How they see Acie Natural Look 3

I went to the Jing Monis Salon for my 3rd Makeup look and I was assigned to AlexJ De Lara.  I requested for the same “natural” look and this time I had a photoshoot to attend to so it was just perfect to get my hair and face done where I will be photographed professionally.

Barefaced and Recently buzzed.
Barefaced and Recently buzzed.

 

Using the same before photo since I always forget to take a before photo.

 

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Smoky look with a darker lip.

 

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Subtly blended neutral colors accented with flirty lashes. Brows look darker in this photo, since I tweaked it late in the day.

 

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I used a combination of my makeup loves with the stylists. For the face, he prepped the skin with Hourglass Mineral Veil primer and applied the combined shades 123, 301, 112 of the Koh Gen Do HD Moisture Foundation. For concealer, he used Okuma Concealer in shade 01. He bronzed it with Smashbox Suntan Matte and used NARS Manly blush. He set my face with Koh Gen Do translucent powder and Smashbox’s finishing powder. Brows were nicely peaked with Maybelline brow pencil in a light ash brown shade. My eyes were accented by the Tartlette Palette in the 3 shades second row top to bottom from the left. The outer V and Crease were accented by a darker brown color on the 3rd top from the left. Lashes were elongated using Red Cherry 747S and lined with Loreal’s black gel liner above and below the lashline to give the defined and smoky look. For the lips, MAC’s Whirl lined my lips and gave me a Chestnut looking color that gave me a pouty smile.

 

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This was my BTS look in the photographers studio during the shoot. I took advantage of the FalconEyes Ring light which my other colleagues went gaga over. I took a selfie and this was the result. Look no shadows!

 

I loved the way it turned out, so far, this is one of my favorite looks.  My eyebrows could be a tad darker but I appreciate the fact that he still made it look “on fleek” without making it too harsh looking.  I received compliments  with this one and the makeup felt comfortable, not heavy looking.  Due to the ring light, I was able to see the makeup application up close and I noticed, my brows were lighter than I thought it to be.  Late in the day, I decided to fill them in so it can blend wit the rest of my face.  Professional lighting is the true test on how your makeup is photo worthy.

I didn’t mind the darker lip color too since I wanted to experiment a bit.  My lashes were a bit flirty and it gave me a semi Marilyn Monroe look since the ends were a bit heavy but also still felt very comfortable.  This look stayed on the whole day and I blotted my face with blotting paper and refreshed my lip color, I wouldn’t mind going out on a night out looking like this.

Do you like this look on me?

Jing Monis Salon  3/fl. Bellevue Hotel Alabang +632 5550963
Jing Monis Salon on Facebook

 

How They See Acie: “Natural” Makeup Look 1

Have you seen those YouTube videos  where they show the evolution of makeup in 3 minutes or less? There is also a similar video in which a woman was photoshopped according to the beauty standards of the country she sent her photo to.  Well, it gave me the idea to blog about how various makeup artists see me.  I’m calling it “How They See Me (Acie)”.

This is intended be a fun experiment as to how I am perceived by other artists when I say give me a natural look. I gave them the option of going avant garde if they think this is part of my transformation palette so to speak.

First of this series is done by my makeup artist neighbor friend, Mela Jimenez  I asked her to give me a natural look and this is how she painted me.

 

Barefaced and Recently buzzed.
Barefaced and Recently buzzed.

 

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Subtle blending of neutral colors

 

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After. Looking Fresh and natural

 

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Tools and colors she used on me. She applied a combination of traditional and airbrush makeup foundations on me, She used Face2Face cream foundation and airbrushed me with Temptu no 6 to finish it off. It was set by Face2Face translucent powder, I was bronzed on my cheeks and the hollows of my cheeks and temples with her favorite bronzer, the name at the back was already rubbed off. For the eyes, she used NARS Manly blush as the shadow base and shades of brown eyeshadows on the crease and outer v. For drama, she lined my eyes with black gel liner and brown gel liner on the bottom and smudged gently. For my brows it was KPalette in no.2 . For cheeks, she also used Nars Manly blush and for lips she combined a pink and coral lipstick to give it a pinkish beige hue.

I loved my look, Mela said this is how she does a smoky look on brides.  I wore this for 5 hours and it still looked fine.  I love how she effortlessly transformed me without me looking too garish or overly made up.  Give me your comments and let me know what  you think?

Korean Makeup 101 Banila Co is here!

