My Makeup Paradise

A Healthy and Zen Afternoon with Leyende

2012-02-12T19:50:00.007+08:00

I first heard of Leyende products over at Jill's blog and her raves on their products got my attention to get myself aware of this brand in the market. Apparently, Leyende is another organic skin care brand that started right here in our shores. Yes, another Philippine skin care brand made from locally-grown products. So when Nina passed my email and blog over to them, I was really thrilled to meet the people behind the brand personally. By this time, I've seen Leyende products on my client's kikay kit as well as a co-worker's gig kit while we were doing a play together.

In a very intimate setting at Sugarleaf in Makati, I met with Neva and Claude of Leyende where they showed me some of their products as well as gave me a short background and lowdown of their ingredients, in a simplified and non-jargonic manner, of course.

Before starting, my man-hands were treated to a spa-like treat by the girls of I do nails. My hands were cleansed with the cleanser followed by a scrub called la dolce scrub.

Dolce means "sweet" and the grains are actually muscovado sugar, which explains the sweet sugary smell, which reminds me of calamansi juice (that's also because there's calamansi extract in the product, which acts as an antioxidant and it's also got benefits which helps even out the skin tone). The sugar melts into the skin instead of coating it with a slimy, oily, or heavy layer and it left the skin feeling soft.

Leyende takes inspiration from our lolas and their own kikay routines back then when spas and commercial skin care products didn't exist yet. Using calamansi to whiten skin, VCO to condition and thicken hair, the same principle of taking trips to the kitchen to make beauty concoctions synthesized into products without losing their potency and active enzymes. When I asked if the La Dolce scrub would attract ants upon storage, Neva told me it won't. Although Leyende products use ingredients derived from food products (pineapple and calamansi extracts, Mango butter, muscovado sugar, virgin coconut oil), they won't cause ant invasion since these aren't cooked and heat wasn't use to make the products. So not to worry about pests here. Also, it is important to note that although these smell yummy, the products are not to be ingested, even if sugar really is used.

After exfoliation, My hands were coated with Lift Off, a natural peel-off face masque with calamansi extract (the label "F" means it's for the face, although it's pretty okay to use this on the hands, it will just be a bit costly to use this all-over body). Like peeling glue off hands when we were kids, it's the same principle. It was brushed on my hands and let dry till it was okay to peel off. It gets stiff and crusty but once you peel it off, there's soft skin underneath. There will be areas that are hard to peel, probably on areas where the masque was applied thinly. A cotton pad or damp towel could be used to remove this so we don't go out looking like a molting snake.

While snacking on pita wraps, my hands were massaged with the Face Canvas moisturizer. The first time I saw this moisturizer, it was still in a jar. I think packaging it in a tube makes it more hygienic, especially using this on clients. The face canvas also acts like a makeup primer also, so that's two birds in one stone, er, tube. Instead of using silicone to fill in lines and make the skin velvety-smooth, it uses mango butter which nourishes the skin with no greasy afterfeel. I sure could keep this in mind especially if I'm doing gigs which need everything fast.

I noticed that if not unscented, the products have a very faint scent that reminds us of food. For skin care on clients, I prefer those that aren't heavily perfumed since perfumes mean added chemical fragrances, which can irritate some clients. Not only too are the products friendly for the skin and wearer, they're also friendly to the environment. I'll get into detail with that when I review one of their products, the Place In The Sun sunblock, which I'm currently testing on myself.

Thanks to Neva and Claude of Leyende as well as Nina of justwandering.org.

Swatching Pink Pigeon

2012-02-11T22:32:00.004+08:00

Two weeks ago, I woke up early and ran to Rockwell and fell in line and purchased another hot pink lippie for my lipstick collection. I know that I have a lot of pink lipsticks but I couldn't resist another hot pink lipstick. As springtime comes, out comes pretty bright colors! When MAC launched their recent collections, and one of the highlights is a hot pink lipstick from the Iris Apfel line, a bright neon pink called Pink Pigeon.

Pink Pigeon is a bright pink color that's super in-your-face in a very pigmented matte finish. Looks familiar? I compared it with last year's Candy Yum Yum, which is pretty similar.

Pink Pigeon on the left and Candy Yum Yum on the right. You can see very well that Candy Yum Yum is much brighter and more neon bright pink. If you ask me, it's more on the cooler bluish side too.

On lips, there is a difference

Candy Yum Yum

Pink Pigeon

If you have both shades, you'd notice Candy Yum Yum is a drier matte. It has probably the same texture as Ruby Woo. Pink Pigeon is also matte, but it's a little bit less dry. Think the consistency of Russian Red or Diva. They're both very pretty shades though. Pink Pigeon is also deeper in color. It fades t0 a nice and pretty deep pink stain, so it's pretty long lasting too in keeping your lips colored.

Both are really pretty shades to wear with a bare eye or full-on smoky for events, a-la Katy Perry. As my advice for makeup, just have fun with it!

Winners of the Weekend Avon Giveaway

2012-02-07T15:26:00.003+08:00

How was your weekend, everyone? Well, as the week starts, let me start by announcing the winners of my Avon Giveaway. Again, I used the fruit machine to know who the winners are. Since there are three giveaway sets though, and there were three entries (mmm... must be since it's a short run) everyone's a winner, so yay!

Anyway, the first winner of the Floral CZ Marquise giveaway:

The next winner is the winner of the Knotted Collection:

And lastly, we have the winner of our Avon Skin So Soft Whitening Hand and Body Lotion and Body Wash, which was the obvious pick since it was the only entry left:

Congratulations winners! Please email me your full name, contact number, and shipping details (mailing address) at makeupbybambi@gmail.com. Thanks and have a great week ahead!

Everything's Up In Chocolate

2012-02-06T11:31:00.005+08:00

Something yummy's in my drawer but it's not for my tummy. In line with Valentine's Day, The Body Shop takes inspiration from an iconic Valentine treat that's not just for grownups but for everyone, regardless of sugar level - CHOCOLATE. Their bath and body line, Chocomania, isn't just a treat for the skin but also for the senses.

Sensual, sweet, and tantalizing, the Chocomania bath and body line came in time for Valentine's day. Taking a whiff from the products, it really does smell like chocolate. I'm reminded of chocolate cake or brownie batter, had I closed my eyes, I would've taken a taste. But let me remind you that although they smell sweet and yummy, the Chocomania range is best left for the skin instead of the digestive system. It's not an edible treat okay?

What I have here with me are the Chocomania body lotion and body butter, both for moisturizing my skin on off-pole days or relieving chafed skin (I always have to stress that I use moisturizer only when I'm not dancing) after an hour of class or practicing. The one I have is just half of the entire Chocomania range, though.

For sloughing off dead skin, the body scrub (Php 995) makes showering and exfoliating a nice treat. This one was the one whose appearance reminded me so much of brownie batter, and it smells like it too. Then use the shower cream right after (Php 895)

To retain the soft baby smooth skin in the shower, seal off moisture with the moisturizer. The moisturizer left my skin feeling nice and soft, and it's easily absorbable on the skin. I'm glad that it didn't rub on my clothes after, or else that would be a pain to remove.

The Chocomania body butter is pricier than usual body butters (Php 1095). It is not your usual body butter. Your usual body butters provide only 24 hours moisturization. This body butter is a little more generous in adding another 24-hour duty, so that's a total of 48-hour moisturization. If you compare it to other body butters, if you're a body butter user like me, it's richer and heavier in consistency, almost like real spreadable butter on bread except that it's semi-solid on room temperature. I use only little amount and on areas that are super dry and need extra care - elbows, knees, feet, hands, and sometimes my tummy and back. It works well, too well that it's scary to pole if you have this on your thighs, back-of-knee and tops of the feet the night before. The best time to use this? Saturday night, when there's no pole on Sundays.

Aside from layering the entire line for an intense, yummy, and chocolate-y feel, feel free to experiment and mix with your favorite The Body Shop lotion/body butter "flavors". I've tried mixing my Chocomania lotion with my Candied Ginger hand cream from the holiday scents and I got a really nice, warm, spicy-sweet scent that reminded me of hot cocoa and gingerbread. A very romantic concoction could be classic romance icons - strawberry and chocomania - like sweet strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. How about mixing satsuma and chocolate? or if sweetness is your thing, try vanilla and chocolate. I have yet to try the combination of Moringa and Chocomania, which can be interesting, but so far the ginger and chocolate scent is in my favorite list. Now that's something yummy!

FOTD: Neutral Eyes and Pink Lips

2012-02-06T01:04:00.003+08:00

I've been stuck to my usual routine of concealer, brows, and bright lipstick for the past weeks, since I've been so busy. That routine I do, when I get the time to do my makeup. My face has been thankful yet hiding under big sunglasses or thick frames though, so I thought on a day when I'm not working, I think I ought to iron my hair and doll up a bit. Plus, I get to practice an eye makeup look I'd try on a client.

It's still my usual look though, of bright lipstick on neutral eyes, but I actually wore eyeshadow and mascara there complete with blending and a full face of foundation. On client work though, I'd keep the lippie neutral, but I'm not wearing a face mask so I can wear hot pink lips.

Even wearing thick frames I still didn't look like my eyes or brows are kapoof.

FACE:

MAC Studiofix NC40 + Maybelline Angelfit foundation in In the Buff applied with a MAC 187 brush

MAC Studiosculpt NC30

Maybelline Clear Smooth All In One Shine Free Cake Powder foundation in Honey

MAC Lightful nc15 on undereye

The Body Shop Bronzer to contour

MAC Stark Naked on Cheeks

EYES:

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

The Body Shop peach eyeshadow on lids

MAC Saffron on crease to warm it up

MAC Lucky Tom on the outer V for smokiness and also to set pencil eyeliner

Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Expresso on lower lids

Covergirl Liquiline Blast in Black on upper lids topped with MAC Blacktrack

Make Up For Ever eyebrow corrector in 0

Ulta Bone on browbone

LIPS:

MAC lipstick in Pink Pigeon

Esel and Gelo's Tagaytay Wedding

2012-02-05T23:09:00.013+08:00

I've only attended two weddings of my high school friends. The first being around five years ago in Alabang and this second one further down south and up the hill in chilly Tagaytay, and one ofthe most beautiful weddings I have ever seen. Although I'm not the bridal makeup artist here, this is a wedding definitely worth blogging.

The bride is Esel, and she married Gelo, her love of seven years.

I've known Esel for more than a decade already, since we were awkward teenagers, because we went in the same school together in high school. I could say that she was one of the girls that I looked up to, those perfect girls in high school that I admit secretly envied. She had it all -beauty, brains, poise, talent, success with being team captain, cheerleader, honor student, and student leader at that. She's also the one I have kept in contact with the longest, not only because I work with her but also she's the one who keeps the batch together organizing reunions or occasional dinners/meetups.

Knowing her OC-ness and her being a perfectionist, I knew that she's the bride who'll be super hands-on with her wedding, making sure that every detail and stitch falls in the perfect place. Esel and Gelo chose to have a destination wedding, inviting only close friends and family. They chose a perfect place to get married - Hacienda Isabella, a beautiful garden setting with an old-world Filipino charm. If you've been following my blog, it's the same place where my Jho got married last year. Since I've been to the place already, I absolutely had no excuse to get lost in transition right? Besides, there were numbers listed in the couple's e-vite of who to call should anyone get lost or need directions.

Esel also delegated me to be supplier that day. I was assigned to be a makeup artist to her mom and three ninangs, and I couldn't be happier. I'm already honored to be invited but it's even more of an honor to be part of her wedding supplier list. I wouldn't mind getting my hands in primers and lipsticks and carrying my equipment then switcharoo to a cocktail dress. As I remember, a year ago, Esel drove all the way from QC to Daang Hari, Las Piñas to be there on our wedding braving January traffic. If she asked me to pick flowers for additional sprigs on her bouquet I would.

Esel was a picture of a beautiful blooming bride - everything was perfect. She wore a beautiful Monique Lhullier gown. Tita Roselyn, one of the ninangs, told me the story of her gown. Esel was gown-hunting in New York. She walked in Saks Fifth Avenue and found it - it was in the designshe wanted and it was her size, as if fate made her see the gown for herself.

I've never seen Esel so happy, radiant, and nervous at the same time.

The party continues at Hacienda Isabella.

As the couple did they post-nuptial shots, the guests enjoyed cheese and cocktails (Wiiii!!!! Food) and the place's old rustic charm. And although I played supplier that day, no way will I look like a train wreck when it's guest mode. I followed the wedding dress code of cocktail dress/long flowy gowns in pastels or neutral colors. May isang pasaway lang dyan who didn't follow the traditional Barong Tagalog code.

The look I pegged for me that day was Angelina Jolie meets Victoria's Secret - that explains the big wavy hair and smoky eyes.

I love, love, love, love this dress. I already wore it once and I'll wear this once more. It's such a pretty, pretty, and comfy dress that hugs me well. This dress will have a sister pretty soon, and I have my alkansya ready for that.

Dress: Pia Gladys Perey

Hair: Lorybelle Barretto

Makeup: Me! I airbrushed myself again

Shoes: SM

Bag: GWP from Body Shop

Belle did an amazing job with my hair, despite the fact that she had like twenty minutes to do my hair. Should I red-carpet this look? Why not?

Okay, OOTD commercial over. Back to the wedding.

I made sure that I had a picture with the bride as soon as they arrived from the photos before the rest of the world does. :) I am so dark compared to her. And shorter, because she's in heels and I'm in flats because it's a garden reception.

I'm glad my outfit had a drapey front detail because I must have enjoyed the food that day that I needed something to hide me. The reception program wasn't the usual formula. In true Esel style, it was very entertaining, with presentations, both in video form and live presentations.

Gelo's friends from Duke University surprised the couple with a dance number and invited them to join too. It was really sweet of these guys to take time off and travel all the way to the Philippines to witness this special event.

More video presentations were shown - song-and-dance numbers edited in true MTV style from loved ones abroad, an AVP made by Esel's bridesmaids (who are our classmates from high school, which I have to thank the high heavens for not including embarrassing awkward shots of our teenage selves, 90s fashion and all), a song number from Gelo's siblings, an original song written by Gelo's dad, that he sang with his mom and a modified toast by the best men and maid and matron of honor done in The Buzz-style talk show form.

The couple's first dance as husband and wife was something that I have seen for the first time in my life. It was beautifully rehearsed and choreographed. It was only that night that I've seen a couple's first dance polished to pointed toes, clean lines, backbends, headthrows, and spinning/flying moves.

For giveaways, the couple chose a very practical choice: food! A slice of yummy chocolate cake enclosed in a pretty box prepared by the members of the entourage. You know how I found out it was chocolate cake? I stuck my finger inside and got frosting on my index finger. Then, I read the tag:

The tag read: "All you need is love but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt". Ayun naman pala, magbasa kasi.

To end the night, the couple took inspiration from the movie Tangled and along with the other guests lit sky lanterns and released them to the night sky.

Rapunzel was right. They do look like stars.

Thank you so much, Esel and Gelo for choosing us to be present to witness your very beautiful wedding. The drive to Tagaytay and back was definitely worth it. Lots of love and happiness to both of you!

*pictures taken from personal cameras

*Esel's makeup by Kris Bacani. Esel's hair by Dimple Callada

Timeless Elegance From Avon Fashions Jewelry and Contest too!

2012-02-03T19:47:00.006+08:00

Avon doesn't only have makeup, skin, and body stuff, they also have accessories! Ain't it grand? It's like a (very affordable) one-stop shop for all your kikay needs. Their new collection is all about daintiness and elegance, veering away from chunkiness and all that dangles.

Knotted Collection

Incorporating a trendy knot design and illusion stones, which add a sophisticated dimension and sparkle. Being silver, it's great for simple everyday wear, you can wear the entire set (ring, earrings, necklace) without overpowering your entire look.

The earrings aren't too flashy but they pop right there. :)

Did you know the ring's adjustable? It could fit size 5.5 to 7.5.

Floral CZ Marquise Collection

If you want a bit more flair and elegance, maybe gold might be suitable with a flowery detail. This is a gold-plated collection with cubic zirconium crystals that really looks very pretty to wear during a wedding where accessories add sparkle to a pretty dress, whether you're the bride or just a guest, at a fraction of the real thing's price. Let's face it, who would know?

I have man hands but rings like these made me a girl in a slide and stride.

It's not a tiara, that's a pretty bangle!

I'm feeling generous today and with Valentine's coming up, I'm sure many of you girls have something special to go to, and a few pieces of these ought to add a touch of simple glam to your style. Anyway, I'm giving away some pieces as a gift, to two very lucky winners of another raffle. From my past contests, I've decided to simplify contest mechanics and not make them too complicated. So, here are the prizes.

The first winner gets these items from the Floral CZ Marquise Collection:

That's a bangle, ring, and necklace. By the way, it would also look nice on prom and grad ball.

Second winner would receive the necklace and ring from the Knotted Collection.

Third winner would receive Avon Skin So Soft Whitening Hand and Body Lotion and Body Wash.

Now what do you have to do to receive these? All you have to do is go to the comments section and post a comment answering this question: "How do you want to spend Valentine's Day this year?" Be sure to include your full name on the entry as well!

The contest will run up until Monday night. I'll announce winners Tuesday morning in that way I can ship the items and have enough allowance so the winners will be able to use them on their Valentine's day dates. :) The contest is open to Philippine residents living in Metro Manila and other greater Manila areas (Cavite, Laguna, etc) for shipping purposes.

So now let the comments commence!

Bridal Work: Claud

2012-02-03T18:57:00.006+08:00

Claud without makeup is already pretty. I got to know her through Romina. She's one of Romina's closest friends in high school. When she went to my house, I was like, omigosh! She's so pretty! Romina told me that she looks like a fairer version of Kim Kardashian, and she did. Romina was there during the trial makeup too and I like that she gives her own opinion. After all Romina's the maid of honor. I told her, "The maid of honor is the bride's very pretty alalay."

Claud had a very nice and neutral theme of gold and ecru, so it was easy to play with color. When I looked at her face, I thought pink! With a tad of gold to tie with the motif. She has very expressive eyes and strong features to begin with so I kept everything looking pretty and gentle, a look to transcend generations.

