Photography : Nice Print Photography and Exige Weddings,
Gown : Rosa Clará
1. Please tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do for a living, what are your hobbies, passions?
I’m Pam. I currently work in one of the special agencies of the United Nations in Geneva.
I love being outdoors, doing activities like swimming, cycling, and hiking. I am also an avid cook who tries to come up with my own recipes. I love to write songs – songs of worship, of praise, and of love. During my free time, I travel and explore; discovering new things, learning new skills, tasting different food, and experiencing different cultures. I feel like the world is too big and have only seen very little.
2. How did you find out about me (Acie Fores Makeup Artist)? What made you want to work with me?
Last January 2013, Ram and I were at the PICC wedding exhibit wherein you were one of the exhibitors. You were kind, friendly, and very accommodating to us. When we looked at your portfolio, both bridal and editorial, we immediately became interested in you. What we really liked about your work is that your make-up style is so natural. It enhances, highlights, and brings out the best features of your clients.
3. How did you like the outcome of our time together, for your special day?
Ever so accommodating, you always replied promptly to our emails, giving us tips and advice about beauty and skin care regimen which we highly appreciated. You also took into consideration our preferences, our personalities, and skin types.
It has been a very pleasant experience working with you and your team for the first time during our engagement photo shoot. Not only were you at the venue well ahead of time, perfectly prepared and equipped, you were also able to envision and execute the look that we wanted for the theme that we chose. You even prepared three different face charts of what you pictured my make-up would be. Your professionalism was indeed very impressive.
You rendered the same impressive professional services to us on our wedding day, this time with a much bigger crowd as you and your team had to deal with the hair and make-up of practically the entire entourage, to everyone’s satisfaction. Needless to say, I, the bride, looked radiant and glowing on my special day. Getting your services was one of the best decisions we made.
4. What’s one special memory you have of your wedding/prenup that you love? Could you share that photo with us?
It’s not easy to choose among the many beautiful shots that were taken during the engagement photo shoot and on the wedding day itself, but we think these photos stood out among the rest.
Credits: Hair: Tony Dusich, Photography : Nice Print Photography and Exige weddings, Gown : Rosa Clará
There is a famous saying that “You are good as your last work/deal/job/success and the list of nouns go on. Part of the process of getting ahead of your game is through continuous learning which comes in many forms. For me, its through the classes. forums, OJT training, apprenticing with a mentor or whatever the case may be and I was able to secure a slot with one of my highly respected teachers Jen Delica of Proface Palettes and Pigmentsfor a High Fashion Editorial class. The photo of Miss Teresa Herrera was our inspiration for an editorial peg. Miss Delica worked on this May 2011 Rogue cover.
It is a rare opportunity to obtain a slot with her due to her numerous commitments both here and abroad for her highly prized skills in the beauty and fashion industry. The bulk of her work is seen on many TV commercials, videos and documentaries like Discovery Channel (and did I mention, she worked on the Bourne Legacy movie set filmed here a few years ago?) to name a few. I can’t even begin to describe how great this woman is, and may I add very humble and respectful too. Rare qualities you find in a celebrity-kind-of- way-makeup artist you see nowadays whose egos are so inflated as their ginormous makeup trolley. She was my teacher a year ago when I took up a High Definition class with her. Her vast wealth of knowledge, technical artistry and experience is what takes your ego down a peg or two to as she has turned my perception of makeup artistry upside down.
I am not going to reveal the details of the class, as I highly recommend you or the makeup artist reading this, to simply take her class and see for herself what I mean by turning your perception of makeup application upside down. This class is not for beginners as one is expected to have a basic understanding of color theory and makeup application under her belt. This class is meant to teach you how to improve your skills and learn her technique of makeup application. She begins by asking you questions about what it is you want to learn and improve on and you bring photos of the looks you want to recreate and then proceed from there. In a nutshell, you go out of this class armed with the understanding that makeup application is not about slap dashing makeup colours on the face but rather an intelligent capability that it is a technical skill that one has to master. It’s all about the face and seeing how you can be an expert in disguising and creating that perfect illusion that is beauty in the eye of the beholder.
I showed her a couple of my editorial projects, which she critiqued and mentioned there is room for improvement pa rin. In gay lingo, kontingkeribels pa. Of course she meant it in a good way!
Lesson of the day: Easy Smoky Look
In all photos except the last one, the left side of her face was done by Miss Delica while the right side was done my me.
Would you believe, model’s name is also Jen?
