Rustan's Makati Workshops Schedule

Rustan's Makati is having a series of beauty workshops focusing on skin care and makeup for the whole month of September. All our favorite in-house brands from hair, skin, nails, and makeup are participating. This would be a great way to have fun, learn a thing or two, and meet and greet your favorite artists.

For this week, here are the schedules:

Saturday, August 29, 2009
"Bloom Into a New You"
Kanebo
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Monday, August 31, 2009
Basic Makeup Techniques
MAC
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

September 1, 2009
Glam and Gorgeous "Evening Look Defined"
Paul and Joe
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

September 2, 2009
Nail Art by Kiss
Kiss
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

September 3, 2009
Perfect Solution for Perfect Hair
Phyto
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

September 4, 2009
"Red; Juvenus"
Shu Uemura
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

September 5, 2009
Sensuous Look
Estee Lauder
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For reservation of seats, please contact Kai Reyes at 0917-8051039

Venue of Workshops: 5th Level Rustans Makati

I'll try to attend some and if you do see me, don't be shy to say hi! :)

Rain Rain... Love The Rain

Another reason to go buy the Plueys aside from the fact that I'm loving mine, it's my cheery-o-upper whenever there's rain:

So what are you waiting for? Grab your Plueys now!

An Oldie Rediscovered

Kids of the 80s remember this can stuck in your mom's, grandma's, or older sister's vanity huh? This immortal can has created the famous poufy bangs and partnered with the good ol' teasing comb for big voluminous hair that defies gravity and Signal #3 storms - as well as a good shampoo to get 'em all out to be re-applied the next day

Aqua Net has been a household name back in the 80's where big hair was better. Actually, I was quite surprised to see Aqua Net during one of my visits to the good ol' beauty supply store while I was out to buy some supplies a year ago. I thought it was phased out, discontinued, and anyone who still owns a can would be laughed at for being behind. Turns out it has been a staple in every hairstylist's bag. Stylists recommend it and cans of it were consumed during the recent Philippine Fashion Week. I went to the beauty supply store after Fashion Week, the rows of Aqua Net cans were gone (ordered in crates I bet).

In the year 2009, Aqua Net still makes its mark and here's why:

1. It's affordable. A tall can of AquaNet costs Php195. The smaller size is Php125. Not bad.
2. A little goes a long way. This is highly potent. Extreme hold, high shine.
3. It's probably the most powerful hair spray out there. From church ceremony to reception, headthrows, fan effects, humidity, unpredictable weather, mohawks, and hair poufs. It defies everything. Even the test of time.

Its cons include:

1. The characteristic scent. Some people may find it too strong.
2. Remember when I said it defies everything, even time? It also defies the test of shampoo. I needed two sachets of conditioner and a good shampoo for my hair to return to baseline state. So tip: Don't use this everyday. Or if you can't avoid using AquaNet everyday, say you're doing a fashion show or something, arm yourself with potent products.
3. The big can is extremely tall. Really. For portable issues, this could be a no-no.

I think the aerosol performs well for me, especially if I'm doing poufy styles. From my own personal experience, it's got a maximum extreme hold. I just had a shoot and this was used on my teased poufy hair and even if I lay down, rumpled my hair, and did head throws or had a fan to blow my hair, my hairstyle was still intact. In "natural" or "light-hold" hairsprays, I need to retouch the style usually. With AquaNet, the first spray is usually all you need. After the shoot, I decided to purchase my own can. Actually, this can I plan to use in shoots and gigs where the hairstyle needs maximum staying power. For everyday, I would go for my natural sprays.

Guess sometimes oldies should not be overlooked huh?

Where to purchase Aqua Net in Manila:

• In beauty supply stores (hortaleza, Quiapo, name it)
• In dollar stores or stores that sell PX goods for like 89 bucks or something.
• At duty free shops.

Oriental Beauty

This shoot depicts and celebrated the beauty of an Asian woman. I was invited to do makeup for a shoot done by Italian photographer Massimiliano Cori. He wanted the Asian woman to still look like an Asian woman - enhancing her natural beauty, her skin still the same, and her eyes keeping their natural shape. His requirement: there should be no separation of the skin and makeup. Powder should not look like powder but like part of the skin. I believe in that same concept. In beauty shots, I keep foundation light and do my tricks to make the skin look dewy instead of buried in pounds of makeup.