My bias for hair for brides is really an updo, because I like everything looking neat. Bridal dresses are naturally heavy, so I thought for the crucial ceremony photos where all's formal and all, an updo would be really pretty, especially for indoor weddings. I added more falsies to Claud's naturally lush lashes for a smoky look without black eyeshadow.

Black eyeshadow wasn't allowed for Claud but it was a yes for Romina, the maid of honor, I gave her all the smokiness in the bridal makeup world crossing over to the red carpet glam world.

For "official" shots, here's the SDE created by Pictratto Shots, the official photo-video for the day:

Matthe

w + Claudine SDE 12.30.11 from pictratto shots on Vimeo.

Claud with her mum and dad in Church:

And here's when she's now the new Mrs. Matthew Guerrero.

By the way, I used traditional makeup on Claud, using one of my favorite bride-level foundations: Paul and Joe Moisturizing Compact - which gives her that shine-free finish with a glow. Since it was only her and Romina for that day, I also did their hair, since Romina has short hair.

At her request, I let her hair down come reception time and used the vine as a headband/headpiece on her hair. With all the hairspray I put, her hair has set into pretty curls.

Bride: Claudine Cura-Guerrero

Preparations: Mandarin Hotel

Church: St. Andrew the Apostle

Photo/Video: Pictratto Shots

(Photos here in this post are from the bride's guests and from my own personal camera)

Avon Naturals Says All Hail To Mother Nature

2012-02-03T17:46:00.006+08:00

Avon takes inspiration from Mother Nature with its new skin care line to kick off the year. We all have our makeup to the rescue to cover a blemish or two and make our skin "photoshoot-worthy" With three ranges, Avon Naturals addresses individual needs, so just like the basic rule in shopping for skin care, be sure to get one that addresses your needs.

Avon Naturals Rose and Rose Hips Skin Care

Blush and foundation are used to attain the youthful and fresh "rosy glow" in commercials we adore. Not that it will make you super fair, when you're naturally dark, the Rose and Rose Hips Skin Care is designed to brighten and lighten skin tone over time (maybe the lightest your skin can go is the skin on your inner arm). Rose hips is also an antioxidant (I see it as an ingredient in vitamin C suplements) which helps combat free radicals. Start off with a creamy cleanser, follow with toner and top off with a non-greasy moisturizer.

Another moisturizer for the face, which can be used for day is their Whitening Cream with SPF 15 PA++. With the effort we put into brightening our face, protect it from the sun too! The other moisturizer can be used at night when SPF isn't needed but our skin still needs its drink to replenish moisture lost in the day.

Avon Naturals Honey & Milk Nourishing Skin Care

Remember the time Cleopatra used to bathe in milk to maintain the suppleness of her skin from the Egyptian dry desert? Or do you have friends who slather honey on their faces? Milk and Honey used on their own can get yucky and messy so leave them in breakfast oatmeal. Honey extracts and milk protein that smoothen rough, dry skin are here in the form of cleanser, mask, and nourishing cream that leaves dry skin supple and soft, with no greasy afterfeel.

Avon Naturals Tea Tree Oil & Green Tea Purifying Skin Care Line

We hate oily skin since it looks yucky and we feel yucky. Tea tree oil, a known blemish-blasting agent to oblivion plus green tea combines in a double-whammy effect to remove dirt and oil leaving the skin with a cool and fresh tingle of oil being zapped away. The cleanser has scrubby particles to help unblock blocked pores.

The mask can be fun - it's a peel-off mask, so it's like peeling off dried glue, just like what we did after art class when we were kids. Fun! For me personally, I think this will be my summertime cleanser since I do tend to get a tad oily during those times. :)

For those who might ask, here are the prices of the products:

Avon Naturals Honey & Milk:

Cleanser - Php 139.00

Mask -Php 169.00

Nourishing Cream - Php 159.00

Avon Naturals Tea Tree Oil & Green Tea Purifying Skin Care Line:

Cleanser: Php 139.00

Toner: Php 129.00

Mask: Php 169.00

Avon Naturals Rose & Rose Hips Whitening Skin Care:

Cleanser: Php139.00

Toner: Php 129.00

Whitening Cream: Php 159.00

Whitening Cream SPF 15 PA: Php 159.00

Loving Covergirl's Liquiline Blast

2012-01-31T11:18:00.006+08:00

Are you the type of person who spends a huge chunk of money on eyeliner? I'll raise my hand on that too, especially waterproof ones. Waterproof eyeliner (that includes waterproof eye makeup too) is a wedding makeup artist's best friend. Why? Because you'll never know who'll be crying that day, even if the bride claims that she's the most bato person ever. So when I know I'll be doing a wedding, whether it's makeup for the entourage or a guest, I wield waterproof eye makeup. And I never skip eyeliner, which defines eyes for that come-hither stare with matching "I do" (naks!).

I'm the type of girl though that always constantly looks for value for money, especially on eyeliner for everyday use or for show. In some days, we hafta save money. Thankfully, Covergirl has a new liner called liquiline blast, that costs almost half of what I usually spend for with the same waterproof ability. So I can save my luxury brands for special occasions and this for everyday (agree with me eyeliner-savvy ladies?)

Covergirl lashline blast is available in six different shades. The fun plum, blue, green, and silver-gray can be used for occasions when you want a pop of color on the eye to go with a candy-colored lipstick (Try the green one with a hot pink lipstick, Like Covergirl Lipperfection in fairytale or NARS Schiap). Thankfully, they have shades in black and brown. I chose a classic, full-on matte black for my purchase. It costs only Php450, and since it's super pigmented (I'll show you the swatch) this ought to last long. On the other end of the pencil is a smudger tip, which can be used to blend in the shadow for a smoky effect.

Swatching it, it's very intense, almost like a liquid liner. It glides on smoothly without the annoyingly uncomfortable tug on the eyes, so we're protected from the damage of wrinkles somewhat. Great for tightlining or drawing an Angelina Jolie cat eye look.

So comparing it with gel liner and regular pencil eyeliner, You could see that had I not shown which is which, it looks almost as intense as gel liner. But can it withstand tests? Let's see.

Rub Test:

First up, we have our three swatches here, right? So I rubbed the swatches with my thumb, a bit lightly at first, like brushing a finger on the lid or dabbing a tissue. Then, I tried rubbing it vigorously, like "My eyes are itchy!!!!!" level (until I realize that I'm wearing eyeliner). Compare the "after" swatches:

The gel eyeliner and Covergirl Liquiline intensities remained but our regular pencil liner faded even by slight rubbing. Don't trash the regular one, guys! You can still use this on days when our eyes need rest from waterproof makeup or for shoots where there's no water pouring involved.

Workout test:

I wore eyeliner and did two hours of pole at home. Since I do makeup on my teachers on some gigs, I have to make sure that their eyes are still sultry-smoky past dance numbers and stage lights.

So eyeliner, and then pole!!!! I did extra jumping jacks and burpees for warm-up and lots of inverts. So after:

Just a little smudgie but no biggie, hardly noticeable!

Water test:

I subjected my hand with the swatch on faucet water- with Fort Bonifacio's generously strong water system. This is simulating the situation that I live and breathe eyeliner that I have to swim wearing eyeliner and I still have to look human and not a panda.

And to further torture it, I rubbed my hand and then, here it is, with water droplets to prove it.

If you look closely, I'll be honest and say it's got a little fade but it still looks black. I tried wiping it with a tissue and the swatch is still there. Of course, don't expect it to stay on forever. It's eyeliner, not a tattoo, and even tattoos fade. But if it can withstand torture - rub, water, and workout sweat, and still look acceptable instead of runny, it's a sure win.

For me, Covergirl Liquiline Blast is a win for the following:

Bang for my buck
Intense pigmentation
Texture
Long-wearing and waterproof ability, as proven by my tests.

I recommend this to girls who love intense eyeliner but find liquid liner or gel liner much of a hassle with the brush. This can be an alternative to your favorite waterproof luxury brand pencil liner.

Steven's Home!

2012-01-30T10:57:00.003+08:00

Wonder why my blog has been silent for quite a while? Well yes, there's work but most of all, I've been busy with this fellow:

That's my dance partner at home, who I nicknamed Steven (after Steven Tyler, nonetheless). In other words, there's a pole already. It's not just any pole purchased from a hardware store - it's a sport pole from X-pole, ordered from my teachers, the Polecats, who are X-pole dealers. These poles are made for dancing, really, and they hold up to 250 lbs of weight. Heck they could even support two dancers when pole dancers do doubles.

This was me in the studio all smiles. This was my second attempt in installing the pole. Of course, Myla taught me how to install it first. I actually thought it was a lot of rocket science involved, but once we got the hang of it, it was pretty easy to connect. The only problem though is that it's heavy so during installation, there needs to be two people in installing it. I got a stationary pole, so it doesn't have a spinny mechanism. I'm not a spinny girl, since I tend to get dizzy quite easily. So at home I can practice my tricks that need polishing, master my cross-ankle, and do my lifts and conditioning exercises for stronger core, thighs, knees, and arms since my classes are only twice to three times a week.

I remember Donna telling me that pretty soon, I'll be addicted to pole. Well what do you know? I got hooked! Actually, Stevie's still slippery (since the pole still has a factory coating, which wears off with usage) so the solution? Spin and climb on it till it wears off. Six-pack and muscle tone, hear I come!

New Hair? Let's See!

2012-01-23T15:10:00.007+08:00

While learning hair, I kinda got obsessed with hoarding hair stuff on top of the makeup stuff. I didn't realize though that it's not just gel, mousse, and hairspray that I could toy with. Just last month, I bought a 32-mm ceramic curling iron for big curls since it was on sale. Haha. Anyway, I found another great find yesterday, while at Eastwood to meet up friends after work. Guess what I found? Hair extensions.

My "new" hair. See below how I got my hair to look like this.

I get really inggit at those who purchased hair extensions because it seems really fun to make flat hair into vavoom hair in just a few steps. I got the chance also to use them in a few shoots and I found it fun. But alas, a set is very expensive and it's one of those that remained in my forever "wish list", even the synthetic ones. Anyhow, I found a stall at the Eastwood bazaar that sells hair extensions at an affordable rate - 1721 is an online shop run by sisters Kaye and Kat and now they're branching out to bazaars where clients can see their products and try them on if they wish. They sell synthetic hair extensions in various shades and styles, whether it be poker straight, glamour waves, or sexy curls. They also have clip-on bangs for those who want to try having fringes without having the scissor commitment. And of course, since I want to play with extensions, I bought some.

I chose glamour waves and sideswept bangs, both in black-brown, which matches my original hair color (tip: In buying extensions, better that it's in a shade that's very close to your own color, so it's more natural). I can also use it for shoots, since that's a safe and general hair color. a purchase also comes with an instruction brochure, which shows us how to care for our extensions as well as how to use them. The extensions are also heat-resistant so they could also be styled, especially when the curls start to loosen.

Anyway, using hair extensions is easy. First of all, we got to make the extensions blend in. If we purchased straight extensions, then we should make our own hair straight, same if we purchased curly extensions. Otherwise, it's gonna look funny. So here, here's my hair without the extension: it's naturally wavy but the curls aren't as bouncy.

So I curl it using a curling iron, mimicking the soft curls from the extensions.

After curling, I make a horizontal part on my crown, above the ears. Try to make an even, straight part. I do understand if the part isn't perfect when you're doing this solo, but let's just try. Clip the top portion with a clamp.

If you're the type of person who has slippery or fine hair, a bit of teasing on the roots can help give the extensions some "grab".

Next, unclip the clip from the extensions by giving it a bend so it opens.

Position the extensions on the hair. I like placing it nearer the roots. When the clips have a firm grab to the hair, give it a firmer grab by closing it till it's secure (maybe a few headshakes will give it a good test).

Finally, release the top hair from the clip.

Blend your own hair with the extension so the clipped part is hidden.

And then just flip over and then:

Yaye! Victoria's Secret curls!

See? From the back it's so much prettier when even your own hair is curled. If you want bigger and thicker hair, you can add more extensions and sections and probably a bit of highlights and

lowlights.

Using the bangs is quite harder than the extensions. First, we have to position the bangs on the head in such a way that it looks natural on the hair. Clip it on just like what we did with the hair extensions.

To hide the partition where the bangs are clipped here's what I did - accessorize. Get a pretty scarf and use this as a headband to "hide" that little gap thing.

And I have bangs and they look like I got some scissors and chopped the fringe off. There are lots of bang styles and colors too that are available.

Hair extensions are a fun way to give your look an easy upgrade, like if you want to go long hair for an event or a shoot. I probably would use these at a shoot when I want the supermodel curls or what the heck, a special event to go to if I want to look extra fabulous. Be sure to check out 1721's Facebook page to know also their updates if they'd be in a bazaar or if they have new products. Have fun and Happy New Year!

My Thoughts on Angelo Falconi Professional Make Up Brush Cleanser

2012-01-21T12:14:00.005+08:00

Brush cleansers are one of my must-haves. If I'm doing makeup for several faces, for example, a brush cleanser makes my tools clean for the next user. Having a bottle of brush cleanser sure beats having several brush sets or duplicates of the same brush (and it's way cheaper too). Plus, cleaning brushes in between colors enables the colors to come out much more vibrant. I notice that if I use the same brush over and over without pausing to remove excess pigment, colors can tend to get muddy. So instead of peach, I end up with a somesorta brownish hue.

There are several brush cleansers in the market - some from luxury brands and others from professional makeup brands sold in most makeup supply stores. I've tried them all, and I've narrowed down my choices to those that are quick-drying, retain the quality of my brushes, and smell good, fresh, and clean instead of chemical-like.

A makeup artist friend of mine has raved about a brush cleanser created by Angelo Falconi III. Trust a makeup artist when he or she raves about a product because these are people who use makeup for a living. I also trust most products created by a makeup artist because these are people who understand both the needs of a professional makeup artist and a client. For those who don't know, Angelo Falconi III is a makeup artist who owns a branch of salons in the South area. He also taught in a makeup school and many talented makeup artists have graduated under his helm.

Anyway, my makeup artist friend says that his brush cleanser has all the stuff that I want namely:

smells really good and fresh - a combination of tea tree and peppermint oil. So no scent that your brushes came from a chem lab. Yaye!
leaves brushes clean without drying out the bristles - even gel eyeliner and lipstick and stubborn liquid foundation
dries fast - so it's ready for use with a little swish and flick.
affordable - a bottle costs almost half of other brush cleansers in the market.

I learned about it probably 2 years ago, but I never found out where I could purchase it until I saw bottles at Purebeauty in Serendra. Wow! Now it's available in a place that's super near! There are two kinds of bottles available, both 250 mL - one with a spritzer and one with just a bottle cap. There are also two strengths available - regular strength for quick-cleaning in-between usage and extra strength (don't get scared, wait for the description) for deep cleansing of all brushes and to remove concealer, eyeliner, and lipstick buildup.

I just came from an early client this morning, and as I got home, it would be the perfect time to test the brush cleanser. I usually clean my brushes with a brush cleanser first before washing them, since it's easier that way, plus it helps me develop the habit and make me constantly aware of the fact that I have to, even quick cleaning between usage. Anyway, when I spritzed a good amount on a tissue, I took a sniff and I was glad that it smelled quite nice. It smelled like peppermint and tea tree oil. The peppermint part made it smell more like aromatherapy oil than vapor rub, and we all know how clean and refreshing the scent of tea tree oil could be. FYI, tea tree oil has antibacterial properties so yuckies are zapped and killed in a spritz and swish. As the label says, it "eliminated 99.9% of germs without damaging makeup brushes".

Anyway, so I road-tested my cleanser. There are two ways that I cleaned the brushes. First, I used this method:

Step one was spritzing the bristles with brush cleanser, just a couple of sprays would do. This works on big brushes, like in this case, my 187 brush, which I use for liquid foundation. Then, after a good spritz, I rub the bristles against a paper towel (I prefer paper towels because they're disposable and I wouldn't worry about unattractive stains that might be left on the towel even after laundry). I repeat the process if I want it super clean.

Another method is over here, which works if I'm cleaning several smaller brushes, not to mention it saves more product. What I do is spritz some product (i.e. brush cleanser) on the paper towel and swishie the brushes on it.

After my quick-cleansing, my brush looks clean. Foundation, especially dark-colored ones stain my white brushes, and sometimes, for really pigmented colors, they leave a faint stain even after washing. I like the fact that I could confidently use my brushes for the next client. Plus, it's quick-drying so I don't end up getting brush cleanser on my makeup.

The bottle costs Php480 at Purebeauty in Serendra, and they're both available in a spritzer and regular bottle, both at the same cost. Better check though if you're purchasing a regular strength or regular strength cleaner. I purchased regular strength though, since I use it for pre-cleaning brushes before washing them and cleaning brushes before starting on another face, if I'm doing more than one face in a gig. I'm glad that there are more Philippine-made products that are coming out for makeup artists (and makeup fanatics) to use.

Look 10 Younger With ANEW Genics from Avon

2012-01-13T10:47:00.003+08:00

Avon launched a breakthrough anti-ageing formula that promises to help the user look up to 10 years younger. Isn't that fabulous? It's actually here, in this bottle of their new product: Avon ANEW Genics.

Apparently, this concept of anti-ageing goes to the genetic level. Scientists have studied that there is actually a gene called a Youth Gene, which is present in everyone (hmmm... now that's like a built-in fountain of youth), although there are some people who have highly active Youth Genes (like those who live long, like 100 years) it's still with us. This Youth Gene, by the name states is what keeps the body healthy and the skin cells, as we call it alive and kicking, or fierce and fabulous. Obviously, as we age, the Youth Gene actively declines and we get all the signs of ageing which happen with time - wrinkles, lines, dry skin, name it.

So with this Youth Gene discovered, scientists came up with a way to stimulate this gene and keep our skin looking younger. This discovery is bottled up in this amber bottle of ANEW Genics, a treatment concentrate to help the skin look younger.

