Cure Natural Aqua Gel

Behind the Veil – Singson Camara Nuptials

Most of the time, simple is best. It keeps things fluid, effortless and comfortable. Michaela is all that. Just in her short story below, we met through her now husband, who is my chiropractor at Intercare. I wasn’t expecting anything from that meeting since I figured Michaela already had finalized her makeup artist options since the wedding was a few months away.

Both families come from a line of professionals and achievers, I admire the values that her mother Tang and father inculcated in their children. Seeking higher education is always worth pursuing more than the material values that are fleeting and superficial. I also saw how the family came together and pulled out all the stops, to help, soothe and calm a nervous bride specially as the magic hour is nearing .

This is what class is all about. I love how you were so cool and calm throughout your preparations and your inner glow definitely showed through, just like how a blushing Bride should be. Thank you for making me a part of your love journey, I wish you and Miguel a happy and prosperous marriage filled with blessings, joy and happiness.

1. Please tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do for a living, what are your hobbies, passions?

Hi! I’m Mika. I’m an architect who specializes in sustainability. I work with the Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Carbon Lab team that does a mix of ensuring energy efficiency, low carbon and LEED/WELL consulting.

During my free time, I love to paint, eat BBQ popcorn + watch movies, hike, play board games, and skate. I started skating with my sister earlier this year, and we both love it so much that we go at least once a week.

2. How did you find out about me (Acie Fores Makeup Artist)? What made you want to work with me?

I first heard about you from my (now) husband Miguel. He randomly gave me a calling card saying his patient was a make-up artist and I should try her out. Admittedly, I didn’t call you RIGHT after that, because in my head – “he does not know the difference between foundation and primer” But a few days later, my tita had mentioned you too, saying that her friends had worked with you previously, and that you had made all her friends look amazing!

3. How did you like the outcome of our time together, for your special day?

I liked you trial pa lang! Haha! By that time, I had tried na three make-up artists and was already getting frustrated that I had not found “the one” for my big day. I sound so arte, but my skin is actually so sensitive. (Full make-up really feels like a chore because of how heavy it feels on my face.) I had broken out in rashes after the trial with make-up artist #3, and ended up with a bad stye with make-up artist #1. I was close to picking make-up artist #2 just cause I did not break out into rashes after the trial. Buti nalang, Miguel and my tita mentioned you. So, I said, “Sige na nga one more trial.”

The minute you started prepping my skin I knew na you were different. I mean, how many people have tried a make-up artist who will exfoliate their skin and then massage it before the make-up?

As the trial went on, you airbrushed my make up on. (My first time to try airbrushed make-up) Not only did it feel great – feeling like I didn’t have any make-up on my face, but I loved how you made me look too! I felt the make-up looked so natural – like I was still me, but a flawless, glowing version of me! Totally what I was going for, for my big day!

So of course, on the day itself I sat on the make up chair with no worries at all. The full trust I had in you made all the difference.

4. What’s one special memory you have of your wedding that you love? Could you share that photo with us?

It’s not the wedding itself, but the day before. Getting ready with my family was such an intimate time for me. This includes both my immediate family and my extended family. My extended family – siblings of my parents and their children, were with us prior to the wedding too. They all came to Tagaytay the day before and we spent the night hanging out. I felt as if they were all hand-holding me all the way to the wedding.

5). What was a good beauty moment for you during the wedding day itself?

Can I say none? Haha! It’s not that I didn’t feel beautiful on the day, but I didn’t have what I would call a beauty moment. The day was beautiful over-all, because of the way everything fell into place.

6) Favourite beauty product, application used during your wedding and why?

If you cant get to a dermatologist, this is the next best things to flake off dead skin cells and give you a smooth canvas, ready for makeup.

I really loved the Cure Aqua gel exfoliator that you used on me. I felt like it got (cause i use it regularly now) all the gunk/dead skin cells out. I also liked the eye massage. Felt great to get a facial massage on the day itself!

7) Any bridal tips you want to share for future brides planning their wedding?

Find the best suppliers for the big day – suppliers you are happy with, then on the day just watch them all work their magic and watch everything fall into place.

8) What is one thing you could change during your wedding preparation?

I don’t know if I would change anything to be honest. Wedding planning was definitely stressful, but the day itself – the ceremony and dinner went perfectly. Everything that happened prior ended in something beautiful.

9) Any beauty rituals you did or received that you want to share?

None really, aside from the Cure Aqua gel exfoliator that I mentioned in # 6.

10) Favourite photo of you during the wedding and why.

The wedding ceremony was quick, and felt surreal. I didn’t realize I was smiling and laughing a lot too throughout the ceremony. So when I saw the photos, it was such a pleasant surprise to see so many photos where Miguel and I were just laughing. It’s such a great reminder of the day that unfolded, and how much fun we had (and have) together.