Lesson 2: Smoky Look with a Feline Flick
(term borrowed from Charlotte Tillbury another makeup artist whose work I admire)
Lesson 3 High Fashion Smoky Look
Lesson 4 My version of a Smoky Eye with a Nude Lip
The beauty of workingas a freelance makeup artist, is tying up with a salon from time to time. It is another venue to hone your skills and get a first hand experience of working with real women with real beauty issues or needs. Guess who happened to drop by at Elevation Salon,? Regal beauty herself, Mrs. Amparito Lhuillier! She walked into the salon a little past her appointment and reasoned the Manila traffic was to blame for her tardiness. She just came from her homecoming at St. Scholastica College in Manila.
While waiting for her to arrive , I immediately went to the internet to do some research about her and found photos of herself in many glossies with her trademark look of dark smoky eyes with a red lip, and I was thinking immediately a la Paloma Picasso. Only a few women can rock this look and being of Spanish lineage, it really is fitting although it may sound like a cliche look for most women of the same heritage. Pressure is on when you’re doing someone famous!
In terms of the look, I thought of doing something else for her but something in me decided to stick to her signature look. I will not reveal her age, but she does have a figure and stature of a model still in her prime. Defying gravity you say? (Did I mention she is also a Facial Care Center spokesperson? Beauty Secret #1 revealed. )
Armed with her little baon of beauty staples with her, I was surprised that she carries with her a handful of laminated photos of the hairstyles and makeup looks that suit or she thinks will complement her. This is a woman who knows what she wants! Due to her numerous social engagements, she has perfected her beauty routine to a T and mentioned that she has a lady that does her hair and makeup in Cebu that knows her face like the back of her hand and has been at it for many years now. On top of that this lady does her hair and nails, too, and Mrs. Lhuillier excitedly narrates that she does supply her with all the beauty things she needs whenever she goes abroad to keep her abreast of what’s new.
“Flaunt your assets but hide your flaws”With Thomas Ellsworth Senior Hair stylist at Elevation Salon
I was overwhelmed by her beauty. the hour actually felt like a blur, but she gave me the most wonderful advice:
“Flaunt your assets and hide your flaws”.
I just had to ask her about her famous daughter, Monique Lhuillier, the famous bridal designer who is making her mark in the global bridal fashion industry. Mrs. Lhuillier (being a proud parent) casually mentioned that she gave her daughter a small loan to start her business not thinking how it will succeed. She even told me that in the early years, she would go help her daughter during her trunk shows at Bergdorf Goodman and Lord and Taylor by steaming and packing the gowns and dresses and helping her sort out her orders in her high heels and cocktail dress.
Now that is what I call effective marketing — two chic sophisticated ladies selling bridal gowns!
And, of course, the rest is history. Now she says she can’t even afford the dresses that her daughter makes when asked if she always gets to wear her daughter’s own creations. Being the greatest supporter of Cebu fashion, she also proudly wears the creations of Jun Escario and Phillip Rodriguez alongside her internationally branded couture ensembles.
Spending an afternoon with her was like chatting with an old friend who you have not seen for years. She does get animated and her face lights up when you bring out the topic of philanthropy (which her event that night was all about). She does not have any airs around her, and spoke to everyone at the salon. She treated the staff with humor and grace. She also mentioned that she is planning to join a fashion show next month in Manila and the designer asked her to model and proceeds will go to a charity organisation that she supports. How cool is that? She made us laugh with her humor, and gave us a glimpse of her fabulous life which will always be fascinating to anyone.
Thank you Elevation Salon and Mrs. Lhuillier for a well spent afternoon.
And now, here is my breakdown of her makeup look. I was amazed at how she also combines low end and high end cosmetics when she showed me her lipstick arsenal. She actually uses Fashion 21 Cosmetics in Red Sea as her signature red lip. Mixed with that, she also discovered the color of the season, orange, which she perfectly mixed with her red one. She finally decided on MAC Dubonnet for this particular look. Check out the print of her blouse. She really doesn’t leave home without her red lipstick — or two.
Here we go… Another Prenup! It’s never enup hahahahaha!!! This time its for the De Chavez – Clerigo Nuptials. This couple is the most interesting one for me, they are both Geneva based, working in the World Trade Organization or WTO. Pam works in the Copyright Development Division while John is assigned in the Informatics Division of the same organization. They are a young couple at the top of the world so to speak, based on their stories, they seem so well traveled, Europe is their playground of choice. Try topping that! Love their website! I wish I could post it but it is a private one. They created it to chronicle their wedding timeline only to find out, it will be a memory bank of wonderful memories with the glorious sophisticated backdrop of Europe! So young yet so accomplished in their own right. It really is so inspiring to see this couple so grounded yet so determined to start their life with a sense of spirituality and respect for one another.
