March 2015 – Acie Fores

Makeup Chats with Kira Ramirez

Today, I’m talking with my Marsala makeover subject and friend, fellow beauty blogger Kira Ramirez! After we bonded over cosmetics and coffee, I also invited her to be interviewed for the blog. I love finding out about her beauty routine and makeup preferences, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy her answers and find them helpful, too!

1. What are your daily makeup essentials?

Kira Ramirez (K): My skin care and makeup routine is pretty straightforward. I apply Armada 60 all over my face (this serves as my base), then apply my Ellana Minerals Foundation using a kabuki brush. I then define my eyebrows using Kate Eyebrow Pencil in BR-2 (it has a fine tip that makes shading and shaping so easy), apply my Ellana Minerals Blush in Kitten on the apples of my cheeks, and finally curl my lashes using Koji eyelash curler and apply my favorite Browhaus HD Mascara.

I usually go for red lipsticks since my looks is simple, my current fave is L’Oreal in Blaze of Red.

2. How was it during your Marsala makeover with me? Can you tell me about your experience during the session?

K: We were not able to really talk during our last blogger event at SkinLux, so I really enjoyed learning more about you and your craft, and how passionate you are about makeup. I am more of a skin care enthusiast and the first thing I noticed is your impeccable skin, and I just had to know your secret, haha! Good thing we both agreed on the importance of Vitamin C and a good eye cream product, since these are non-negotiables for me as well.

The whole experience was actually pretty fun! Although I don’t wear lots of makeup on a regular basis, I do enjoy makeovers and learning about the makeup artists’ favorite products! You could say, I’m the type of person who likes peeking into kikay kits (you can learn a lot about a person just by checking out their favorite shade of lipstick).

3. What did you like most about the finished result?

K: Marsala is a subtle seductive shade and I like how Acie made it very wearable and emphasized my chinita eyes. The flirty lashes finished the look perfectly!

4. As someone who works in the beauty industry, what are your personal thoughts about Marsala as color of the year?

K: Marsala is such a nice versatile color that sort of just grew on me after the makeover. I’ve been wearing this on my lips ever since Acie showed me how to mix L’Oreal Bare Moka and EL Forbidden, great when worn on their own but creates a gorgeous Marsala color when combined. I’d say it works well on all skintones, and gives a sophisticated, sort of “grown up” color without being too vampy (ala deep berry) or vulgar (ala fire engine reds). Marsala is definitely something you can wear all year round whether on your eyes, lips, cheeks, or nails.

Would you like me to feature more interviews with beauty bloggers? Email me at hello@aciefores.com and let me know!

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March 30, 2015

Behind the Scenes Tips and Tricks

Happy Skin Review Moisturing Lippies and Eye Pencils

I’ve been late to the party in reviewing this, but when I decided to improve my makeup haul this year, the soda pop eye catching color display at Beauty Bar in Greenbelt 5 caught my attention, and I was drawn to the Lipsticks or Lippies as they are called. The Eye Candy eye pencils by Happy Skin Cosmetics were given during a blog event by Martine de Luna entitled the Blissmakerie 2014.

Shut Up And Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippies sure live up to its claim, it is a mix of shea butter, gloss and lip color in one. It applies very creamy. I’ve purchased the Honeymoon Glow and Naughty and Nice, again both aptly named for a bridal experience. Collagen infused, your lips will love you for its lip plumping effect.

HoneyMoon Glow is more peachy toned while Naughty N Nice has a plum berry tone. I love the pencil shape, you can also twist it to close and open when it gets down to a smaller point.

Wearing HoneyMoon Glow, perfect for everyday use.

Naughty N Nice, can be worn at night but also during the day when you feel like vamping it up.

Housed in a tin box, these pencils are budge and smudge proof.

L-R Watermelon, Butterscotch, Plum and Cotton Candy

Overall, the Moisturizing lipsticks are true to their claim: very moisturizing and very pigmented. However, I find myself reapplying more than often due to its balmy and creamy texture, but it’s good for a few hours. This is not a bad thing, it makes me reach for it even if I don’t need a retouch. The range of colors are suited to a global skin tone, ranging from nudes to reds, so I feel they were specifically chosen for me. I felt like buying the entire range! After all it is well priced, between P499.00 -549.00, and one can easily collect and build her lipstick collection without the guilt.