Products used:

Lisa Eldridge Foundation 13

MakeupbyMario Ethereal Eyes Palette

Dior Contour Palette 001 Universal

Dior glow Face Palette 001 Universal

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Blush

Makeup Forever Nude Creme Lippie 08

Gown: Mark Bumgardner

Makeup: Acie Fores

Hair: Vilma Legaspi

Photography: C/o Bride Michaela Jaja Samaniego

Venue: Anya Resorts Tagaytay, Antonio’s Tagaytay

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December 22, 2022

Beauty Bridal Lit from Within skincare for women over 40

How to get the Lit-From-Within glow.

Now that Covid restrictions have eased up on most parts of the world, Currently I see events and weddings resuming although cautiously, I couldn’t ‘ve been happier and excited. We’ve had 2 1/2 years of lockdown to learn how the disease works, we have seen the beneficial effects of being vaccinated and the more we know the more we get better at learning how to cope with the pandemic.

So the past few months, have seen me working at weddings beginning at the start of this year with all the Covid protocols in place and frankly I’m enjoying the intimate celebrations. Things move faster, it becomes more special and memorable.

So I’ve put together a few things that inspire rebirth, positivity and radiance since my beauty philosophy is to always enhance what’s already there, here they are:

Skin:

Cure Natural Aqua Gel

I always start off with a fresh canvas and I normally ask Brides to exfoliate their skin prior to the makeup. This ensures that there are no dry flaky skin that can hinder the absorption of products that can give the skin a boost in preparation for the makeup. Most of them usually get surprised how much dead skin comes off with this application. Its called gommage exfoliation.

Glossier Super Glow Vitamin C with Magnesium Serum

We all know that Vitamin C when applied to the skin brightens the face. This is a Vitamin C derivative (Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate aka MAP) which helps even out skin tone and improve the appearance of dark spots (and because it’s stable, it won’t oxidize or degrade after you open the bottle), while Magnesium PCA enhances hydration and replenishes moisture, so skin looks recharged, fresh, and glowy. It has all the good stuff, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, and Sunflower Seed Oil and Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract to condition and nourish the skin. Its lightweight, and the fragrance-free emulsion soaks in immediately with no filmy residue. (source: Glossier.com)

Sonia Roselli Water Elixir, Water Oil

Formulated with Ceramides, the water elixir plumps out the skin and gives it a hydration boost. It helps restore the skin barrier and calms redness. Added to this is the water oil applied to the cheeks and neck to hydrate dry skin. Both products are lightweight not oily, greasy at all. I know, you’re probably thinking oil on top of a serum may be a little too much for our humid weather. Trust me this doesn’t make you feel oily. The Water oil contains Squalane oil, Camellia Seed Oil, Avocado oil, Sea Buckthorn oil, Argan and Rice bran oil to name a few. Some of these have antibacterial properties to heal and make the skin supple. Apply 1 pump and massage into the face and neck. Most skin types I work with are actually dehydrated from either over scrubbing or not drinking enough water.

Moisturizer

Applying a moisturizer on top of the water oil seals the skin to make it plump, hydrated and primed. Make sure that the moisturizer you apply is the right one for your skin type.

Face Roller

I use a face roller to massage away any tension, puffiness and to warm up circulation on the face. Most Brides are holding so much tension and stress from their planning that the jaw and neck are usually hot spots that need relaxation and de stressing.

Ice Roller

To add to the chill factor, this is the last step in my skin prep to further soothe irritation, redness and puffiness. Stored in the freezer, these rollers constrict the blood vessels on the face. I recently added this to my personal skincare regimen specially after I had laser done on my melasma last year. This really soothed my face after that hot and warm sensation from the laser treatment and brought the redness and swelling down immediately.

Makeup

Jung Saem Mool Foundation

I chose this foundation mainly because of the coverage it provides. Its dewy when applied but doesn’t look oily. Its light, the texture is serum based but slightly thicker not as watery. Typically Korean made, you can be assured that you are going to get dewy, its ingredient list is comparable to the other Western brands and the shades are suited for the Asian skin tone. You can apply this 2 – 3x for medium to full coverage. One pump is really enough to cover the face but for longevity and fuller coverage I used 2 pumps and I had a little more to spare. Wait a few minutes for the first layer to sink in before applying the next layer. I used a blending brush to apply then tapped a beauty blender sponge to even out the coverage and to make it look more seamless. The shade I used was Medium. I also love the packaging. Nude just like the coverage. Its your skin but better.

Charlotte Tillbury Flawless Filter

Its Airbrush in a bottle. I apply this on the high points of the face, top of cheekbones, cupid’s bow, bridge of the nose to highlight the face. I sometimes add this to the foundation to give the face an added shimmer. Ingredients include a polymer, porcelain flower extract, glossy oil to give the face a blurring effect. Its a skin filter so to speak.