Running late from an earlier appointment, I barely made it to the opening of their store pop up in Glorietta 4,  I was pointed to Vanilla Cupcakes when I asked the security guard where Banila Co was located.   That made my day.    As I arrived, I was pointed to Mr. Jon Lim, the one responsible in bringing in this line.  They were about to begin their makeup demo with Senior Korea makeup artist for Banila, Mr. Kim Kangpil who has a show Get Beauty in Korea.

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Banila Co’s muse is Song Ji Hyo, Korea’s model, actress and TV Presenter.

 

Product display at Glorietta 4 branch.
Product display at Glorietta 4 branch.

 

Skincare and makeup lineup
Skincare and makeup lineup

Established in 2005 to cater to the 20-30 year old woman, it ‘s product line focuses on skin care.  It boasts of its cleansing balm Clean it Zero in its pink tub.  It has papaya extract for the exfoliation part, Mineral oil and Acerola and herbal extract to tone the skin.  It is recommended for normal to combination skin.  Consistency is sherbet like, looks so good you can eat it.  Comes with a spatula.  Apply a little dollop into the palm of your hand, apply to your face and smooth in circular motions to remove makeup and dirt from the face.

Oh so soft face brushes ready to touch your face.
Oh so soft face brushes ready to touch your face.

 

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The star of the magic lineup, Clean It Zero a sherbet looking cleanser that promises glowing radiant skin. This is the original formula. This is for normal to dry skin since it has moisturizing properties.

 

 

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This is what I bought, the one formulated for Oily, combination skin. It has Resveratrol, a compound found in red grapes that helps in the delay of ageing.

 

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This is for brightening the face. Contains Moringa that gives the face a radiant glow.

 

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Clean It Zero is formulated for sensitive skin. Contains no harmful ingredients like alcohol, mineral oil, parabens and artificial pigments that can harm the skin.

 

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Look s like an ice cream cup with a spatula.

 

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Sherbet ice cream.

 

 

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Applied a gel like waterproof liner

 

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Applied the cleanser and melted on contact

 

Cleanser in action
Cleanser in action

 

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It took a few seconds to melt the product down

 

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Moisturized and cleansed. I wiped off the product with a tissue with no greasy after feel.

 

Clean it Zero feels like an oil makeup remover in paste form and without the oily residue.  It has a moisturizing effect that leaves you squeeky clean.  It has a fruity smell that dissipates after but does not linger on you.  I think this is purposely done to appeal to a younger crowd.  I like the smell and it does not bother me.  It’s perfect for travelling since it comes in a tub with a spatula, making it very travel friendly and portable.

Science behind the brand

With the Filipino’s fascination with Korean Telenovelas, its not hard to understand our warm reception to this Korean Skin care brand.  It was explained and demonstrated by Mr. Kim Kangpil that Korean women approach beauty from the underlying root of “proper skincare”.   Korean women do not want to show that they have makeup on, The Korean glow comes from having perfect skin, of having the perfect makeup base.  

A primer on how to achieve glowing skin
A primer on how to achieve glowing skin

When I heard this, I was jumping on my seat.  Finally!  I wanted to high five Mr. Kangpil on this one.    Most of us think that having that perfect glow comes from all the highlighting products we pile on our face but to achieve perfect skin is really all about layering your skincare and applying your base on top of that.

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Makeup Station ready for the demo.

Here is how to achieve that glow:

  1.  After cleansing your face, apply a brightening toner to cover our yellow undertones.  This also locks in moisture needed to prep the face for the base.
The Brightening toner is at the bottom left.
The Brightening toner is at the bottom left.
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Apply the primer to control oiliness and extend the wear of the makeup.  It also comes in 3 variants.  This is a good primer as demonstrated by Mr. Kangpil.

 

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CC Cream and CC Cushion

 

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An Array of foundation you can mix with your primer. Foundation of choice was the CC cushion foundation above right.

 

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Model before her skincare application.

 

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After. Her left side, which is the right side facing us, is the area where the demo was shown. Notice the difference from the one on the right (left side facing us)? Her skin looks radiant with just a simple application of skincare and base products.

 

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Eyeshadow shades to fall in love with.

 

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My brush with a celebrity. Mr. Kim Kangpil himself.
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With fellow UMAP members and other Korean makeup artists who flew in for the launch.

