with the snakeskin bag) are black. Besides... pink is cute, flirty, and pretty.

The details are so pretty! breaking in them has never been so cutesy.

Instantly, I'm 5'11. I'm still breaking in these heels as I stopped wearing heels during the ballerina flats craze and I wore flats more because they're easier when it comes to work since I stand a lot all day. I do miss the heels and the height and the fact that I need them during parties and events. :)

How did it fit me? Surprisingly I was able to find a size that fits me better. I probably need cork to prevent my heels from sliding. Ang ganda tsong! Nagiging babae ako dito!

CAS Cosmetics Fair

I just got this Email from Sirikit of CAS this morning and I'm posting it here for all you makeup addicts out there (Nikki... cut work :P)

The Center for Aesthetic Studies (CAS) will hold its next CAS COSMETICS FAIR
on January 16, 2009 (Friday), 12:00nn-7:00pm at the newly-renovatedschool premises:

2F Franck Provost Building120 Jupiter St.Bel-Air Village, Makati City.

Avail of up to 60% discount from the following participating brand partners:PAUL & JOE, SHISEIDO, YSL, GUERLAIN, WATERCOLORS, JANE IREDALE MINERALCOSMETICS, and TSM SALES (JAGUAR, WAHL).

Product demonstrations start at 3:00pm.

For more information, please get in touch with us through 897-0307,897-0383, 0917-8970383, and 0918-8970383.

Invite your friends!

See you!

I'll try to drop by after my morning shoot tomorrow and before my PM shoot as they're both within the area anyway. if you may be a reader and you happen to see me, do holler me up. See you!

Golden Pink Look

Guess what? I got so excited with my new Coastal Scents 78-color palette I made a new tutorial using a pretty color: PINK! But instead of a super all-pink Barbie look, I warmed it up with a bit of gold so it's sort of a warm sunset-y like look that's very natural. I made the two colors look blended so it creates a bit more of a dimension.

First up is a super-duper clean and moisturized face. Don't forget to put eye cream under the eyes and on the lids so the eyes aren't dry (if the skin around the eyes are dry, I've discovered that eyeshadow does not adhere much). After I let the moisturizer sink in, I put foundation and concealer and set everything with powder. I framed my face by defining my eyebrows with an ashy eyebrow powder.

A bit more definition, I tightlined the eyes with dark brown eyeliner.

Then, the eyeshadow would need a base so I applied a netural pink cream eyeshadow from lid to browbone for the eyeshadow to hold.

I used my ring finger here but a concealer brush would do. I applied only a little bit and then spread it as too much can cause creasing and caking.

Okay so we go to the fun part: The EYES! Here are the colors used in my Coastal Scents palette labelled accordingly.

[click for a larger version]

I used a candy pink color on my lid and dabbed it to pack the pigments for the colors to show blending it until the crease so everything's seamless instead of those hideous demarcation lines.

For the crease, I used a warm bronzey-gold color with a hi-shine finish but not too much shine. I blended it to the crease and blended the color for about 30 seconds to get a seamless look.

I highlighted the inner eye with a yellow-gold color for more pop. If you want bigger eyes, line the inner rims with shell pink lipliner/nude lipliner/skintone eyeliner/white eyeliner.

The browbone should always be highlighted. Here, I chose a neutral bone-colored matte (but sheer) eyeshadow color and swept it across the browbone. Again, I blended where the two colors meet so everything looks seamless. If you want to be 100% sure of staying power, set everything with setting powder or a bit of colorless loose powder. I'm not fond of using wet application of eyeshadows because I don't like getting my eyeshadow pans wet.

I then lined my lower lashline with a black eyeliner and used liquid eyeliner to define my upper lashlines. Lashes were curled and I applied 3 coats of volumizing/curling mascara.

For a pretty flush, I blended a bit of blush on the apples of my cheeks. I chose a pink candy color. if you want more warmth, You can highlight the cheekbones with a golden color of blush or a bronzer.

For the lips, I chose a bright pink lipstick in a satin finish. Since the color is quite intense, I blotted it with tissue. Then, instead of reapplying the color, I topped my lips with a lick of gold glittery gloss so it doesn't look too dry.

So here's the final look plus a detail on the eyes:

The look is very fun and playful, and a mixture of pastel and metallic. This could be worn during the day or maybe prom or a dance if you want candy-colored lips. Falsies can be added too, for a flirty, pretty effect.

Have fun all!

Makeupbybambi Prom Promo-h!

Anyone have proms and with no Hmua yet? Here you go:

With Junior-Senior proms right by the corner, I'm pretty sure girls are getting ready to find the perfect MuA for their proms right now. In my own prom, I made the mistake of just going to a first nearby parlor I saw to get my face done, My hair turned out okay but my makeup made me look 10 years older than I was. It covered that horrid zit alright, but so did my youth. My eyebrows were 2 shades darker than my head hair color and my contours were so obvious.