Dior Universal Glow Face Palette

Another secret weapon is this palette. It can be used on the face and the eyes. I use the Rosy and yellow gold shades for the cheeks and eyelids, the copper shade can also be used in the hollows of the cheeks and the eye crease as well. Its subtle highlight gives the skin that natural sheen and luminosity without the lit from NASA space effect. If you have overpowdered your face, apply this with a soft brush to remove the chalky and look.

Charlotte Tillbury Pillow Talk Cheek to Chic

Swish and Pop as the product description says, its a nude pink shade that flatters everyone. I swirl my blush brush on the two shades and apply on the cheeks for an instant glow.

Most of these products are available at Sephora, Shopee, Lazada and SoniaRoselli.com Share with me your other favorite products that give you that lit from within glow. Take care and keep hydrated!

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May 20, 2022

https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media?thread_id=3127037880734143&attachment_id=172688001190615&message_id=mid.%24gAAscBj4Ukb9-S-BkQ14GpBgpLZhl

Beauty Demos Personal Skincare skincare for women over 40 Tips and Tricks

Evening Skincare Routine with Makeup removal

In this series for #skincareforwomenover40, here is another video and blog post on what I do to make my 50+ something skin supple and hopefully delay the aging process. While it is not problematic, caring for it still requires a little boost and TLC to keep it from going south. So here is my step by step guide on how I care for it.

Remove your makeup and traces of dirt from your face with a gentle cleansing milk, Squirt a few drops on the cotton pad and swipe from the center of the face,down the neck and forehead. Use another cotton pad to remove eye makeup and swipe down and remove all traces of liner and mascara with a cotton tip.

Light cleansing milk to remove makeup and dirt in the face. Apply with a cotton pad and swipe from the center of the face, down the neck and the forehead.

2). Wash your face with a mild soap, I like the transparent soap Pears, as this reminds me of my childhood. It leaves skin with no soap residue.

TIP: You can use your eyebrow spoolie spritzed with water and swipe the soap until it forms a transparent paste on the spoolie and apply on your eyebrows to groom hair strands into place.

3). Exfoliate with Cure Nature Aqua Gel ( 2-3x/week) to remove dead skin cells on the face. Apply this onto cleansed face and swirl the product on your face until you feel water beads form and lift up dead skin flakes from your face. Rinse with water. This is called gommage exfoliation.

This is perfectly non irritating on the skin since this product is mostly composed of Hydrogen water so no harsh chemicals will leave your face stripped of its natural oils, just dead skin.

4). Apply your favorite toner to bring back the PH balance of the skin, I use Dr. Hauschka Clarifying toner. I like the Rose smell and its not drying at all. Either Spritz this on the face or apply with a saturated cotton pad.

5). You can skip this step if you’re too tired, this is an added treat for your skincare routine. The Mini Nuface Trinity is a FDA approved home device that mimics the laser procedures in the Dermatologist’s clinic. While this will not replace a stronger current and effects in a professional medical clinic, this is a good alternative in experiencing anti aging benefits at home. It is a 5 minute face lift using microcurrent that will tone and smooth out wrinkles. You have to apply a face mask like consistency from the gel provided, it is Hylauronic acid and any excess can be massaged in the face.

For the first 2-3 months, use it 5x/week and thereafter, can be used 2-3x/week. For Maintenance, use as needed.

6). Apply your favorite eye cream on the contour of the eye and on the undereye area. I use Estee Lauder Perfectionist Cp+R,but I apply sparingly as this can be thick. I switch eye creams depending on the season. During the summer months, I use a water gel eye one and for cooler months I use this one. As we age, ceramides can plump the skin surrounding the eye and reduce the lines around it.

7). Apply your moisturizer, I use Sonia Roselli Water Elixir, again filled with Ceramides. It is light and easily absorbed in the skin. Massage into face and neck area.

The Dynamic Duo of Skin plumpers and hydration, this has multiple uses aside from its moisturizing properties. Scrape a little powder blush for a creamy flush on the cheek, mix a little pump into your foundation and you have a tinted moisturizer with skin benefits.

8). Lip Balm

Often neglected but dry parched lips is a telltale sign you are not properly hydrated. Apply every day and night to make lips smooth and kissable anytime of the day.

So that’s it and hope you learned something new or maybe you needed a refreshed skincare routine, share with me what your evening skincare routine essentials are , I would love to hear from you!

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March 26, 2021

Behind the Scenes Demos Interviews Tips and Tricks Uncategorized

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.

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.

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.

Instructions in English. Love this product.

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

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.

Makeup:

Eye Makeup

Face:

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

Lipstick:

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

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

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September 13, 2015

Behind the Scenes Demos Interviews Tips and Tricks Uncategorized

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.