Three Hours To Subic For a Prenup

Christine, Aisa, Mich and I unite again for another project last week. Got to posting this now since Christine and I were working on a catalog shoot this week and I grab pictures from Aisa since I didn't bring my camera that day. Where was the location for our shoot... travel Northbound and Stations of the Cross of tollgates to the lovely place of Subic.

I was at Subic a few months ago for a print ad shoot, which I have yet to blog about but at that time, it was the crack of dawn while travelling. Since I live at a business district, Christine told me she would pick me up at Shell McKinley at 6 am. There was horrible dawn traffic at SLEX so as soon as Christine saw my shadow, I hopped in her car and zoomed EDSA to NLEX only stopping to grab food at KFC NLEX while speeding to Subic i

n 140 kph.

We met up Aisa and Mich at Subic. They were already with our clients, Eds and Jeff. We'd be doing a prenup shoot since they're getting married in a few weeks. Since we're masters of improv, without the presence of a studio and shooting on location, here's what we used to improvise a studio and dressing room:

Converted a little table in Starbucks to a make-up station. while the trunks of Christine's and Jeff's cars were used as storages.

That's us taking directions from Christine as she lays out the storyboard... or that's what the picture says.

Touching up on Eds' strays and smears. The heat was beating literally on my back I had to shield my hair and my eyes too.

Awwww layout pre the pre-sunset, because come sunset we were at the last location, an old-school type of fair. I'm glad the guard allowed us to use their location and promise, it worked! He was even nice enough to take our group picture. All of these pictures are from Aisa's blog post.

Fun day! Great job you guys!

Going Girly at the Havaianas Event

Inspired by our Audrey Hepburn photoshoot the day before, I went for an Audrey-inspired outfit sans makeup since I came from work. I wore this dress to the Havaianas launch last Thursday, which was a summery event.

It looks so girly and it goes well with flats or heels. I chose flats since I was working that day, and stilettos would be too owie. It was a good thing I had my hair fixed that day though (had my hair trimmed to nix the split ends) so I look more human like I didn't come from work.

Some shots too during the event:

Clowning with the guys while munching on veggie sticks, cream puffs, and unlimited iced tea. Normally, I'd wolf food like no tomorrow but I ate a lot at work so I thought to keep my dinner light. Food was also the reason why I chose a loose dress, so I get to eat a lot. I got a lot of compliments with my Audrey look. Maybe I should try outfits like this just once in a while.

Cham Pale and Stylishly Yours: New At The MAC Counter

Of course a week of mine wouldn't pass without me visiting the MAC Counter in Makati. Since I was busy the weeks before moving to the new place and all that, I wasn't able to visit much so I got a really good surprise when I saw them setting up a new display.

Cham Pale pale but with life. We usually think of pale as lifeless and dead but this one despite the presence of smoky kohls and smolder in the swatches is no palette inspired from Night of Iron Deficiency Anemia. It's just got nudes and neutrals in the cooler spectrum instead of warm and red bronzey. Champagne shades, malt-y colors, and shimmer were the inspirations for this palette, adding a cushy lip gelles in silvery shimmers and a quad with mainstays Brule and Retrospeck included.

My spotlight in this collection are the liners. I really adore Chromagraphic Pencils since they open up the eyes without looking fake or cross-eyed. These are creamy eye pencils in the shade of MAC concealers, so they're flesh-toned instead of stark white. I really think flesh-toned liners on the waterline make the eyes look brighter and healthier in a natural way, that's why I'm making super tipid my Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15. It works in theater, bridal, fashion shows, or in days where I want to look awake. I'm praying this becomes a mainstay in MAC counters.

NC15/Nw20, NW25/NC30, another NC15/NW20 and Eye Kohl in Feline swatches. The fairer girls would like NC15/Nw20 while morenas could go for NW25/NC30. You could use this too if a strong smoky eye color closed up the eye. Speaking of smoky eyes, Feline is an adorable kohl for the supermodel eye with a stare the cuts through. The only problem with Feline or any eye kohl for that matter is that it tends to bleed quite easily so my best friend would be translucent powder under the eye and to quickly set the kohl with a powerful black eyeshadow like Carbon.

While examining the Cham Pale collection, I saw Kang wear a hot pink lippie that looked more opaque than Lustering, almost like my old Hollywood Nights but creamier. It was actually part of a new collection called Stylishly Yours with candy color pigments, cream color bases, and lippies that are in perfect contrast to the pale of Cham Pale, or if not Cham Pale, a statement to a clean face.

I'm here to spotlight on the lippies though, which I took shots and swatches of.