ANEW Genics isn't like the regular sunblock+moisturizer you use. It's actually a treatment you use on the skin before you put your entire routine. This is applied on cleansed and toned skin first. Spread it and let it absorb. Then after this you can start applying serum, moisturizer+sunblock, and then makeup, if it's a day you put on makeup. If putting another layer of cream on the skin sounds suffocating to you, you'd definitely be glad to know that this is a very light formula that sinks into skin quickly. I dunno what ingredient it was though, because it actually had a cool feeling on skin. Immediately, I felt my skin feeling considerably softer and smoother. I tried it too on the skin on my body and saw a difference. The skin on my body is really dry and that little thin layer of ANEW Genics made its chaffed state quite relieved. Yes, I am guilty of trying to use this all over my body, but of course it's really made for the face down to the neck and extend to the chest. It's not recommended to apply this on the lids but I've been told that some apply this on the undereyes. Usually, the instant effect is having the skin looking and feeling firmer, expression lines visibly softened (bye bye frown lines, laugh lines, and crow's feet!), and visibly restoring skin's vitality. I love that there's the word "visibly", which means we don't need a microscope to know that there is a difference. We can just see and feel it.

This product is highly recommended for mature women as well, especially if they're about to wear makeup. Remember the main problem of makeup cracking or somehow not cooperating with mature skin? This product, giving the skin a bit of TLC and "youth-boosting" power makes foundation glide so much easier.

To whom do I recommend this product? Women age 26 can start using this. Obviously, teenagers, pregnant women, and children should steer clear of anti-ageing products. This one I have on my pro makeup kit too. Yep, it is an extra step in skin preparation, but trust me, makeup looks so much better in nice skin. The price isn't bad too at Php 1799. This can last me months, since I only need a little bead-sized amount, which I spread throughout the face and neck.

Bridal Work: Kristine

2011-12-27T10:19:00.001+08:00

photos by Jay de Jesus

Teen's a very fun person to talk to. She's very receptive and open to ideas and makeup suggestions and doing our trial was actually very fun. During our trial, it was funny because when she knocked on the door and when I opened it, the cat out of nowhere went inside straight to the cat food. We had to shoo the cat away before starting. "Yep, it does that a lot, and four others," I said.

When I asked her about her wedding, she told me it was going to be a morning wedding, so makeup has to be very light and fresh. But light and fresh doesn't mean almost nothing. There's still got to be something of course. There are subtle contours, a kiss of rosiness, highlight, glow, and enhancement on the eyes.

Her look during her trial makeup:

It's actually a mixture of pinks and peaches, since the motif of the wedding was blue and silver. Teen's hair during her trial isn't her hair on her wedding of course. I just set it in rollers and then brushed it down for swingy, pretty volume. I also brushed her brows with one of MAC's bestselling products: Brow Set in Girl/Boy to give the look an overall bridal beauty softness.

Our preps for her wedding started as early as 5 am. Teen was her very usual joyful self, and despite everyone's lack of sleep, Teen was surrounded by her family, and friends (who were the wedding coordinators), we were giggling and hyper and falsies haven't been applied yet.

For her wedding updo, our original plan was for her to have a side ponytail but we opted to have a sideswept bun for church and loosen the bun into a low side ponytail for reception. Hair was done by my good friend and labs, Lei Ponce.

At her bridal car, Teen looks very princess-like waiting to step out. Her dress looks absolutely gorgeous, with clean lines and just lace.

This was the time she had a lot of pictures from friends and their official photographer. By the time she had to walk down the aisle, she was just by herself outside. She was the only one with a bouquet of red tulips. Pretty!

Another fact with Teen and her (now) husband Teej is that they both sing in the choir. Music during the church ceremony was provided by Hangad Music Ministry. Plus, the homily was given by one of their closest friends in the choir, who's an ordained minister.

My blogger friend Jay was there too, as he's friends with the couple since they work together in the same company. We were fascinated by the vintage car the couple hired so we took pictures.

Yes, and Jay was also able to capture me in my julalay moment.

Teej never let go of Teen's hand the entire time. Awwww....

The couple still had shots around the church too, and we had to head back to the hotel for the reception. Going from the church (Nuesta Senora de Guadalupe Church) to Richmond Hotel in Eastwood took almost forever with C5 being clogged. The reason was due to an accident wherein a container van tripped over some cable wire in Eastwood causing the entire C5 to turn into a parking lot in minutes. Taking some detours didn't work though as there were a lot who took detours too. Nevertheless, we made it! Traffic's not gonna bum anyone!

Avon BB Cream Review

2011-12-22T20:26:00.003+08:00

Unfortunately for me, I have to steer away from BB creams, not because they're horrible but because I have yet to find a BB cream that's okay for my skin color. As you all know, I've tanned quite considerably and I've gone a few shades darker in my powder foundation. Also, I have yellow-toned skin and most BB creams I find are too beige or too pink and whenever I wear them, it seems as though my face belongs to a different body and vice-versa. In other words, my face and body shades don't match at all. Sometimes, If I wear something too pink, I can appear ashy. This is too bad since BB creams perform absolutely well on some girls with fairer and pinker complexions giving their skin that flawless glow fit for a star at one step. I still need the sunscreen and coverage benefits of my BB creams so as not to let them go to waste, what I do is adjust with a darker foundation/bronzer or use it only as undereye highlight/concealer to hide the dark undereye circles.

Avon sent me a sample of their BB cream. The affordable price (Php 399) makes it a good steal but will it be okay for my personal use? The thing I like with BB creams is that it's a one-stop shop for everything I need - moisturizer, sunscreen, and coverage in one. All I have to do is toner, apply this, powder, and go and I'm okay.

It's such a tiny tube so I'm able to take this with me also for travel. Anyway, the one I have is named "light" and I was in uh-oh mode because I thought I'll have that same experience again.

I swatched it in comparison with two BB creams that I have and as you can see, the Avon one although light, is more on the yellower side of things than the beige-y ones the others have.

When rubbed and blended, you can see that the two others are more obvious than the Avon BB cream, which blended with my skin. At most, it looked like a highlight if it's got that "fairer skin" factor. BB cream 1 is obvious it practically screamed "HELLO I'M SNOW WHITE!" BB cream 2 was more subtle but I could still see a hint of grayness since that BB cream is on the pinker side than usual.

For application, I recommend placing dots strategically on the face and spread it around. I apply more on key "highlight" points like cheeks, chin, and bridge of the nose and blend outwards so in case I get to apply too much, it looks more like highlight rather than my face dipped in white powder. Just to be sure, since this is quite a lighter shade, I tone and adjust with some bronzer or contour. With regards to coverage, it fares well like a very sheer foundation in minimizing redness and discoloration. For stubborn spots, concealer to the rescue.

The thing that's nice with BB cream is that it gives a nice glow to the skin. I just applied powder and mattifying blush (no MSF highlight). My skin looks healthier yay! And not much on the oiliness zone. Another double yay. And take note, I danced wearing it and my skin didn't feel like it was on fire.

Yay to this for making this yellow-toned instead of pinkish. I do wish for a bit more bronzey BB cream shades to cater the morena clientele here in Asia. In the meantime, a bit of bronzer and the strategic application I did can help. Oh, and I don't apply a lot at first. I apply more as the need goes.

The Industrial Strength Concealer that Boi-Ings Boo-boos Away

2011-12-21T15:42:00.006+08:00

It was quite hard for me to choose what to buy when I visited the Benefit Cosmetics store in Greenbelt last week. It was such a pretty store with so much pretty items. After much deliberation, I went home with this:

Concealers can be our best friends - on those days when we're plagued with zits (on, well, those days) and on times when we lack sleep or hydration. So why not another one in the market yes?

Boi-ing actually had the subtitle industrial-strength concealer. It's so funny because the name actually sounds like it came straight from a comic book. However, its job is serious business, stating that it's industrial strength. If that pan can talk, it would probably say, "Don't judge me by the name. I can make your red spots disappear before you even blink."

I got shade #2, which is an in-between shade that's okay generally for most skin tones. For my makeup purchases, I always have to take note that it's not just one person who would be using this. It's a cream-type concealer in a pan, but although the pan may be thinner than most concealers, a little goes a long way.

Applying this is best using fingers. The warmth of the fingers and hands help the product emulsify and blend on to the skin better. For clean and hygiene-OC,s you can scrape a bit of product with a clean spatula and use your fingers (clean and sanitized of course) to apply them to the little trouble spots. With this case, I apply this before foundation, regardless of liquid or powder.

Here's where I took it to the road test. As you can see, I need to cover up a little spot over there. All I did was clean the skin and prepped it before applying the concealer. It was relatively easy to use. It didn't even sink into creases or cake on undereye areas (provided I apply the right amount). Okay, It's not completely 100% covered but that's where airbrush makeup came about.

I'm really not the type to super cake on foundation and concealer to the point our pores can't breathe. What I do is just diminish the spots. This one worked well in the concealing part. The spot over the left brow is almost completely unnoticeable. I guess that's what they mean by industrial-strength.

Like I said earlier, this could also be used on the undereye area. Shade #2 is more on the yellow side, so it's better suited for those with purplish dark circles, like me. For my personal use, it's my one-stop shop for redness and undereye circles. I even used this on a client with mature skin and whereas some super creamy concealers tend to cake on lines, this one blended better. It's nice on oily skin or combination skin. If your skin is dry, though, you might want to revert to a creamier or liquid concealer as this can make dry patches obvious since it sets into a powder finish.

The price of the concealer is Php 1,100. It's a very potent product so a little product definitely goes a long way, it probably would take a you quite a while to use it. I think I'll purchase another shade that's more specific to certain needs, but I'm glad I found another concealer alternative and a brand to use.

Benefit Cosmetics In Manila

2011-12-20T15:33:00.005+08:00

Benefit Cosmetics has been a very popular brand with beauty fanatics. First heard via online reviews and YouTube v-logs and raves, it has gotten to many pasalubong or pabili lists since it's not available locally. When Benefit Cosmetics came to Manila and opened last week, it was welcomed by its Manila fans. I got there at around 3 pm. The store was packed with fans and friends who were busy trying out products and shopping.

The store totally whisked me back in time to flirty boudoirs, powder rooms, and everything pinup girl chic. I remember the quaint candy shops in San Francisco when I stepped in the store.

Lippies are Bambi's best friends. Shy is the bestselling shade of lipstick, which is a pretty lilacy-pink shade.

Bathina is a body balm that's great for beauty editorials and brides for a sheer body glow. Not for pole dancers though pero when I'm out for a special occasion, I could whip out one for a sheer glow on my legs and collarbone. (Hmm... Kiars and I were hoping that there'll be a grip paste and Bathina collaboration so we can pole with glowy skin :P)

Goodies like primers, concealers, and blush (in jars like candy) are in this shelf.

Aside from makeup and skincare, Benefit Cosmetics also provides waxing services to defuzz our bodies of unwanted hair.

Cheriza mentioned to me that this is one of her favorite Benefit makeup sets.

This looks interesting - concoctions to give the user the most glowing skin ever.

This store won't be hard to miss. It's located at Greenbelt 5 ground floor, right next to Shiseido, where Jurlique used to be. :)

Taking Flutter False Eyelashes to Work at the SMT Christmas Party with the Polecats

2011-12-20T11:49:00.008+08:00

I have a vast collection of false eyelashes. When AJ went to the house and started going over my stuff, he was surprised to see that I have not one but two toolboxes full of falsies. One toolbox is for the thick avante garde falsies used in photoshoots and I have another box for the ones I use in beauty shoots/brides/personal clients. So what I did when Sophie and I chatted and she mentioned that she's also selling falsies? I got myself a box! Hello Flutter lashes!

I got this box at the Moonlit Bazaar in Rockwell a few weeks ago. It's pretty affordable, Php350 for a box of ten pairs that's super reusable provided you take really good care of them.

They have various styles and thicknesses available for your own need - from bridal to glamour events, and in my case, for dance performances. The pair I got is called Feisty. The strands (made of synthetic hairs) are styled criss-crossing each other then winged out for a very pretty eye-opening and lifting effect a-la Bond girl. I've been watching James Bond movies every night so I think my style's been influenced a lot.

For shows, lashes are a must to bring life to the eyes. As makeup is more heavy-handed than everyday makeup, the lashes we use for shows when I have gigs with the Polecats or during our own performances have to be thicker than bridal lashes, but not too drag like that it impairs the sights or we'd be gaining muscles on our eyelids from trying to keep our eyes open at the weight of the lashes.

So where did I take my Flutter lashes to work? At last Wednesday's gig with the Polecats at the SMT Christmas Party. :) Kayleen and Margaret were asked to perform for the company's annual Christmas Party. The employees also brought their kids with them, so the dances are also kid-friendly.

They were going to have doubles at their finale number and since the theme of the party was sailor or nautical party, I got inspiration from Naughty Nauticals, a MAC collection years ago with smoky blue eyes and bright red lips, which matched their doubles costume, but I made it okay enough to fit their costumes at the solo performances.

Up close Kayleen's eyes with the Feisty Flutter lashes. As you can see, it really enhanced her eyes so they don't get lost with the bright blue and deep black. I still want them to look pretty for photo-ops and of course, she still needs to see while doing tricks.

Kayleen was up first and she danced to Surfer Girl. It was one of the songs we danced to in class, and I remember Kayleen teaching us the choreo last summer, but of course, her version had more advanced moves like knee hold, reverse butterfly, and her trademark hummingbird.

Also, I curled Kayleen's hair that day for Surfer Girl prettiness.

Margaret did her solo on a spinny pole. I swear, I don't know how she does it - looking absolutely graceful and long and not getting dizzy at all. Spinning pole is harder than it looks. She danced to a song from Finding Nemo and with all the fishies around the function room, we were taken under the sea.

Not only does she have enviable abs, her splits are jaw-dropping with their perfect form - straight legs, square hips, toes pointed.

Anyway, I asked the girls what their comment was with the falsies and they said that the lashes didn't feel heavy at all. They're used to wearing falsies, even thicker and heavier ones for shows. This however, felt light and Margaret told me that they felt like they weren't wearing false eyelashes. However, they still had the thickness and length we wanted for "show" level. For application, we just had to cut the ends to fit the wearer's eyes to make them more comfy (plus the ends are long) and use good-quality lash glue (I use Duo) so we could use them again and again. So eyesight and comfort level shall not suffer for the price of pretty lashes. Yay! Oh yes, if you want to know where they can be purchased, they can be purchased at Purbeauty Co. at Serendra and Crossings Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Trinoma.

The comfort level lasted from a meal break their doubles. They performed Candyman in Sailor Costumes.

It was a fun night and the employees of SMT and their families enjoyed their performance. Thanks Polecats for having me again and Sophie for introducing me to Flutter false eyelashes.

Red Door Gets A New Look

2011-12-18T03:34:00.004+08:00

If you're a kid in the 80s, you'd probably remember the classic scent Red Door and the iconic bottle with a red cap in your mom's, aunt's, or grandma's dresser. You'd remember taking a whiff of it as you receive a kiss or hug on an annual family reunion. The rich and floral scent gives memories of women in classic black pumps, red lipstick, and oversize (or cat-eye) shades walking along the streets of 1950's Manhattan.

Decades later, Red Door, which happens to be Elizabeth Arden's classic signature fragrance revamps to a whole new pretty look with its bottle taking shape of a bold red glass design, which looks like, literally, a red door. The name Red Door, I just found out was named after the company's day spa, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon, which has been around for nearly 100 years. If you Google pictures of the Red Door Salon, you'd see that it does have a big bright red door greeting its clients. That big red door has the same shape as the new perfume bottle.

This could be a gift for a female relative who loves this classic scent, if you still have no idea what to give her this Christmas. The 100 mL EDT spray (Php 4550) and 50 mL EDT spray (Php3450) looks great as a bold red statement in her dresser. The 30 mL bottle (Pho2250) would be pretty to tote on her purse too, should she like a spritzer to refresh the scent come a special dinner with friends or family in a nice restaurant.

Bridal Work: Rowie

2011-12-15T23:16:00.006+08:00

Rowie's wedding happened before the December rush, and it was a wedding where everything fell into place regardless of whatever the circumstance may be. Her wedding is a union of two worlds and cultures united by two people in love. And speaking of love, love was truly in the air that day because it was Rowie's good friend Grace who was the wedding coordinator, and Grace got me and Mike's awesome team iSnap Creatives.

You know the awesome thing about working with friends? It's fun.

Mike and I love to goof a lot. It was more of a relaxed reunion for suppliers, so with a relaxed atmosphere, we have a relaxed bride. I did hair and makeup for both Rowie and her mum, giving them natural looks that enhanced their features. Since it was an outdoor garden wedding, makeup should stay so airbrush was the recommended tool.

Outdoor weddings can get risky because of the scare that it might rain anytime, but the weather cooperated. Not a droplet of rainfall fell, and the ground was dry. No sinking heels or muddy gowns today!

Rowie and her mom post-makeup, sharing a very tender moment.

Since night tends to arrive a lot quicker these -ber months, the couple's photos had to be done before the ceremony, where there's still natural light. Geoff's reaction was priceless when he saw the bride. He cried. I was worried at first though, but then when he said he found her so pretty I was relieved.

I just had to capture the moment! :)

Picture time!

Sid at work, doing video.

Geoff's friends flew all the way from Australia just to witness this very special occasion.

Another thing, while I texted Rowie the day before asking if there's any dress code for her wedding, she just said not to wear black. I was planning on wearing my black multi-dress that day, but since it was a no-black affair, I put it back in the closet and took out my green onesie that day.

Guess what the motif of the wedding was? Green. Not only did I follow the no-black rule but I actually followed (accidentally) the color motif. Heeheehee.

bride: Rowie Balmeo-Keleher

makeup and hair: Bambi de la Cruz Makeup Artistry

photo and video: iSnap Creatives

coordination: Wonderful occasions

venue: Light of Love

The Comeback of the Olive Dry Oil Mist! Yay!

2011-12-13T10:51:00.006+08:00

Weeks ago, there have been teaser posters at The Body Shop stores as well as the Facebook fan page showing a "Mystery Item".

Just an outline. Definite clue was a product making a comeback. If you're a TBS follower since day 1 and a user, I think that even without clues, you'd know what it is. Well, the secret was finally revealed a few weeks ago. It was a product making a comeback and it's the Olive Dry Oil Mist!

This shot will tell you that it's really back.