 

Price points are in the medium price range, not too expensive.  This will definitely be on my favorite list things and I see myself replenishing my skincare faster than usual since these are products I will be using a lot more often now.  I can never stress the importance of having the perfect skin and now you have no excuse to achieve that.  Banila Co simplified it for us.

Banila Co is available at the 2nd floor of Glorietta 4 and Landmark Trinoma.  

Follow them on www.banilaco.ph,  BanilaCo Philippines on Facebook and Banilacoph on Instagram

 

Arigato Gozaimasu Biore

The world is looking to Asia for inspiration, trade and business and for innovation.   With the proliferation of new Korean and Japanese cosmetics and skincare line available to the consumer, it is inevitable that products that have become familiar to us gets an upgrade.  Today felt like a shopping spree to Sasa, Mannings or Tokyo Hands.

Biore has been in the Philippines since the early 80’s and is still under the umbrella of the Kao group.  Remember their Pore and Blackhead remover?  Yup same company.    Kao has also improved on this product but we will see it s relaunching in a few months.

Biore just recently launched their makeup removal and SPF line and Unified Makeup Artists of the Philippines (UMAP) was invited for the demo and launching.

Biore launched its Makeup Remover product line in the Philippines as a result of a study conducted in Asia that despite hard economic times, women turn to the beauty industry to lift their spirits up.  The instant gratification one feels is a testament to the female buying power of a non negotiable aspect in their consumer buying habits.

From L-R Charisma Vergara President of UMAP, Chistabel Low ASEAN Manager Skincare/Haircare Business of KAO Singapore Private Ltd. and myself
From L-R Charisma Vergara President of UMAP, Chistabel Low ASEAN Manager Skincare/Haircare Business of KAO Singapore Private Ltd. and myself

 

UMAP Members pose with the Biore organizers

 

Makeup Removers are vital components in the makeup application simply because what we put on needs to be removed. Kinda like the yin and yang of things.  With more R&D in the cosmetics industry, makeup nowadays have improved in extending its longevity and increased pigmentation therefore making makeup removers step up its properties to match it. We need makeup removers because soap and water sometimes doesnt cut it.

 

The Stats

Biore Cleansing Oil

Biore Cleansing Oil
Biore Cleansing Oil removes waterproof face and eye makeup including gel liners and mascara. Pump into a cotton pad and press against the eye for about 10 seconds and swipe down. For the face, pump once and warm it into the hands and rub all over the face until makeup is dissolved. Rinse with water and pat face dry. Does not leave an oily residue, leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. Best Dupe for its expensive Japanese counterpart. Shhh U know  what it is.

 

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Instructions are in English. It comes with a plastic lock for the pump to avoid spills.

 

 

Biore Micellar Water

 

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Micellar Water removes all makeup, stubborn mascara and liners. Best used for light-medium makeup application. Non comedogenic, does not clog pores. Alcohol, oil and fragrance free and allergy and Opthalmologist tested. Comes from the Japanese Alps and enriched with collagen and white tea extract.

 

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Apply and soak a cotton pad and press against the face and eye and wipe off. Also a good dupe for the expensive French Pharmacy counterpart.

 

Biore Cleansing Facial Oil Sheets

 

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Best used when you’re on the go and have no access to water and soap. It boasts of its unique cloth construction that is thick enough to hold more liquid inside. It’s actually the cleansing oil in a pad form. Press for a few seconds and swipe down.

 

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Best when you have ‘tamad” days and dont want to go through a lot of cleansing rituals.

 

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Its container is perfect for travelling. Hygienic and portable.

 

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Well sealed so it wont dry out. It will last 3-4 months. It comes in refills too.

 

Biore Cleansing Oil Facial Sheets Handy Pack

 

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Handy Pack. Ideal for the “tingi” user who only wants to carry it in her handbag.

 

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Biore UruUru 2-1 Cleansing Foam

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Best used for light makeup with sunblock application. It has a high cleansing ability and no tight after feeling after washing. UruUru means Soft and Moist.

 

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Biore UV Sunscreen

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Aqua Rich series UV Sunscreen is water based, Texture is light and not sticky. May be used as a primer prior to makeup application. No white cast, sweatproof and lightweight. High SPF blocks harmful UVA/UVB rays.

 

My Personal Favorites

I personally like the Facial Cleansing oil, Micellar water and the UV Aqua Rich Sunscreen.  Aside from its reasonable and affordable price points, these products attest to its claim and since July when UMAP first met with them, I have been trying their products and my skin has had no adverse reactions except that it has also found its match in an Asian brand.  True to form, Japanese products never fail, and they are effective.  “In the Pink of Health’ is symbolic in the cutesy pink packaging that appeals to the Japanese market.