Here's the first model, Ann. Ann has lovely, morena skin so I chose a light foundation to match her skin tone and dusted her face with loose powder to set. I used golds and browns for her eyes plus matching sheer lipstick with a lick of gold gloss for her lips.

Jonil has very oriental features, she reminds me of Lucy Liu in this picture. She has been modelling for so long already, so the camera just adores her. Red lips were the focus of her face.

That's me, as the third model. Here, I used lilacs and pinks for my makeup and defined my brows (swear, I really need brows). Notice how I didn't enlarge my eyes and kept them as they are. and just enhanced them with little eyeliner. No falsies were used. For my hair, when I asked how my hair was supposed to be styled, they told me to leave it as it is.

I love how clean the pictures look. There was little photoshop done, just a few color adjustments, hence the texture. It actually looks like a skin campaign.

Photo Credits:

Models: Ann Casas, Jonil Benitez, and Bambi de la Cruz

Photographer: Massimiliano Cori

Makeup: Bambi dela Cruz.

Special thanks to Mr. Lon Liwen for this opportunity.

From Fashion Spread to Everyday: Luminous Skin Taking Stage

Foundation is the most vital part of makeup actually. It serves as the base for the rest of the makeup, evens out skin tone, and gives you that flawless look. A misconception though of foundation is that it tends to matte out the skin making it look cakelike and ageing, but here's one look showing the skin shining through making the face look radiant. For Ciara Marasigan's recent UNO cover, the skin takes the center stage for this look, making her glow. After studying the look for a few days, I decided to make my own simple tutorial to achieve that look.
The look is relatively achievable - flawless skin, definition on the eyes, natural-colored lips, and of course, a framed face with light but groomed eyebrows. This look is popular on the red carpet and runway, a minimalistic look with high impact. Kudos to the makeup artist for the impeccable blending and making the makeup look like skin instead of makeup. Although studio lighting and some photo-editing are done for a superluminous effect, a similar look could be achieved with certain tips of the trade.

To achieve this look, beautiful skin starts from within, so make sure to cleanse, tone, and moisturize the skin to keep it soft and hydrated. Use skincare products suitable for your skin type. Apply primer to the skin to mattify oily spots and even out skin tone. Finally, apply a sheer layer of foundation on the skin or foundation with medium coverage if you have trouble spots. Sheer coverage of foundation allows the skin to shine through while evening out skin tones. Conceal problem areas with your concealer of choice. Foundation conceals already certain problem areas so using foundation before concealer uses less product on the skin, so there's more room for skin to breathe. Set foundation with a light dusting of loose powder. Here, I would highly recommend mineral powder since it gives a subtle glow without making the skin look oily.

Brows are light to keep the face soft but defined to frame the face. To lighten the brows, after defining them, use tinted brow gel in a golden brown color. Brush off excess with a clean spoolie brush. For eyes like that, sweep nude eyeshadow color from lashline to browbone. Line the top lashline with liquid liner and flick the corners outward for sexy siren cat eyes. Balance that out by lining the bottom with black liner and highlighting the inner corners with shimmery powder for youthful eyes. Mascara on lashes finishes the eyes.

Lips and cheeks are kept neutral by natural-colored blush and lipgloss. Blush can be skipped and replaced with highlighting powder, which acts as a subtle contour on the face (cheekbones, chin, bridge of the nose).

Makeupbybambi tip: To get that sexy body glow, I'll share you a tip I do when I have shoots, especially those that reveal skin. Before a shoot, I scrub with a gentle scrub to remove dead skin cells (My favorites are the Thai whitening salt scrubs I buy from Watsons, I think the name is A Bonne) and keep my skin bright and smooth. I hydrate with a light body lotion with shimmer particles and dust my skin with glittery and shimmery body powder.

Personally, I really like the dewy and youthful skin with makeup, especially for everyday. Not only does it take less time but it looks very fresh and un-made up. That look is also very malleable and you could easily transform it to night makeup by a sweep of lipstick or thickening the liner. Most of the guy friends I know like that look, a look that doesn't look like makeup. It's also a look that celebrates and embraces our Asian eyes without heavy lid contouring. Ciara's eyes were left as they are - almond shaped, and defined with eyeliner for impact.

Sunday Fun @ The Mantra Studio

Mike and I had a shoot scheduled yesterday. As I just packed for the shoot early morning since I came home late the night before, Mike called me and told me that there was gonna be a change of plans - I'll be modelling too. Stomach flu and cramps do not stop me so I got another bag where I packed a pair of jeans and two pairs of heels plus my bag of modelling essentials and met up with Mike at Pancake house in Greenbelt and then went to his studio. We had 4 layouts with two photographers and finished in 3 hours.