Apparently, the Olive Dry Oil Mist is a very popular product here in the Philippines. The clean olive scent and the luxurious feel of moisturized skin without the greasy afterfeel (yes it's true it's oil but not a greasy slick was felt) made it a bestseller here. However, globally, it wasn't as popular so they had to let it go. This is a special order for the fans of the product here in the Philippines who love it a lot.

Actually, it's my first time to use this product. I asked them, if it's like the bath oils you apply while the skin is damp and then towel off. Turns our it's just like lotion. You towel off, spray, and then spread. Ironically, despite the fact that it's oil, my skin wasn't left greasy or yucky. In fact, the reason why it was such a bestseller in the Philippines was because it had the moisturizing action we need without the slick greasy feel we hate. In fact, it was easily absorbed by the body and I didn't feel greasy all throughout the day.

Where do I use this? All over. During the night, I couple this with The Body Shop's Olive Body Butter on my super dry areas like my elbows, knees, feet, ankles, and I take extra TLC on my body parts that need extra moisture as well as the parts where my skin gets chafed a lot.

This however, is available for a limited time only. When I visited The Body Shop branches in Makati, I found out that the Olive Dry Oil Mist bottles were already gone, and some stores have only little bottles left. So if you must, it's best to stock up on the bottles right away, now that it's available still and for a sale price of Php495.

I do wish that the Olive Dry Oil Mist would remain as a permanent stock though, even here in the Philippines. But seeing how it's fast flying off the shelves now may bring The Body Shop to make it a permanent stay hopefully. :) It's such a pretty stocking stuffer especially now it's colder and we need extra care for our dry skin.

Winners of the Suesh Vanity Starter Set Winners

2011-12-12T11:00:00.005+08:00

Hello everyone! So how was your weekend? Looks like the malls were full, if you guys passed by the mall. Most of my weekends were either at work (which I'll blog about) or at the mall and my only break was watching The Little Mermaid last Saturday night, which I really enjoyed.

And as promised, I start my week revealing the winners from the Suesh Vanity Starter Set contest and I'm just as glad that there were a lot of entries (lesson to self: always make the contest rules easy). I'd like to thank everyone for the lovely answers. There can only be three winners though. I used a random name picker, much like those racks at raffles to select a winner, and here are the screen shots of the winners' names:

Winner #1: Job Bautista

Winner #2: Hazel

Winner #3: Stephanie Rodriguez:

Congratulations to the winners! You can claim your prizes at the Suesh showroom main branch in Wilson St. Here's the complete address:

2/f 34 Wilson St., Greenhills, San Juan (in front of Dita Sandico Ong shop)

Tel no: 8068013 or 7823797

Store hours are: 11 am to 7 pm Mondays to Saturdays

To the winners: please email your complete name and contact numbers to makeupbybambi@gmail.com and sheryllong2001@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bring a valid ID when claiming prizes!

Ricky and Nicki for MAC

2011-12-06T22:50:00.003+08:00

If you've been following makeup blogs often, you'd see chismis that two recording artists are the new MAC Viva Glam endorsers. Well honeys, lemme show you, chismis is confeermed! This 2012, make way for Ricky and Nicki. I'm talking about Latino music star Ricky Martin and the girl with the colorful hair Nicki Minaj.

I'm not sure what will be the lipstick shade for this line but I see that it's a pretty candy pink, the one that Ricky Martin is carrying, and I think it's like the one Nicki's wearing. Something fun and candy-like, just like Nicki in the Victoria's Secret Fashion show that's gone viral in social networks.

I'm not quite sure though if there's another shade with that pink but I really hope for a big, bold, in-your-face hot red color for Ricky Martin, to match his hot, hot personality. Personally, I don't care about what others say, Ricky Martin will always be Ricky Martin for me from his Les Miz days up to his recent video, Samba, which I'm pole-ling in one freestyle move.

These Viva Glam lipsticks are to hit counters next year. Wiii!!!!!!

Suesh Vanity Starter Set Contest Update: Reformat of Mechanics -- CLOSED

2011-12-06T22:33:00.005+08:00

Hey all! So how was your weekend? I spent my weekend in a very beautiful place and stuffed myself with all that's beautiful in it.

And speaking of beautiful? Remember the Suesh Vanity Starter Set contest I wrote a few entries back? Well, since we haven't been receiving entries, I decided to change the mechanics to make it easier. :) All you have to do is this:

1. In the comments below, all you have to do is post a comment on the comments section on this post answering this question:

Why you would love to win a Suesh Vanity Starter set?

2. Don't forget to leave your full name since I'll be using that to choose the winners.

3. Winners will be chosen via random order. There will be three winners for this contest, so still three sets given.

Now here are the rules:

1. The rule applies to Philippine readers/residents only.

2. Only one entry per contestant.

You don't need to be a makeup artist to join. You can be a makeup fanatic, a makeup school student, or anyone who loves makeup but doesn't know where to start. As a refresher, let me show you the prizes:

A color palette to do your eye makeup with cheeks to match:

Suesh 7-piece brush set for touch-ups or to do personal makeup:

Suesh Portable 3-way LED mirror (eyes open):

Hope you guys join! Take care and enjoy the Holidays

Behind-The-Scenes: Polecats Manila 2012 Calendar Shoot

2011-11-30T10:40:00.007+08:00

Last September, Polecats Manila and I had a photoshoot for a project which was a little secret until, well, last week. We shot for their 2012 calendar, which had a pretty theme which will make anyone smile: PINUP! But instead of the regular pinup photos we see, what separates this calendar from others is that the subjects also showcase their awesome pole skills and strength.

I will show you the contents in a bit.

10 dancers, one photographer, one makeup artist, and one hairstylist. It was time for a rocking photoshoot. The shoot started at 9 am and we started with hair and makeup at Kris's apartment.

I brought out the big guns here - literally. I used airbrush makeup on them. Instead of identical makeup, they each had different themes, depending on the month they represented, which was just so cute. I think my toys were just as excited too because everytime I do gigs/shoots like these, they cooperate so well. Anyway, Lorybelle Barretto, a hair and makeup artist I met online via common friends and network did hair for the shoot. It was our first time to meet personally actually. She worked fast and did all ten heads before 4 pm, even switching hairstyles.

After half had their makeup done, we proceeded to Pioneer Studios where we started doing the photoshoot. I told you about different themes right? Here's a preview of Amaya's summer theme - beach ball, shades, bandana, and all.

with matching balancing act and pointed toes. The Polecats always emphasize on pointed toes all the time, in heels or barefoot or boots and I agree it really makes everything look prettier. (Note: As I am typing this, my toes are actually pointed for practice because I have class later.)

Daemon showing the results to Amaya and AJ.

Caryn, Chot, and Myla by the couch, waiting for the group shot.

One of the prettiest shots is the Christmas themed shoot. I love the white outfits on them with the matching Santa hats. Usually, I use a yellowy red on them but for this shoot, I used a different wine red, to make everything deeper, but still keeping with the festive red theme. Subtle smoky eyes because I want it to be pretty and festive. During the entire shoot, it was drizzly or rainy outside, but we all didn't feel it. We were having fun working and picture-taking.

The Polecats Manila 2012 calendar is already available at Gen Studios Ortigas for Php350. Here are some more shots to convince you to get one:

Mara as a witch for October. She had crimped hair and green smoky eyes and hot pink lips here, I took inspiration from Bewitched and Barbie dolls. After crimping her hair, Lorybelle curled her hair into soft curls for the next photoshoots.

I asked Lorybelle to put Kayleen's hair in a high ponytail, just like the Cheerios in Glee. Sweet pinks were used on Kayleen here for makeup. I asked her if she could sign also my calendar. Heehee. Fan mode!

I won't post more pictures because that means you have to get a calendar to see all the photos yourself. And probably, this could also convince you to try out pole fitness. :) Currently, my calendar is in my workstation here at home, by the living room. When time comes that it's 2012 and I get to use the calendar, friends who come over might see it and ask me, "Who are those in the calendar?" I would reply, "They are the Polecats, they are my teachers in pole dancing and they are awesome!"

credits for the calendar shoot:

Polecats Manila
photographer: Daemon Becker
makeup: Bambi de la Cruz Makeup Artistry
hair: Lorybelle Barretto
location: Pioneer Studios

Cranberry, Vanilla, and Ginger for the Home

2011-11-28T16:07:00.004+08:00

The Body Shop not only takes care of our bodies and make sure that our skin's soft, glowing, and smelling so good with our faces primped, prepped, and smoldering, but it takes care of the home and make sure that the home smells just as yummy, with their collection of home fragrances like fragrance oils, candles, reed diffusers, hand wash, and body, room, and linen spritzes.

Last year, The Body Shop's three yummy holiday scents: Cranberry Joy, Spiced Vanilla, and Jolly Orange sent Christmas as early as November to me. The Cranberry Joy scented candle, I was surprised at how the candle didn't smell too waxy. I used it early this year and light it up occasionally whenever I want to waft off the smell of cooked food and I'm surprised that even after a year, it still smells super yummy, like cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, for this year, Cranberry and Vanilla remained but Jolly Orange had to step aside. It did make way for a yummy scent, which I fell in love with I'd go for hoarding sprees when the TF hits more. This new scent is Candied Ginger.

Candied Ginger is an uplifting and energising scent. Ginger is known for its therapeutic qualities (like healing sore throat or muscle pain) with its warmth that helps soothe and relieve swelling. Now just when you think, "So will my room smell like luya on tinola?" it won't I promise. The combination of sweet and spicy notes will remind you of freshly baked gingerbread cookies. When I smelled the body scrub (which is super creamy and lush on the skin you won't realize it's sloughing dead skin off you), I was reminded of cake batter, in fact instead of salabat.

As I rave about Candied Ginger, I'm so happy I went home with two of these Candied Ginger treats - Fragrance Oil and Hand wash. You can use the hand wash in your powder room or in the kitchen sink after an entire afternoon cooking up Christmas dinner and you want to greet your guests without letting them smell the chopped garlic or onion from your hands.

The fragrance oil is my super-affordable (only Php 495) and super-sulit (a few drops is all I need) companion if I want an energizing boost when I'm sniffly or tired or if I want the house to smell like a house instead of the dinner I cooked.

I got this oil burner as a giveaway from one of the weddings I did this year. What I do is light the tea candle, put some water on the bin and a few (four will do) drops of candied ginger fragrance oil and relax. I always remember to put out the candle of course, if the oil burner is starting to dry and empty out.

For a safer alternative if you want to just drift off and sleep and not worry about putting out a candle, the reed diffuser is a good alternative. I have here with me Cranberry Joy, which I bet will smell as sweet and fresh as the candle I used.

Reed diffusers (this one costs Php 2,095) work very simple. You open the bottle, remove the cork of course, and then you place the sticks inside the bottle and capillary action will do the rest. the setup is pretty enough as a display. To be extra-safe, put it in a place where kids or pets won't knock over it or reach it to avoid any accidents. I was advised to set this up before I leave for a trip so when I come home, the house doesn't have that musty dead air smell. And since I don't have to light anything with a match or candle, it's just great to be left alone until the scent wears off (which would probably be a month or so).

Just like all holiday collections, yummies like these are only available at a very limited time so best to catch them at The Body Shop Stores while you can.

Petra You Awesome!

2011-11-25T19:26:00.004+08:00

I've been raving about Petra Mahalimuyak in Facebook and Plurk for quite some time (no Twitter here because I don't have Twitter and I'm anti-social that way). I swear she's funny, she's cute, and she's talented. She turned my frown upside-down halfway through her video.

[image from Petra's Facebook fan page]

The first video I ever saw was when she did the How to Dance in a Club video. Just for the record you guys, her exaggerated Filipino accent is fake, and it's meant to humor people. Obviously, the name Petra Mahalimuyak is not her real name. Her real name is Ashley Rivera. She's a Filipina who resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. She loves entertaining people and I'm sorry she rocks at it.

One of my favorites is the makeup tutorial video, which aside from being funny shares some pretty effective techniques.

I tried to use the 15-times-with-the-kurlash technique and my lashes lifted like they were resurrected. Before you guys react that how come she didn't set her concealer with powder, it's probably because since she lives in a drier climate (Nevada is desert climate) , her skin might not need the extra step. And why no brow makeup? She's a lucky girl to have a full set of brows. When I followed it, the brows were the extra step.

Ashley AKA Petra's videos are on her YouTube Channel. She's got more of those Pinoy parodies. You know another thing about her? She poles! She's got a pole installed in her house and she had a video showing a few seconds of her on the pole complete with spins and an invert. :) Petra, you awesome. I wish we could do collabs together whether it be makeup or pole or both!

Short, Pink, and Sweet with a cut too

2011-11-25T19:14:00.004+08:00

I love wearing pink. It makes me happy. And so do short dresses that hug every ab and quad. It makes me feel pretty when I'm done with a day of work/chores.

dress: Gift from the States

scarf: an old Marks and Spencer scarf bought 15 years ago in Hongkong

shoes: Aerosoles

watch: Mickey Mouse watch from Hongkong Disneyland

leg bronzer: None. that's my natural color.

Wear this with a scarf if I wanna dress it up and pump up the height in heels or wear it with flip flops, bundle my hair in a messy bun, don shades and it's okay for a casual but comfy-sexy vibe when I want to have milk tea in Serenitea.

Dresses make me look tall and I love it. I must be swimming a lot more because I'm getting darker, which I love. I hope that my guilty pleasure indulgence of Gong Cha wintermelon tea and Potato Corner fries didn't show.

Another place I like to rave about: Lucy Britanico salon in Glorietta. They gave me a trim and blow-dried my hair to Victoria's Secret sexiness waves and volume in less than 30 minutes. Their price is okay too. My trim is only about Php400. I'm usually scared whenever I enter a new salon for a trim but they did a good job in knowing to cut only the dry ends and maintain the length and shape of my hair, which I've been trying to maintain for like 3 years now. I told them I'm growing my hair and I prefer that it fall on my waist or a little above it since it's more low-maintenance that way for me. No experimenting or anything. Yay!

Glitter and Ice: MAC Holiday 2011

2011-11-24T22:15:00.007+08:00

When I visited the MAC counter at Shangri-La, it really showed that it was Christmas time. Instead of rich red colors, though, it was crystal, silver, and white, as the otherwise chic trademark black MAC counter seemed to be enveloped in snowballs and crystals as their Holiday Collection arrived, aptly named Glitter and Ice.

Superhuman, mystical, and fierce is what I'd describe the design of the poster.

Carlos busy setting up the displays. As you all know, every holiday collection consists of gift pouches or sets, which are perfect gifts to self (heehee, if you're a makeup addict) or to a female friend or relative you love who you know loves MAC makeup (uuuhhh helloo!!!!!! In case you don't have a gift for me yet!).

[image credits]

The goodies such as lip glass sets, nail lacquer sets, and stacked pigments are encased in a pretty see-through sphere, that's like a crystal ball showing your wish, except your wish is tangible when you dismantle the crystal ball. Aptly named Dazzlespheres, these sets are just too pretty you'd giggle. Take note with the lipglasses that their caps are white, which matches everything.

Eye makeup junkies, here are your eye palettes. What's perfect to make them stay put on the eye? Paint pots! :)

Travel-sized brush sets in white and glittery silver. And no, that's not a design, that's a dual fibre brush set you see containing SE versions of 187, 130, 266 duo fibre taper brush, and 282 duo fibre shader brush. These are the four key Mineralize brushes, used for, obviously the Mineralize line.

What else do we see during the Holidays in the MAC counter? Viva Glam! This year's Viva Glam endorser is the ever-so-unpredictable Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga's fans will go gaga for the Viva Glam Melt Your Heart Lip Bag, which contains not one but two full-size lipsticks.

Remember the sold out in minutes Lady Gaga pink lipstick? It's back with its younger sister, Gaga2 (the nude one).

See? I'm not lying when I told you they came in full sizes.

As I'm typing this, I'm sure that some of the items mentioned are up for grabs. Anyone eyeing on a favorite now? What would it be?

Bridal Work: Dea

2011-11-23T23:23:00.008+08:00

Last October, Wacks and I trooped over to chilly and foggy Tagaytay to primp and prettify Dea, our bride for October. From Fort, we met up at Sucat and then proceeded to Tagaytay. We were there early. Yay! Although I think we did wake up the entire venue. Hahaha. But nevertheless, although it was a pretty drizzly day, nothing's going to ruin Dea's big day, right? She in fact, greeted this day with a smile. It's her wedding day after all.

Dea's been following my blog for quite some time. That's how she found me, by the way. She's also a makeup artist too and she knew exactly what look she wanted down to the products to use. For her bridal look, she wanted to have a bridal version of her trademark look - red lips with the hair pulled back in a neat bun. During our trial, she said to go smoky (although in this case bridal smoky) but after being inspired by a celebrity's look in a magazine, she wanted simple eyes, defined brows, and red lips. I love it! I asked her quite a number of times if she really wanted red lips, as it was a very bold choice. It was a yes for her, and I was happy to oblige. Red lips are awesome!

For her makeup, it was fun and easy. Dea and I knew what products to use. MAC Mineralize Foundation in NC35 check! Russian Red lipstick (both our favorite) Check! Girl/Boy Brow Set Check! And Urban Decay Naked Palette. Dea has this and omigosh, it's just so pretty! It's got pretty pigmented eyeshadows that are perfect for the neutral eye. Although it was going to be a bare, almost nude eye, it still needed a bit of depth since we have to consider pictures, so I did a bit of "cheat" contouring so her eyes do not get washed out in photos or videos, but it still looks natural.

Dea before makeup.

Since Dea was getting married in Caleruega, she opted for a simple white dress, and since Caleruega is a small chapel, she skipped the veil (with permission from the priest) and had vines pinned to her hair like so, in a pretty ensaymada bun.

Although her hair was pulled back, Wacks didn't make it super school marm tight that it hurts. There's still a bit of softness, but it's got the neat quality Dea wanted.

Although Dea entrusted me to do her makeup, when it came to her mom, she played her makeup artist role by doing her makeup. So our pretty bride while waiting for her hair to set whipped out her brushes and tools too. I love it!

Dea's sister was the maid of honor and her sister-in-law one of the secondary sponsors. In contrast to the strong lips-neutral eyes Dea had, I gave the girls smoky eyes.