Something New, Style Curve, Cockney, and Neon Orange. Something New was the pink Kang was wearing. It really looks so pretty and Barbie-like, something I would like to be another mainstay in MAC counters as it's so hard to find a bright fuchsia lippie nowadays. Style Curve is a very attractive violet color that goes on bluish plum on the lips. Since it's a cremesheen finish, it looks more like a hug of grape rather than like the violet lippies of the 90's with the annoying blue frost that looks more psychedelic than flattering. Cockney is actually a relaunch. It really looks like a bright red on stick but it's actually just a kiss of red in a lustre finish, so it could be a beginner red for those who want to try red out first. Neon Orange, as the name stays, is Neon Orange, quite similar to Morange, which I also blogged before. On lips, it's something that's typically dare-to-wear but really cool once you put it on:

Even with minimal makeup, a neon orange lip is already okay. Summer is soon coming up and now's the time for bright bold colors. :) It's kind of dark though, since I just used my phone's camera to capture all images so that I'm not so conspicuous while taking shots. MAC launched really cool collections this year now, from a flattering pale to bright candy colors to lusher lashes. Here's something I'm excited about though, Fix+ Lavander. I already fell in love with Fix+ that I make it a point to have one on stock. Regular Fix+ bottles have a nice refreshing scent as it is and this one's got infused with the scent of lavander.

I really love the scent of lavander. It reminds me of a relaxing day at the spa. It's not too overpowering nor is it too floral for me to have a migraine upon first whiff. I know that lavander's scent is for calming and is definitely perfect for us to wind down after a long day. I could use this on a bride upon setting her makeup to calm any pre-wedding jitters. Ooooh this sure is one that I would love for MAC to keep regular - their infused Fix+!!!!! Although my bottle of Fix+ is hardly half-empty, I'd love to keep this on stock. So now you guys know probably what I'd get once I get my talent fees already for the month. Okay maybe another lippie as well wouldn't hurt.

Pygmalion Photos

Sharing with you guys our shoot earlier, here are some of the final pictures with take note... minimal photoediting. :)

Photo Credits:

Photos By: Leo Castillo
Concept & Costume By: Barbara Bennett
Body and Hair Make-Up for Rachel Lobangco: Barbara Bennett
Make-Up for EJ Montuano: Bambi Dela Cruz-Dimapilis

Location: Fernbrook Gardens

Shooting Pygmalion

Going back to work just makes me happy, who cares if I'm tired or have a packed schedule right? and why say no when the venue is absolutely beautiful?

The famous glass dome belongs to Fernbrook Gardens, the same venue for my D-Day, so why not go back there again right? While leaving Fort earlier, I was worried that it would literally rain on our parade and ruin our shoot right? Zooming Skyway had trickles of raindrops as well but as soon as we entered Fernbrook's complex, the sun shone like a hot summer day. Coincidentally, it was the same case as my wedding as well. I had a sunny, sunny day for my wedding but it rained like the day after it. So does that mean everytime I'm in Fernbrook the sun shines? Okay... that's wishful thinking for me.

Anyhow, Rachel had this concept in mind she saw in ANTM where the models were transformed to marble statues. It was done outdoors and they were partnered with a guy, but this guy was human. It does remind us of the story of Pygmalion, where the sculptor Pygmalion falls in love with the statue he created, Galatea. Hence, the shoot was named Pygmalion.

Rachel's makeup artist friend Bambi Bennett had the concept and execution down to pat. She knew exactly what to do and what materials to use, even to the very detail of turning Rachel's long flowy locks to resemble sculpted marble or stone. When I arrived there, I saw her smoothing hair extensions and fixing the fabric she stiffened and painted in a matte white color. We had two models for this shoot. Rachel of course, was our Galatea. EJ was her Pygmalion, so I took charge of doing his makeup. Makeup for EJ was fast and quick so while he rested, I helped out in transforming Rachel's tanned skin to stone.

That's four layers of makeup on Rachel, two of those were airbrushed. Bambi B. wanted it super smooth so no flesh tone should be seen. Rachel practically had extensions and a whole tub of wax and paint on her hair by this time.

Two Bambi's using two [airbrush] guns. It was a hard task but fun. Our hands were splattered white too and so were our guns but it was okay. The challenge here was to layer without cracking and buffing the medium to smoothness. Two hours later, we got Rachel Lobangco, petrified version:

Not as obvious here yet, but wait till you see the set.

Bambi B. doing finishing touches.

Then Leo starts to shoot. Omigod, on camera, she really looks like a statue.

Our Pygmalion joins in.