This shot I like coz it made me look taller.

All photos by Mike Yu of Mantra Photography

What's New At MAC

Stop by the MAC Counter and three new collections are about to come your way:

Graphic Garden collection sets with two brush sets, two eyeshadow palettes, and two lip bags. I love the graphic black and white details on the twill pouch, which makes such a cute kikay kit and the palettes and lipsticks that are just too hard to be brought back for B2M. The eye palettes are definitely love. I like the Fresh Cut eyeshadow palette, which has warmer shades for a warm, fall smoky eye as opposed to the springy brights at the Graphic Garden Palette.

The Define and Blend brush set comes with a 129SE powder/blush brush, a 190SE brush to pat and blend foundation, 209SE eyeliner brush to line eyes, 219SE pencil brush for crease contour and setting eyeliner, and 252SE large shader brush to deposit and BLEND eyeshadow color. Shape and Perfect brush set contains your contouring essentials. 168SE large angled contour brush to sculpt supermodel-like cheekbones, 187 SE Duo Fibre brush, 194SE concealer brush for spot-concealing, 212SE flat definer brush, and 275SE angled medium shading brush to contour nose or sweep a wash of color on the eyes.

Lip bags in Summer Crop and and Baby Blooms make the eyes take center stage in muted shades of rosy pinks and beiges. Each bag comes with two lipsicks and a lipglass with the uber cute graphic details too.

Love That Look collection (with Lyn promoting the products) :P features limited edition pots of eyeshadow color and pearlglide liners with a bit of shimmer and sparkle for sparkly smoky eyes.

Recommended colors: Grand Entrance, Glamour Check!, One Off, and Strike a Pose for colorful smoky eyes.

Euristocrats 2 features limited edition lipsticks, dazzleglasses, and lip pencils. For those who want to try red lipstick, check out Cockney, a sparkly red in a sheer lustre finish. Hot pink-loving mamas can go for lip pencil in Magenta.

Love the pout, Jarwin. :). The lips on picture are just love. I think here the pencils were used as lipsticks for color that vibrant. Those who want the classic bright red could go for lipliner in Cherry topped with Cockney. For youthful shine, add a dollop of Rue de Rouge on the center of the lips and blend outwards.

One reason (again) for me to work ten times as hard so as not to go bankrupt as I have a keen eye on more favorites now.

One Makeup-Filled Fun Morning

The mall has just begun to open when I got it earlier. I was meeting Yeoh since he had a shoot today, so I told him to meet me at my favorite place: the makeup counter. I also needed to buy a new sharpener so I passed by... where else but MAC, where the store just opened and I was greeted by Jarwin. After my purchase, and since I had some time to kill, Jarwin played around first with the makeup and made me the very willing experiment. :) He gave me a really pretty look that's simple and fresh with a lot of oomph, impact, and definition.

Contours, contours. Hey Yeoh! makeup first! :) I have to look pretty too, you know! At this time, Yeoh has arrived. But of course, I had to have my makeup finished because the results are gonna be super worth it.

First of all, Jarwin evened out my skin with foundation and concealer. I'm really guilty about having that occasional zit that appears at a really bad time but he concealed it really well (gotta love MAC Studiofinish concealer, my supah favorite concealer!). He set my makeup with Select sheer pressed powder and contoured my face to bring out the shape. Instant cheekbones. I saw that he used MSF to set the concealer and highlight my undereye area. Aside from the dewy effect it has, Jarwin said that it also moisturizes the undereye area. Matte peach on my cheeks and matching matte lipstick on my lips were placed with no gloss. :)

He used a browny-pink on me this time, another new thing for me since I'm not a brownie girl. But it worked!

For the eyes, Jarwin did a quick but smoky eye that was easy to do. He primed my lids with MAC Prep+Prime Eye and then sweeped MAC Vanilla from lashline to browbone to brighten up my lid. He contoured my crease with a darker shadow and blended it for a smoky effect that still looked natural. He lined my upper eyelid with the classic Blacktrack fluidline in a cat's eye shape and closed this by continuing this to the lower lid without making it look to "drawn in". I loved how the cat eyes looked so sexy and bedroomy. After he curled my lashes and applied mascara (without pinching my lids!), he framed my face with his signature brows that were arched, shaped, and full yet youthful. It was too bad that I had to go since the shoot was at 12 noon since I wanted to stay and ask more about the look and do a better interview, but maybe one time I will. :)

Me and the fabulous Jarwin of MAC Glorietta. Of course I love the makeup. Check my eyes. so Jolie-esque. :) A friend once called me an Asian Angelina Jolie due to my appetite. Maybe this look too?