Everyone is a pretty girl that day, yes?

One more shot before changing. Now wear the pretty dress and...

Tadaaaaa!!!!! I took these photos from my camera as Dea was getting her portraits done. I really love the no-veil part, because with a look as pretty as that, why hide it, right?

This picture is a very classic Grace Kelly-ish look. I can't wait for the official photos from Mimi & Karl.

Her bouquet of lilac roses is the absolute cutest ever!

After the preps, I met a cute little kitty too. I think it was our lucky kitty because it was such a happy and pretty day, who cares about the drizzlies?

I really know that her wedding won't be the last time I'll see her, because I'm pretty sure I'll bump into her in work.

Credits:

Bride: Dea Macachor-Mesa

Makeup: Bambi de la Cruz Makeup Artistry using traditional method

Hair: Wacks Joaquin

Location: Tagaytay

*photos all from my personal camera

Libertine: White Musk, but Girlier.

2011-11-21T16:31:00.004+08:00

White Musk is one of The Body Shop's iconic and epic fragrances. It's still in stands as of today, as other fragrances go on and off their shelves. Clean but musky (that's why it's called white musk), light with a bit of spice, you can share this with your man, since it's a unisex scent, and it won't look so girly too, in case he brings it in his travelling bag. This new White Musk though, is for us ladies, and I think the pink pretty bottle is already a giveaway.

Save for the pretty pink bottle, White Musk Libertine body mist still retains the usual clean, woody muskiness of the usual white musk. Yet it's made sweeter with notes of Turkish Delight (yumm!), baby orchid, and Chantilly cream. In comparison with the original White Musk, Libertine is much more floral, a bit warmer and more romantic.

Since musk fragrances are warmer and headier than fruity fragrances, I like wearing it as a light mist on me. Muskier fragrances are great that the weather's starting to get colder as well and they won't be as overpowering as it is when the temperature's higher.

White Musk Libertine is available as eau de parfum ( Php 1,595), body lotion (Php 995), body mist (Php 995, it's the one pictured above), body wash (Php 750), and eau de toilette (Php1695 for 60 mL and Php 1,095 for 30 mL). The Body Shop also offers White Musk Libertine sets, which are perfect gifts for girls who you know who are fans of the original iconic White Musk set.

Getting The Sculptured Brow From Nature Republic Eyebrow Pencil

2011-11-21T15:42:00.005+08:00

I love brows. It's a torture to do but it's the most important part of makeup, aside from base. Without brows, we look funny. They may be two little arcs sitting on top of your eyes but mind you, alter it a little it can change how you look almost instantly. That's why I always make the effort to make them look like they're in top condition by getting them shaped regularly and maintaining it on my own. There are brows that are pretty and perfect on its own and only take a few minutes to define while there are those that take 30 minutes to do. Whatever time it takes, I never leave brows for granted. That's why I invest on quality eyebrow makeup and equipment. If you see my makeup collection, I have different eyebrow pencils, powders, and gels for the perfect arches in face-flattering universal shades.

When I went to the launch of Nature Republic last week in SM Fairview, I saw that they priced their makeup pencils quite affordably, only around Php 170. So you guys could imagine what I hoarded at that shopping trip, knowing that it might take quite some time before I reach a Nature Republic Store.

I hoarded on the pencils, particularly the eyebrow pencils. While I was swatching the eyebrow pencils, I loved the consistency of the pencil. It wasn't too waxy or creamy, and it had the right hardness I want for my brows. The fact that it was automatic and never needed sharpening is another plus.

The tip is really fine, and if you put the pencil sideways, you'd notice the tip's quite flat, which makes it easier to mimic hairlike strokes when you do your brows. The shade above is #4, which is a light, ashy blonde-brown shade that's easy and wearable.

The other end of the pencil is a spoolie brush, which can be used to tame unruly hairs or brush the pencilled strokes so it looks more natural. I'll show you how to utilize the spoolie brush later. Now, let's do some swatching.

I purchased #3 and #4. The #3 shade is darker, something similar to MAC Spiked or Stud. this shade can be used for the end tail of the brows, if you want a longer-looking tail or a more defined brow. This technique applies in shows, photoshoots, or if you want a look with a nice brow focus, a look I'll demonstrate in this entry. Anyway, I really like #4, and it's a shade I really recommend, especially for first-time buyers.

Don't you hate it when you have perfectly defined brows in the morning then as the day goes on, the tail end starts wearing off? Well let's see how this one goes.

I tried to swipe my hand on the swatches a few times and this is what I got:

When I rubbed my thumb on the swatch like crazy like it's going to reveal the winning combination of a lottery ticket, this is what I got:

So far, with the rubs and swipes, there still are marks left. the back of my hand may be red but the swatches are sorta there. So we won't be left with a brow cut short at the end of the day. But just to be safe, especially if you're the type who's fidgety and sweaty, set the pencil with a matching matte brow powder. Nature Republic has a duo also for you.

So now, how to work the pencils? Let me present the Sculptured Brow featuring Nature Republic Brow Pencils.

First of all, the usual. Wash your face, apply your base, and set. Before the rest of the makeup and the world ends, brows first, since that's our focus. Some people like starting lips first or eye makeup before brows, but since our topic today is brows, I start with brows. Make sure that the brows are nicely groomed because this won't be as pretty if there are strays and funny hairs.

Step 1:

Apply shade #4 on the brow. Apply using "flicking" strokes like you're mimicking the hairs of the brow. Or you can just fill-in (but not totally color in) like I did below, but don't color like a grade 1 student on too much candy. Less is more. You can always go back and add more later.

Step 2:

Using the spoolie brush attached to the pencil, brush the strokes so the lines blend in more naturally and the brow looks more, well, defined. If you prefer using a separate angled brow brush instead of the spoolie, you are free to do so. The spoolie comes in handy if you're defining brows on-the-go.

Step 3:

Using #3, which is the darker shade, define the tail end of the brows like I did. You can use this to extend the tail to make your brows look like it has a tail. This works well in a shoot or a show when you need to show the audience or the world that you have brows even when they're seated at the far end of the balcony. Again, so it doesn't look "marked-on" like the picture does, blend with a spoolie. Just like eyeshadow, we need like a gradation of colors so it looks pretty and natural, just like contours of the face, we contour the brow.

Final Touches:

It depends on the person and the situation. If you did this look on the go, leave it at that. You can highlight the top part or bottom of the brow for a lift or add a bit of shading for a 3D effect. Soften the look with brow gel in a blond or light shade (this look is really pretty especially if you have highlights). If you want and you want more lasting power, you can top the pencil with matte brow powder in a matching shade. This also cleans up the edges so the brow looks sharper. What do I do? I do all three! Then the rest of my makeup follows.

For first-timers, I recommend just doing a few strokes first, brush, and add on as you go. It's easier to add makeup than apply a lot and remove. When you get the hang of it, you see why I'm obsessed at brows. A pretty, well-groomed, and strong brow can make you look confident, put-together, and emphasize your overall look too.

Product Review: Avon Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner

2011-11-17T13:23:00.002+08:00

I know a handful of female friends who will cry, die, or go into a state of distress without eyeliner. Whether it be gel, pencil, or liquid, it seems to be a makeup must-have. It's easy and quick to apply and it doesn't require much tools - just a steady hand, depending on the formula you choose.

In my case, eyeliners of every shape and formula have made its way both in my work and home makeup cases. As the Mexican telenovela actress Thalia wrote in her book, "nothing makes the eye pop like eyeliner". Between whipping out primer, shadow, and brushes versus a pencil of smudge-proof eyeliner, I'd pick the latter when I have only a few minutes before I head out the door. Pencil eyeliners are great if I want just definition and to make my eyes look more, well alive in photos. If I want the screen siren look like Angelina Jolie's cat eyes on the red carpet, then it'so onto the gel or liquid liners I go.

Liquid liner creates a very intense defined eye, but I admit, it takes some skill to master a perfect line. It took me quite a while to finally "adjust" to working with it (I salute those girls who could apply it on the eye on a moving vehicle or with low light). Kevyn Aucoin even finished an entire bottle of it. But just like in dance, it's like a warm-up - it's something that I need to master. Think of it as challenge na lang.

Avon sent me their Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner to try. So far, within weeks of using it, I found myself using this quite often. Not only is it tiny enough to fit a teensy kikay kit, it's pretty easy to use as well.

It's a fairly tiny bottle containing only 2.5 mL of the product. I like that it contains only little amount. If you use this quite often, you'll use up most of the products before it even dries up. Yay! It's such a steal too at Php250, if you're don't want to spend too much on a little bottle of eye makeup.

Big horray on the applicator tip: it's pen-type! The usual brush-tip liners somehow get me oh-so fidgety. This one gives me better control.

This intense liquid color is said to glide over lids without smudging or fading. The one I have with me right now is named Shimmering Black. As you can see in the swatch, it looks black on camera, obviously since it's black. Looking closely though, there are some shimmery particles. It's not exactly like chunks of glitter but they're super fine, the swatch comes out as almost a gunmetal gray mixed with black. In fact, if you swipe your finger while it's still kind of wet and not set yet, you'd see some silvery shimmer particles too.

Like any liquid liner, yes, you have to wait for a bit to let it dry completely. Otherwise, that precise definition will turn into an utter mess. So do wait for it to dry completely. It does dry quite fast once applied, and the line doesn't look like an embossed line or crust, but more drawn once it sets in. you see the sparkle more when it dries too.

The color doesn't smudge or fade. I'm actually rubbing my thumb on the (completely dried) swatch and the line won't come off or budge. Yay! So this one can last from morning coffee to after-work dinner. With regards to waterproof ability, I put my hand on running water and the swatch came out completely with quick rubbing, as if no makeup was placed on my hand ever. Does that mean that since it's not waterproof it's not good? No. We can use makeup that's not waterproof during the days when we don't need waterproofing our makeup, say if it's just an ordinary day at the mall or if we're seeing friends. Our eyes need rest from waterproof makeup once in a while (imagine going through the hassle of removing waterproof makeup everyday). The effect on its own is super pretty!

In the line of work, I'd use this for photoshoots where makeup can be removed right after and it's pretty much okay. Personally, I'd use this more as part of my personal stash, when I need to take a breather from waterproof makeup.

Smoky Eyes This 2011 Holiday From The Body Shop

2011-11-16T22:07:00.005+08:00

Saturday was a busy day for me. I started my day 5 am since I had to do a wedding (which I'll blog about soon). Then, I trooped over to QC for an appointment and back to ortigas, at SM Megamall to be exact to bond with one of the brands that I consider my "coming of age brands", a brand I stuck to from teenage years to adulthood. I'm talking about The Body Shop.

The Body Shop's makeup collection is all about smoke and sparkle, which means smoky eyes, glossy lips, and sparkle. Remember, come December there's gonna be a lot of Christmas parties, events, and it's definitely a must to look good.

I was given a makeover by The Body Shop makeup artist, Roma. She was really nice and had a very light hand with applying makeup. We tried out this season's palette, the 4-Step Smoky Eyes Palette. She even made me choose if I wanted to try the Silver Black palette or the Golden Brown one, I opted for warm smoky eyes so golden brown. She agreed and in fact had that same idea in mind.

Here's Roma's super awesome makeup station that I wanna take home with me.

For foundation, she used The Body Shops' Extra Virgin Minerals for foundation. She had to use the darkest shade mixed with a little drip of medium foundation on me. My my my, someone's been tanning but she got it right. I love that it didn't feel sticky or heavy at all, and it complied with my lack-of-sleep skin making me look supermodel fresh.

And speaking of supermodel, here's how the palette looks like for the supermodel smoky eyes.

It's so pretty! On its own, it looks like a gift waiting for you.

The 4-Step Smoky Eyes palette contains four colors - 3 powder colors and one sparkly cream-to-powder highlighter. It even has a mini applicator brush and pencil since smoky eyes aren't complete without eyeliner.

At the back there's a mini-lesson for you, in case you don't know what to do. When you familiarize yourself with the palette, you may create your own modification and adaptation of the smoky eye.

Swatches!

#1 is warm white base color, which can be applied from lashline to browbone if you want just a sweep of color on lazy office days.

#2 is a dark brown shadow, which can be used to contour the eyes to give depth.

#3 is a chocolate brown shadow, which can be used to further add depth or to define the lower lid or set the eyeliner so it doesn't run.

#4 is a rich brown eye liner (or definer) to be used to tightline and define eyes.

Do you notice that this palette has no presence of black whatsoever? Although black may be omnipresent in smoky eyes, can it be possible to have a purely brown smoky eye?

It looks like it! Roma gave me a warm brown smoky eye that I can take from an afternoon photoshoot to an evening event, depending on how I want it. The look is very wearable. A bride can wear it, a maid of honor can wear it, and well, anyone can wear it in any occasion. I like that the colors are so neutral but they're not so harsh or anything. Yet, my eyes still popped out. What Roma did with the cream-to-powder highlighter was use it as a topper color on my lid, so there's sparkle. It can be used for the browbone too, if you want it to pop.

Just as an ender to smoky eyes are subtle contours and peach glossy lips. The hi-shine lip treatment in coral was topped on a natural peach lip color so all blends in.

With regards to my brows, I was actually surprised that I could carry a darker brown shade than my usual. I like! Another discovery.

The 4-Step Smoky Eyes palette costs Php 1,495. The palette used on me is the Golden Brown Palette, but there's also the Silver and Black palette, which is stronger and more on the cooler side of the spectrum.

Nature Republic Opens at SM Fairview

2011-11-13T23:22:00.008+08:00

Last Friday, I went for the first time in my life at SM Fairview to witness the unveiling the third store of Nature Republic, a Korean skin care and makeup brand, here in the Philippines. This is definitely exciting for me since it's the first time I'm going to encounter this brand. I'm always on the lookout for good skin care and makeup brands that are quite affordable and suitable for our climate and also suitable for Asian skin.

Nature Republic's color palette speaks for itself. The fresh green and white colors of the store plus immaculately clean white light setting makes me feel like I stepped inside a forest or woodland lit by Mother Nature herself.

The makeup line had the staple materials for the trademark Korean cat-eye looks we see in K-pop stars. First up were the lip products for shiny, plump lips.

The colors were sheer and even the brights looked like a candy ice pop stain on the lips. But they were pretty nevertheless.

The Passion & Rose lipstick is a pretty rose-scented lipstick with its tip shaped like a rosebud waiting to bloom. It's pretty affordable too at Php665

Lipliners were a steal at Php170. They're retractable (meaning no sharpening) and glide on our kissers without scratching them. They even come with a built-in brush so we could blend it in like lipsticks. From the swatches, I like #5, which is a neutral pink my-lips-but-better-and-brighter look. I used this on the fashion show I did a while ago and no model complained about that annoying scratch a dull pencil gives. The color payoff was bright but still natural and they didn't look like they needed blood transfusion any moment now. How much does this cost? Php170. For someone who's scared to plunk big money for a pencil, It was a smile for me.

Eyes weren't neglected by their ranges of eyeliner, mascara, and lipsticks. I have yet to try the eyeliner but seeing the affordability and how easy it was to use the eyebrow pencils, I ended up hoarding some.

For those who love mask sheets, Nature Republic has them in almost every... uhm... flavor/scent.

But if you're confused on what to buy, they do some sorta personal shopping for you by picking out their bestselling products. The bestselling product is the Soothing and Moisture Gel (Php220), which is a quick-absorbing moisturizer that's perfect for hot climates. It could be used as a hair moisturizer too or as a cooling relief to sunburnt skin.

I did mention that this SM Fairview store is the third store here in the Philippines. The two other branches are in SM North and also at Festival Supermall in Alabang. There are plans to open more branches in central areas as well.

Congratulations Nature Republic on your new store!

Suesh Vanity Starter Set Giveaway!

2011-11-13T22:27:00.005+08:00

Once upon a time, I went to makeup school. Just like attending school, I needed supplies. I was introduced to Suesh, a makeup store that first made raves online by selling affordable makeup supplies fit for a pro. Suesh has makeup brush sets, individual brushes, tool belts, makeup cases, and various tools a makeup artist needs at a fraction of what branded ones cost. What's so cool too with them is that their products are of superior quality. Some of my makeup artist friends who started out with Suesh still use their Suesh brush sets. On a personal note, my pink Suesh toolbelt has been a trademark part of my uniform as well as a perfect conversation piece. Whenever I put on my toolbelt, my clients are always like, "How cute! It's pink!" I've bonded with my toolbelt in many shoots, gigs, shows, and weddings. I've purchased Suesh brushes and equipment too.

For Suesh lovers and patronizers out there, I have good news! Suesh is giving away three Vanity Starter Sets for my loyal readers and their customers. Now what is this Vanity Starter Set? The Vanity Starter set contains the following:

Color Palettes

Suesh 7-piece brush set.

Suesh brushes are really super soft and durable, almost comparable with luxury brands.

Lastly, I'm sure your eyes would pop for the last item of the set. It's the Suesh Portable 3-way LED lighted mirror. Makeup is done better when there's white light, and with this giving you ample supply, You'll be able to see clearly when applying makeup in places where natural, bright, white light is unavailable, say a hotel room or a bar (if it's a gig). Did your jaw just drop open? Mine sure did!

Now how do you get to win this? I decided to make it a bit more fun and creative. To join my contest, all you have to do is:

Like the Suesh Facebook Fan Page and the Makeupbybambi Fan Page.
Post a photo of yourself with the Suesh item/Suesh Item that you're currently using on Suesh's wall. It could be a picture of you with your Suesh brush set in a wedding gig or you carrying your Suesh malette in six-inch heels. It's up to you! Fpr example, I took a picture of me wearing my Suesh toolbelt on the pole.

Tag Makeupbybambi and Suesh on the photo (this is for our tracking purposes)
On the description part of the photo, enumerate/list/identify the Suesh items they have on the picture and state why they love to visit Suesh and why they want to have a Suesh Vanity Starter Set.

Since there are three sets to be given away, the winners would be chosen based on the following:

Most Creative Picture
Best Description
Most Number of Facebook "likes" (you know what to do in this part!)

This contest would run for two weeks (only one entry per contestant). Winners will be announced in this blog and the Suesh and Makeupbybambi Facebook pages. By the way, the contest is available for our Philippine readers.

