Stila Autumn Blues

Stila brings you its exclusive online special, the Autumn Blues set for only $30. The actual retail price is valued at $100 +.



It includes:

Blu Orchid Palette – four exclusive Eye Shadows shades in Sunkissed, Nectarine, Venus and Mohagany. Cheek Color in Quaint; Lip Color in Melissa and Apricot Lip Glaze.

Lip Glaze – Peach Cobbler

Major Lash Mascara – Brown

This set is available at the Stila website: http://www.stilacosmetics.com

Alive and Doing Makeup

It's been a while since I posted. Been through a lot these past few days but none of them should make me abandon this site. Whether people actually read this or I only write to amuse myself, this blog shall continue.

I just thought of dropping this post to make my presence felt. I am still very much alive and not gobbled up by cancer.

In a few days, I will be training a makeup apprentice to assist me in gigs. She will be trained for free and will earn from paid gigs. I have a couple of bookings in the next few months so I will be needing an extra hand to make people more beautiful.

I have reviews cooking up but I have yet to take pics of the products. After work, I usually make a date with the TV instead of the computer. I'm so bummed out I need to recharge.  Maybe the PR 1 ranking should cheer me up. Not bad for a blog that's been in this new domain for about a month.

Will be prepping up for my next articles. Til Then!

4 Steps To A Perfect Canvas

Makeup is your paint and the face is your canvas. An essential step to a great makeup application is perfecting the skin surface, or else the rest of the steps will be screwed up. No amount of proper blending of eyeshadows or sculpting of the cheekbones will save your day if the base is oily, blotchy or uneven.

1. Cleanse
- Wash face to remove prior makeup and grime. If on location, use a cleansing oil or towel. A favorite among MUAs is the Shu Uemura cleansing oil. A little pricey for something that couldn't be seen: P1300 ($28) for a 150 ml bottle. A cheaper alternative is Elianto green tea cleansing oil P700 (around $15) for a 200ml bottle. The Body Shop and The Face Shop have cleansing wipes at reasonable prices.

2. Tone
- toning removes the rest of the dirt that mere cleansing cannot do. It reduces pore size while freshening up the face and controlling oiliness. A toner contains some amount of alcohol or citric acid so be careful not to use it too close to the eyes. My personal favorite is Dickinson's Witch Hazel ($7 for 16 oz) which is an organic product. Nivea alcohol-free moisturizing toner ($6 for 6.8 oz) and Neutrogena Alcohol- free toner ( $6.76 for 8.5 oz) are getting raves from users.

3. Moisturize
- the first 2 steps can strip your skin off its natural moisture, hence this is a vital step for your perfect canvas. Properly moisturized skin can keep it supple and lessen the flaky appearance of a chemically-treated or dry skin. If you are on the oily side, it doesn't mean you have to skip this part. In fact, a moisturizer can help you lessen the oil produced by your overly active sebaceous glands. Your body is a dynamic system that sends signals to lessen the production of oil when it senses adequate amount present. Hence, overly drying your skin creates the opposite effect and leaves you with an oilier skin to compensate.

Olay White Radiance (P499 or $10 for 75 ml) which also comes with SPF 24 gets my thumbs up. If you wanna go natural, virgin coconut oil is a cheap and less toxic option, if the smell of "latik" doesn't bother you. Otherwise, extra virgin olive oil may be your way to go. Ziaja eye cream (less than P200 or $4) is an inexpensive way to hydrate the delicate zone near your eyes.

- incorporated in this step are lip conditioning and application of sunblock. The lips are crucial to the total impact of your work. After moisturizing the skin, dab some lip balm on your puckers. Burts Bees ($2.99) and Carmex ($1.59) are good finds . By the time you start applying makeup colors and lipstick, you won't have a problem with lips flaking off because it has been smoothened out during the canvas prep.

