Plain Jen No More- A Makeover Shoot

The fulfillment of seeing a patient get well again under my care is priceless. But the satisfaction of making women see their most beautiful self through my help gives a different kind of high. I've been doing makeovers for the fun of it  ever since I opened my eyes to the wonders of makeup. From turning a shy friend into a sultry siren, to overhauling plain janes into glam divas, not once did it fail to put smiles on their faces. I wanted to prove a point that everyone is beautiful, it's just that some need that extra push to meet their gorgeous versions. The renewed confidence it brings to them after the session concludes that it was a mission accomplished.

Lately, the camera has been my favorite tool. To make a beautiful photo, I needed to ensure that the subject would just be as stunning. Although I have worked with ethereal creatures called models in the past, I chose a "real girl" instead for my practice shoot.

The Makeover Model

A single mother to 2 daughters, Jen is not the type to spend long hours in the mirror primping herself up. Her hours are devoted to making a living for her kids, that she hardly has time for other things, more so to check if her hair falls into place. I figured, why not make an unconventional beauty a subject for my headshots portfolio? With the right light, angles, pose, and makeup, the goddess within was sure to come out.

The problem with doing  makeover shoots like this one is,instead of highlighting my photography skills, the focus was on how I did the makeup. Thing is, it wasn't my usual professional makeup routine. I skipped a lot of steps just so I could get on with the pictorial. After all, I wasn't building a makeup portfolio but was polishing up on photography. It was an imperfect makeup on a perfect day for a shoot.

Makeup may not be permanent, but having photos to immortalize a moment in Jen's life reminding her of the beauty that abounds in this world, is a fabulous route to boost the confidence every girl needs.

drumroll please...

.......

.......

Geishock

Last Saturday, we had a Japanese-themed photoshoot with multi-faceted artist Bon Aserios. The photo session was his birthday gift to Audrey, our model. Thanks to his recommendations, Audrey contacted me to be her makeup artist for this shoot.

Audrey has a thing for everything Japanese, hence she requested for the Geisha look. Bon also suggested another design inspired by Sarah Meier's prenup pics which we incorporated in the chosen theme. The colorful splatter gave the Geisha a modern twist, hence the name "Geishock" or "Geishuck," if we take it after Audrey's chucks.

Traditionally, geisha makeup is done using a wax or oil base called bintsuke-abura followed by the application (using bamboo brush) of a white powder mixed with water to a pasty consistency. The white makeup (oshiroi) originally contained lead and mercury, which are toxic substances to the body. Zinc and titanium dioxide later replaced the hazardous ingredients.

The essential colors in a Geisha makeup are white, red and black. To whiten the skin, I used the Kryolan Aqua Color in white using a damp sponge. Ben Nye Azalea eye shadow on top of Nyx Electra were dabbed on the outer corner of the eyes. Nyx Electra alone rendered the puckered lips a vivid red color.

For the splattered look,  I used the 24 shimmer palette, which contains subdued, pretty pastel shades. It would have been bolder had I used the Kryolan aqua colors beneath it. Note to self: get Ben Nye's other Lumiere Grande eyeshadows.


Here are some shots taken by photographer Bon Aserios. For more of his fresh, funky works, please visit his website at http://bonserios.com.

Thanks to my Mom for doing the hairstyling and my hubby for carrying my heavy tools. Thanks also to Audrey and her family who are the coolest people to get to know.Her cousin, Stephanie served us Wasabi chips ( which went with the theme) for snack during our shoot at the Flores Orchidarium.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com