So let's take those pictures out girls! Good luck!

My Barbie Costume in Detail

2011-11-09T17:23:00.004+08:00

So for those who want to know in detail how I put together my Exercise Barbie costume, here's how:

This Exercise Barbie can Gemini yes? :P

outfit:

Top: Forever 21

Shorts: Sassa Swimwear

Shoes: Fila

Headband and Socks: Landmark

As you can see, the original Exercise Barbie is in a full bodysuit. Obviously, I can't pole in a full bodysuit since I need my skin to grip the pole so I thought of a pole fitness adaptation but it had to be still close to the original. Thankfully, I had aquamarine blue pole shorts and sports top so I didn't have to spend much. And one of the two sneakers I owned was a happy lilac color, which sorta matched my gear. In place of leg warmers, I wore rainbow socks. I wasn't able to find a sky blue headband so I used white instead. safe. :)

For the makeup, knowing that I'll be pole-ling, I made sure that's makeup to last from warm up till cool-down. I used pastel pinks for my eyes and cheeks and finished off with cat eye style liner (using the Barbie gel liner from Stila, and I'm so glad they're still with me) and brown mascara since I had to take note that I'm blonde. Taking that into consideration, I made sure my brows were also matching to my hair so I used MUFE eyebrow corrector in 0 topped with MAC Charcoal brown on the ends and used MAC Brow Set in Sophisticated to groom my brows in place. I know Sophisticated has been phased out worldwide, so I think Girl Boy would be a good substitute in case you want to recreate this or Shu Uemura Eyebrow Manicure.

You all know that I've got dark hair by nature so how did I get to be blonde like Barbie? I didn't dye my hair but used colored hairspray! First, I styled my hair in a curly high ponytail like Barbie. Then, I sprayed my hair thoroughly first with silver spray and then misted blonde spray all over. I got the idea from a photoshoot I did weeks before. Since I got really long hair, I finished off an entire spray bottle. Hahahaha. Don't worry, it washes off easily with shampoo. I'm back to dark hair now, but I had to subject my hair to deep conditioning treatment since products can dry my hair.

Barbie isn't Barbie without bright pink lips. So I used two of my favorite MAC bright pink lipsticks: Candy Yum Yum and Hollywood Nights for an in-your-face pink and topped it with Superglass for high-shine. Come on, Exercise Barbie is an 80's Barbie so she shouldn't be afraid of color. Since My my hair is pulled back, I wouldn't have to worry about my face having gloss all over.

Like I said, Barbie is my favorite doll ever! So this look was done for love. And with that, it combined with my favorite sport too. Can I not be happier? :)

Happy Pole Halloween and My Exercise Barbie Look for Halloween Lookbook

2011-11-08T12:58:00.008+08:00

When pole and Halloween collide, my smile tends to be from ear-to-ear. As I've said, I love Halloween, and since our teachers announced a Halloween pole class day last week, I was super game to come in full gear. In fact, I couldn't even decide what to wear as I had so many stuff and ideas already.

Our teachers went as the Spice Girls! I love the Spice Girls and they're just the cutest. We danced to songs by the Spice Girls today from warm up to cool down to choreo. Viva Forever! Just a trivia, I also had Spice Girls dolls.

Anyway, I decided to come as my favorite toy ever - BARBIE! But what Barbie right as there's so many Barbie variations! I went as Exercise Barbie, since I'll be pole-ling and it was an outfit I could dance, flip, and twirl to.

I researched on workout Barbie pictures and found this darling. And she belongs to the 80's Barbie series, which is my generation. I'm not a Barbie hater and I never will be. When I was a kid, I thought Barbie was the coolest girl ever. She can be a teacher, a pilot, an astronaut, a doctor, a dancer, a rockstar, and so on. Plus her perpetual smile on her face made me stop crying whenever I'm being bullied so all I had to do was open my box of Barbie dolls and play and all would be okay. I want to be the awesome and multitasking pretty girl that she is! The abs are a bonus.

What I wore is a pole adaptation of the original Exercise Barbie costume, which had her in blue leotards, leg warmers, and sneakers. I curled my hair, put it in a high ponytail, donned bright aqua blue top and shorts to match, put sneakers on (I had socks instead of leg warmers since I need my leg skin as grip), and had a headband. The costume was dual-purpose pa. :) For the blonde hair, since I'm not blonde, I sprayed my hair with spray-on temporary hair color, which washes out with shampoo. For makeup, Barbie's tradmark pretty pink makeup down to the hot pink lips (MAC Hollywood Nights + Candy Yum Yum).

My classmates were un-kabogable as well, of course! I did makeup for my classmates too so we're all pretty in our costumes.

Our baby girl Eti came dressed as a fairy.

Grace is a soldier, but a malanding soldier. Only Col. Grace will go to war in smoky eyes, glitter, and false lashes.

Our supergirl Cheriza was very much like Chun Li. :)

We learned doubles today. It's much harder than we thought because we had to be the same speed as our partner as well as each other. But we loved dancing to the song. Kayleen did an awesome job with the choreo!

We all came in costume so we got treats! Yay!

I won best costume! Being my favorite doll and dancing to the Spice Girls got me so energized too!

Till the next Halloween. I guess you're never too old to play dress up, says me the perpetual seven-year-old.

Halloween Lookbook #2: Cheetara

2011-11-03T13:56:00.003+08:00

Another Halloween look! I must say I got the hang of it. This happened quite accidentally since I was watching my childhood cartoons. As I was watching Thundercats, I saw Cheetara (the sole female Thundercat) and a light bulb effect came to me - Cheetara look! I'm quite torn between that and a look that I want for me for pole class later so to save and fulfill my Cheetara cravingness, I gave in and created a Cheetara look after I practiced my look for today.

Originally, Cheetara looks like this:

[image credits]

blonde spotted hair, red eye makeup like a mask and of course, the iconic Thundercats bodysuit. My Cheetara adaptation had the red makeup (even her blue eyeshadow) but due to the lack of spots on the hair, I did a different version, making it mine.

Red makeup check! Red lippie check! Big hair check! Blonde color check! Spots... check! So the spots were above my brows. Doing the eye makeup's fun since I had to take note of the shape and make sure I look like a cat instead of a spider or a girl in a mask, because I want to use makeup and not a mask.

I practiced spraying my hair blonde beforehand so my hair was stiff enough to be teased so it was pretty easy to get it that big. A crimper beforehand also produces the nicer rar results. I used MAC cream color base for the red makeup and topped it with matte red eyeshadows. I didn't bother defining brows as cats don't have brows anyway. For the eye makeup, I didn't just dab on bright blue. I sorta winged the eye twice so I really look like a cat. This was a makeup look that required detail on shape.

If I'd want to wear that in a party, I've heard that Kryolan or MUFE cream colors can be used since those are the once that are really made for stage performances and won't crack or slide when you sweat or when the paint dries unlike kiddie face paint. For the spots, I used dark brown gel eyeliner. I used my bangle as a guide on how cheetah prints look like.

Ya huh! I'm blonde! That's just a spray. It washes off easily with shampoo. :)

Halloween Lookbook #1: Kimber from Jem and The Holograms

2011-11-02T14:46:00.003+08:00

Happy Halloween beautifuls! Halloween has got to be my ever-so favorite holiday. In fact, it tops Christmas in my list. Why? Well, it's the only day of the year where it's perfectly okay to play dress-up and be your crazy self wherever.

Even though the long break is over, I still keep my Halloween fun spirit by playing dress-up. For my Halloween Lookbook, I donned a red wig and did 80's style punk makeup and did a mish-mash version of one of the characters from my favorite cartoon series, Jem and The Holograms, and as a refresher, here's a video of the intro:

For those who don't know Jem and The Holograms, it's a cartoon from the 1980's about an all-girl rock band group called Jem and The Holograms. Jem is the lead singer and she's got her iconic pink hair and hot pink earrings, that hold secret to her true identity - she's actually Jerrica Benton, owner of Starlight Music and Jem is her alter-ego. The girl I portrayed is Kimber, Jerrica's younger sister, the one with bright red hair.

[image credits]

I'm glad there are photos and videos online of her so I was able to study her look closely and transform the cartoon look into 3d, person-version.

I made it me by using a red bob wig (as also, that's what I have in handy), adding eyeliner, and donning a black blazer instead of white. I guess that's how Kimber looks now twenty years later: new chic style, but the punk girl remains - pink eyeshadow and blue eyebrows and all.

Yes, Kimber's got bright blue brows! And I did too! I used bright blue non-smudgy pencil and topped it with bright blue matte shadow. The shadow shape was done with MAC chromagraphic pencil NC30 to "map" out the shape before filling it in with Fresco Rose Paint Pot then topping that with bright pink eyeshadow. Alternatively, You can use white or any flesh-colored lip or eye pencil to draw it as chromagraphic pencils only come as limited edition pieces but I suggest not to skip the paint pot, as that makes the shadow color melt- and crease-proof. I used a mixture of purple and black to contour the crease and line the eye so it pops out so my eyes don't look washed out. I skipped falsies as I did this almost midnight and I was too tired for the extra step.

The lips and cheeks were easiest. I lined my lips with candy pink lip liner and topped it with MAC lipstick in All Styled Up and Dazzleglass for glittery lips (she's a rockstar, so it's okay to be outrageous, besides, wasn't it Jem who sang "Truly Outrageous, Fashion, and Fame, when you're a Jem girl you're never the same"?). The blush is definitely hot pink or a sweet raspberry color applied at an angle just like how they used to do it in the 80's, but since it's 2010, I made it more blended, in case you still want to look pretty after-party.

If you're wearing this to a Halloween party and you want to move to an after-party place, all you have to do is shake off the wig and let the hair down. Since it's Halloween, you can rock the punk makeup. To stuff my hair in the wig, I braid it into pigtails and weave it and strategically place and pin it on my head so it's flat so my hair doesn't bunch up. I don't have a head stocking here though, but it's better so the hair's hammered down and no dark hair shows through the bright red.

Bright Colors at the MAC Counter

2011-10-26T10:05:00.004+08:00

Fall colors are usually known to be either warm and rich like pumpkin pie and cinnamon toast or subdued and muted. MAC's Fall Colors, Wild Color is like an oxymoronic mix of spring during the fall - with a bang

"A wild, whimsical, & wonderful palette. Stars Small Eye Shadows, Pigment, MAC Artist Favorite Chromagraphic Pencil, and Lipstick."

I visited Avy on counter since she was guesting for the week and she showed me the bright and pretty lipsticks and pigments, some are from the collection, which she knows I'll like and some are from other collections too, that she'll know I like. As I held out my hand, she swatched several lippies and pigments in bright colors that say "Hello! I'm here!"

Avy swatched two matte pigments from the collection. The bright peachy orange one is Neo-Orange and the pink one is Magenta Madness. They're both matte powders. Matte powders can be used as eyeshadow or mixed with lipgloss for a sheer lip color. I remember the MAC powders were used in the America's Next Top Model photoshoot where powders were splashed on artistically on the model's face like this one shown:

[image credits]

Anyway, there's also a frosty green-gold color that's called Golden Olive (shown at the right, below), which can be used as an eyeshadow, tearduct highlight, or a fresh break of color from a very deep smoky eye. The pigment jar next to Golden Olive is Tan, I think, and this is part of the Midnight Blue Collection, which is also one of the fall collections of MAC.

The lipsticks aren't going to be subdued and I mean they are pops of color that's like colorful candy. Actually, lipsticks to me are like candy or snow ice to my toddler self.

The nude one is Fleshpot and the violet one is Violetta (if the color name is familiar, this was part of the Venomous Villains collection last year, hence a relaunch) and these are part of the Midnight Blue Collection. The Wild Color collection ones here are Show Orchid and Fusion Pink, which are two bright pinks but are both different since they're in opposite ends of the color spectrum. Show Orchid (another relaunch from the MAC Riveting collection last year) is a vivid hot pink that's got a cool bluish undertone. Fusion Pink is more of a bright corally pink, so it's warmer. Mentionables too in this collection but pictures I haven't taken are Neo-Orange (A bright and clean orange similar to Morange) and the famous bright in-your-face red lippie that's seen a million miles away - Ruby Woo.

Aside from the lipsticks and pigments, you guys should also check out the chromagraphic pencils which can be used on the eyes or lips, depending on how you want it. Eyeshadows are also super bright and pretty, and since I've been a MAC eyeshadow user for years, I can attest that this is just so awesome!!!!

Wearing bright colors can be fun. The easiest foolproof way is to use it on the lips and the rest would be effortless. For pretty eyes, it's nice to keep the lips simple though, but there can be a rulebreaker look that's also pretty. Just don't go overload with color pops so as not to look like a clown, like in the promo photo. It looks pretty on picture, funny on real life.

Creamy and Sweet Energy in A Bottle With Enercal

2011-10-24T21:44:00.003+08:00

So a few weeks ago, I got invited to the launch of Enercal Plus, an adult nutritional supplement that fuels our body with the right stuff. When I asked if this was one of those energy-spiked drinks which turn me to sluggish then to hyper in a millisecond then crashes my system, I was told it was like those health milk drinks we drink.

Actually, when I got to the event, I felt like the event kind

a called to me. First of all, we were asked to answer a quiz form in an iPad, which asks us our current lifestyle - how much we exercise, how we usually feel, how much sleep we get, and so on. I was enthusiastic to answer it anyway, since as you all know, I exercise a lot and I have a relatively healthy diet. I did, however cringe on the junk food intake and how much meals I eat. Why? Because junk food is my comfort food and I eat 5 meals a day. Not five tiny meals, five big meals fit for truckers. Yes, that's me. I guess part of the reason why I get to eat junk food some time is probably I'm so much exposed to it, living in a fast-paced environment. Sometimes, I come home really tired from a shoot and instead of cooking a healthy meal, I tend to call a food delivery hotline. It's unavoidable too, to get stressed for one reason or another be it traffic, heavy workload, or stuff like that. Sleeping late is also one of my sins, having being guilty of sleeping late actually the night before. Not that I party a lot (in fact, I don't and I prefer spending my Friday nights watching Spongebob or Fairly Oddparents than staying up late in a club).

As soon as we were served our lunch, the program started, and who better to host the event by another sports and fitness enthusiast than Boom Gonzales.

Boom introduced too, three plus achievers. If supermen and superwomen did exist, it would be in the form of these three celebrities who have ever so busy schedules but manage to pull everything off

Paolo Bediones, Angel Aquino, and Jett Pangan are no strangers to everyone in the audience. Paolo is a reality TV host/broadcast journalist/businessman who performs in a band and supervises his soccer team. Angel Aquino is a top model/tv host/actress/mom. Jett Pangan is a singer/rock icon who now dabbles his acting chops in musical theater (and he rocks at it too) and hosts MYX Live. These three celebrities are what I call "slashers" - meaning their occupations have slashes - they do not just have one role. Yet despite their very busy schedules, they manage to stay on top and look their best (Avy and I kept wow-ing on Angel's makeup).

After the celebrities shared their experiences and how they cope and compensate with their lifestyles, Dr. Oyie Balburias, Medical Director of Medical City explains the mechanism of the body when it's on stress, its side effects, and how it will take a toll in the body in the long run. He also showed results from the survey taken that

same afternoon, as well as proper lifestyle aspects. I did find out that day that:

8-10 hours of sleep has a reason. The body needs to rest and regenerate. At a certain time in that period, the organs also do its own repair (looks at my strained wrist: I better zonk out!)
Water is important! I think this is self-explanatory and I think being confined once for dehydration already should teach me a lesson
Protein first before carbs in the food pyramid.
Never miss meals, and have regular meal times

oops!

With everything "instant" being unavoidable, though, we need an extra help for filling in the nutrients lacking that we get from food nowadays. Enercal made it easy since it's a complete source of essential nutrients that we need. Enercal Plus is a powdered drink that can be taken in the morning to give our body an extra boost. I usually use a 4 scoop : 200 mL of warm water during the morning, since my body takes in dairy better in the morning, for some reason. It's pretty yummy too. The creamy vanilla taste reminds me of White Rabbit candy (the white one with the edible clear wrapper).

Another thing I did too with my Enercal Plus was that I used it with my cereal since I didn't have milk. Well, whaddya know, it worked! :)

New Plueys for 2011 + Cute Bowed Booties!

2011-10-16T22:02:00.008+08:00

For quite some time, Plueys have been every girl's life and poise-saver, making even the stormiest of all stormy days happy and dry so we've been trooping from one place to another in pretty and quirky rainboots while keeping our jeans and feet dry in a very pretty way. Makes me look forward actually to happy showers instead of cursing them to oblivion.

As you guys all know, I've been doing makeup for their lookbook for quite some time now, and it brings me a smile to my face whenever Esel would contact me and tell me that it's shoot time. Once she gives me a peg, I'm up to elbows researching and testing materials which I could use. Every year, our shoots get better and so much funner. This year, our shoot takes a very unexpected turn, and it actually challenged my and Mike's skills as a makeup artist and a photographer respectively. We did a photoshoot amidst rain and a blackout. That's right! With a project that's ever-so-dependent in light, we had to pull off a fab shoot even when there's a power interruption.

Since the shoot was located at a studio that's near my place, I offered to do some of the makeup here in the house before proceeding to the location. Esel and Erika did makeup in the house as Mike did product shots in the studio. When Erika and I got to the studio and set up, I was about to plug in my airbrush gun and blowdryer when the studio experienced power failure. We were able to make use of a few lights the makeup table had as well as a few lights. Still, instead of waiting, we proceded with the shoot with traditional makeup instead of airbrush and cold set and updos instead of heat style. Yes. I also did hair.

So what was the outcome? Check some of our photos out (credits in first photo):

Some people say that the show must go on. We say the shoot must go on, and make it rock. HARD!

The 2011 lookbook can be found here at the ReadyForRain Facebook page. You can also visit the Ready For Rain website to see past lookbooks and other products like the My Brolly umbrellas and suggestions on how to care for your boots. As you can see, Plueys have added a few more designs to fit anyone's fancy. There's Retro Pop, which shows gray need not be drab if it were peppered by cute lil polkadots. Erika (yep! That's my Erika! She modelled for Plueys this year, and I'm such a happy mommy ducky!) models Savanna rain boots, which are just so cute and rarr at the same time with cheetah prints adding an unexpected twist to pretty proper cuts and lines. Rainbows and stripes collide with Spade rain boots which give print-on-print a cute spin.