I really love the look he did on me as it was wearable. I got a lot of compliments about how I look from my friends who saw me and they told me I should always have that look. Jarwin has done my makeup thrice (including this one) and I love the look each time. Another thing he does is that he gives me surprises with my looks. The last time, my lips were brick orange (MAC in Marakesh), and this was my first time to try a dark orange shade of lipstick. One client loved the look so much she bought the entire look. I even asked my friend if he could shoot me to document my look too. :-) As of now, I'd have to settle with this shot first. :)

Makeup by Jarwin Manosa of MAC Cosmetics. Simple, fresh, but glamorous as ever.

Thanks to MAC Makati for accomodating me on such an early morning and to Jarwin of course, for choosing me as his guinea pig. :) I'd love to buy this look. It's easy, foolproof, and super fab. :) I'm loving the eye makeup I didn't want to remove it. Wait till you see the studio shots!

Men of Leq presents: Mauricio

Clean, classic portraits again by the talented and versatile Rachel Lobangco


Model: Mauricio Castro
Grooming: Bambi de la Cruz
Concept, Accesories, and Styling: Dennis Celestial
Photography and Post-Processing: Rachel Lobangco

Special Thanks to:
JL Domino of Chameleon
Cielo Petines

Location: Cielo Salon

Men of Leq presents: Victor

Model: Victor Heliodor
Grooming: Bambi de la Cruz
Accessories, Concept, and Styling: Dennis Celestial
Photos and Post-Processing by: Rachel Lobangco

Thanks to:
JL Domino of Chameleon
Cielo Petines of Cielo Salon

Location: Cielo Salon

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: BLOG URL NAME CHANGE

Hey friends! I've got an important announcement to make. After a year of blogging, I've decided to change my blog URL name from http://brushtoblog.blogspot.com/ to makeupbybambi.blogspot.com. As I've disappeared from the blogosphere and re-appeared, I had a difficult time finding my fan base again and starting from square 1. So I'm making an advanced notice as to not lose my readers again.

I'm glad the name's not taken (All you Blogspot admins, I'm reserving that name now), and I chose it since it fits me well and I've been using that name for my email, multiply, and re-constructing dotcom site. The change is due to the fact that I want continuity in my online accounts, and since this blog has also become an extension of my portfolio as well, I might as well choose that name too and make that name the name of my blogspot account.


The change will be effective by September 1, 2009 so I'm giving you ladies advanced notice so I don't shock you again as you ladies type the old URL and suddenly I'm gone. I'm not gone, my dears. Change of name, for continuity's sake only. I have already made that announcement in Plurk for my blogger friends and Plurk fans and I'll be posting the change in my Facebook page (for my friends at Facebook) and the Makeupbybambi Facebook fan page. In that way, you'll never lose me again.

You'll be receiving emails, especially those who have emailed me in the past. I'll be continuing to blog more, and I've taken different approaches to my blogging to include V-Logs in the roster of blog posts. I'll be making my Youtube channel more active as well with tutorials, interviews, product features, and V-Logs. I'm currently studying how to make the most of the video editing software installed in this PC (Christmas Wishlist: Macbook with iMovie, or a kickass but user-friendly Video Editing software, a big memory stick for my Powershot, and a FlipVideo would not hurt too).

Again, change would be effective by September 1, 2009. Brushtoblog will be changing to Makeupbybambi. By September 1, 2009, please update all your links and all.

Thanks guys! And here's to more posts and all. :). Hope everyone gets to read this so I still see you once I re-baptize my blog. :)

Makeup Micro-Haul: Brow Gels

Last week, my micro-haul involved makeup for the brows, which I took time to review. It's hard to look for quality brow products out there and which ones to haul.

First up is the Shu Uemura counter at Rockwell where I visited EJ again. I've always made it a point to give him a visit each time I go to Rockwell to say hi and give a makeup update. At the display section, I saw three new jars similar to the painting liner jars but the jars were translucent. This happened to be a new product - eyebrow gels, which were eyebrow makeup similar to eyebrow pencils and eyebrow powders but in a gel-to-powder form.