Layout #2 and #3 was set near the church. We were lucky that the church doors were closed.

Shades because the sun was blaring. Nevertheless, it made a fantastic blue sky.

After the shoot, we had a scrumptious late lunch where I probably ate two plates and a half (mental note: must swim for two days and workout like a madwoman). After we all cleaned and packed up we called the shoot a day. It was a long shoot but definitely worth it. I really love working with fantastic and talented people. It gets my blood rushing plus I get to imbibe good energy and inspiration. Great way to jetstart the week, eh?

Bridal Accessories from trad to RAD

With my HMU taken care of, it was time for me to work it on the clothing department. That I impossibly can't go DIY on, so I left the fashion to the professionals.

When I chose my palette, the first thing I wanted was I wanted my gown to reflect my non-traditional self. I didn't want a gown with a train, a trailing veil as long as a football field, or the usual pristine white. I would have welcomed a wine-colored gown or a fun gown like Gwen Stefani had during her wedding. However, I must remember that although my artist friends welcome that aspect, there are those that would raise eyebrows when I strut down the aisle in a dress that seems to be pulled out from a haute couture lookbook instead of a bridal shop. So I settled for an elegant cut dress in a champagne shade that had a tad of white. Instead of a pristine laundry bleach white color, I opted for something in the warmer spectrum.

Days before D-Day, I decided to hang my dress from the white wedding box it was kept. When I tried it on, I was surprised that I lost weight again and my dress was too loose already for me. My mom told me I had to take it for alteration at this moment. Veronica Velayo comes to the rescue to make the gown fit for a bride. Not only did she alter it to fit my shrinking figure, she also cleaned up details which I didn't see and changed up the inner skirt for a brighter look and softer flow. We also had another veil made, a simple one cut short just for the ceremony with Swarovski crystals placed randomly for sparkle.

photo by Fritz Tentativa

For the church ceremony, I had the veil placed on top of Wacks' weaved bun. I requested the veil not to cover my face since I get claustrophobic easily. Oh yes, and I'm non-traditional.

The reception was time to have fun and let loose. For the reception accessories, it was also still time to wow, and for accessories that boggle the mind, I had just one person in mind to do that - Dennis Celestial. Dennis and I have been working for the longest time and I knew that no one could share and understand and enhance my radical nature but him. For the headdress, I wanted something bold and red. Known for his intricate beadwork and avante garde headpieces, Dennis came up with a headpiece of red felt with red crystals twisted and turned like berries. The red headdress indeed looked regal. I was happy Dennis did it with his own aesthetic still there, with a bit of avante gardeness. I really like how keen his eye is for details and neatness. There was no glue gun thread in sight or loose hemming in the fur.

photo by Christine Day Lorico

And speaking of regal, when every bride covers up with a translucent bolero, I was for (faux) fur. Faux of course, since I still wanted to be animal-friendly. The fur stole wasn't itchy at all, being lined with Mikado silk.

Clowning with my MOH Erika and groomsman Yeoh before reception entrance.

I jokingly call the look the Mayaman Matapobre look. They were indeed statement pieces and not only could I wear them in weddings, I could also wear them in other events.

Accessories are a fun way to jazz up a white dress, depending on what you want to project. Both of my looks were glamorous. The church look was more on clean and pristine and sort of traditional (sort of because I was wearing red peeptoe snakeskin stilettos and all my six piercings). The reception look was more fun and fab. More fur, more bling, more Old Hollywood glam with a lot more fun. By the time the reception came though, I enjoyed it more by kicking them stilettos and replacing them with gold ballet flats for me to walk around.

I'm a Bride and I DIY'ed

During the d-day preps, part of it was horrid pressure on me to look good, not just on the whole enchilada of the gown and shoes and all but also how I really look, as in my face. The norm of usual brides is to search high and low for a makeup artist and plunk a huge amount of money for a mua. But for me? I braved my Old Hollywood bridal look, DIY style.

I got like mixed reactions for my choice to go DIY. The first reaction I got was "Are you sure?" For me it was no biggie. I've known a few who went DIY on their wedding and they really turned out awesome. I had already a face chart and did test runs of it as well with Wacks so we got the look down to pat - save though for the last. As long as I know what I wanted, I'm good to go. Also, I'm cheap so I wanted to go DIY.

Days before, I was going makeup-free to let my skin breathe, only wearing makeup occasionally for the face to avoid shock come D-Day when I'll be piled on with makeup. It also pays to keep hydrated. And speaking of being hydrated, I used a sheet mask from The Face Shop with pearl essence to brighten (not whiten) the face so I got fresh cells up here minus facial since I didn't have time to visit the doctor already. Prior to this day, I was working since I got a few weddings and events booked that week too.