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Japanese Packaging simplified and beautiful to look at and receive

 

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Gift brief case

 

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Unboxed and filled with goodies. This was the highlight of the morning. I felt like I won a Kabuhayan showcase. WootWoot!

 

We were left with a great reminder, “The best makeup needs the best makeup remover, invest in having good skin too”.  Do you agree?

Thank you to Olive Soria, Brand Manager and Mr. Vincent Genato, President of Vibelle Distribution Inc and their staff for extending their generosity and hospitality to UMAP and its members.

Biore is  locally distributed by Vibelle Distribution Inc and all its products are available at Watsons, PCX Exchange, Landmark, Metro Dept Stores and SM Department Stores.

 

 

Bloggers Day Out: Em Alcantara

Lately, I’ve been watching the Philippine Madrigal singers on YouTube.  Their videos came out in my feed and I clicked on a few of them and 2 videos stood out, the one in Uruguay where they sang Eres Tu and my favorite, the one at the Abbey of Saint Michel, they sang Izar Ederrak.  It makes me so proud to see Filipino excellence appreciated in so many parts of the world.  Truly we Filipinos are blessed with so much musical talent, we are world class.

I met Em Alcantara through Martine De Luna.  Em is  part of the community of bloggers called Mommy Bloggers Philippines and also happens to be a former member of the Philippine Madrigal Singers.  I love it when the universe is conspiring with you.  She needed a refresher course on stage makeup since she is now on her own, performing for various events.  It was music to my ears.  (Pardon the pun, couldn’t resist).   Em was also concerned about her skin condition, which is oily to dry and rough which she said was exacerbated during her  pregnancy.  Here is what went on.

Fresh Faced
Fresh Faced

Skin Analysis:

  • Oily in the T Zone Area but dry on some parts of her face.
  • Big Pores, redness in some areas like the cheek and chin and skin texture is rough.
  • Pigmentation around the chin area and sides of her face

Skin Prep:

I just discovered this new Exfoliating toner called Cure Natural Aqua Gel which is made of 90% Hydrogen water and is preservative, coloring, mineral oil and artificial fragrance free.  Made in Japan and can be purchased at Beauty Bar.  I used this on her since I knew she had sensitive skin and didn’t want to add to her sensitivity.  Her skin was smooth after this.

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1 pump and massage into the face for 30 seconds. Dead skin flakes will fall off. Rinse with water and follow with your normal skin care routine. Use 2x/week to get maximum results.

 

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Instructions in English. Love this product.

 

After Exfoliating the skin, Water treatment Skin Cream was applied to the face as a moisturizer.

 

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Canvas is ready.

I used a combination of Kryolan Camouflage Concealer mixed with Coverderm Camouflage makeup in 3A and 5A and Judith August Everything Pencil in Golden Beige to hide her pigmentation.

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Ace of base

 

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Judith August Everything Pencil. It’s like the blemish sweeper. I used these 2 pencils to hide her pigmentation on her chin.

 

Makeup:

Eye Makeup

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Eye Prep and Makeup. L-R Maybelline Lash Curl Mascara, Urban Decay Zero Eyeliner, Nurturing Force Blot off Primer, MAC Eye Cream, MAC Blacktrack gel eyeliner, Benefit Brow Zing in Medium, The FAce Shop Style my Eyebrow in 03, Ben Nye Glam Shadow Palette. I used the first 2 and bottom 2 for her shadows.

 

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Photo courtesy of Kage Gozun

 

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Photo courtesy of Kage Gozun

Face:

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Makeup Forever Scultping Powder in Shade 2, NARS Orgasm Blush, MAC Highlighter

Lipstick:

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I used a combination of Inglot Lipstick #30, utmost right topped with MAC lipglass in Cultured on top and New Spirit above

 

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She is ready for her performance. Love her beaming smile.  I can’t wait to hear you sing Em!

 

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Ems smoky eye look.

 

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A singer and a writer
A singer and a writer

 

What do you think of her look?  Book Em Alcantara through her website, FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram account of @touringkitty.

 

 

Bloggers Day Out: Kage Gozun

Lifestyle and travel bloggers are interesting and engaging people to work with.  Insightful, full of humor and they are the best resource for anything and everything.  Kage Gozun was one of those people that you feel an easy connection with. I had a chance to give Kage a makeover to fit her active, on the go lifestyle one afternoon at the EDSA Beverage Design Studio.