On the jar, the product looks creamy but when I swatched it on my hand, it dried to a powder-like finish. I tried it on my brows (I was recommended the shade Seal Brown, which was a universal color) and I liked how natural and defined it looked. I purchased a jar but not before doing a final test: I went to the sink and ran my swatched hand under the water: NO BUDGE. I owned the jar. SoldThe swatch is an ashy brown, which looks good for male makeup (I used it for my Men of Leq shoot on Mauricio) or for subtle definition without looking pencilled in. We all know how we hate how fake the pencilled-in brow looks so this wins the deal for me. It's good to use on its own too, just as I did here:

What I like about it is that it also wasn't tricky to use, so you can layer little amounts first, since one application really isn't that strong. This is good for brow makeup beginners. It really makes a huge difference. I also was told that Seal Brown is the bestseller eyebrow pencil shade. Makeup like this is best applied with an angled eyebrow brush with stiff synthetic bristles. Makeup like this is best applied either after pencil or on its own. I actually used like 3 layers on the swatch above, so you could see how light it is, that's why I recommend this for brow beginners. It's less messy too than powder.

Last Monday, I passed by the MAC counter. By pure instinct and intuition, I looked for the Girl Boy brow set, since a lot of my clients have been asking about it. There was just one left. It was mine, fate implies it. and it's mine.

About MAC Brow Sets, I was at first hesitant to use it before, especially then when I was scared of brows. However, after trying them on, I was like, "How come I didn't use it sooner?" As of today, I have two shades: Sophisticated and Girl Boy, both purchased at MAC Makati. I'm about to purchase a third shade, Beguile soon.

My MAC Brow Sets: Girl Boy and Sophisticated

As MAC states, Brow Set is:

"A brush-on gel that grooms and slicks brows into shape without flaking or stiffening the brows. Available in several tinted shades or clear, it can be used on its own, or for a nice natural look stroke over Eye Brows. May also be used on lashes, sideburns, and chops - any facial hair."

[text credits]


Remember the old-school way of using clear mascara or hairspray and a mascara spoolie to set brows? This works the same way. There is the classic Clear brow set, for those who want no color. The tinted brow sets really are something, which can soften an expression with a lighter shade. This can be used to also match the eyebrow hair color with the head hair color, particularly if you have dyed your hair but forgot to color in the eyebrows.

My first brow set is Sophisticated, which is a blond shade. However, this shade is no longer available at the MAC website (waaaah!). I like how it softens my brows in a pretty blond hue, which looks good especially at summer.
I really hope MAC brings back Sophisticated, because it really is a pretty shade and I really love it. However, for those who want the same ashy blonde effect, a good alternative could be Beguile, which is a full-bodied taupe.


Girl Boy is another bestseller, when I was at the store last week, it was sold out and a lot of clients were looking for it. When the stocks came, it was sold in a few days' time and I bought the last stock. It's actually a fawn-blonde shade, sort of reddish so it warms up the expression and it's got more definition than sophisticated. Girl Boy is good for girls too who dyed their hair red or warm honey shades. Despite that this shade is reddish, it didn't turn into that ugly and fake reddish brow.

Here are my two brow sets in comparison:

Sophisticated is lighter and Girl Boy is actually warmer but they still give a slight tint. Notice how the difference in color can alter the shape and expression of the eye. In order to apply Brow Sets, I usually recommend to my clients to bend the wand a bit at an approximately 45-degree angle. Just be gentle with it though and bend it slowly. I use light pressure in applying the color in feathery strokes, just slightly tinting the brow hairs. In case I got too much color, I can always brush it off with a clean mascara wand/brush/spoolie. I think the angle helps me control the application better. If there's too much product on the wand, you could wipe off the excess with a clean tissue. Brow Sets are applied after eyebrow makeup, as it tames the brows while giving it a tint. Just as how we set our makeup with loose translucent powder, this serves the same purpose.

My two hauls actually blend well with one another. On testing the MAC Brow Sets, I actually used my Shu Uemura eyebrow gel first to define my eyebrows and then set them with the Brow Sets in their corresponding colors. The effect is very natural without sacrificing the brow definition I want. Very ideal for beauty makeup.

MAC Brow Sets are available at all MAC Counters (Tower, Glorietta, and Marionnaud) for Php870. Other shades aside from the ones shown are Clear, Beguile, and Show-Off.

Shu Uemura Eyebrow Gels retail for Php1,375. As of now, I know it's only available at the Rockwell store. Again, a slanted eyebrow brush is recommended for this.

