Happy New Year!

2009 has been a challenging yet rewarding year for the vanity doctor.  It was this year that this blog has been recognized, which opened doors for more opportunities. Sorry that it had to take an award to push me to write more often in this site which I almost abandoned. To all the readers of this blog,  I wish you a more fabulous year in 2010! Even if you hardly make your presence felt in the comments section, as long as you're getting more gorgeous with each visit to this blog, that's fine with me. New year means renewal of auto insurance quotes but here's hoping for prosperity in every endeavor and better health for all of us! Stay beautiful, people!

Rolling With The Homies

A pre-debut shoot for Camille who will be celebrating her birthday on early summer, next year. Photos were taken by Dustein Sibug. Makeup by yours truly.

I noticed the semblance of our model, Camille, with young actress Maja Salvador as I was doing her makeup. The glamour rendered by Dustein's photos further leaves you wondering if she's part of Star Magic's stable of talents.

Yes, there are indeed lots of pretty faces and talented photographers in Cagayan de Oro. The only thing we lack is the magazine to put all these fabulous fashion spreads.

Melai's Transformation

If you're a viewer of Pinoy Big Brother Double-Up, you were probably one of those mesmerized with the transformation of the funny crowd favorite, Melai. She underwent a makeover to prepare her for a celebrity date with actor Jericho Rosales.

Melissa Cantiveros is a teacher from General Santos city who cracks up the PBB house with her natural candor and witty remarks, hence was tagged as the resident "kengkay." She does not see herself as an enchanting beauty despite her winsome personality and Fastin-svelte figure. Instead, her comedic tendencies deem her a threat to Pokwang, the famous local comedienne. The disparaging self-assessment of her looks gives her doubts about a fellow housemate's (Jason Francisco's) affection for her.  She has to be constantly reassured that she is beautiful in her own way.

With the help of make up artist Diane de Castro, a Maybelline Color Artist, the transformation that took place needed little effort into convincing Melai about the beauty lurking inside her.  She couldn't contain her excitement on her newly discovered innate loveliness. This is the best thing about the proper application of makeup- it empowers a woman's self-esteem. She obviously loved the way she looked that she didn't want the makeup to go off.

Diane de Castro imparted a natural but sexy look on Melai. The colors are peaches and browns from the eyeshadows to the lipstick. A slight shimmer was added to the apples of the cheeks. The eyebrows were groomed, the lash lines were defined  and the nose was contoured. Simple but amazing.




[caption id="attachment_1919" align="aligncenter" width="492" caption="Before"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1918" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="After"][/caption]

Dear Santa, I Need A High Chair

One of the dilemmas of a make-up artist is having terrible back pains after a gig. We hardly engage in strenuous activities during an event, except for carrying heavy traincases, but the after effects we suffer are similar to being pinned down in a sumo wrestling match (not that I did any wrestling in the past). The pain has to do with all the bending and straining of the back when the client is seated in an ordinary chair. We have to move closer to her face to achieve our desired results. A few hours after, the muscle pain sets in. And you thought our job was easy. Part of our earnings should go to health savings account because of these risks.

Wearing flats and putting pillows on the chair are just not enough. Ideally, the make-up artist chair or high chair is used to prevent this problem. The other day, a client went to our house for prenup make-up and I used the high chair which comes with the mini-bar set at home. The whole process went smoothly, without any back-breaking moves. This is how I want my gigs to go- painless. Unfortunately, the high chair at home cannot fit into the car trunk and I don’t see myself bringing furniture around town. I need a portable type.

About 2 years ago, I saw some makeup artist chairs sold in multiply. It was Php7000. The shipping to my place would surely cost more. My classmate in makeup school told me that they are also available in Quiapo for a cheaper price. Still, the transit cost is a problem. The only solution I could think of is to hire a carpenter and have him follow the design in the picture. If only we had the right materials to copy the lightness of the structure. The last thing I want is another tool heavier than my traincase. After all, I am a make up artist, not a body builder. Unless Santa has plans of enlisting me into the next Ms. Iron Body Contest, I hope he grants my wish for this Christmas. Well, if he could throw in a Flip camera for vlogging along with the high chair, that would be nice. Ok, ok, Santa, I know I’m getting on your nerves. If you could find me well-paying gigs so I could buy my own toys, that would be good enough, thanks!

Behind The Scenes Video

We had a Geisha/Indian Makeup Shoot last Friday for my friend, Malou  who's here for a vacation from the US. She requested for Dustein Sibug of http://dustein.multiply.com, the exceptional photographer who took my Pre-nup and Wedding Photos. Before we did the Geisha Shoot with Audrey, Malou already contacted me to do a Geisha makeup on her. Geisha  just happens to be a most requested look for me these days, I don't know why.

This time, I made the white makeup more opaque but darn, it took forever to blend it. The one on Audrey was much easier to apply because it was transparent white, just like putting makeup on the Twilight characters. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect white base that would pull off a smooth Geisha look as an alternative to its traditional materials, which aren't available here. Perhaps office supplies like the liquid eraser would be a last resort, but I used  Snazaroo and Kryolan water-based white cake on this shoot.

My new apprentice, Jim Russel Cabanag, did the hair. I was holding the camera for this video, so as much as I wanted to document how the makeup was done, my hands were full. The pics that appear on the slide are just my shots. Watch out for the official photos from Dustein Sibug, soon!

Makeup Artist In A Bag

Are you a sucker for makeup tutorials? I just came across Stila's latest product, a portable makeup player that lets you bring your makeup guru in the bag. The Stila Makeup Player is a makeup bag and video player in one. After you download free beauty videos from www.stilabeautytube.com, you can connect the makeup player to an mp3 player or smartphone for audio or video playback right on your traincase.

Aside from the sleek bag and the portable video player, it contains $110 worth of Stila makeups including the One step makeup foundation, Convertible Color for the lips and cheeks, Eyeshadow trio and #7 eyeshadow brush, plus a full sized Lip Glaze. The whole package is worth $250 but is being sold for only $69.90! They're even offering it on 2 installment payments of $34.95.

This is great for makeup newbies who want guidance on the proper application of makeup from the Stila Pros themselves. The bag size is just right for those beginning to build their own stash of makeups. While you do primp yourself up facing the large mirror on the bag, the video will show you how it's done step by step. Even if you already have a cell phone or laptop where you can easily view the tutorials, the affordable price of the whole package is just too good to ignore.

Regine Velasquez in CDO

Last December 4, 2009 at the Limketkai Atrium, Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez took Cagayan de Oro by storm with her rendition of the fans' most requested songs.

Too bad I wasn't there to watch the concert because hubby was on duty, but I watched Regine's show a few years ago in Manila and she's definitely one artist whose performances are worth every penny you spend for the concert ticket.

Buzz around town is that her Eraserheads and Hearts Medley were among the most applauded numbers. Her duet with Jed Madela of "The Prayer" blew people away and sharing the stage with her childhood singing rival, Eva Castillo, was a spectacular showdown of vocal power. Thanks to Youtube, I was able to catch a few clips from the concert.

Team Oro covered the event and one of the photographers, Bon Aserios, permitted me to post some of his shots. Bon is the same photographer I worked with during the Geisha shoot we did about 2 weeks ago.

If you need a photographer for your wedding or portrait shoots, please visit his website at http://bonaserios.com. His rates and contact details are posted on his site.