brushes, again??

i'll be getting those new elf brushes tomorrow, yey! it's gonna be perfect tomorrow and for the rest of the week to use it since i haven't brought home the ones i use at work for cleaning. then i'd probably provide my two cents next week, if you haven't heard of the gazillion reviews you can find on the internet. i'm excited!

lining the entire waterline

this is one look i dreaded to try (again) for some time. i used to do it once, and it looked horrendous. so i put it off for so long, even if i did look good on it some 10 years ago. yeah, that's one reason why i kept the black liner at bay - some things just work well when you're younger :P


but then again, i gave it a try last tuesday, and whoa, it looked great. perhaps, i can say that it's the technique that was missing all along. i just didn't know to apply the kohl liner well. but last tuesday, i suddenly had the courage, and boy am i glad i revisited it. i got lots of nice compliments about the look which i kind of eventually thought of Kim Kardashian's many liner/mascara laden looks. the result was so pretty that one colleague at the office said, "Girl, you are gonna do that on my eyes tomorrow". And i gladly said yes. Too bad, i didn't take photos. Perhaps tomorrow, i'll do it again. And take a photo or two and post here this weekend. 


happy painting...

revlon foundations and trying a new routine

a friend gave me a gift of my choice - a couple of foundations that i can mix to get the correct shade i want. i have been really wanting to get these since i ultimately want to do makeup for people as a freelance makeup artist. so after a grueling research on which products to get, i finally decided on revlon ones. i had been a revlon sucker even before i wanted to do makeup for other people. i had their several illuninance creme shadows that i got at walmart when i was in the US 2007, then i also got myself their colorstay eyeshadow quad, the custom creations foundations, i got super lustrous lip gloss and the colorburst and matte lippies, and they all are my favorites. i just thought revlon stuff is good enough, and reasonably priced even here in the philippines. so, i got a colorstay foundation in the lightest i could get (sand beige) and a photo ready one in caramel. i combined both products to come up with the shade i need, and i thought the mixture was amazing. i used them last week with my other favorite products to make a new daily makeup routine that is wearable at work. it's not that i already hate my mineral product routine, i just gotta try something new.
i'll post photos of my looks next week as i didn't get the chance to take photos last week. i'll also put on the products i used and a mini-review.

Light, shimmery pigments on the inner tear ducts to make eyes pop

i had been seeing youtube makeup gurus do this, especially on a dark smoky eye look. i tried it on myself, and it looked horrendous on me. just like how the gurus do it, i use a shimmery white pigment/eye shadow, but it just didn’t seem to work on me. the promised result of brighter, more lively eyes instead made me look like i was ready for work – as clown at the local theme park.

but lately i had been sporting this (about a month now) and boy, am i glad i finally (and accidentally) found what works best for me. it’s Adore by Ellana, a white pigment that shifts into a shimmery peachy pink after a few seconds on the skin. brilliant! it made my eyes pop and awake! now i get why it worked. i’m basically a tan-brown filipino woman. so my skin shimmer shouldn’t be white, but peachy/coral-ey or anything with color, right? and i just remembered that most of the gurus i’ve seen do this trick are lighter-skinned people – yellow-toned asians, and white caucasians. well, some brown asian gurus also use this, and i never thought that it didn’t really flatter them much at all as i just focused on the rest of the eye makeup, since, to me, this technique is fairly new.

so, there i go – happy to have found out something new that works for me teehee...

next up - i'm quite broke lately but the following are surely on my wish list : Revlon Photo Ready foundation, Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer (which you can buy at P2,150 for a set of the 30ml primer, a lid primer and some other primer at the Beauty Bar, Podium - yay!), Stila Kajal eyeliner in Onyx, Stila Convertible Color and Ellana Powder Primer. crossing fingers on how i work this on my budget. :D

a year's worth of pigments...