If you check the lookbook, notice how much of the looks are styled with the girls wearing pretty dresses and skirts showing that you can wear Plueys not just with jeans but with shorts, leggings, skirts, or dresses. I personally like wearing them with shorts and dresses, as you can see in some of my OOTDs.

Plueys also launches a new product: Booties! If you find boots too heavy, booties provide another alternative to keep the tootsies dry (Hey! It rhymes).

I think the bow's pretty cute. Booties are available both in black and nude color, with a different colored bow accent. They look so cute and pretty I can actually wear these pretties even on the sunniest on all sunny days instead of flats or sneakers. Remember how the sun is blasting our pores one moment then rains hard the next? Booties make sure we're protected when the rain part comes when we go out with the sun shining. And yes, you can wear this with shorts and dresses.

I chose to get Savanna this year, since I love animal prints. With cheetah prints, it expresses my love for kitties just like Catstooth did. :)

Cheetahs are kitties too! And looks like the kitty in the background is about to notice familiarity upon spotting the print. Don't worry, kitty, that's not made of real kitty fur but of floodwater-protecting rubber in a cute cheetah design.

So what's your Plueys choice for this year and how do you want to wear it? Whatever choice you have, the only key to look good is to put things you love together and are comfortable with and just rock it.

Gigs: Polecats At the 2nd Avenue Launch

2011-10-14T09:33:00.006+08:00

I was thrilled and honored to do makeup for my teachers, the Polecats again, this time in one of their performances. This time, 2nd Avenue invites the Polecats to perform for the launching of their latest series, "The Playboy Club." This is a wholesome event set for prominent media partners of 2nd Avenue and the audience was really excited to see what's in store for them.

I got to the venue (Palladium) at 6 pm and just in time, I was able to see them rehearse. I was given a peg beforehand and their costumes shown to me but it was great to see their number so I get a "feel" already of the look before my brushes, muscle memory, and brain start working. Just like an actor, I have to be in "character mode" doing the makeup.

X-stage properly set with sandbags: Check!

Makeup: Check! Makeup must-have is dark MSF (to contour), lip seal, MUFE Eyebrow corrector, MAC studiofix, and glittery eyeshadow. For their look, Myla told me that they wanted hot pink lips with smoky eyes.

Makeup artist and canvases (that's Kayleen) with me: Check!

I wanted a clear space to give them at least some privacy with their preps so we turned an available washroom's corner to a makeup corner.

Amaya goes first. Doing makeup on their shows is somewhat different from doing makeup on their photoshoots. They both need to be long-lasting since they'll be cooked under hot studio lights. Since they'll be dancing some numbers, makeup should really last long, so I used MAC paint pots to make their eye makeup hold, MAC fluidline, Fanny Serrano Two-Way Foundation (which I've tried and tested during the Stellar Summer Show. Did not fail AT ALL!) and Fix+ to set makeup while making it look natural and meld with the skin instead of it looking powdery. Since lighting is quite dim, I have to be stronger in application here than in photoshoot makeup, like deepen the contours, intensify the eyes, and exaggerate the lines a bit so they don't look all washed out. At the same time, it has still to look pretty instead of clownish.

Others are OC with eyes, others are OC with lines, I'm super OC with base makeup and contour. I want skin to look flawless and perfect.

By performance time, Polecats Amaya, Myla, Kayleen, and CD are already prepped up for their number.

I could hear a lot in the audience going "Wow!" and a lot were whipping out their cameras to take photos. I can't help but be happy and proud of my teachers - all four of them (Myla in beg1, Amaya in beg2, Kayleen in Beg 1 and Pole Mix and now CD in Intermediate 1). This is definitely pole dancing that takes away the sleazy and focuses more on the artistic and acrobatic.

Their super nice jades which made me do split exercises when I got home.

Special thanks too to Police Bennett and James for helping them out and being ever-so supportive. James took most of the photos you see here.

Thanks to the Polecats for letting me do your makeup for this event (you can read their post here)! Glad you girls loved it.

While at it, I'd like to plug their anniversary show, Polarity, which would be this Sunday, October 16 7:00 p.m. at the Philamlife Theater in UN Avenue Manila.

Visit Gen Studios Ortigas or contact 0917 701 POLE(7653) to buy tickets.

Forever 21 SM Megamall 3-day Sale

2011-10-12T12:01:00.004+08:00

Who loves Forever21? I sure do and I'm sure you do, or else you wouldn't be reading this post. Forever 21's flagship store at SM Megamall so hop on the MRT, get off at Ortigas station and be prepared for exciting sales, deals, and discounts!

If you're an SM Advantage Cardholder or BDO Rewards Cardholders, be sure to bring them as you're in for treats namely:

20% off on regular items (with a minimum spent of Php5,000) for the first day until 12:o0 noon when you present both Forever 21 Mastercard and SM Advantage card/BDO Rewards card.
Get 10% off on regular items for SM Advantage Card and BDO Rewards Card

Forever 21 Mastercard holders are entitled to the following:

10% off on regular items (with a minimum spent of Php 5,000) for the whole weekend with your Forever 21 Mastercard

*Get 5% rebate with a minimum spent of Php5,000 with your BDO credit card (Forever 21 Mastercard included in this promo)

R02 Beauty And Wellness Center Rescues My Hair Again

2011-10-10T21:33:00.005+08:00

One out of three friends I know are into group-buying sites. They rave about how they're able to find really great deals and advised me to check it out too. I keep shy on things like that, with the shopaholic tendecies I have, I might end up splurging on a lot of things. I did sign up, upon a friend's invitation one day, and promised to myself to use it on a really good buy.

It took me months after I signed up before I finally made my first purchase. Reason for this was most of the deals were located in places far from me, like QC or out-of-town. Second was that, I always think three times before making a purchase so I don't make any impulse buys. Anyway, let me tell you about my first Groupon purchase, which was something for my hair, which I always abuse. Hahahahaha. I saw a really great deal on my email for hair detox + oxy-jet therapy + head and back massage + haircut that was only Php 499 from the original Php 2,300 value it had. So I was like, go buy! Plus the location was super near my place and I have a lot of time this week so go (No typhoons okay? Heaven I call to you.).

As soon as I made my purchase, Groupon sent me a notification that I'll be sent a coupon via email. I got my coupon the day after, which I printed, before I decided what day to avail the deal. I thought of availing it today, on a Monday, where salons are usually empty as they usually get filled with clients on weekends. I called and set my appointment and as soon as 3:30 p.m. struck, I dashed out the door, fed the cat, and hopped on to Jupiter.

R02 Beauty and Wellness Center is a salon and spa located at Makati City. It's along Jupiter street right next to the entrance of Bel-Air 2 Village. I never really paid attention to it before to think I used to frequent that area especially whenever I have shoots at Mike's house. So when I called them and asked which side of Bel-Air they were and they told me they were near Bacolod Chicken Inasal, I knew the place already.

When I got there, I was welcomed by the friendly staff. I presented my coupon and I was asked to fill up a client information form. I was introduced to my therapist, Ian, who was really very detailed in explaining the treatment I'm about to receive. The hair detox is a treatment for the hair and scalp to return hair to its natural and healthy baseline state. The oxygen (or oxy-jet) treatment is for the scalp, and it's recommended for those with itchy scalp, dandruff, and falling hair. I told them that they could skip the haircut part as I'm currently growing my hair (I like keeping my hair long) and I already have someone who maintains my hair.

I was brought to the salon area at the second floor, which was filled with the relaxing scent of lavander. That alone (and the mood "spa" lighting) was enough to get me in a relaxed mood. First up, was to cleanse my hair so Ian shampooed my hair and towel-dried it. After gently detangling my hair, he applied the hair detox cream on my hair and scalp, section by section. During the process, he noticed one thing: FALLING HAIR! I was like eek! He asked me if I was stressed. I did have a lot of work influx the week though, and although I love working, it does beat me up physically. Hahahaha so I barely notice the stress part.

After the treatment was massaged through, my hair was wrapped in cellophane and I was told to relax (with a relaxing back massage I didn't complain) as the treatment started to work.

During the time my hair was immersed in hair detox solution, I had magazines to keep me company.

And tea of course. I love tea!

After that, my hair was rinsed and blotted dry. The oxy-jet part came next. The oxy-jet machine looks something I'd usually see in a lab rather than a spa, but I assure you it's nothing like torture, although it looks so scientific.

What happens when the machine is turned on is that the probe, which looks like a pen, sprays a solution directly on the scalp, like a cold mist. It's a 0.9% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) solution with chemicals, so it's not water. After that, my hair was blow-dried straight but not overly blow-dried that it's cooked all over again.

After my treatment, my hair started to look like it belonged to a human being rather than a wolf. Ian also gave me advice to keep my hair healthy and in check:

1. Avoid leaving the house with the hair wet, as wet hair attracts pollutants more, which damages the hair.

2. Dry hair before leaving the house. Blot with towel, then air-dry with a fan.

3. Use a wide-toothed comb on wet hair instead of a brush.

4. Load up conditioner on the ends rather than the roots.

With hair like this, I think I'd keep this for a moment and shampoo on Wednesday morning, as I was advised to let the treatment sink in. I didn't notice that when blow-dried straight, my hair comes up to my waist already. As the girls there said, "Hanggang Marilao Bulacan."

I also ought to try their spa services soon, like the bedrock massage, which currently is on promo. That maybe next week. I'm due for my healing massage this week, so I'm keeping my massages in moderation.

I love it that I got a really good deal. I really should keep those deals in check because there might be a good deal for me, that's a fraction of the price that it originally is.

Divine Inspiration

2011-10-10T11:35:00.006+08:00

October is Breast Cancer awareness month, and aside from donning a (virtual) pink ribbon, I decided to dedicate a post to one of my pole buddies, another Jill-of-all trades and probably one of the bravest and strongest women I ever knew.

Divine Viola is a doctor. That alone got my jaw dropping because I know surviving med school is no joke, but Divine seemed to still view life through rose-colored glasses, with no trace of fatigue on her face.

Aside from surviving med school, Divine has won a bigger battle, that is, her battle against breast cancer, probably the biggest battle in her life. You read that right, Divine is a breast cancer survivor. I’ll never forget what she told me. The reason she got to pole was she needed exercise for her bones to make her stronger because of her cancer. In March 2007, she palpated a lump on her left breast. It was then excised and the biopsy results showed it was malignant. Divine was diagnosed with stage 2A breast cancer. She went through everything – total mastectomy (she showed me her scar where her whole breast was taken out), chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal treatment. “It was scary,” she said. “I felt like I had a death sentence.”

Halfway through her chemotherapy, depression hit her. By that time, her immune system had already weakened due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Her activities were severely limited too. Watching women dance on TV made her envious. But instead of further sinking to depression, Divine made a promise to herself that she will start dancing and dancing when the time she gets well. She also had to deal with the anxiety over the possibility of recurrence. As time passed by, her anxiety lessened. She still undergoes yearly checkups to keep her health in check. As of the moment, Divine has been cancer-free for 4 years and 7 months. When people say that she is in remission, she tells them, “No, I am cured.”

At 47, Divine has the stamina, strength, and fierceness of a healthy woman half her age. and she rocks the sport of pole fitness. She has taken her love for dance and pole up a notch by being part-owner of Dance Station, a dance studio that offers classes in pole, hiphop, burlesque, and Latin aero. Her love for pole dancing is not just a hobby but a business as well.

Her positive outlook in life and success story in her career (she opened her clinic Skin Science Medical Aesthetic and Laser Center last summer) made me want to feature her in my blog, as she symbolizes the fierce, independent, beautiful, and strong woman that’s perfect to emulate. I've been wanting to feature her ever since she told me her story and I've been waiting until October for this post to be up. Read our Q&A and let’s all be inspired!

Divine at the opening of Skin Science Medical Aesthetic and Laser Center in a beautiful Ronaldo Arnaldo dress.

How long have you been pole dancing?

I started pole dancing in July 2010 but had to stop because some activities interfered. I finally took it seriously in November 2010. So, roughly 10 months.

What keeps you busy?

My work as a doctor takes up most of my time. But I try to live

a balanced life. I work, I exercise (pole, of course), I also man the the dance studio (i.e. Dance Station) whenever I have time. I also find time to cultivate my spirituality and have a social life.

with the girls of Dance Station

Is dermatology your first choice?

I initially wanted to become a neurologist. But when I was assigned at the Neurology Department, I realized I would not be able to handle the stress. I decided to pursue Dermatology. I am more on the aesthetic side although I also treat pathologic cases. I hate medical emergencies.

What gave you the strength to go through the obstacles?

I have always been a fighter. My family, friends, pastors and most especially my faith in God (that I will be healed) kept me going.

Divine loves pole dancing so much no one stopped her, not even a guy from doing what she loves.

Why did you choose dance as a hobby and now a business?

I have always loved dancing. And although I do not have a dancing background, I would always join dance performances when I was still a student. Since I love pole dancing, when the offer to become a partner in a dance studio was given to me, I did not have second thoughts. Now, it is not just a hobby but a business as well.

What makes you look younger than your age?

I avoid too much sun exposure ( I use sunblock daily), eat a nutritious diet ( no junk/fatty foods), get enough sleep, exercise 3x a week, and drink lots of water. I do not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages.

It is also important that I love my work because I do not feel like working at all. I also find time to relax. I try to maintain a positive outlook in life. I see the glass as half-full.

What is your favorite pole trick?

i like doing the inverted crucifix, eye opener and aerial superman.

If you were to choose between your passion and a man, which would you choose?

That already happened. I had to choose my passion over someone who did not like me doing pole dancing. I do not like to be put in a cage.

What is the best beauty advice that you got and from whom?

It was from my beautiful aunt who I admire a lot because she has aged gracefully. She told me to stay out of the sun as much as possible.

What can we find in your make-up kit?

Sunblock, mascara, red lipstick and mild-scented perfume.

10 years from now, do you still see yourself dancing?

Absolutely!

Divine is a breast cancer survivor, and she rocks her life like anything - success, beauty, passion and she shows us that she can hurdle any trial and come out from it smiling, and you can too!

Ticker List Before 30: Yay! Almost there!

2011-10-06T10:36:00.007+08:00

I'll be 30 in a few months! Am I dreading it? Actually, no. I'm looking forward to it as another year and a milestone in my life, just like kids look forward to their birthdays every year. In fact, I told everyone I stopped counting the age at 7, and look at age as a number.

Normally, we all have our ticker list before 30. As for me, I'll look back at these years and see what I've done thus far, counting the blessings that I did. Don't expect though that it's like "made my first million" or like "become CEO of company ABC" or something, because obviously, that's not my line of work.

Found what I loved to do and rocked at it

I think for me that's the most important thing. I found what I want to do for a living already, stuck to it, and survived. It's not easy though, and I think most of the people who are in my line of work agree that getting to be a makeup artist is a tough job. The thought though of waking up every morning and looking forward to going to work, whatever it may be is more than millions to me. It's working while having fun because I like what I do, and I'm glad I'm here and newsflash, I'm staying here in the makeup industry like I'm superglued to it until the day I die.

Turned pesco-vegetarian

It's something that I always had potential to, since I really like vegetables more than meat. I find myself sluggish and bottom-heavy everytime I binge on meat, but veggies somehow give me a cleaner feeling inside. What I can't give up though is seafood and sushi, that I eat still. I feel so much lighter and cleaner. I bet mother nature thanks me for it.

Took care of my skin

Would you believe I still get mistaken to be in my early 20's? Thankfully, I was introduced to skin care techniques and products specific for my skin type. I got educated as well on the need to have SPF. It's not just a bottle of greasy stuff... it protects you from the sun and ageing.

As you all know, I'm a faithful Olay user and I use Olay on my face and when it's pole-free days, I use Olay body wash or Olay body bar on myself. On days that I go out though, this baby is on my face and neck:

This is Olay Regenerist Superstructure cream, which even is highly potent in anti-ageing benefits plus SPF 30 (normal SPFs are like just 15, this one is practically like heavy-duty sport sunblocks), it goes on light as milk on my skin and doesn't interfere with my makeup. I do what Kris does sometimes, and use this on my body at night too. :P

Gotten married and moved out of my parent's house

One sign that I'm a grownup already! Self-explained.

Whipped myself in better shape by going to a class

I'm getting mad muscle tone and I'm doing this the natural way - no steroids or protein enhancers. It's been eight months since my first pole session and we're having our evaluations later. But regardless what level I'm in, I'm happy at my accomplishments.

I did my Gemini already and it's becoming my favorite trick

The jade is like an inverted split. With regards to my splits, they're getting better, and it looks like I'll be able to do two full splits before June 2012.

Handstand butterfly, the latest trick taught to us in class.

By the way, it was only through pole that I got amazing abs and strength in less than a year. My bruises and muscles don't get me to model anymore as I'm no longer flawless but I wouldn't have it any other way. I think I belong here more and prefer working backstage in the fashion industry.

Went International

Well, sort of. One of my fun shoots shot to international level when several of the photos landed at the online version of Vogue Italia.

I have an amazing team to thank for.

Seen and fell in love with Singapore

When everyone I know wanted to move to Singapore I was intrigued about the fuss Singapore had. When I got there, I didn't want to go back home. It's just too beautiful, too clean, and too organized. The food is amazing, and it's my type of city definitely. I'm more of a metro than suburbs girl. The suburbs bore me and I prefer being surrounded by buildings and taking MRTs rather than bore myself to death with clean air and birds chirping. It's like a big mall with trains and zero crime rate. And, I can pole in here too.

I'll be adding to this list as I go along, but here are a few goals I would like done, still got more than half a year to go:

Have another billboard done
Learn more vegetarian dishes
Polish my music skills and hopefully upload more music covers
Get a pole of my own so I can practice pole at home
Do another show
Do a TVC
Study hair
Travel more
Visit Europe (this I'll extend my goal to hmm... say 40)
Have more staples in my wardrobe - not just funky stuff
Finally develop my drawing skills because I still can't draw
Take more pictures, now I have a better camera

And the list will go on. Why? Because I think life is an adventure and I only have one so I'll live it and rock it.