According to her blog, she is a woman of many talents! She struck me as a multi-passionate creative entrepreneur and freelancer. Aside from having contributed to the web content of GMA Network, she is a co-owner of Brown Belly resort-inspired lifestyle wear and toiletries; she is a Lifestyle brand ambassador of Roxy Philippines; an active member of Sea to Summit Philippines, and an an avid surfer.  She is also a lifestyle writer who has contributed to numerous travel publications.

Here is the lowdown on her beauty look.

Skin Analysis

  • Skin is oily in the T-zone area and normal on the other parts of her face
  • Dull looking due to stress , dark eyebags
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Barefaced and ready for the makeover. Cleansed and Exfoliated!

Skin Prep:

Cleansed skin with Cure Natural Aqua Gel to remove dead skin flakes and impurities.

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One Pump and massaged into her skin for 20-30 seconds and see the skin flakes fall off. Rinse with water and follow with your skincare routine.
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Instructions and Ingredient list
After Exfoliating the skin, Water treatment Skin Cream was applied to the face as a moisturizer
After Exfoliating the skin, Water treatment Skin Cream was applied to the face as a moisturizer.  This is actually used for the hands but I wanted to use this for the face because I wanted a light moisturizer that would not feel heavy on the face.

Eyes and Face

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L-R Kryolan Camouflage Concealer wheel and Eve Pearl Invisible Finish Powderless Powder
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Makeup Forever Sculpting powder in Shade 2, Makeup Forever Mat Velvet Plus Foundation in 40 and 55, MAC blush in Harmony and Pinch Me, Skindinavia No More shine Finishing spray
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MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, MAC eyeshadows in Soft Brown, Wedge, Expresso, Nurturing Force Blot off to mattify face, Benefit Brow ZIng in Medium and Inglot Freedom Palette in 421S and 446

 

Urban Decay 24/7 glide on pencil in Zero and Bourbon.

 

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False eyelashes tied her  look together. These are lightweight flirty and natural.

Lips

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Inglot #30 last pan on the right

 

Loreal Barely Greige and MAC Lipglass in Culture
Loreal Barely Greige and MAC Lipglass in Culture
Squeezing in a selfie
Squeezing in a selfie
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Ready for her night out with her friends.
I think she approves.
I think she approves.
A singer and a writer
A singer and a writer

Follow Kage’s adventures on Instagram @surftolivetosurf and on Twitter @travelkage.

Inglot Bridal Seminar with Cherry Pacheco

Cherry Pacheco, a senior makeup artist affiliate of Inglot Cosmetics Philippines, recently indulged members of United Makeup Artists of the Philippines with a Bridal Demo at their Glorietta 5 branch.  I couldn’t pass this up since I’m always a fan of continuing education and Inglot Cosmetics Philippines is one of the cosmetics brand that I’m beginning to fall in love with.  Again, its not a basic demo, you have to come with the understanding of basic makeup application.  My love affair began with their most best selling gel liner no. 77.  It’s black inky color is unbelievably smooth and creamy and budgeproof.  It’s not exactly waterproof but its great for my needs.  I also have their nail ridge filler which lives up to its name, it leaves a smooth mantle over the nail preparing it for nail color.  I am hooked.

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Inky Black Gel Eyeliner no. 77. Inglot’s best selling item.

Her Tips:

1)  Begin with a very clean and smooth canvas.  Face should be prepped prior to the application, cleansed, toned, moisturized and primed, according to the skin type of the client or Bride.  Inglot’s Under Base Mattifiying base is considered the primer of all gods.

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Primer of all gods.

2)  Determine the bride’s skin tone and undertones by properly matching 1-2 shades of Foundation on the cheek to the jawline to see which shade matches her face.  The right color should blend seamlessly on the face.  When skin is acidic, it means that when foundation is applied, your skin color turns dark or gray after a few minutes.  This applies to people with oily skin.  To counteract this, apply a toner to the face,  apply a primer to the face prior to the foundation to act as a barrier between the skin and makeup and choose a foundation that is one shade lighter than your skintone.  This way, when your face casts a darker hue, it will match your skin tone perfectly.