Anyway, I was lucky that it wasn't such a hot or humid day that's prone to makeup meltdown. Just the same I made sure that my face was clean and prepped well. MAC fast response eye cream was used to fill in fine lines and hammer down bags. Shu Uemura Red Juvenus took care of the moisturizing department while I used favorite UV Underbase to keep my skin velvety.

Since I don't like being stark white, I self-tanned weeks before since I'll be wearing a light-colored dress. I used Paul and Joe Creamy Compact foundation #30 then airbrushed my skin in a shade half-step darker than my face color for a bit of bronzey effect. Since there's going to be lots of pictures that day, Flash photography could make my skin look ghostly so I skipped foundation and products with high SPF. Contour of course for dimension, in three different powders buffed to perfection with a kabuki brush after hammering all with MAC Studiofix NC35.

To keep the warm tone, I used peach on my cheeks and a mixture of golds on my eyes. I probably used around five colors on my eyes that day, blending them to achieve a Jolie-esque subtle smoky eye in the theme of gold. My main colors though were MAC Amber Lights, Espresso, and ricepaper with a tad of Kryolan Black for a bit of smokyness. Of course I had Blacktrack on my upper eyes to make my peepers look bigger and I used MAC's Loudlash, which I discovered was waterproof beyond reasonable doubt. I forgot where I put my Maybelline Cat Eyes at that time so I grabbed the first waterproof mascara I had. Since a mascara'd to death lashline wasn't enough for pictorial purposes, I vavoomed with Glambox Mink Lashes, which I really saved for this day. I swear these babies were so light I didn't feel them come reception time.

Eyebrows were tricky too. I had them threaded a week before to they're in shape already. My eyebrows were also the main reason why I wanted to go DIY - since there's a shade and shape that I want for them. I used my super waterproof MUFE eyebrow correction in 0 and Beguile brow set to frame my face with eyebrows just for me.

Although I'm a fan of matte, I didn't want it all too matte and dry so I used my MSF in Redhead to dew things up at the tops of my cheeks. I used very little shimmer because too much shimmer reflects in photographs which could make the skin look oily.

I had five of my favorite red lippies to choose from that day.

Russian Red tops my list as the main color. Main color since I had two reds below it and another on top. I lined my lips with a bold red lipliner and filled in, so my lips are already red on its own. A layer of Ruby Woo followed, blotted, and reapplied again. Ruby Woo, being a retro matte finish lasts longer than Russian Red. The only downside with Ruby Woo was that it was too drying, so I slapped on two coats of Russian Red to keep the color true, blotting in between coats and setting it with translucent powder. Finally, so the lips are moist, I used the amplified finish of MAC Heartless (from Venomous Villains) as gloss on top, like cherry on top of a sundae. To totally seal the deal, I used a lipstick sealer so it stays from pictorial up to reception.

For hair, I left it at the hands of my trusty hairstylist/makeup artist friend, Wacks, I wanted the old Hollywood 1920's style fingerwaves with my hair in an updo, since a handcombed look would just accent my broad five-head and I've always found sideswept parts flattering for me. Wacks first set my hair in hot rollers and let me lose first for the waves to set before shaping my waist-long hair into a weaved ensaymada-big bun. With my hair being long and thick, it takes a great deal of patience to handle. As per his advice, I was advised not to use conditioner on my hair and if I should shampoo, I should just use only a little amount.

Dollops of mousse, hairspray, volumizer, an hour or so of heat styling and 50++ bobby pins later, I was summoning Katherine Heigl and Angelina Jolie, which were my Hollywood pegs too. :)

When my bridal march played, it was the time to rock the pinnacle of my bridal portfolio. Ready when you are guys!

So how was my bridal DIY makeup? It was a lot of fun actually. Yes, there was a lot of pressure and tension but nothing that a little breathing exercise and concentration could rid of. For me, I didn't see going DIY as added stress, I just had fun painting my own face as I always have for fun. This time, it was for a very long photoshoot.

Back To Work

This little workie knows no rest. :) So officially I sign myself to be back on track working. We start off by fixing the DSL at our home as I've been nagging the company every single day and now I got like 3 calls from them coordinating with my schedule and all.

And lo and behold, I'll be working from Friday till Sunday. Let's hope we get more work and all. My brushes are ready!

Kristine's Makeover Shoot

Kristine was our client a few weeks back. She wanted to try something different and to look different. A photoshoot would do just that right?