it's been a year since i had been introduced to mineral makeup. and i love wearing them on a daily basis because they don't make me breakout. using it daily may seem like an inefficient way for me to hone my skills in makeup, because they're, in my own opinion, just perfect as 'daily makeup" -  not for special occasions, which most makeup artists are hired to work on. but, i might as well have to say some something about it. i love them. they are very safe to use even for the most sensitive skin, and very economical. i can buy pigments for less than a hundred pesos per color since i signed up as dealer for Ellana, thus big discounts.


 so far, i've accumulated quite a number of pigments for the past year, mostly ones for the eyes since the colors are so irresistible. i had given family and girl friends the ones i think they'd love, as well as my proven foundation and blush variants. 

some of them i've already reviewed,  so here's my take on the ones i had been using for some time now but never talked about yet:
ethereal - i was in need of a matte black pigment that i can carry with me everyday. works well to darken the outer v, or to line the eyes using a damp brush. as usual, be mindful of the falling pigments on the under eyes, might not be an easy feat to take off when you're done with concealing and stuff.
wish - i use this daily on my brows. just the perfect grayish brown i'm looking for for my eye brows. i also use this to lightly contour my creases to transform a day look to night.
exquisite - this is my most favorite neutral shadow and i use it every single day. this was my intended gift to all my girlfriends last xmas, but ellana ran out for some reason. i was able to give my mom and one girlfriend, though. i also use this to contour my nose, amazing results as i tend to look flat without applying it.
beloved - a lighter version of Wish. i use it also for contouring the crease on a day-time look.
paradise - a plumy red-brown which can also be used as eyeliner as it's very pigmented and to contour creases. use sparingly, might result to a punched eye look if done overboard.
serene - brownish red pigment which i used on my lids at my brother's wedding last Oct. 2010.
dream - shimmery white, which can also be used for lining the waterlines. can also be used on the lids if you want to "wake up" your tired eyes as white disappears into the skin and all that's left are the pretty but subtle sparkle. 
adore - white that shifts into shimmery peachy copper. love it on my inner tear ducts (i'm tan so a bit of copper works). i also use it as highlights on my cheeks. really nice on photos :)
sensational - which i missed to include in the photo. it's also white at first sight, like the previous two pigments mentioned, but this one shifts into gold so it's perfect for highlighting my cheek bones, nose bridge, and brow bones. can also be used as cheek blush for that metallic goddess look, also gives a glamorous look on photos :)
fantasy - a grayish blue that i use as highlighter on the inner tear duct area on a blue smokey eye look. this one has some frost to it, i'll probably try this as a lid color.
bluebell - due to its bright shade, i use this on the inner lid. very pretty and gives a fun hint to the sultry smoky eye look.
knockout - i use this in the outer part of the lids, and to contour the creases.
marigold - something i bought in preparation of the summer. nice on lids, especially on the inner part.
dawn - a coppery shimmer i like to use on the outer lids especially with Marigold. nice combo as as a work/school makeup if you don't get too crazy :)
temptress - the darkest i have in the greens department. it's very sheer, and it leaves gold hints which makes it nice on the lids alone for all light to medium skin color.
sea breeze - sheer teal-green perfect for lighter girls. i thought it's a lighter version of Temptress, but i could be wrong.
carefree - aqua-green that leaves white shimmers, pretty on the inner tear duct areas to make tired eyes pop.
orchid - one of the violets i recently acquired. very bright pigment i use on the inner lids, paired with Laugh on the outer v, and Whisper on the inner tear ducts.


that's it, for now. i can probably find out more ways to bring out the best in these pigments, and i'll surely post them here. and will acquire some more pigments, so stay tuned.