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The shade that matched the model’s face is the one on the left. It was lighter than her usual shade because she is acidic.
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HD Foundation gives a dewy satin finish

3)  Begin applying the foundation with a brush on the upper half of the face until the eyebrows and extending to the lower part of the face where her upper cheekbones begin.  The perimeter of the face should be a little darker to give depth and warmth to the face.

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Model Xyrene with foundation applied on her face.
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Mattifying powder was used and applied with a sponge after foundation was applied.
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One of their best selling items their mattifiying powder.

4)  Contour and Highlight. When applying depth, highlight and warmth to the skin, Cherry uses powder to achieve this.

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Contour Palette
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Dark powder was applied from the top of the ear and blended towards the center of the face stopping in the lower cheek area. Do not go past the lips.

4)  Eyebrows should be properly groomed so placement of color can be applied correctly.  Brush the hairs in an upward stroke to see where the hair growth lies and where color should be applied.

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Perfectly groomed eyebrows and a face that has depth.

IMG_5777 5)  Eyeshadow

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Her Freedom Palette of choice. Love love the color on the bottom row, 2nd to the left. This is what she applied on the eyelid using her ring finger and blended to perfection.
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She blended the eyeshadow and added a darker matte color on the outer crease or V shape to accentuate the eyes.
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A lighter shade was applied in the inner corner of the eyes and bottom lashes to make the eyes pop.

6)  Eyeliner and Lashes

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Brown Waterproof eyeliner was used in the bottom of the lashes vertically and smudged 3/4 of the way.

7)  Blush

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Peach toned blushes work well with Asian skin tones. You may mix a pink toned blush to give the face more dimension.
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Work in circular motions from the apples of the cheeks and blend outwards.

8)  Lips

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Lip Palette to die for.   It is super pigmented a little goes a long way.  She used the 2 colors on the bottom row, 2nd to the left and the middle shade and mixed the two to get a peachy pink color.
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Lip color should match the undertone and color of the blush to create harmony in the face.

9)  Final result:

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Before (Xyrene Eugenio is also an Inglot Cosmetics Philippines makeup artist affiliate who gamely became our model for that afternoon)
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After. Xyrene is ready to walk down the aisle, the shopping aisle that is.

A promo and discount offer was offered to us artists which made it easier for us to justify our vanity cravings.  It is easy to be lost and overwhelmed when you walk into the store but trust the staff to offer their warm assistance  in narrowing your choices.  Despite the slight frenzy, I was able to make good choices in my attempt to understand their Freedom Palette selling point.    Their palettes are all magnetic, colors are easy to put in and talk about portability, everything you need is customized for you when you slip them in those compact holes.

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My custom bridal eyeshadow palette chosen for me.

The only bad point I can think of is that since the creamy pigments like lipsticks and cream concealers melt so quickly in our heat, I end up putting them in the refrigerator to harden them a bit.  Colors are named in a series of 3 numbers, I have a difficult time remembering them sometimes.    I guess this was deliberately done since this line is a brainchild of a polish Chemist Wojchiek Inglot, who wanted to produce cosmetics that are paraben free and free of those harmful ingredients you find in some cosmetic brands.  Chemists work with formulas and numbers hence the number sequence in their branding.  As a result, Inglot Cosmetics is 20-30% more affordable than their counterparts.  I call it genius, their magnetized palettes are a makeup artist’s dream, they all stack up in your kits.  Truly Heaven sent.

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Glorietta 5 store
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Lip Lip Hooray! I seem to want this artwork for myself.
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Xyrene and Cherry
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With their Glorietta 5 staff

Inglot Cosmetics can be found at Glorietta 5, SM Megamall and Mall of Asia.  Follow them on Facebook and InstaGram @InglotPH 

Coverderm The Perfect Camouflage

Anyone posting a selfie is fair game for anyone on social media more so, if you are a celebrity or someone famous. Consider the Instagram photos of Miley Cyrus’ dyed armpit hair or Kim Kardashian’s famous gleaming booty that resembles a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut, is proof that a face or a body part is now a typical form of self expression.  Haters and bashers went to town with those ones.

I’m not going to do a self righteous rant but rather share with you how those with skin issues and afraid to post their selfies can be a thing of the past.

Previously, camouflage makeup was relegated to the medical sphere and not readily available, since various skin diseases or imperfections like birthmarks, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, burns, moles, couperose, vitiligo, age and sun spots, pigmentation, freckles and facial redness are considered skin diseases or conditions that needed medical assistance.  Now,  skincare and cosmetics are intrinsically connected via advances in research and technology that most cosmetics contain healing, restorative and medical benefits which make it accesible to the consumer.   Coverderm, formerly Covermark before, was recently launched in Manila by Brady Pharma, its local distributor for everyone to obtain.