Kris Aquino Is Olay's Newest Brand Ambassador

2011-09-30T18:42:00.004+08:00

A few weeks ago, Olay launched its newest brand ambassador, someone who loves and firmly believes on the product and has been exposed to it ever since she was a child.

Kris Aquino - actress and tv show host has been acquainted with Olay. Her mom was an Olay user back then with the pink Oil Of Olay bottle. She jokingly reveals that she uses Olay from head to toe. She's got a collection of Olay body and skin care and even uses Olay Total Effects on her body. That's how much she loves the product.

Olay Total Effects has been around for quite some time and you all know that this is my brand of choice for skin care for my own personal use, and sometimes for clients. If I've done your makeup lately, you might have noticed that slim bottle of Olay Total Effects in my skin care kit. Actually, let me tell you a story. I just started using Olay in 2008, when Regenerist was first introduced. Before I got into makeup, I wasn't into skin care, so I was using whatever was cheap and if I should use it. With proper skin care, we should also know what proper products to use. Case and point, the stuff I've been using when I was 16 will not work now that I'm nearing 30, because a 16-year-old has different skin care needs from someone who's 30.

At a certain point in life, our skin care needs an extra boost. Whitening (in most cases, as I've noticed a lot of Pinays have an obsession for fairer skin) isn't enough when someone's older so skin care needs to address the signs of skin ageing. I've been told that by age 25-28, we should start using anti-ageing skin care due to the stress that age is exposed to as well as the exposure to the elements - smoke, pollution, sun, and all. I kinda started at 26 so I guess I'm not too late. So when you reach that age, it's best to start switching to anti-ageing skin care like Olay.

Kris relates to everyone that not only did she have great reviews with the product. She relates how her makeup artist for the event, Juan Sarte (and also one of my makeup idols) used this to do her makeup and he said that the quality of makeup wasn't affected with the product, to think Olay contains sunscreen. The common problem with some sunscreens or moisturizer infused with sunscreen is that makeup doesn't seem to adhere well to the skin for some weird reason. But for Olay, makeup melds well and it in fact, looks like second skin. I believe that too because I used Olay on my trial makeup with my client and I took a picture of her using harsh flash from a point-and-shoot. Skin looks the same and protected from sun damage, so thumbs up for outdoor shoots, outdoor/garden/beach weddings, and even studio shoots where fluorescent lights and hot studio lights can contribute to skin damage.

Kris and the event host for the day, Boy Abunda. Kris looked absolutely pretty! Looks like I have to take her head-to-toe Olay regime into consideration.

Actually, here's the thing, my pole teacher told us that relief for chafed skin is moisturizer. Understandably, we can't use moisturizer during pole days, but we can use them at night or off-pole days provided we soap it off when it's time to pole. Since our skin can get discolored from all the friction from our tricks and I sometimes go home with chafed skin on my wrist, thighs, waist, and back-of-knee, guess what's my cream on those areas at night? :)

Donna+Jeff

2011-09-22T14:09:00.003+08:00

Sharing the SDE video of my client a few months back, one of the coolest I've ever worked with. What made this day also fun was I was working with my teammates, iSnap Creatives and Wonderful Occasions.

Jeff and Donna SDE from iSnap Creatives on Vimeo.

As usual, the appearance of my KSP-pink toolbelt.

Church and Reception: Christ the King
Event Coordination: Won Derful Okeyzions (Wonderful Occasions)
Makeup: Bambi de la Cruz Makeup Artistry using airbrush makeup on the bride
Hair: Maricel Basaysay
Photo and Video: Isnap Creatives

I Love My Epilator!

2011-09-19T20:58:00.004+08:00

I first learned about epilators from a V-log done by Pursebuzz, and seeing how convenient and quick they seem to remove hair like a razor but have results that last as long as a wax. Two of the celebrities I worked with before in a theater production swear by it as well. I wanted to buy myself one but I found the rates to be deathly expensive (around Php 4,000) hence it took me quite some time to buy.

While at Singapore a few weeks ago, I chanced upon an epilator on sale, currently priced at SGD 45 (approximately Php1,620). Well, here it is, it's now in my possession. I've been scraping myself too long on razors and changing razors every so often is getting more expensive.

Hello Philips Satinelle epilator! This looks just like the one that Pursebuzz reviewed. It looks like an electric razor except for the head, which looks like this up close:

It looks like a torture device really, but these are stainless steel discs that act like multiple tweezers that grab body hair from the root as they rotate, removing hair at half the time it takes tweezing or threading.

It operates by the flick of a switch. It has two speed functions. The faster one can be used on legs while the slower, I use on underarms or during my first epilation session ever. Yanking hair from the root sounds too painful for words but if you're like me, who's used to waxing every month, the pain is just the same. Unlike shaving though that you could do in the shower, for this model, skin (and surrounding areas should be dry) as you use this device as it's plugged on a socket. So it's great to use this after shower before going to bed or when you're wearing your miniskirt before you head off the door. Take note too, that some redness could occur depending on your skin condition so do a bit of test or "practice session" before using this on an important event.

For me, it's definitely way better and longer-lasting than shaving my legs and less messier than waxing. Although there can be a few stubborn hairs left after, that's where threading or plucking comes to clean them up. It's even easy to clean too. All I have to do is remove the cap containing the discs and rinse them on running water, dry them up, and it's good to go (I still kept the sheet with the directions and made sure to read all safety precautions and instructions before using). I use this on my legs and underarms. I leave the brazilian waxing to the professionals. :)

Angelina Jolie Simply Beautiful in Louis Vuitton 2011 Core Values Ad Campaign

2011-09-19T18:32:00.005+08:00

Angelina Jolie is your modern-day Superwoman. She's got talent, style, and a big heart. From red carpet glam to helping the needy as a Goodwill Ambassador, to being a mom to six beautiful children, Angie has it all. To add another feather to her cap, she's the latest star to pose for Louis Vuitton's "Core Values" Ad Campaign.

Ad campaigns usually involve the endorsers in haute couture garments and glamorous makeup. We see a simple but still beautiful Angie wearing her own clothes, minimal makeup (just earthy tones to define her eyes), barefoot, and her flowy dark hair windblown as she sits quietly on a wooden boat. That LV bag hanging on her shoulder, is in fact her own Louis Vuitton Alto bag, a discontinued style, which she has owned for years. This picture was shot by none other than Annie Liebovitz and this scene was taken in Siam Reap, Cambodia's province. Her visit to that country sparked her humanitarian activism.

Here's a video of her commercial, where she talks about her journey to Cambodia, how that country touched her heart and the day she met her eldest son, Maddox. She relates that it was filming in Cambodia that got her to become aware of land mines, and the thought of having people - men, women, and children walk along grounds that may blow up any minute like it was just part of their lives. As the film states, it was how one journey could change someone's life.

The Morning I Rescued My Hair

2011-09-19T16:11:00.006+08:00

I've had a lagas (i.e. hairfall) problem that's been going on. I've dismissed it though since I know hair naturally sheds on its own, but I've noticed a great deal of hair on the floor, on my (wide-toothed, take note) comb, on the dance studio, and on my hair tie that I've panicked. My regular anti-hairfall shampoo didn't seem to stop the problem though. Avy read my status message on Facebook as I related another lagas woe, when this bunch showed up when I ran my fingers through my hair the moment I woke up.

I know my hair naturally sheds a few strands daily but that amount in the morning and another amount when I shampoo and then comb is red alert. I am not undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therap, mind you. Avy asked me if I got a trim because my hair must be too heavy already. I said I did and the stylist took 2-1/2 inches off my waist-length hair, and he told me that my hair needs to get treated. Avy echoed the same suggestion as he did. Come to think of it, I last had my hair treated (and I mean went to the salon instead of DIY) almost 10 years ago. I guess it's time, which I haven't found yet.

Time somehow found me a while ago, when I had my day free and so I decided to hunt a salon to get my hair treated. The first salon I went to was David's Salon. I heard good reviews about them and they're known for doing hair really fast, and since I was the first customer of the day, it was good to go. At first, I thought a regular hot oil would do. When I told them about my hair fall problem, they suggested that I level up the treatment with Kerastase Concentre Vita-Cimente. When I asked the cost, for the length of my hair, they said it would amount to Php 1,950 since they'll be needing two vials for my really long hair (but it's thin!) I almost chickened out but the thought of carpeting our floor with more of my hair sent me to the shampoo chair to my treatment.

[image from bizrate.com]

The vial looks like the one above, a clear fluid in a bottle but to apply it to washed hair (my hair was washed by a pro prior to vial application), they attach the vial to an applicator spritz- pump like this, so it spritzes the product onto the hair so no product is wasted.

This product was recommended to me since my lagas problem is due to my hair becoming brittle and dry. The stylist even confirmed my hair fall problem when she was combing my hair out with a wide-toothed comb and a big clump of hair was stuck on the comb. Mind you, this is someone who knows how to comb and care for hair the right way. This serum fortifies hair fibers making it strong and resilient to the chemicals and heat styling I do to my hair when I do style my hair, and probably the pool chlorine too.

The two vials of Vita-Ciment was massaged onto my hair from roots to tips (head massages are the most wonderful thing on earth). Then, my hair was clamped and covered in a plastic wrap and I was left with the product on for a good 20 minutes with magazines to read. No heat necessary. Twenty minutes later, the product was rinsed and my hair blow-dried to shampoo-commercial straightness.

Hours after treatment, my hair still looks sleek and straight and not fluffy and funny. It's straight because it was blow-dried straight. It can be blow-dried with a bit of wave but I just said straight.

It was so cool that I can run my fingers through my hair and not have any strands of hair on my hand. My hair feels much smoother and healthier. I even ponytailed my hair and I was surprised that my hair maintained its shape when I took the ponytail out.

Kerastase Concentre Vita-Ciment is available as a treatment in salons. I got mine at David's Salon in Greenbelt. I've also seen reviews online that this treatment can also be done DIY once a month when you purchase the vials. It's my first time to use Kerastase treatment actually, as I've been hearing a lot of good reviews about it. Looks like the reviews are true. I actually thought that super sleek hair can be achieved by professional blowdrying but even if I get to have my hair blowdried by a pro, it still mushrooms up after some time with sweat and humidity. This power-treated hair was tame enough to withstand Food Court smoke, the concrete jungle's humidity, and a tight, tight ponytail. As for the scent, I'm actually nursing a cold now, so my sense of smell is dead as my fallen hair so I can't say anything about the scent. But I'm telling you guys, my hair has never been this pretty and healthy.

I was told to wash my hair the following day and just let my hair as it is, but I don't mind. I was supposed to go home though after but I lingered around the mall a bit and did some errands because it's not everyday that I get to have hair this sleek and pretty. I was also told to rest first from my old shampoo in the meantime and switch to a gentler shampoo or a different shampoo formulated for my hair condition. If you think it's straight because my hair's weighed down, that's not true. My hair feels really light.

My only qualm of course, is the price, but I guess it's a price that I should pay if I want to maintain healthy, long hair. I can do this occasionally when I feel that my hair longs for it. I'm really happy with the result and I'll let you in a few days after on how my hair turned out.

Sweet-Smelling with Avon Sassy Swirls

2011-09-15T22:43:00.006+08:00

I love vanilla-based scents. I have a vast collection of vanilla-scented Body Sprays, Body Gels, and Lotions (used at night only or on non-pole days of course). I find it sweet but comforting, and it brings fond memories of favorite food. Vanilla extract in baking gives that oomph and mellow sweet flavor in cookies and cakes. Whenever I smell a faint vanilla scent, I get reminded of all things nice and sweet- ice cream, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and strawberries with whipped cream on top. It's sweet but not overpowering. Some people say vanilla is a sensual and sexy scent, but I just get reminded of food. Well, I guess that's me.

It was good news to me that Avon launched Sassy Swirls Eau de Toilette Purse Sprays in three yummy vanilla-based scents, depending on the wearer's personality. Not only are these purse sprays super affordable (Php 475) but they could fit in the skinniest purses so no need to tote bulky body spray bottles around. The scent lasts pretty long too.

Vanilla Blossom is a florally scent that's sweet and romantic with the scents of violent and peony petals. The warm vanilla scent makes it mellow and sweet, and also youthful if floraly scents are sometimes associated with "oldie" scents. This is the one I'm currently using. It's not too overpowering so I can wear this even on a hot day.

Vanilla Bean - nuttier and mellow, this is for those who prefer a bit of musk in their scents instead of fruity bursting. Mandarin, Exotic sandalwood, and lush orchid swirled with rich vanilla makes this a very sensual, alluring scent perfect for a night out on a date.

Vanilla Berry - outdoorsy-type girls prefer usually fruity scents, maybe because they're lighter or the scent just bursts with yummy things in life - tart, rasperries, and blackberries swirled with creamy vanilla remind us of vanilla sundaes laced with fresh picks of the day.

Personally, I find myself gravitating towards Vanilla Berry or Vanilla Blossom since I'm the more energetic on-the-go girl. I see the Vanilla Bean on days when I want to add a bit more mystery and allure. Since they're quite affordable I can mix and match or choose depending on my mood. Playing chemist to scents can be tricky though so I suggest practising the mixing part at home first and wearing the fragrance a bit. If you don't seem to agree with it, you can always soap it off. But it would be fun though, to come up with a scent that's uniquely yours. How to find it out? Just try and have fun!

2011-09-09T22:52:00.003+08:00

The rain that poured around 3 pm today made clouds hover and cover the sun around lunchtime. But rain or shine, I wanted to look presentable today. I think that should be my motto: To always try and strive to get away from the rut of shorts-and-big-tshirt and take time to put a look together. I do however, get away with the put-together keme with simple lines and solid colors, like a bright blue cobalt dress like this, which costed me less than 600 bucks by the way. Dresses like these always seem to love me and I love them back, so I have like four of these long body-hugging cotton dresses, in several cut variants, but same solid color and body hugging pegs.

Dress: Forever21

Bag: Cole Vintage

Flip Flops: Havaianas

(gave Fitflops a rest today and I need easy-to-wear footwear since I'll be getting a pedi today)

I usually dress up like this whenever I have raket like a wedding or casual event to go to or a client meeting especially on summers, or what the heck, even rainy days like today. The only problem was that I had to teeter the skirt like a gown so I don't soak up my dress. And no, that's not a white tank under the dress. That's a tan line that never went away. Long dresses also tend to make me look taller than my real height, which is ironic as some girls shrink when they wear anything past the knee. Swear any permutation of this dress (solid colors though) shall be hunted by me and put straight to my closet. Although I can't seem to wear light-colored ones. Just bolds, warms, and darks. Remember the backless dress from Topshop I wore last summer? I was supposed to choose the light gray one but the light didn't quite like me back. The red one did though, even if it was a deep red instead of in-your-face bright red.

My makeup for the day, as usual is kept simple as I'll just be in the mall for bank errands and stuff, but I took inspiration from Angelina Jolie - light cat eyes and nude lips.

Face:

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer NW20 on undereyes
MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer NC30 on blotchiness
Paul and Joe Creamy Compact Foundation #5
MAC Studiofix Powder NC40
Fanny Serrano Two-Way Powder Foundation in Rajah to contour
The Body Shop Blush
MAC Lightful Foundation NC15 to highlight undereye

Brows:

MAC Espresso

Eyes:

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
MAC Beauty Sleep all over lid
MAC Saffron on crease
MAC fluidline in Blacktrack
CoverGirl Lash Blast

Lips:

MAC Style It Up

A look like this was kind of fast to do, so at least I have a trademark look, somewhat when the need arises for me to wear makeup at work (come to think of it, I really should) and I have time now to do something too: comb my hair. :P So I guess I ought to be stocking comfy and low-maintenance dresses like this, yes?

Farewell, My Dear

2011-09-09T10:04:00.006+08:00

Just taking this moment to say goodbye to a dear blogger friend of mine.

[AJ's blognapinoy portraits, shot by Mike]

AJ Matela, fierce, fasyon, and forever a fighter passed away yesterday. For months, he's been fighting mycobacterium avium complex, which complicated his tuberculosis. Tomorrow would have been his 29th birthday.

To my dearest AJ/Bakla, thank you for the memories, friendship, and fun times, and the little lambings over at Plurk. You'll be our rainbow angel, an inspiration, and a fuel to our fighting spirits. Malibu Barbie loves you.

Information on how we can help AJ's family can be found here. Let's all spread the love.

Browns and Earth Tones On A Rainy Day

2011-09-07T21:41:00.004+08:00

I admire makeup artists who dress up during a shoot, whereas I'm either in a tank top or t-shirt with either leggings/shorts and flip flops as footwear. To top it all, my hair is in a scraggly no-suklay ponytail. As I was prepping my outfit for a shoot I'll be going to, I saw that it was raining. Rainy days signal me to, well go beyond my uniform. I pulled out plain black rain boots, a miniskirt, and a loose top for this combo:

TOP: Get Laud

SKIRT: Urban and Co.

SHOES (not shown): Plueys Panther

EARRINGS: Green and Purple

Would you believe I had that skirt since high school I think? The brand used to be in the Philippines I think a decade before and it had a clearance sale until I never heard of it. Too bad, it had really nice outfits. The top I've had it when I was still working in the office, still glad it fits though and I like the fact that it's loose so it could accommodate an entire bowl of pho. Since my skirt's got prints, I went for plain black rain boots and pulled my hair back in a high ponytail. Well, I still got the no makeup and scraggly ponytail look.

A picture with my trademark pink toolbelt with my tools in the background.

Picture them while they're still orderly. :)

Had so much fun in the shoot. Did both hair and makeup for one model, and Mike told me to just do one look with focus on the eyes. I tried a new technique for smoky eyes without the need for much black overload. Just did depth and all. Anyway, I'm looking forward to more shoots when peak season catches up.

Obsession

2011-09-06T11:35:00.004+08:00

Just got to posting another shoot I did two months ago

Photo Credits:

Photos: Christine Day Lorico

Accessories and Styling: Dennis Celestial

Models: Francisco Matos and Fatima Gonzales

Makeup and Hair: ME!

till the next collaboration guys! My brushes are forever ready for any shenanigan