The eyeliners were quite a surprise, though. Cotton Candy and Butterscotch are ideal for rimming underneath the lashes to make the eyes look bigger, while Watermelon and Plum are good for smokey looks or can be worn everyday for a bold pop of color in the eyes. The big plus is that it is smear, water and budgeproof. It can’t get any better than that. (My only beef is, the pencil is short and can be easily be used up for everyday use. Maybe a twist type is in the works?)

What are your favorite Happy Skin products?

Happy Skin products are available at Beauty Bar, Select SM Dept stores and Plains and Prints boutiques.

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March 25, 2015

Beauty Behind the Scenes Demos Tips and Tricks

Marsala Photo Tutorial Eyes, Brows, Cheeks and Lips

I had the opportunity to do a mini makeover on my friend and fellow blogger Kira Ramirez the other week. Since I wanted to play around a bit with the Pantone color of the year, Marsala, I knew I needed a willing model who had the right skin tone and face shape for the look I wanted to create. Kira fit the bill, and so we scheduled a makeup date to test drive the look.

Here’s what I used:

Clockwise, Viseart Matte Palette, MAC Eye pencil in Teddy and Smolder and Urban Decay glide on pencil in Zero, MAC Blacktrack gel eyeliner and Fairy Drops H2Oproof mascara.

Brow Wow, MAC eyeshadow in Shade 2, MUFE eyebrow pencil in no. 4, MAC Brow brush in 263 and Clinique Brow spoolie

Kohl liners were used on the upper lashline and bottom lashline and smudged to create a base.

MUFE Eyecream shadows shades of plum and bronze to create the Marsala color was applied on the eyelid crease and smoked on the bottom lashline.

A MAC blending brush in 217 was used to remove all the harsh edges on the eye. A soft brown color was applied on top of the crease as a transitional color and to add depth to the eye. MAC Blacktrack gel eyeliner was applied and I made a slight wing on the outer part to elongate her eyes.

217 lashes were used to enhance her eyes.

Not a torture weapon, but eyelash tongs to secure the lashes on Kira’s eyes.

I’ve combined MAC Pinch me center bottom and Blushbaby center top to give her cheeks a flush of color.

MUFE Contour powder in 1 and 2 were used to sculpt and give warmth to her cheeks.

These two combined give a Marsala color.

L-R L'Oreal Bare Mocha, Estee Lauder Forbidden Kiss and Marsala Lipstick — L-R L’Oreal Bare Mocha, Estee Lauder Forbidden Kiss and Marsala Lipstick

In the words of Ricky Reyes, Eto ang finished product. A Beaming Kira!

Do you like this look on Kira? Give me your comments below.

A big shout out to EDSA Beverage Design Company’s Manila Coworking HoneyComb and Martine De Luna for the location shoot and for Kira Ramirez for being my ganado model and for being so helpful in shooting the photos for the blog. A true blogger who made DIY look so easy!

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March 23, 2015

Beauty Behind the Scenes Demos Tips and Tricks

Marsala Photo Tutorial Skin Prep

Finally here is my tutorial on the color of the year, Marsala. I’ve collaborated with Kira Ramirez, a beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogger who I’ve met during our Skinlux review with Martine De Luna, early last year. It was a long overdue collaboration since the past few months saw me indisposed and I recently hooked up with her again. Needless to say, it was a morning of girly fun and beauty schmoozefest. Here it is.

Fresh and Bare faced, ready to be glammed up.

Prepping the face:

Kira had Combination Skin, oily in the T-zone area and Normal on the the other parts of her face. I chose to use the Embryolisse Hydra mat moisturizer to address her skin. She also had redness and breakouts in her chin which she told me to conceal.

