Northern Exposure (Pre nup of Rhea and Ivan)

I’ve been blessed this year with weddings and this is another pre-nup story I would like to share with you.  I met this couple at the same Wedding Expo early this year and what can I say, she was my “buena mano“, which translates to may you have good fortune in the Latin American culture, or to be specific, to convey a wish that the first transaction of the day bring good fortune to both buyer and seller.

Rhea Lopez was so sweet when she came to my booth and she instantly liked my work after having gone around the expo to shop around.  Her wedding will be out of town, and she sheepishly asked if I was available on her date December 29, 2013.  Of course, I was available!  I was so touched when she told me that among a sea of makeup artists that day, she liked my work because it reflected her natural beauty sensibility without having to look like Barbie.

I think I am on the right path here.  Hahahaha!

Months later, she called to book a pre-nup shoot and, lo and behold, it was also out of town.  She hired the services of Kenneth Uy Photography to do her photos and video and he suggested that to have a different look and feel,  the shoot be done in Ilocos Norte!  Mr. Uy had previously done a pre-nup there and he found so many interesting locations and backdrops that could add drama and nostalgia for this particular shoot.  After a few calls and emails, we were on a plane headed to Ilocos Norte on July 19.  I was with Gladys Tiosen who also provided the hair services.

Cape Boreador Lighthouse

First shoot of the day was at Cape Boreador Lighthouse.  Immediately, one gets the sense of adventure as you are climbing the steps to this lighthouse.  It is quite a steep ascent and bride and entourage managed to make it with a slight shortness of breath.  What awaits the visitor is a sweeping magnificent view of the seaside.

 

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Paoay Church

Mind you, getting to different locations in Ilocos Norte was not an easy feat, they are distanced very far apart.  We shot in Bangui, where the famous windmills are located but we couldn’t go any nearer to the couple or we were going to be in the shot.    This was one of the last few shots of the day and Mr. Uy did not want to lose the light, he shot this photo against the backdrop of the famous Paoay Church.  As their saying goes, Kumakaway galing sa Paoay.

Love love love this photo.

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Sand Dunes

Last shoot for the day.  This is where many movies were filmed and story has it that the famous movie of Tom Cruise Fourth of July was shot in the early 90’s.  This is where the shoot got edgy and very Vogue Like.  The peg for this look was cowboy meets rebel.  Hair was very loose and makeup was a carry over from the last two except Rhea requested for a red lip colour to show the edgy side of her.  I say very bagay.  The wind here was so strong and cold you needed a jacket to keep yourself warm.

 

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The day ended with a lot of photos taken and it was mission accomplished.  We headed back to Manila that early evening, and our brief adventure was rewarded with happy smiles and high fives among us.

Thank You Rhea and Ivan and see you on the 29th!

My Metro “SocACIEty” shoot (Featured work in Metro Society)

One of the highlights of working as a makeup artist is having your work published in a magazine. This is a milestone, as your work is magnified and beautifully showcased and captured by a team of professional artists in their own right.  From the model, to the photographer , stylist, hair stylist and editor, it does take a village to get that body of work done.

Working in the beauty industry is very competitive nowadays and ask any makeup artist, getting your work professionally shot by a photographer is very difficult to come by specially when you are trying to break in the industry.  It is a Catch 22 situation for most of us because for you to book jobs, you need a portfolio to show editors, casting agents, producers,  event organizers etc., and you have to find a photographer to shoot your work  with a mutual understanding that both parties will benefit from the shoot without hurting the bank. Anyway, that will be another topic on my next blog posts.

Let’s just say, I reached a makeup artist milestone: I was fortunate enough to get a booking with Metro Society magazine recently, and I almost had a heart attack.  Moving up na ba ako?! **laughs**

I got booked through Elevation Salon who I work with from time to time when they need my services.  The salon was tasked to do the hair requirements of the 14 models hired for that shoot.  Needless to say I was in the presence of Makeup gods, namely Byron Velasquez of MAC Cosmetics and Omar Ermita of Shu Uemura.  Talk about having to pull up from my resume.  I was starstruck and I knew I had to show my best considering these are one of my idols in the makeup industry.  Clothing and styling was courtesy of the creative stylish team of Bench who can be also featured in their own right in the magazine’s lifestyle sectionals.

