Lights, Camera, Makeup!

After years of lusting for a make up artist chair, I finally have one! It was on my wishlist last Christmas and Santa decided to send it through snail mail, thus reaching my destination on Valentines day. Ok , it wasn’t Santa. It was my hubby who gave it to me as a Valentine’s present after listening to my constant rantings on how my back hurts after every makeup gig. Sweet.

I ordered my makeup artist chair from Suesh, my favorite supplier of makeup artist tools, known for their superior yet affordable brushes. I got it for Php 5000 (about $106) which isn’t bad because these kinds of chairs in Quiapo are sold for around Php 4000. The courier cost was Php 620 from Manila to CDO through AP Cargo. What I like best about Suesh is that they’re open to suggestions. I asked about the possible shipping cost from their usual courier and they said it might take a little over than Php 1000. I suggested AP Cargo and Suesh immediately called them up to inquire about the shipping rates, which as expected, was a lot cheaper. I received my order a day after. Quick, right? AP Cargo used air instead of ocean freight to deliver my package.

The framework is made up of wood while the seat and back canvas have to be inserted to it. At first I doubted the capacity of the chair to hold an average client sitting on it. But then I tested it on my hubby and my mom and it went fine. To be safe, don’t use it on obese clients. I have my chair and canvas in all black but I can change the color of the seat and back anytime through the canvas available at Amazon for only $9. I saw one in purple and another in red. I really think I need an alternate canvas because the texture is prone to collect powders and other make ups falling off.

My problem now is its portability. Although it can fit in the car trunk folded, attaching the piece near the foot can be cumbersome. From the time we assembled it, we didn’t fold it up again because the foot piece is difficult to remove and even harder to put back. It needs some screwing and unscrewing, which would take a lot of time if you’re on a gig. It’s kinda bulky bringing it fully assembled although it’s not that heavy. I don’t think I can bring it when I’m alone coz it would ruin my poise to carry this big thing around. I might be offered a job at the sea port when somebody sees me lifting it over my head.

I guess the chair is great for home studio, or if you have people who can lift if for you, or if you’re a male makeup artist. But I’m still glad I have the chair now. It doubles as a director’s chair so if I’m not doing makeup, writing, or attending to patients, I’d probably be out somewhere living out my fantasies as a movie director.. err.. for wholesome flicks, of course.

This post is brought to us by design furniture

Michelle Phan and Bryanboy On Vogue March 2010

The March 2010 Power issue of Vogue Magazine, with Tina Fey on the cover, features the most influential style bloggers in the world. Among them are Youtube beauty guru, Michelle Phan and our very own Filipino fashion blogger, Bryanboy of bryanboy.com

Michelle Phan is one of my favorite beauty video bloggers whose phenomenal success in youtube caught the attention of one of the biggest cosmetics companies, Lancome. She recently inked a deal with them as the brand's official video makeup artist. In addition to her regular makeup tutorials, she will be making a video each month, featuring her favorite Lancome products, trends and events. Michelle, who was once turned down when she applied as a sales associate in a department store for the same company, proves that dreams do come true - if desired ardently enough. She's on a roll as she lands on the pages of the Vogue Magazine's US issue next month.

The Vogue feature wouldn't be complete without Bryanboy, the wildly popular fashion blogger from the Philippines who attracts around 5,000 page views on his blog on a daily basis. His signature bag pose, fashion IQ, along with his witty and often times bitchy commentaries, earned the thumbs up of fashion enthusiasts all over the world, including top designers like Marc Jacobs, who named a handbag after him- the BB ostrich bag. It comes as no surprise that Bryanboy is now gracing Vogue, which is considered to be the gold standard in fashion magazines. What can we say, he's used to the fabulous lifestyle.

Michelle and Bryanboy are joined by other famous bloggers like Tommy Ton, Garancé Doré, Mary Tomer, Yvan Rodic, Todd Selby, Hannelli Mustaparta, and Catherine Kallon.

Below is a video from Style.com capturing some snippets from the magazine shoot.

 

Shopping Online With A U.S. Address

Don't you just find it frustrating to find something you really wanna buy from an online shop in the US, and realize you can't have it due to shipping restrictions? Well, in some ways it works to your advantage because it helps you save money but sometimes, it can be a bummer.

The easiest and cheapest solution we could think of is to ask relatives and friends from the US to ship it to us or to bring it on their next trip back to the Philippines. But then, they lead busy lives and have other more important things to do than mail our orders. When they come home, there is not enough space for their own stuffs, so why bother them with ours? I'm guilty of the last part that's why I had to look for options not to be a burden to them.

Last month, I tried ordering through Johnny Air Cargo. So far, they have the best rates and fastest delivery based on my research. No, I didn't order for makeups but for health supplements and some of the best multivitamins  (yeah, times are changing) which are sold way cheaper in the US.  It got to me 2 weeks after, which we picked up from the Johnny Air outlet at Robinson's CDO. 2 weeks- because It took one week to deliver my goods from Washington to New York (the location of Johnny Air US)  through regular mail,  then  Johnny Air forwarded it to my provincial destination in just 1 week.  I received the goods in perfect condition and in a timely manner.

The rates are $6.50 per pound for Manila delivery, $7.50  per pound for provincial addresses, with a minimum of 2 lbs per package. An additional dollar is charged for highly taxable items like electronics. Handling fee is $5 per package. These rates are already inclusive of custom taxes.  For electronics, $50 customs charges apply for laptops, and  $15 for iphone and itouch.