Behind-the-Scenes: Men of Leq

Yesterday, I did makeup for Rachel's project, Men of Leq, featuring some of her favorite male models and closest friends.

The shoot was held at Cielo Salon (thanks to Cielo Petines for lending her salon as location). Rain was heavy and traffic plugged up at EDSA and Buendia (as usual, Monday morning post-payday weekend). I arrived panicking thinking they'd all be there waiting for me but i was the third to arrive, the two models arriving before me. I introduced myself ("Hello, I'm Bambi, you know, like the deer in the cartoon. I'll be doing your makeup after I set up the makeup station and catch my breath in 2 minutes. In the meantime, relax and take deep breaths for the skin to relax and be prepared for skin prep and makeup.") and went back to business.

Rachel arrived a few minutes after me, then Dennis, then Apy. As you've seen Rachel modelling, another surprise is that she's also a photographer. She holds a Fine Arts degree and not only has she been taking pictures she's also been painting as well, and she's been really good at both.

Of course, behind-the-scenes pictures are a must.

Dennis taking a break from QA-ing the look I'm doing on Mauricio

Ay... kilig! With our Swedish model, Victor. (note my cute Hello Kitty baby wipes packet)
The fabulosa Dennis Celestial accessories.

Victor with the two photographers, Rachel and Apy.

Watch out for more Men of LEQ pictures and more results from Rachel Lobangco's Men of LEQ series.

Classic Glamour Look

After my shoot yesterday, I visited the store and I went home. While on the ride home, I was formulating another tutorial. I do have my lists pending and I'm working on them trying to make them as simple as possible so it's user-friendly. One of my favorite and quick evening (and sometimes daytime) looks is the clean eye and dramatic lip, which transcends time. It's also one look that takes less time to do. :)



Since I did this video at night, I had to make use of available light, which wasn't much so I got my old reading lamp, which was white light and made it into a vanity light so I could see better and test with different angles. I started editing this at around 9 PM and I fell asleep while editing so I had to continue editing this early this morning. And here's the thing, Windows Movie Maker lost the files I imported so I had to re-import the video files from the memory card and re-do the entire video. Argh!

Anyway, here are additional tips for this look:

1. I used mineral powder foundation misted with some MAC Fix+. I got this idea from Lyn at MAC, and said it's better for those with oily skin since the makeup doesn't clump much. Not to mention Fix+ is really affordable at Php850. I'm still not done using my bottle. This product is best applied using a flat foundation brush like the MAC 190 but the stippling brush could work too.
2. The cat's eye shape could make wide-set eyes look farther apart so what I did was add a bit of medium brown shadow at the inner corner of the eye and blended this well outwards with the contour.
3. Gel eyeliner works best with this look. Pen liquid liner like MAC Penultimate could work too. another trick I could share is use pencil liner first and then once the shape is okay and symmetrical, color in with liquid or gel liner.
4. The look is good with defined brows. Make sure brows are groomed, defined, and if you must, brushed with eyebrow gel to keep stray hairs in place.
5. For foolproof red lips: Line lips with red lipliner and fill in. Apply one coat of red lipstick and blot. Apply second coat with red lipstick and blot. Use lipliner to define the shape and make lips symmetrical and even. For dark and bright lipstick colors, lipbrush works best here. To clean up lips, use a cotton bud to wipe stray strokes from outwards to inwards. :)

Colored Eyes

This shot was inspired by MAC Colorcraft. I wanted to do something adventurous and remembering our lesson at makeup school on Pegs and Reproduction, I applied it and got inspired. :)

Photo credits:

• Model: Faye Alloso
• Photographer: Mike Yu of Mantra Photography

Thanks to Faye for being my canvas and Mike for this shot.

The trickiest part wasn't layering the color and blending but outlining the shapes with eyeliner. I used gel eyeliner here with a very thin brush and not breathing, which means I would have to practice a bit more as well. Now i need to find a pen-type of liquid liner, which could be better too.

A Saturday at Mantra

Saturday was so much fun since Mike and I did this shoot for model portraits. :) The shoot was fast, quick, and fun, with very clean makeup looks and impeccable lighting. Here are some of the shots:

Smile and I have been friends for a long time via Multiply but it wasn't until this shoot that we actually worked together. If you think she's familiar, she's walked the catwalk for two Philippine Fashion Week seasons in a row. Supermodel. :)

These four boys were fun to work with as well as fierce when the camera starts to click and click.