The Promise of Youth

The story was written by Toff De Venencia, with a storyline of featuring these promising young ones of varying pedigrees and how they view the world and what they want to be in the real world.  The story captured their loves, their passions and their hopes and dreams for the future, and as the title of the section indicates, the kids are alright.  What I found impressing about these young adults is how their respective heritages and status in society reflect a call for action towards social responsibility, making sure that they put their own stamp on how they can improve the country, the world and them selves.  Quite a different generation from how I was at during their age.  All I could think of was the next outfit for the next party.

 

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Pegs for the shoot

Miss Georgia Del Rosario, Managing Editor of the magazine,  promptly arrived at the shoot with pegs in hand.  Pegs are guidelines that designate the theme, look and feel of a shoot usually shown by photos or references.  In this case Miss Del Rosario indicated that since it was a very relaxed and youthful story, casual, comfy and natural comes to mind.  No haute couture or very serious poses.  As for the makeup and hair, it was very natural, soft and carefree but very stylishly put together a la Banana Republic or a very  preppy college bound student ready to conquer the world.

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Selfies

As the shoot was wrapping up, I was able to squeeze in a few photos of the models and Byron Velasquez to remember my fun filled day with the Metro Society team.

With Byron Velasquez of MAC Cosmetics

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With Byron Velasquez. We first met at a Makeup competition a few years ago and it was for a no makeup look. He won 1st prize and rightfully so. I was one of those that made it to the finals together with 2-3 other women.   Due to a bout of chicken pox,  I was not able to attend the ceremony.

With Catherine Concepcion

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Catherine Concepcion, a regal beauty

With Nacho Tambunting

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Talented young actor in love with the theatre

 

Speaking of pedigrees, this shoot was held more recently and is being featured in the December 2013 issue for their Christmas edition.  Mrs. Maritess T. Enriquez the youngest daughter of a retail family scion was one of the women being featured for this spread.  She called me to do her hair and makeup for this shoot and I couldn’t be more elated.   Rikki Suarez  fabulously styled and coifed her hair.  The story behind this spread is obviously to show the different ways Christmas is celebrated by these stylish men and women of substance, and how they inject their personal flair into the traditions that make memorable experiences a feast to remember both for their families, friends and loved ones.

Upon arriving at her home, I was so surprised to see an authentic Moroccan tent spread out in her garden complete with Moroccan lanterns and all the Mediterranean trimmings like the tangine tabletop decorations, embroidered ottomans perfectly capped by a matching North African/European menu.  Mrs. Enriquez also mentioned that it took a whole day just setting the tent up.  She timed the shoot by hosting a birthday dinner for one of her closest friends  that day and thought how fortunate her friend was to be hosted in such a gracious and  luxurious setup.  This is the closest Moroccan experience one can get if taking a trip is not an option at the moment.

It was a magical sight seeing the deep burgundy and orange colour against a rich ornate backdrop of pure Bedouin splendour.  The only thing lacking is the camel, the hookah and the flying magic carpet, truly a feast for the senses.   I hope that this will delve into your creativity and bohemian side and incorporate these holiday tips into your next holiday celebration.  Rustans Department Store carries some authentic Moroccan pieces at the last floor which is the Home and Lifestyle section if you want to recreate some of that exotic Mediterranean feel in your home.   Isn’t this a good time to make new traditions into your family?   Happy  Holidays Everyone!

 

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From Geneva with Love

Here we go…  Another Prenup!  It’s never enup  hahahahaha!!!  This time its for the De Chavez – Clerigo Nuptials.  This couple is the most interesting one for me, they are both Geneva based, working in the World Trade Organization or WTO.   Pam works in the Copyright Development Division  while John is assigned in the Informatics Division of the same organization.  They are a young couple at the top of the world so to speak, based on their stories, they seem so well traveled, Europe is their playground of choice.  Try topping that!      Love their website!  I wish I could post it but it is a private one.   They created it to chronicle their wedding timeline only to find out, it will be a memory bank of wonderful memories with the glorious sophisticated backdrop of Europe!   So young yet so accomplished in their own right.  It really is so inspiring to see this couple so grounded yet so determined to start their life with a sense of spirituality and respect for one another.