Here's how to avail of their forwarding service:

• Shop from any US -based online store,  pay it through the available payment options offered by the US vendor, pick a method of shipping listed by them (UPS, USPS, Fedex, DHL) and address it to:



Attn: Analyn San Diego/Your Name
Johnny Air Retail, Inc
6904 Roosevelt Avenue
Woodside, New York 11377


Telephone: 718-672-7080




• Notify Ms. Analyn San Diego of your order, inform her of the details including tracking #, item description, order#, etc, through her email at analynd@aol.com or jna@johnnyair.com.


• For further inquiries, you may get in touch with them through Crissy or Analyn in the US: 1(718)672-7080 or Plem in the Philippines: 02-7603818

I'm expecting another package through Johnny Air next week, this time it's a book I ordered (still not beauty-related). The next problem we have is how to order from sites that do not accept  credit cards billed outside the US,  like Sephora. I'm not sure if Johnny Air has a solution for that but I'll get back to you when I find out. Happy Shopping!

Pore Pabor

Pore strips are effective remedies to pluck out the comedones from your skin. Watch those blackheads sticking to the strips afterwards, and you'll know you just did your skin a big favor. They are available in different brands at affordable prices but if you're a DIY junkie who wants to make use of whatever you have at home, here's how to make one:

Ingredients and Materials:

• Unflavored Gelatin powder (example: Knox)


• Hot water


• A small piece of paper (Bond Paper, not tissue) just enough to cover the nose


• Small bowl or plate


• Stirring rod or toothpick

How To:

In the small bowl,  use a stirring rod or toothpick to mix a tiny amount of the gelatin powder with hot water, just enough to dilute the powder. If the mixture remains solid, add a few more drops of hot water. The consistency should be something close to a glue, not too wet to poke a hole on the paper.

Get your small piece of paper, spread a thin coat of the gel mixture you just made, using clean fingers. Stick the strip to your nose, cheeks or chin. Let it stay for 10 to 15 minutes then pull it off gently.

Note: I have no exact measurements when I do this. You just need a teeny-weeny amount of ingredients to use it on yourself. Well, unless to you plan to unclog the pores of your whole neighborhood, it should take less than a teaspoon of the gelatin powder.

A Newbie's Guide To The Make Up Counter

I received emails asking for advice on which make up products to buy as a make up student or as a budding new artist. For your reference, please check out my old post on the basic make up kit to serve as your checklist on things to purchase.

While you see most make-up artists tugging trolleys around, you don't need that as a beginner. When I bring my traincase, it's usually during shoots when I don't know what the photographer has in mind so I have the colors and tools that may be useful for the shoot ready.  When I go to wedding gigs, I choose a smaller bag because I leave the avant garde materials at home. Frankly, even with the small bag, I don't need all the makeup I bring. There are only a few essentials while the rest are security blankets. Even from the separate kit I prepare for my assistants, only a few make ups are used. The tendency for newbies is to haul on every single makeup despite the ridiculously steep price,  even they don't need really need it in the end. Thing is, you need only the essentials to start a make up career!

If you're specifically hunting for brands that are affordable yet effective, here's my list:(Sorry if some of the prices are not accurate, I forgot them already but I know they were cheap when I bought them)

1. Foundation
Liquid- Revlon Color Stay (Php 800 something)
Cream to powder- VOV cover foundation (Php 383)
Mousse- Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse (Php 300 to 400)
Cake- Fanny Serrano Two Way Cake Foundation (Php 200 or 300?)
Base- Face Shop Professional Makeup Base (Php 300 something)

2. Concealer
Fanny Serrano- (Php 200 to 300?)
Fashion 21 Perfect Stick (Php 150- 200)
Body Shop pencil concealer (sorry, totally forgot)
Note: I have yet to find a cheaper concealer with the consistency of Laura Mercier or YSL Touche Eclat that you can use under the eyes without creasing. If you know a good brand, please help me out. Thanks!

3. Powder
Mineral Makeups- check out Ellana or Luminare ( some makeup artists find mineral makeups chalky and form a white cast on flash photography due to the titanium dioxide. They can also settle in fine lines if not blended correctly)

Fasio Fit and Stay Foundation - (Php 645)

Face Shop Phytogenic Pressed Powder (Php 600?)

In2it- (P500 to 600)

4. Eye brow/ Eyeliner -
Pencil- Nichido (less than Php 100)

• Angelique (Php 10)

Powder- In2it Brow kit (Php 300 something)

• Tip: use your eyeshadow colors!

Gel liner- Fanny Serrano (Php 200 something) or Maybelline (Php 400)

5. Mascara-

Cover Girl lash Blast- (Phpp 500 to 600)

6. Eyeshadows-
PAC- sounds like MAC but is just as FAB (around Php 200 per color)
Elianto- Php 90 to 300 per color, the pricier ones are of the baked variety
Baxi- (Php 40) usually found in places like Divisoria or Baclaran
Generic Palettes- those coastal scents palettes ranging from P600 to Php 1k plus, get them locally from multipy sellers.

7. Blush or Bronzers
Ever Bilena- (Php 150)
Mineral Makeup blush- My fave blushes are from mineral makeup lines (Price depends on size, from less than Php 100 to Php 500)
Generic Palette/ Coastal Scents type (Php 850)

8. Lipstick

NYX- got them for $.99 each online from the U.S. but are available locally in multiply stores
Generic Palette- Check out Doll Face (Php 650)

9. Brushes
Suesh- (Php 1500 to Php 4500 per set)

10. Sponge
Assorted- from P88 store
Sea Sponge- P60 each

Ok these are just some of my recommendations. Will update this post every once in a while to correct the prices and add make up brands worth checking out.

Image Source

An aspiring makeup artist can learn a thing or two from
the best makeup artists in San Diego CA.