Clowns after the shoot. It was tiring and hot but sure was fun. :) Good company too

My hand has healed though and it was pretty functional that day. I don't need to bandage it and it was a lot easier to do hair now that it doesn't sting much. :) Work made me have a 10-pound weight loss in a week but I'm glad it wasn't the type of deadly weight loss. I noticed the tone in my arms getting back. Looks like makeup artistry is also a good workout with a wholelot of endorphin rush because it's a lot of fun too.

Portraits by Mike Yu of Mantra Photography.

Purple Smoke and Bronzed Skin - MAC Guest Artist FOTD

If you've passed by the MAC store at Glorietta this week and noticed a girl who looks like me doing the makeovers and all as an addition to the MAC staff... well... that's me. :) Hehehehe. I've guested at MAC Makati since Monday and today's the last day for this week that I'm guesting. I kinda miss it now. I miss the counter right now I wanna go back there again tomorrow. Guesting there at MAC is hard work but it's so much fun especially for me since I love makeup. Time flies so fast and I'm glad I'm given opportunities like this since I get to meet a lot of people and do things I like to do and being surrounded with my favorite stuff in the world. It's no secret that I have a lot of favorite brands, and MAC is one, being a client and fan of it for so long. I get to fall in love with it both as a consumer/client and as part of the MAC staff. I get to learn new techniques on how to maximize a product and to fall in love with new things. During my first stint there, I fell in love with the brush cleaner and cleanse-off oil. Now, I love the Lightful line and I learned how to maximize the Mineralize line.

Anyway, I did a different look today. I didn't just go super smoky and wear nude lips but I also did body-bronzing, so I was slightly sunkissed today.

For the eyes, I went for smoky purple eyes and I would like to share that look today:

FACE:
After cleansing and moisturizing and applying primer ( Prep+Prime Skin), I applied Select Cover-Up in NW30 on my undereye area and Studio Finish Concealer in NC35 to even out my skin. For foundation, I want to look noticeably darker so I combined Select Sheer liquid foundation in NC42 and Mineralize Satinfinish liquid foundation in NC 35 and brushed this on my skin with a foundation brush. I set this with a mixture of MAC Mineralize loose powder foundation in Medium and a tad of Medium Dark and brushed this on my face with a foundation brush and set and blend it with a 187 brush. I contoured with Mineralize Skinfinish powder in Dark with a 168 brush and highlighted with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powder in Medium.

BROWS:

I lined my brows with Espresso and set it with brow set in Girl Boy.

CHEEKS:

For a 3-d look, I used a 168 brush to apply blush in Peachykeen on the apples of my cheeks. For highlight, I used the pink and peach combo of the Mineralize Skinfinish in Triple Fusion (Colour Craft collection) and highlighted the cheekbone and temple with the gold side of the same compact.

EYES:

After priming the lids with Prep+Prime eye in Light and Cream Color Base in Shell, I used the lighter color of Play On Plums Mineralize Eyeshadow (Duo) for the lid color and Shroom for the browbone.

I contoured my crease with the purple side of the same eyeshadow (Play On Plums) and blended this well. For more definition, I contoured the outer crease with Beauty Marked and defined the outer corner with Carbon. I lined my eyes with Smolder Eye Kohl and set this with Carbon and Beauty Marked to add shine. Technakohl in Graphblack to add more definition. Inner waterline was lined with Eye Kohl in Fascinating.

For the lashes, I used Prep+Prime Lash to give lashes extra boost followed by Zoom Lash in Zoomblack and Pro Lash in Coal Black.

LIPS:

Spice lipliner to line lips and filled in. Two possible lipcolors are Half and Half and Viva Glam II.

BODY BRONZING

I prepped my skin with Strobe Cream and then applied Skinsheen Leg Spray in Dark and dusted this with Iridescent Powder in Golden Bronze.

Normally, I'm not that tan but I looked like I just came from the beach. What's the story behind that pose? Check the hand and read the story here.

Billy Anne and Hannah

Rain poured like hell last Wednesday but nothing stopped Mike and I with this shoot, plus we had deadline for this shoot to do.

Classic Mike Yu look was the clean look, the type that you just-woke-up-gorgeous look. And with his impeccable lighting, there was no need for photoshop. :-) I posted this picture as it is... with no photo manipulation directly from the flash drive:



Here's Hannah, our model. That's makeup with no photo-editing at all done. :) This is a simple and clean look with definition and glow at the right places. The curl of the hair was achieved using a slim ceramic straightening iron.