My Christine had magic in her mind, I enhanced her magic lights and eye with a few of my swishes, sprays, and flicks. :)

Kristine before the makeover. Clean, sweet, and fresh. An hour later, we went for edgy street chic.

I just laaaahhhvvvv her brows. And her bone structure.

You go classy lady!

She looks like a Chinese actress in these very pretty shots. All I had to do was smoke up the eyes and curl her hair. Christine did the rest of the magic.

photos and styling: Christine Day Lorico

makeup: Bambi de la Cruz

It was a lot of fun and Kristine loved the results. She's an amazing beauty and so glad to have worked with her. :) Should we watch out for her in today's glossies? Who knows?

Makeup Pouch Stolen

I'm trying not to be bummed out with the situation, but really, if ever it was stolen, I just hope that all turns out right.

A funny but irritating thing happened a while ago. I was at the grocery at Market Market to buy food for tonight's dinner. While at the pet section, I was sandwiched by a number of carts, which I had a hard time getting out of. I remember having my bag at my shoulder, the usual thing while struggling to get out of the traffic.

I noticed after I got out, my bag felt lighter. When I saw, my two makeup pouches were missing, my black Shu Uemura pouch and my violet MAC colorforms pouch. However, the important stuff were inside my bag - phone, wallet, so on, but my makeup was gone.

In a way, I'm thankful that it could have been worse, but at the same time, kinda irritated. I don't know if I left it at the cab on my way to Market Market because I always check my stuff before I go and when I got in the mall, my bag was heavy. I already reported it to the grocery customer service and the concierge of Market Market. I really don't want to put the blame on anyone but I'm hoping that it just fell off during the traffic and some kind person surrendered my pouches to the lost and found, or probably it still was in the cab and it fell off. I just have personal stuff in my pouches - medicine, call card case, makeup, toothbrush, toothpaste though so kung ninakaw man yun, I just hope the person would have enough conscience to surrender it to Market! Market! Concierge since those are just personal stuff, although those could be replaced, those were bought with my hard-earned money. I myself even wouldnt result to grabbing things that aren't mine.

I'm hoping still and praying that all would work well. I really don't want to be bummed, and I know in a few days or weeks I'll be over the situation. I just want my stuff back. That's all.

Suit Up, Boys!

As I finally blog about D-Day after days of absence, I start my series of post with some of the boys on the event, and their interpretations of coat and tie, the dress code for the affair.

The groom himself is OC about the coat and tie, getting everything down to the detail. His suit was bought with me in tow for a second opinion, which hardly helped, just like me buying makeup with him around. His suit was by Armani, which he had altered as it was too loose for him initially and after losing weight, he needed to look all spiffed up. The shirt and vest were bought in SM, would you believe. We were settling for a high-end European brand but since the suit already made a name for itself, we went to SM for high-quality vests and soft polo. Spiffy formal shoes bought from Rockport. He was at first hesitant to buy shoes but I told him I got mink lashes, two wedding shoes, and a whole lot more expenses so he complied and no one complained.

Groomsman Anthony goes for a more laid-back version, his own, ditching leather shoes for his Chuck Taylors. He definitely carried it well, and I'm glad he keep the Chucks since the Chucks are so him, and it fits his personality too.

My blogger friends Marcelle and Fritz in their own versions of the coat and tie. Marcelle with a Fedora hat. Marcelle told me that his spiffy suit was actually bought off the rack and he made it his own with his tie and Fedora. Fritz gets male fashion down to pat. He chooses navy blue for his suit color, and this set is tailored by Exclusively His. I found out too that the new suits of today have 2 buttons now instead of 3. Whether custom made or off the rack, these blogger buds of mine know how to rock a red carpet.

Best man Dennis also went for custom made(right). I like the bright bold tie, which coincidentally matched the MOH's dress and color motif among other things.

Mike opted not to have a tie since he's doubling as a photographer and he wanted something comfortable without constricting his neck.

Since I'm used to seeing them look just casual at work and hanging out, it was a surprise to see my work friends in suits:

Yeoh opts not to have a tie as well but keeps it all in a one-color scheme. Wacks gwapo-ed up with a gray tie and all-black ensemble. It was funny seeing him all decked up as he was fixing my hair. TJ goes for black and white with a dark-colored tie. Yeoh's one of my groomsmen while TJ is partnering with his ladylove Jho also as veil sponsor.

Another rule is never wear a white tie with a white shirt. But if you're donning an all-black suit, a white tie is accepted. This sexy slim fit suit is custom made and designed by Dennis Celestial for my friend EJ.

Looking good boys. As Barney Stinson says, "Suit Up!" So you guys out there, how do you wear your suits?