'til next time...

here's making up for the past slacking months...

i did some more pro bono stuff for friends and family's christmas parties this month. not very hard to do since it's something i used to do - rockstar look. here are the pics:

my friend lei. she's one gorgeous woman with nice skin so one easy job for me.

one of my challenges though is too keep the girls "doable", and by that i meant, how to keep their eyes from blinking while putting in the eyeliner (which is ultra important in this look), etc.

belle here is sporting the alice cooper look. 'convinced her to chop her hair like that, too. hehehe

i did some of these girls hair, too. but i got to admit, i'm relatively newer to hair than makeup.

maan sports the same look as lei (above), only on a different occasion.

my only bonus is these girls are already pretty chicks, even without makeup. they have glorious skin, too so i didn't bother doing any concealing. im happy with what i did, and looking forward to more chances to get better with my craft.

P.S.

i've been hoarding some more mineral eye shadows recently and i thought they deserve some reviews, as well as my favorite PAC (yes, not M.A.C.) liquid foundation. Stay tuned!

review: some of my ellana mineral powder products for the eyes

i had been accumulating makeup since last year, and adding to my collection are Ellana products. this is a filipino company which sells mineral products ranging from foundation, eye powder, blushes, bronzers, concealers and lip products, among others. i registered as one of its direct dealers so i can buy from discount. i love their products a lot that i use it on people i do makeup on, and on myself on daily basis. but, for now, let me talk about the mineral eye powders i have been using for a while.

Ellana eye mineral powders in Laugh, Whisper, Preppy, Temptress, Dazzle and Carefree

Laugh is that frosty deep violet that can double as eyeliner. used alone and on bare lids, it creates a flattering shadow to the eyes, which is a glamorous alternative to the ho-hum neutral look we usually take when going to work. i like to use my finger and just gently pat them on my lids. i usually put a matte brown shade on my outer crease when i sport this look. when i like to just have (almost) bare eyes (as my look for day probably focuses on the lips), i make cat eyes by drawing a thin line and flick with this color using a damp liner brush. sexy but subtle. :) 

Whisper is more shimmer than pigment, a pale lavender that turns into a white-pinkish shimmer on the skin. i like to use this to put shine on dark lids, particulary on rock chick looks. as day wear, use sparingly though as this is intensely shimmery. used alone, it's very sheer especially on white to yellow skins. used on top of matte colors, fabulous! it's gives an extra ooomph to your base color.

Preppy is the apple green shade that is so wearable even on a meeting with the big bosses at the office. as our skin has yellowish tone to it, this shade just smoothly blends into the lids, but still leaves a hint of that fun, pretty apple green color. at work, i use it on the inner part of the lid and i take a matte darker green on my outer lid and crease. used alone, it's fun, too.

Temptress is the very deep forest green shade. i like it alone, because the color pops as i aim for the temptress-esque look :) when used on top of a base cream or shadow, you are left with only the shimmer, as the pigments get lost in the shade, unless you go for a more tamed, subdued look. pretty for lining the eyes, too.

Dazzle is the shimmery deep golden brown. i also like to pat it on bare lids for a sensual look. when used on top of a darker or even a lighter shade, the pigment pretty much disappears into your choice of base color. just like Temptress, it's nice on bare lids, and a fun eyeliner at the same time. just don't forget to dampen your brush for a deeper shade.

Carefree is the aqua green shimmer perfect both as used alone or on top of color base. i pat it on bare lids if i like to just brighten my eyes up, or pat it on matte shades of green or blue to sprinkle in some fun. this one is also more shimmer than pigment, just like Whisper.

i'm pretty much happy with what i can do with these colors. although the packaging is pretty inconvenient (like most pigment pots), i think these colors are great and you can do lots of things as you experiment and discover new ways. :)