For the next look, there were new lines of clothing coming up at Underwear Village so we showcased them using our model, Billy Anne:



For Billy Anne's makeup, I was inspired by MAC's Style Warriors look so I used shiny bronzy eyeshadow on her lids and contoured her crease with a deeper but kinda shiny warm brown shadow to accentuate her eyes. Her brows were shapely to begin with so I just defined them. Bronzer on cheeks and plum lipstick. Here, I used NARS lipstick in Damage and topped it with MAC lipglass in Flight of Fancy. Her hair was curled with a ceramic curling iron and set with pins to let cool and for more hold and bounce. Although Billy was naturally tan with fantastic skin color, I accentuated and deepened her color with MAC Skinsheen in Dark and then powder bronzer over.

Bare All @ Lay Bare

I guess that's what they say with brazilian waxing - once you go bald, you'll never go back. After going brazilian, I resolved to include my waxer's appointment in my monthly budget. My waxer is practically used to my shrieks of pain though, so I make sure to do my appointment on a weekday non-payday when the shop opens and there's hardly any people.

One time my waxer wasn't available and I was scheduled to have a shoot though and I needed to de-fuzz. So, in panic for a good and relatively painless waxer, a friend of mine recommended Lay Bare waxing salon in Makati, where she goes. My question: "How's the hurt?" Her answer: "No biggie." I trust you.

I've also read reviews about Lay Bare as well, and with the positive reviews and client testimonials I got (plus my friend's own experience), I decided to book my appointment. Oh, and the affordable price list was another plus.

Although I'm no newbie to waxing, this is a new experience to me because they would be using cold wax jelly made of sugar, honey, and calamansi instead of hot wax. New experience. No heat. Could be good too. After setting an appointment via phone, I went to the salon where I was briefed with what to do and all. I was prepped with powder. Wax was taken from this little plastic disposable cup. It wasn't like the spreadable wax in microwave waxing kits but it was somewhat like clay, so it needed a bit of waming up. The mixture is spread on one area at a time and then quickly ripped off on the opposite direction of hair growth.

Surprisingly, the procedure was relatively painless. For girls who have trauma or phobia with hot wax, this is a place I would recommend. The whole waxing procedure took approximately 30 minutes for me, and that includes the plucking of whatever remaining hair that remained. After antibac topical cream was applied, the procedure was over. Quick, painless (relatively. there is no super painless level of brazilian waxing), and simple. Nice.

I also found out that Lay Bare not only has waxing services for women but also for men (boyzillian waxing? Okay, I'm kidding). They offer loyalty cards for their loyal customers and even have a promo during your birthday month - You get 15% on all your services plus complimentary eyebrow threading. You could also book your appointments online by logging on their website or calling their hotline.

Overall, I could say that I'm satisfied with their service and I recommend these to my friends who are looking for affordable waxing services and are scared of hot wax. Lay Bare also has several branches nationwide, so you can look for a branch that's convenient to you.

Five-Minute Makeup

Because I got energized to do a makeup video tutorial, here's one



I've been getting requests to do quick makeup demos for girls on the go who would like to look a tad better than just rolling out of bed, hitting the shower, then jump into your outfit and go. I did the makeup all in one take. I think some could do this in a few minutes lesser time, I just had to take longer with my brows because they need extra definition being naturally thin.

For tinted moisturizer, I'll share a DIY recipe found in Sandy Gold's tutorials:

moisturizer + foundation = tinted moisturizer

Landing on the cover. Yahoo! Yahoo! Yahoo!!!!

Remember the El Paso Doble Series? Well guess what? While I was at dinner one time, Apy texted me that she was asked if that shoot could be part of the next issue of an up and coming magazine as an editorial spread. Well what did you know? Our fun shoot turned out to be an editorial spread in absolute serendipity love. But here's another bonus, I didn't know that it would be the COVER as well!

And so just yesterday, despite my splitting headache that broke my skull in pieces, I popped in an extra-strong and super fast painkiller to be able to rummage Glorietta for a copy. I found one and bought it (interestingly, I found it at a little newsstand)

wheee! cover page!



wheee! credits!

the spreads also were there, showcasing our work plus an interview with Apy as well.



Another surprise was while I was flipping through the magazine, Filbert and Glenn were also featured in the magazine and it showed one of our shots done with Leonardo Corredor.



wheee editorial spread!



whee, credits!

Grab a copy of Statement magazine now at your local newsstands. :) Now aren't these enough to make me smile?