4. Prime

After cleansing, toning and moisturizing, the makeup may still slip in no time. A primer is your answer to achieving a smooth surface and lasting makeup. It fills in lines and scars, makes pores appear smaller, forms a barrier to cosmetics that can clog the pores, tames excess shine and allows easier gliding of makeup on your skin. Examples are Smashbox Photo Finish ($38)- a cult favorite, Camellia Rose ($18) - my personal favorite, Bare Escentuals Prime Time ($21) or if you prefer silicone-free preparation, there's Lorac  Aqua Prime Oil- free primer ($30).

Model: Cherry Ann Co
Photo by: Andrew Reyes

Prenup Makeup

Last Sunday, I did the makeup for the pre nup shoot of my friend, Styx. I was as usual amazed at the Urban Decay Primer Potion for its ability to hold the eyeshadow colors the whole day. Throughout the scorching-hot day, I made minor touch ups on the foundation, blush and lipstick but not the eyeshadows. It managed to stay vibrant with the help of my trusty UDPP.

I likewise bow down to the power of the Max Factor Liquid Illusion Foundation which I personally used for the long day. Perennial snapshots with the makeup artist always caught me at my most haggard self, but amazingly, no oilies showed up in my photos this time. Absolutely no retouch for me as I was busy taking pictures with my camera during the shoot. Taking photos of my work allows me to check how the makeup registers on camera and alerts me to correct whatever flaws that may show.

Before

Her Vavavooom Version

Formula Used:

Face-

Smashbox Primer with Dermaxyl Complex

Max Factor Liquid Illusion Foundation in Natural

YSL Touche Eclat

Bare Escentuals Fairly Light Mineral Foundation

Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil

Elianto Caramel 2 way cake for contouring

Valerie Satin Sun for Highlighting

Lumiere Mauvelous as blush

Eyes-

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Mac Soba eyeshadow

Mac All that Glitters eyeshadow

Mac Cork eyeshadow

Mac Soft Charcoal on the creases and for filling in the eyebrows

Mac Rice Paper Eyeshadow

Covergirl Mascara

Mac Fluidline in Dipdown

Lips-

Mac Utterly Frivolous

Nyx Lollipop Megashine Lip Gloss

Read My Lips :Nyx Lip Swatches Part 2

Here are swatches of my second batch of orders from Nonpareilboutique.com. Shipping was fast as the first time. However, I ordered Thalia for the second time but got a Tea rose instead. I compared it with my mom's Thalia and my Tea Rose  so that's how I knew it was the latter, although the name on the cap was Thalia.I checked the site but sadly, Thalia is now out of stock.

Some lipsticks came with a seal and some didn't. The shade is written on the cap so it would be difficult to tell which is which once you got the caps mixed up.


1. Strawberry Milk- a pale pink that I intend to use for special effects  and on top of darker shades.


2. Paris- a  soft pink you can wear on a daily basis


3. Georgia- a shimmery/ frosted pink


4. Doll- a dark rose pink bordering on red on the tube yet lighter when applied


5. Castle- grape-colored shimmery lipstick, great for  creative shoots


6. Circe- a nude brown that works for some but pulls of a sick or dead look for others


7. Herades- if coral or terra cotta is your thing, this is your match


8. Goddess- Orange with shimmers. Blend this well to avoid making you appear like you've just slurped on spaghetti.




box cutter

Make Up From A 12 Year Old's Point of View

With my nieces bagging awards for essay writing contests in school, I dared them to write for my blog. Only Chinchin, the youngest one took the challenge. She wrote some samples of her work which I decided to post here.  Ironically, she does not like makeup. The face painting part is easier as we do it with the other kids for fun. It won't be long when I start having my writing apprentice. Perhaps with a little more prodding, she'll be enamored with the beautiful world of makeup when she grows up. :)

Makeup

Makeup is a commonly used and important product of many people even some kids enjoy using it. It is used for enhancing the beauty in people. Makeup can be used during many occasions it plays a very important to the artist for without the makeup he/she can not use anything that can be utilized to the full degree of what they can do and also during a very important occasions such as weddings or so it would give the person who wore the makeup a lot of confidence. So Makeup should be used to the most enjoyable extent there is. All around the world no matter where you are you can see people using makeup to enhance their natural beauty with this beautiful product.

