The last time I glammed up Martine de Luna of makeitblissful.com was about a year ago when we did a shoot together with Michi Calica Sotto at her atelier and she had a bun in the oven. Today I was able to glam her up again for an interview with Stephanie Zubiri for her show, Modern Living TV on ANC. These days, she now has her 1 year-old daughter Krista Valentina in tow, who joined in the beauty action. She requested for a natural look and I was just more than happy to oblige. Hair styling was courtesy of Rikki Suarez.
Related Post: You can also check this guest post Martine did for my blog a few years back, “Makeup Virgin”
Products Used:
Martine’s skin was on the dry side although I know she leans on the normal to combination skin. However, due to hormonal changes, her skin needed extra hydration.
Top Clockwise, Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder palette used as highlighter on the high points of her face, Lashes no. 219, MAC Paintpot in Groundwork was applied on the crease of her eyes, MAC Dipdown gel liner, MAC Brow powder in Taupe for her brows and MAC brow gel in Beguile. Maybelline Volume Control Mascara, Kryolan Concealer Wheel 2, Viseart Neutral Palette for her eyeshadows. Makeup Forever Contour and Shading powder in shades 1 & 2, MAC Blushbaby, Pink Swoon and Peachy Keen for blush, MAC Lipstick in Freckletone and Persistence. Ben Nye Translucent powder to set her makeup.
I apologize if I may have written the numbers of the brush by mistake specially for the fan brush, eyebrow and gel liner brush, the numbers have already faded.
My latest love, Shu Uemura Kolinsky 7H lip brush. its slanted edge is perfect for precise lip color application.
You may catch Martine on the upcoming 5th season of Modern Living TV with Stephanie Zubiri, showing every Saturday at 6PM on ANC, only on SkyCable.
We’ve all heard about the benefits of Argan oil, in fact it s included in the ingredient list of many of our beauty products from hair serums to massage oils. Argan Oil is known for its hydrating and anti aging benefits because of its high fatty acids and Vitamin E content, making it an all in one beauty powerhouse.
More recently, I received a beautiful gift from a former colleague, Rhoda Campos Aldanese that contained another Liquid gold, Marula Oil (read it here) The box also contains a big block of chocolate derived from the cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast West Africa. Tavoletta chocolate is best used for hot chocolate in the mornings and even if its not Christmas, I wouldn’t mind a cup of this warm rich chocolate drink to start my day. Chocolates are also rich in antioxidants and flavanoids, compounds produced by plants that are beneficial to cardiovascular health and cell renewal.
What It is
Marula oil is derived from the fruit of the Marula tree in Africa, and only the fallen fruit is collected and gathered by the women of East Africa. It is brought to collection points where the fruit pulp is removed for jams and juices and the shells are used for charcoal. This process protects and adds value to the wild strands of the tree and provide a sustainable livelihood for the community making it a member of the Fair Trade Association and Green America.
The cold process it undergoes without the inducement of heat or chemical treatments make it 100 % pure capturing all its beneficial properties more effective in its application.
The Ingredients are 99% Marula oil, 1% essential oil fragrance (Linalool and Limonene) that help make it an antioxidant that provides intense hydration, soothing properties and gives the skin radiance and glow. It does not contain Parabens, Phthalates, and Sulfates than can irritate skin.
Marula by John Paul Selects is named after John Paul DeJoria, the founder of John Paul Mitchell haircare systems, an entrepreneur that supports sustainability and social causes.
How to incorporate the oil in your beauty routine
Used alone as an anti aging moisturizer applied on the face and neck area 2x/day.
Add 1-2 drops of the oil to your favorite foundation to give you a dewy glow.
Can be used as a primer prior to makeup application.
Applied to soothe peels, sunburn or after facial treatments.
Can be mixed with other facial products like moisturizers, mask or cleansers for an elasticity boost.
What it feels like
I’ve only used this oil the past week, and tested it during the day and night. Lightweight and easily absorbed, it provides a satin finish after with no greasy after feel. It does feel plumped up and ready for the next step which is the makeup application. At night when I applied it, the next morning, my face felt like it drank 8 glasses of water, it felt supple and so so soft to the touch. The smell is very pleasant, with a hint of citrus but it disappears in a few seconds. The pipette it comes in is sleekly designed and opens up when you twist it open and dispenses the the right amount of drops.
I’ve begun to love this new variable in my skincare routine and I’m getting the sinking feeling, my jars of moisturizers will not get the attention and love it deserves because there’s a new kid on the block showing off. I was close to getting the Clarins Facial Lotus oil that has been the Holy Grail of facial oils by top makeup artists. I hesitated because I have a drawerful of moisturizers to play around with. Marula Oil is my new love and knowing that is created through a sustainable livelihood, it has definitely sealed its place in my own piece of beauty heaven.
Marula Oil is available at the beauty departments of SM Aura, SM Makati, SM North Edsa and SM MOA. Sold at P2980.00 for the 30 oz. bottle and P4980.00 for the 50 ml. bottle. Tavoletta Chocolate bars are available at Villa Del Conte outlets (http://www.villadelcontecioccolato.com/tavoletta/)
March 8 was International Women’s Day. Wednesday March 9 was a beautiful reminder of what International Women’s day was about.