I've learned through experience how prom looks should be - a fresh face with a youthful glow and not pasty white matte. Define eyes with makeup that matches the color of the gown, a sweep of blush, and gloss. Eyebrows should be defined to perfectly frame the face but not too harsh to age the person.

With prom season coming in a month, I decided to give a special promo for girls who are going to their prom. I'm offering a 20% discount of hair and makeup service for girls who are going to doll up for their prom. What's more is that if you're a group of 4 girls, you can even avail of a group discount.

For inquiries, send me a PM or email and let's discuss your look, your dress, for that perfect prom look. After all, it only happens twice. :)

(note: Prices are exclusive of transportation. Transpo can be arranged or reimbursed. Tip to save: I can doll up 2 of you and you guys can split with the transpo fare. )

A Colorful Way to Start My Day

I woke up pretty late today since I got home at almost 11 pm last night and plus the weather just makes me want to stay under the sheets. I finally got out of the bed when I heard a delivery bike park in front of the house and call out that the package was for me.

Hello, there gorgeous, what could you be?

Lookie lookie lookie.... what could it be? a sleek black case wrapped in bubble wrap?

(purchased at http://dollface.multiply.com)

Why hello gorgeous Coastal Scents 78-color makeup palette how was your travel?

I was excited that it was coming here that I immediately ripped up the shipper's packaging, bubble wrap and all and opened (CAREFULLY) the black case and what greeted me were 78 colors of pure delight, which included eye shadows (in various finishes from shimmer, metallic, matte, satin, etc), and blushers/highlighters.

When the item was purchased, I was told that there might be some minor cracks that could be due to shipping handling and all (after travelling from the U.S. then Cebu then right smack here in Metro Manila). However, I got lucky and the shadows were super intact. I even kept the bubble wrap that was inside the case so I could further protect my palette from further damage and to prevent the powders from messing up the slick black casing

The 78 color palette is actually a pretty good deal, especially for starting makeup artists since you get a whole lot of colors that are already very pigmented and in fact, it will save a lot of space in the makeup kit so you wouldn't have to lug in a whole truckload of stuff, like individual eyeshadow pots or blush pots. Actually, on days where I don't like to lug around a lot of stuff, this can be a great space-saver (and more space to fit that blow-dryer in my makeup backpack).

Size-wise the eyeshadows are about the diameter of a dime (or a little smaller than a 10-centavo coin)

A bit tiny, but that's okay since they're hella pigmented and we don't need much for eyeshadow anyway. Colors range from neutrals to brights, to pastels, and metallics, and the standard blacks and grays for smoky, smoldering eyes. I can take this with me if I have a fashion shoot then a wedding right after. The eyeshadows also have a lot of finishes and they can also be used as eyebrow powder. Just a tip, use a primer or creme eyeshadow on the lid to hold the color and dust loose powder on the cheeks to catch eyeshadow fallout. Also, remember to apply little first and layer on since the eyeshadow can be quite prone to fallout and you might end up with specks of color on your cheeks (unless of course this is the effect you want).

The rectangle neutral/smoky eyeshadows are about the size of a Laura Mercier eyebrow powder. The white matte shadow is a great eyeshadow base if you want the colors to be more intense. The golds can be used as cheekbone highlights and are comparable with Paul and Joe's face color powder.

Swatches of eye color:

I dabbed the brush on my palm and blended it a bit.

For blushers, the colors are quite on the fair and cool side on this palette ranging from candy pinks and lilacs and plums (the plum colors actually go on quite sheer). The peach color on the far left I see best as a highlighter for a glow on the face.

As you can see in the swatches, the dark ones on the palette are not actually dark on skin. They're like a flush of color and these colors are actually very natural on the skin

I'm pretty excited about playing with this palette as I'll be using them quite soon. :) I'll also post a video review and swatches so you could get a more in-depth analysis of the palette. I recommend it for:

1. Starting makeup artists since you get a whole lot of colors without breaking the bank and sacrificing quality

2. Makeup addicts who wouldn't want to spend a fortune

3. Pro makeup artists who want to save space on their malettes (and money too)

Makeupbybambi Awards These Products for 2008

A year-ender post of my top love products that I discovered the previous year. These are tried-and-tested products that I've grown to love and highly recommend the next time any friend or beauty addict would go and ask for a recommendation.

BATH PRODUCTS AND SKIN CARE

1. Olay Regenerist Skin Care Line - Ageless skin is priceless, and hence since it was introduced to me last September and with already almost 3 months into using the line, I've grown to love it. The day cream has SPF 15 already, and I could use this whenever I go out to protect myself from the harmful rays of the sun. The night cream feels light on the skin and I love how it got absorbed into my skin immediately. An eye cream has been added to my regimen and I love how it didn't sting my eyes unlike other eye creams do and how it's light enough to be worn at daytime. Of course who doesn't love the star product, i.e. the Serum, which doubles as an excellent face primer and its price (Php 999.00) is almost half of what expensive primers would cost.

2. Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil - Makeup removal has never been easier with this. I also use the lesser expensive cleansing oils, which work quite well too, but this one works amazing wonders. I love how they smell (my favorites are the pink one, well not only because it's pink but I like how light it feels and the A/I, for very sensitive skin, which became my staple cleanser when my skin became raw during the weather). All I need to do is massage, wet with water to emulsify, massage, and rinse off. Makeup gone! It's powerful enough to rid my face of super thick stage makeup.

3. Neutrogena Body Oil - A post-shower body oil you apply when your skin is damp and then dab off. Your skin is moisturized and I love the light sesame formula.

4. The Body Shop Olive Line - It made me smell gorgeous and feeling like a Greek Goddess. I love how fresh it smells. It kind of leaves the mystery like, "I love the smell but I can't pinpoint what it is."

5. Neutrogena Sunblock Spray - which dries quickly and does not cause breakouts. I love the tropical goddess smell and the uber-light formula which I could use all-year round. Plus, since it's a spray formulation, I could use it on those hard-to-reach areas. Sure, it is pricey (but not really, at Php 485.00), but hey, good skin is an investment and one should not be stingy to sunblock as it's a must to stay away from skin cancer (think chemotherapy treatment, hospitalization, radiation therapy, and further complications which could take a bigger dent on our bank account, health, and energy).

6. Kiehl's Non-Detergent Foaming Facial Cleanser - For those days when your skin seems like an oil mine, this is the cleanser. A bottle can last for around 3 months and it's unscented so sensitive noses are okay to this.

MAKEUP

1. Paul and Joe Moisturizing Compact Foundation- I buy the refill since it's easier to stack on my makeup case. I love the natural, dewy, and fresh finish P&J foundations have. For a cream foundation, this goes on uber light and dries into a powdery finish. This could even double as a concealer. It's super tipid as well, I'm not even halfway done with mine.

2. MAC Lipstick in Russian Red - My perfect red lipstick that never left my bag. I want an intense lippie that I could use that could complement a wider variety of skin tones. I love this red lipstick and I bought it for myself for Christmas.

3. Fasio Mascara - I love Fasio because it delivers optimum performance. It does not budge even if I submerge myself in water. I also love that it costs really cheap (Php 395.00) and it comes in various shades.

4. Fanny Serrano blush in Georgia Peach - Has a flattering peachy-pink shade to fit most skintones. It delivers well and costs less than your cellphone load.

5. Sally Hansen Airbrush Foundation (No Color) - For the foolproof and easy-to-match shade and a matte finish. I spray this on the palette and apply it with a stippling/foundation brush on the face for a neat, even finish.

6. Paul and Joe Eyebrow Pencil - Always sold-out pencils that give the perfect arch that frame the face without making it look too fake or pencilled in. It's a Paul and Joe bestseller. This double-ended pencil is a must-have for the kilay-obsessed.

7. The Body Shop Lip Butters - Save chapped lips (and wallets) with a rich formula that tastes yummy and doesn't feel waxy.

8. Fashion 21 Liquid Eyeliner - For super-defined eyes and liner that would not budge even if submerged in water. Oh, and it's really, really, really cheap at Php 120.00

TOOLS

1. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - The full and the mini-sized, they've been an assett to me in delivering the perfect curl without pinching my lashes. I'm glad Shu has lowered their prices a bit. These are curlers that were forever sold out before but I'm glad that all Shu counters have a stock of these.

2. MAC 187 Stippling Brush - After which I have always used brushes to apply foundation since not only do they not eat up the product and they get to the areas that can't be reached by a sponge.

3. Kabuki Brush - I love kabuki brushes because they polish the whole makeup base (foundation-powder-sheer translucent setting veil) making the face flawless and evening out everything to a buff, smooth finish. For mineral makeup addicts, they deliver full coverage when foundation is being buffed. Not to mention it looks pretty cute too.

4. Makeup Case - whatever brand, I love this for one thing because it increased my efficacy and organization by 40%. All I have to do is open the case and everything's there. Just a tad heavy, though.

HAIR

1. Bench RockSteady Sculpting Bond - Flattens hair for that neat, pulled back look that holds all day.

2. White Rain Hairspray in Pearberry - Smells like candy and holds hairstyles all day. I love the smell since it's not too chemical-like. The pink bottle looks cute too!

3. Vidal Sassoon 4-in-1 Style-to-go - A crimper, micro-crimper, deep-waver, and hair straightener in one.

4. V05 Heat Defense Spray -to use along with hot tools to prevent tresses from frying. Real cheap (Php205.00) and smells good too!

5. Pantene 3-minute Miracle Treatment - Repairs my hair from whatever abuse it had. Okay, so don't expect an instant miracle the moment you rinse it off like you hair with glisten like diamonds. Hair will be significantly softer and tamer from its fried state. It smells fabulous as well and doesn't smell like a chemical treatment.

Happy new year! Let's start the year right