Face Painting

Face Painting is a magical art done by painters and makeup artists alike. It is the wonderful hobby where you can express yourself in all types of designs. It has no limits no matter where or when your doing it you can express yourself to the fullest through beautiful colours, designs and styles. Face Painting should be considered the most beautiful and stylish art where age, gender and nationality doesn’t matter because  anyone may enjoy this art where people can use for all occasions such as festivals and so much more.

uncle mikes holsters

Styling Essentials by Dennis Almazan

This article was written by stylist Dennis Almazan. He has done styling for some models and photographers I have collaborated with in the past, but I have yet to work alongside him. A stylist, like a makeup artist is often left out in the credits department. A good photograph is not just about the camera, the photographers' techniques and the models' innate beauty, but is the sum of all the artistic inputs from people working behind the shoot:  MUA, stylist and designers included.  Read on to pick up some helpful views from this budding stylist from CDO:

STYLING TIPS

1. Show an outfit or accessories only once. It is fine to use a model many times just like what we are doing with Natasha Mills and Stephanie Sol. Just make sure that models would tend to look different every fashion shoot. These pictures were taken on one event with different photographers.

2. Always ensure that the outfit blends with the make-up, the venue, the hair, accessories and the storyline of the project.

3. If you are on a location shoot, always bring the make-up artist for re-touch. Make sure that the hairstyle is changed to come up with different results.

4. If the model is Filipino looking, do not force her to look Caucasian. That would be a big mess. Always choose a model that is pleasing to the eyes. Unless you want a Horror photo shoot.

5. Choose a tall model. Height is an advantage because photography is a visual medium.

6. If it is a wedding shoot, go for light make-up especially if the photographer caters for people who are getting married. You have the option to put dark colors on the eyes and lips if your concept is haute couture.

7. EMO look was popularized by Avril Lavigne. Filipinos would tend to follow the trend but please the dark shades of the eye would only fit if your nose has a nice shape. If the facial features of the model fit well, let the model wear contact lenses to come up with a light color of the eyes to emphasize the dark shade of the eyes. Do not let the male model wear lip gloss or shimmery shade. That would make him look effeminate.

8. Explore concepts. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Make sure that your concept is unique every photo-shoot.

9. Ignore bad comments. Remember, it is you who works hard and spends for the shoot. Every work is a piece of art.

10. Love your work. Do not expect that you will earn money in this field.

Be selfless.
The greatest giver is always a winner.
Never in my life that I earned money from being a stylist but I gained a lot of friends.

Models: Natasha Mills and Stephanie Sol
Photographers: Jonathan Neri for the 1st. 2nd and 4th photos and Marivic Montilla for the 3rd photo.
Stylist: Dennis Almazan
MUA: Raffy Rockwell

KC On Marie Claire

KC Concepcion is gracing this month's edition of Marie Claire Philippines. I grabbed a copy because of her notrworthy makeup done by Krist Bansuelo. Her strong bone structure is softened by the right contouring and highlighting. The eyebrows are perfectly arched and  the lips are done flawlessly. She has more photos inside bringing out the sophisticated woman in her.

Congratulations to KC, Krist Bansuelo, photographer Mark Nicdao, Stylist Pam Quinones, Designer Jerome Salaya Ang  for the job well done.

What I love about Marie Claire is that it is able to blend fashion, beauty and issues that matter to the society in one package.

Revlon Custom Creations Foundation

I was browsing Preview Magazine's Trend Report when this innovative product from Revlon caught my eyes. One of the challenges as a makeup up artist is finding the right shade of foundation for your client. As much as it is difficult to search for your own holy grail foundation, getting a perfect match for your client's skin tone will require the right choices and mixing of shades.