I was recently invited by a fellow southerner and batchmate of my sister, Martha Orosa Uy, to spend an afternoon with her and a few ladies (we were a total of 50 that day) to listen to inspiring stories that lift the spirit and learn from the varied experiences of the speakers that day. It was a coming together of women who want to be inspired in their lives in a TEDtalk kind of way.
Martha Orosa Uy, together with 9 other ladies formed an informal group called BIG last December 2015 , an acronym for Build, Inspire and Give whose mission statement is to “start a revolution where stories are shared and entrusted to others so we may understand and become better versions of ourselves, whether that’s being a mother, wife, friend, sister or boss or employee” . Empowering oneself through sharing life experiences is a result of a woman’s wisdom gained from the community she lives and participates in. What a beautiful thought to live one’s life isnt it?
Empowerment is a catchphrase you didn’t hear in the past few decades until only recently. An issue more relevant than ever, woman empowerment simply means to live our lives freely with a sense of self worth, respect and dignity, to make their own informed choices and decisions and to have control of her life both within and outside the home and workplace. This being the foundation of which the group is formed, every month, a theme is selected, and resource speakers are invited to share their experiences and expertise based on the theme of the month. December was The Greatest Gift, January was New Beginnings, February was about Love You, Love Me , and March is So, what do you do?
The first speaker was Ambassador of the Philippines to New Zealand, Virginia Benavides who shared with us the struggles, the highs and lows, and how the unshakable Filipino spirit of bayanihan, faith and love for her country has enriched and carried her through her diplomatic life. Her personal story of being assigned to Brunei was her most difficult and rewarding posting due to the strict compliance of the Muslim laws prohibiting her from practicing her faith publicly. Despite this hindrance, her faith became stronger as it challenged her to live it out and put it into practice which validated her and her job as a diplomat.
One of her tasks is to see to it that the welfare of the Filipino community is protected and looked after by them when they are oppressed, abused and taken advantage of. She dreams (I certainly agree with her on this one), that one day the Philippine government will no longer rely on our people to look for better opportunities abroad to support their families. Filipinos who work abroad are highly treasured and in demand by employers mainly because they give and serve to the best of their abilities. Values of family, respect, hard work and our faith makes us resilient in the face of adversity inspite of the difficult social, physical and economic circumstances they endure being in a strange land.
The second speaker was Pastor Benjamin Cruz, National Director of Living Waters Ministry who shared his story of personal struggle between his sexuality and serving the Lord. His inner conflict stems from his suppression so he can live his life according to the dictates and norms of society. Now married to his wife Hazel, his epiphany came when he was shifting ministries to avoid being caught in his secret and that he cannot practice his faith due to this hindrance that was preventing him to be his truthful self. He found his truth in the humblest of ways in the eyes of children in a game of ping pong. The Lord always presents himself in the most simplest manner, this time Life Lesson 101 mirroring himself and speaking from the heart with love.
Pastor Cruz became my Aha moment. As a wife, mother, sister and friend the different hats we wear in our lives is the layer that makes us beautifully flawed and complicated, resilient and vulnerable, simple and complicated, to become the best in what we need to do in the situation or to do what is expected of us. Isnt this the virtue of being human? We are shaped by our circumstances, childhood and environment, “We are all broken, we just play it differently”, well said by Pastor Cruz.
The afternoon mood was artistically complemented by Marilen Espiritu, one of the founding members of the group whose creative genius raised my bar in the hosting aspect. Coming into her sprawling home, the scene captured the essence of what a woman is, a life fulfilled and expressed in her art form which is entertaining. God is truly in the details, Here’s why.
Truly a sight for all the senses, the beautiful spread laid out for us made the afternoon very special despite the unforgiving heat. It was a meaningful afternoon, I left with the feeling like I came from a spiritual retreat, your mind is clear, your spirit refreshed and invigorated, you gained a new perspective. Gratitude in my heart.
You may follow B. I. G. in Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/936541133106195/ Meetings are held once a month and is by invitation only.
This time, a fellow member of the Unified Makeup Artists of the Philippines, Maryann Obias, did my makeover. It was actually a makeup peg for a fashion showthat we provided services for and the makeup peg was an elongated, exaggerated black cat eye to evoke drama. Bold red lips and heavy contoured cheeks completed the look. This is what went on during our Polishing workshop that day.
Products Used:
Obviously, this is a look that will merit stares, and thoughts of What-was-she-thinking? I liked the way it made me look very edgy and hip and worthy of a editorial photo shoot (although that didn’t happen). Despite the few products used to create this look, a good dose of patience and a pair of steady hands is required to pull this off.
Here is my own take on the avant garde look. This is an old photo of me taken during December 2014 when I had a client that needed a Chinese Empress Look for their Christmas Party. I was doing a sample look for the client.
How bold do you want to be?
MaryAnn Obias Makeup Artist can be reached at https://www.facebook.com/makeupbymavo
Unified Makeup Artists of the Philippines can be reached in FB www.facebook.com/umaphils