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Lucky couple in the Swiss Alps

“Tuesdate”

I met this couple at a Wedding Expo at the beginning of the year and I must say I was the one who was honoured to be chosen by this wonderful couple to be one of their suppliers.  First off, the date of their wedding.  December 24 2013.  Tuesday .  Christmas Eve?  Really?  Reason why this date was chosen?  John proposed on January 1 2013 a Tuesday.  Tuesday is the day they allot for themselves to relax and devote to prayer time as a couple.  John decided that to better remember their milestones as a couple, December 24 is pretty easy to remember right?  Pasko na sinta ko!!!!    Christmas and New Year are this couples’s anniversaries!  Few couples start their marriage with God as the centre of their lives and this couple humbled me in so many ways.     Most couples focus on the wedding day itself but this couple chose otherwise and decided to put their energies into the Lord as the centre  of their marriage.  What a great way to begin a a life together as husband and wife!!!  Future couples out there take note.

Prenup Game Plan

The concept behind their prenup was a travel themed one.  Land, Sea and Air to be exact.  This was a perfect theme because it totally highlighted the couples’ love for travel.  First Destination was Intramuros, Land.  Location was at Fort Santiago,  where I had my wedding reception in 1996.  So romantic.   Sigh….  Photography was done by the EverReady battery team of Jun Garcia of Exige Photography.  Hair was done by Gladys Tiosen.  This is how it turned out.    Pam and John were such girl and boy scouts they were their own fashion and wardrobe stylists.  Each look was perfectly orchestrated with the right outfit, the appropriate accessories and of course a winning attitude. I think they should consider getting a sideline and work with me on shoots!!!  All photos below were courtesy of John Clerigo and Pam De Chavez taken from their website.

Intramuros Land Prenup
Fresh na Fresh
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The Blushing bride and so so in love

 

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Shades of Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady talaga

 

Our Makeup look here was to convey the classic looking bride with makeup suited for a morning wedding.  See the Makeup Chart for Makeup details.

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Morning Bride. Look #1. Classic Bride. Kate Middleton was the inspiration for this look.

 

The Second Prenup Look was done at the Manila Yacht Club.   For this look,  makeup was more on the bronzy side and the hair  was supposed to be loose with cascading curls perfectly setup by the bun from  the first look.  However, we didn’t expect the wind to be extremely strong in this place.  We had to use a scarf to tie her hair which Pam brought with her.  It was an impromptu prop.  We had a good laugh on this take, the lashes were threatening to come off with the force of the wind!!!  Love is in the air and so were her lashes.  Hahahahahaha!

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Second look for the “Sea” themed aspect of the shoot was more of a bronzy look with a reddish brown lip

 

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The Look of Love. Nautical or naughty but nice?

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The third and last look of the shoot was the “Air” themed shoot held at Villamor Air Base museum.  It was a photo finish for all of us, because of the Manila traffic on a Friday, that held us back, but with luck and prayer, made it before closing time.  The third look for Pam was more of a toned down smoky look but Pam requested a glam ponytail  to match her gown of black and white,  an epitome of sophistication.

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Semi Smoky look

 

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Focus your attention to the left. The rain was about to pour when this photo was taken.

 

 

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Alas, rain had caught up on us and this was one of the few shots that was taken after the downpour. Pam had to change into a cocktail dress for this photo.

 

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Rain was definitely pouring and so as not to waste any more precious time, looked for another place to shoot the remaining images.

 

Oh one more thing, they had a Save the Date Video Shoot the following week!  Location was in Tagaytay Highlands, the venue of their wedding.  It was a great day to shoot and John And Pam were eager to do this to maximise their time in Manila before heading back to Geneva.  Hair was done by Gladys Tiosen.    Video shoot was shot by Mr. Michael Roldan of Exige Weddings.

 

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What a good looking couple they make. I love the crispness of the white outfits.
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Ready na ready for a closeup.
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Ako rin ready for my closeup

 

I am very excited for this wedding and even if it falls on Christmas Eve, this is one union I won’t forget.  As the saying goes, when you put God in the centre of your lives, nothing will go wrong.  I wish John and Pam the grace and love for one another to unite your hearts in unselfish harmony so that your needs and wishes for one another can be lived in a life that is devoted to serving Him.  With a grateful heart, Congratulations to a wonderful couple.  See you on the 24th.  Cheers!!!