 

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Invisible Makeup..visible beauty

 

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Leg Makeup for those with Varicose Veins, stretch marks, tattoos, dark marks, sun spots, phlebitis, scars, burns, moles and bruises.

 

 

http://www.skinsentials.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/4/image/512x512/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/o/coverderm-classic-concealing-foundation.jpg
Ultimate skin corrector making skin remain unnoticed.

 

It was developed by Lydia O Leary, an American chemist who had a birthmark on her face that she wanted to conceal.  She wanted to develop a product that had coverage but was light on the face and easy to apply.  Her goal was to rid skin imperfections and make ordinary people lead normal lives through makeup, as explained by Rome Maglalang, sales account executive.

What can it do?

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Birthmarks be gone
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Cover Birthmarks and Chicken Pox scars on face (Before)
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After

 

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Cover Rosacea. Before and After

 

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Cover Tattoos (Before)

 

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After

 

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Actual Demo on our UMAP member, Sydney Dee who is undergoing treatment with her Dermatologist for her severe acne problem. (Before)

 

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Its best applied with a damp sponge and dabbed on the face.

 

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After. Her acne marks were concealed but considering it was still raised, the foundation smoothed out her facial discoloration and hid the redness.

 

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UMAP Members, headed by its president Charisma Vergara, eager to try out the products.

 

 

Advantages:

Hypoallergenic

Has SPF 30 and UVA and UVB sun protection

Easily Applied (Click here for more demo videos)

Lightweight, waterproof and sweatproof

24 hour coverage

High coverage

A little goes a long way

Has a lot of global shades

Has a satin like finish.

Disadvantages:

Has to be removed with its waterproof makeup remover cream.  It s not really a bad thing but due to its high coverage, soap and water will not easily remove it.

Has a Waxy smell but slowly dissipates.

Not available in palettes.

 

Coverderm Makeup Remover
Coverderm Makeup Remover

 

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We were not left empty handed. Beautyfull indeed.

 

We were given samples of their foundation and makeup remover.
We were given samples of their foundation and makeup remover.

 

Swatched. L-R, 3A, 5 and 7. My shade is 3A.
Swatched. L-R, 3A, 5 and 7. My shade is 3A.

 

 

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Coverderm Makeup Line

 

Final thoughts on Coverderm.

It’s consistency is really smooth, creamy and lightweight.  It does cover skin imperfections really well without the feeling of heaviness.  I would compare this to  the Kryolan Cream Camouflage and will use this as a concealer if not as a foundation too. Product comes with a spatula, its best to warm it at the back of your hand apply with a concealer or foundation brush, or damp sponge.   The packaging of the foundation can be improved by coming out in tubes like their leg makeup counterpart, instead of a jar for portability and convenience.  For artists, a palette with global tones can come in handy.   However, I would still consider getting  this for my kit.

Photoshop just met its match.

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Thank you Rome Maglalang and Coverderm for hosting us.

 

Coverderm is available in select Watson and SM stores and retails between P1700.00-P2000.00.  

 

Makeup Chats with Kira Ramirez

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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.
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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!

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:

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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
Brow Wow, MAC eyeshadow in Shade 2, MUFE eyebrow pencil in no. 4, MAC Brow brush in 263 and Clinique Brow spoolie
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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.
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.
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Focus on the lashline.
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No Tears!
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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.
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217 lashes were used to enhance her eyes.
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Not a torture weapon, but eyelash tongs to secure the lashes on Kira’s eyes.
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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.
MUFE Contour powder in 1 and 2 were used to sculpt and give warmth to her cheeks.
These two combined give a Marsala color.
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
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Applying the combined colors on Kira
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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!

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.

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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.

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Skincare Arsenal, Fr. L-R, Embryolisse Hydra Mat, MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, Face2Face Super Matte Anti Shine and MAC Lip Conditioner
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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.
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Dark circles be gone.
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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
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The Blending process begins.
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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.
Ben Nye Translucent powder was applied to set her makeup in place.
All prepped and ready to be transformed.
All prepped and ready to be transformed.

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

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.

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BFF. Warms my heart.

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.

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Channeling Audrey Hepburn

 

 

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Calm and Relaxed.

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.

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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