my first gig, unofficially

yesterday was a lot of fun. i did a sort of Pro Bono gig for a friend whose friend runs a music studio. this friend of mine is a photography-hobbyist-turning-pro who did yesterday's promotional photos of singing little kids who will front a local artist's performance this week. i expected around ten kids, but i only got to do 5, one of which a boy so i did basically four girls aging between four and nine. 
the process was easy and challenging at the same time. see, kids have the healthiest of skins - they don't have pimples, dark circles, eye bags, black heads. they are basically flawless even without the foundation. but they are just kids. while i'm doing their makeup, some tinker on my brush sleeve, others endlessly ask you what each brush is for.  then they suddenly look up when you're putting shimmer powders on their lids. but, really, it was so much fun. 
i did a smokey eye/rock chic look on them, since the theme was pop rock. i did manage to not be overly dramatic about the smokey eye, and still retain their childish, innocent looks by putting barely there blush and nude lips . i'd say i'm happy with what i did. 
and oh, i was able to use my self-devised brush sleeve, which one of the stage moms there affirmed with. whatelse, hmm..i also used a belt and hung there this bag organizer i bought at the department store. that combination would become my makeup artist belt :)
i'll post pics of these things i mentioned along with the kids' pictures when they become available. till the next makeover!

new lippies

i recently purchased three new lip colors from NYX, and i surprised myself at buying them in three  different shades of pink. pink basically is my least favorite of colors. maybe because i think it doesn't look good on me. i'm more of the apricot, peach, terracotta kind of girl. maybe because i'm golden-tan. and it seems to be very safe to wear the said colors because they give a natural look. but since i'm still building my makeup kit, i had to have pink shades for my future fair-skinned clients. 
i believe i picked B52, Louisiana and Chloe, which glide on my lips like heaven and surprisingly rich/highly pigmented. i used B52 on the day i got them, and the color stayed put till i got home. i was like wow. me and my office girl buddies got them for 160php each from a local multiply.com seller. they were relatively inexpensive for such OK quality. about a month ago, i also purchased a lip color from 4u2, a US brand whose professional eyeshadow palettes i totally would recommend any makeup artist to get. they are highly pigmented, and the colors last all day. pretty inexpensive for their quality too. i got two 8-color palettes from them, each for less than 1000php. i'd say those purchases are really good deal. their ENVY line of lip colors, of which one i bought in shade # 12 looked tangerine-ish red. i was actually looking for orange that time and was already decided on a MAC one when i figured i don't need buy expensive stuff yet now that i'm not yet on board. the 4u2 lipstick glides on smoothly too. i think it was discounted at the time, less than 3oophp, so i was glad i controlled the urge to buy a revlon or l'oreal that time. 

intro...

yeah, i've been thinking of trying to get rid of other things that i'm doing. believe me, i do lots of stuff. despite the fact that i have a regular, daily 8hour job  (count out the 4hour total travel time), i still try to sneak in a few things to keep me sane.

more than a year ago, i bought lots of beads and wires and wire jewelry tools, thinking i can pull this wire wrap jewelry fever off. but a few days ago, i thought, no. i can't. jewelry making seems to be fun, but it needs 100% attention. and it seems that the materials i want to use in my designs aren't easily available in my area, or country, at worst.

and yet i have another hobby to ditch off (hopefully not forever). my sewing. i've been sewing since i first laid my eyes on my grandma's sewing kit. i made clothes for my fashion dolls, for myself, i stitched accessories, i repaired torn clothes. it's really something i like to do. but, as i said, i do too many things, i have so little time. sewing, isn't just sewing. you shop for materials, you design something, you make the pattern and cut the fabric carefully, then you sew. yeah, enough of my excuses.

and on to a (not so) new-found hobby. makeup. yeah, i'm the late-bloomer tomboy who wished i started tinkering into my mom's makeup kit in grade school. makeup is indeed fun. and aside from it being related to my first love, i can do it EVERYDAY! yes, i can. at work, at home, at a friend's wedding, a family member's birthday party. at this rate, i can become better without knowing it. if you know what i mean. it's only been less than a year and never was a day when i didn't think about it. sheessh, i guess i'm in love haha. but seriously, i think this thing of a hobby is gonna stay for a while. 

so, today starts the making of a makeup hobbyist. hobbyist, what a word; i just thought it now. because while i was typing the first sentence in this paragraph, i thought i didn't deserve to be called an artist, yet. 

hopefully, on my 100th post, i can already call myself a makeup artist. :)