Skincare Arsenal, Fr. L-R, Embryolisse Hydra Mat, MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, Face2Face Super Matte Anti Shine and MAC Lip Conditioner

I used the Graftobian Color Corrector cream palette,to neutralize any redness or discoloration on the different areas on the face before applying concealer. Color used was a light peach corrector underneath the eyes, I also used the green color to neutralize her pimples under her chin.

Skin Perfection 101. Clockwise, Graftobian Color Corrector Palette, RCMA Cream Foundation in Shinto 2, RCMA Highlight and Contour Shading wheel, I used Shinto 3 and 4 to contour and Shinto 1 to highlight, MAC Eye Prep in Medium and Dermacolor Concealer palette. Brushes used NARS Concealer brush and MAC Synthetic blending brush

Kira’s face is round shaped, so I applied dark cream foundation on the outer perimeter of her face and top of her forehead and down the sides of her nose to give it depth and applied the lightest cream foundation on the high points of her face like the top of her forehead, middle of her nose, upper cheekbone and her cupid’s bow and chin to bring light to her face.

Ben Nye Translucent powder was applied to set her makeup in place.

All prepped and ready to be transformed.

Kira’s final glammed look is next. What is your favorite skin prep routine?

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March 22, 2015

Behind the Scenes Bridal Demos Editorial Events Events Interviews Personal PreNup Seminars Slider Stage Tips and Tricks

Antonio – Rodriguez Nuptials

I love my job. Weddings are usually that particular time where emotions of happiness, joy and sadness come into play. I was touched when my friend Rachelle Almario called me to ask if I was available on February 11 to do the hair and makeup of her best friend Lisa Antonio. It was her wedding gift to them. This is the stuff I live for.

Lisa and I share 2 things in common, Rachelle is also one of my good friends and that we both just moved into the Alabang area recently, having our homes built within the same year in 2014. Lisa is an architect, she carries the lineage of the late National Artist Ramon Antonio and her famous aunts the Veloso sisters who are well known for their made to order clothes for Manila’s chic society. Her well appointed home with clean and crisp lines give you an indication of her choice in wedding style. The epitome of chic and sophistication echo the simplicity of her gown bought from Rosa Clara.

Lisa conveyed her wishes to me by making her hair and makeup very simple, nothing too contrived just effortless. She looked to Audrey Hepburn and Carolina Herrera as her inspiration and immediately I knew what direction she wanted.

This is her other good friend Triccie Syquia who was part of her wedding entourage who I also had the pleasure of galmming up. — This is her other good friend Triccie Syquia who was part of her wedding entourage who I also had the pleasure of glamming up.

Thank you Rachelle and Lisa for the gift of friendship and I wish you and TBoy all the best on your new life ahead.

Photos courtesy of Lisa A. Rodriguez and Randolf Evans Photography. Hair by Tony Dusich

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March 10, 2015

Tips and Tricks Uncategorized

My Marsala Favorites

Marsala — designated as the 2015 color of the year by Pantone — is a most versatile color to wear, especially for us Asians. Its warm, earthy hue is flattering to our skin tone, which leans towards the fair to medium range. Inspired by the Italian wine-growing region in Sicily, an authentic marsala wine is a muted burgundy color with hints of plum, which insinuates sultriness, seductiveness and warmth. If you ask me, those characteristics definitely make marsala color you’d want to wear!

Marsala and your makeup

Consider marsala in your makeup palette. It is best paired with a smokey eye in neutral tones, or combined with peachy pink and metallic colors, such as bronze or golden yellow. It also works well with turquoise and teal.

I’ve featured MakeupForever’s Aqua Cream Waterproof shadow in some of my blogs: That’s how much this color proves it can be used as a neutral color for eyes.

Additionally, I ‘ve combined L’Oreal lipstick in Bare Mocha and Estee Lauder Pure Color in Forbidden Kiss and tada! Marsala was the result! (See below.)

My favorite eyeshadows are Shu Uemura in PPurple 790 and Benefit’s Eyeshadow Buckle Bunny, which are neutral colors, and great for everyday makeup. These plum shades also work very well for bridal makeup.

How are you going to try Marsala? “Cheers!” should I say?

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March 4, 2015

Month: March 2015

Marsala and your makeup