The Revlon Custom Creations Foundation has 5 settings to make it easier for you to fine tune to the exact match. You just have to turn the dial in the bottle to adjust from lighter to darker tones. This saves you from buying several bottles which is not only costly but also takes up space in your traincase. I usually mix 2 shades of liquid foundation or apply a light liquid and offset it with a darker powder but if you wanna skip the trial and error part, the custom creations may be less messy.

I haven't tried the product myself yet but I'll surely check it out when I drop by one of the local department stores. Right now I'm basking in the benefits of the Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation, which is a cream to powder form similar to Mac Studio Tech, only creamier.

Speedy Shipping

Whoa! In less than 2 weeks after I placed my order (August 24, 2008), my Aromaleigh samples were delivered this morning, contained in a USPS priority mail envelope.



I got the:

• 8 samples of Rocks! Lip tints in ziplock bags (examples are those condom-looking red thingies above)


• Gothic Lolita Nourishing Color Creme in Wallflower, also in ziplock


• Enamor Gloss Infusion Lipgloss in sample jar


• Translucent Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder in ziplock

Plus Freebies!

• Le Mystere #77 Eyeshadow surprise


• Tuscany Pure Eyes Frost


• Coral Fang Rocks! Sonic Eyes


• Licorice Twist Aromatherapy lip balm

I have yet to test all of them to find which ones I'd order in full size later. I find the Enamor shade so pretty. Hopefully, I can show how the colors look when worn, soon.

Nyx Lip Swatches

I. Nyx Round Lipsticks- velvety, creamy, moisturizing lipsticks

With Flash:



Without Flash:

1. Electra- A vivid red good for geisha or classic 40's theme.

2. Eucalyptus- A purplish fuschia which I ordered in lieu of Narcissus, which is said to be perfect for a Barbie lip. This one looks darker than pics of Narcissus.

3. Galaxy- a frosted brownish pink. A standout in metallic or futuristic shoots. Also a good match for smokey eyes.

4. Tea Rose- a natural pink you could wear for a no makeup look or to balance smokey eyes.

5. Thalia- sorry, no tube pic on this one because it has gotten blunt from my mom's use (she really loves it!) but I managed to borrow from her for swatching up above. This is more rosey pink than Tea-rose.

6. Orange Soda- The color I've been hunting for ever since I saw Chechel Joson's works on the Star Magic talents. This is a nude peachy orange color. Love it!

7. Iris- a shimmery and brownish version of Orange Soda

II. Nyx Lip Glosses with Mega Shine- Nyx signature lip gloss with creamy and shiny finish



Lollipop- peachy brown that I love blending with a pinkish lipstick. Could be applied alone, for a natural mood. My favorite gloss to date.

Barbie Pink- fuschia pink that could pull off a Barbie doll look. May be used to intensify lipstick color but could also stand alone.

sale

My Nyx Lip Loot

Yesterday, before heading to the clinic, I picked up my mail from the post office. It was my anticipated order from Nonpareil Boutique, an online store that offers Nyx Cosmetics at sale prices.

For $0.99, how could I resist getting the lipsticks that are earning raves from beauty bloggers? I opened the envelope at work and giddily tested the Nyx Round lipsticks one by one while awaiting patients. I was amazed at how creamy the formulation is. I was dreading it might turn out too waxy like the other cheap lipsticks I had as gifts that only lacked the wick to pass for a candle. But they not too creamy, either for the color to bleed and be easily erased. So far, I am loving my collection and in fact, I plan to get more.

I showed them to my Mom when I got home and she was beaming with smile upon seeing the Thalia color. I gave it to her so the pic above is actually lacking one more lipstick and hence I will be ordering again.

I got 2 of their Nyx Megashine lipglosses selling for $3.98 each. I ordered Lollipop and Barbie Pink but for some reason, the mark in front of the 2 glosses were Goddess of the Night. They have a yummy scent that's not too overwhelming. The lipsticks don't have an annoying smell, as well.

I will do some swatches and thorough review soon.