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

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

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

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

The Promise of Youth

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

Pegs for the shoot

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

Selfies

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

With Byron Velasquez of MAC Cosmetics

With Catherine Concepcion

With Nacho Tambunting

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

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

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