Lucky couple in the Swiss Alps
“Tuesdate”
I met this couple at a Wedding Expo at the beginning of the year and I must say I was the one who was honoured to be chosen by this wonderful couple to be one of their suppliers. First off, the date of their wedding. December 24 2013. Tuesday . Christmas Eve? Really? Reason why this date was chosen? John proposed on January 1 2013 a Tuesday. Tuesday is the day they allot for themselves to relax and devote to prayer time as a couple. John decided that to better remember their milestones as a couple, December 24 is pretty easy to remember right? Pasko na sinta ko!!!! Christmas and New Year are this couples’s anniversaries! Few couples start their marriage with God as the centre of their lives and this couple humbled me in so many ways. Most couples focus on the wedding day itself but this couple chose otherwise and decided to put their energies into the Lord as the centre of their marriage. What a great way to begin a a life together as husband and wife!!! Future couples out there take note.
Prenup Game Plan
The concept behind their prenup was a travel themed one. Land, Sea and Air to be exact. This was a perfect theme because it totally highlighted the couples’ love for travel. First Destination was Intramuros, Land. Location was at Fort Santiago, where I had my wedding reception in 1996. So romantic. Sigh…. Photography was done by the EverReady battery team of Jun Garcia ofExige Photography. Hair was done by Gladys Tiosen. This is how it turned out. Pam and John were such girl and boy scouts they were their own fashion and wardrobe stylists. Each look was perfectly orchestrated with the right outfit, the appropriate accessories and of course a winning attitude. I think they should consider getting a sideline and work with me on shoots!!! All photos below were courtesy of John Clerigo and Pam De Chavez taken from their website.
Fresh na FreshThe Blushing bride and so so in love
Shades of Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady talaga
Our Makeup look here was to convey the classic looking bride with makeup suited for a morning wedding. See the Makeup Chart for Makeup details.
Morning Bride. Look #1. Classic Bride. Kate Middleton was the inspiration for this look.
The Second Prenup Look was done at the Manila Yacht Club. For this look, makeup was more on the bronzy side and the hair was supposed to be loose with cascading curls perfectly setup by the bun from the first look. However, we didn’t expect the wind to be extremely strong in this place. We had to use a scarf to tie her hair which Pam brought with her. It was an impromptu prop. We had a good laugh on this take, the lashes were threatening to come off with the force of the wind!!! Love is in the air and so were her lashes. Hahahahahaha!
Second look for the “Sea” themed aspect of the shoot was more of a bronzy look with a reddish brown lip
The Look of Love. Nautical or naughty but nice?
The third and last look of the shoot was the “Air” themed shoot held at Villamor Air Base museum. It was a photo finish for all of us, because of the Manila traffic on a Friday, that held us back, but with luck and prayer, made it before closing time. The third look for Pam was more of a toned down smoky look but Pam requested a glam ponytail to match her gown of black and white, an epitome of sophistication.
Semi Smoky look
Focus your attention to the left. The rain was about to pour when this photo was taken.
Alas, rain had caught up on us and this was one of the few shots that was taken after the downpour. Pam had to change into a cocktail dress for this photo.
Rain was definitely pouring and so as not to waste any more precious time, looked for another place to shoot the remaining images.
Oh one more thing, they had a Save the Date Video Shoot the following week! Location was in Tagaytay Highlands, the venue of their wedding. It was a great day to shoot and John And Pam were eager to do this to maximise their time in Manila before heading back to Geneva. Hair was done by Gladys Tiosen. Video shoot was shot by Mr. Michael Roldan of Exige Weddings.
What a good looking couple they make. I love the crispness of the white outfits.Ready na ready for a closeup.Ako rin ready for my closeup
I am very excited for this wedding and even if it falls on Christmas Eve, this is one union I won’t forget. As the saying goes, when you put God in the centre of your lives, nothing will go wrong. I wish John and Pam the grace and love for one another to unite your hearts in unselfish harmony so that your needs and wishes for one another can be lived in a life that is devoted to serving Him. With a grateful heart, Congratulations to a wonderful couple. See you on the 24th. Cheers!!!
The very first time I heard of a Prenup before a wedding event was from a cousin of mine, Sandy Henson, who was getting married at that time to her longtime friend and soul mate, Fernando De Achaval in July 22, 2011. She asked me if I could do her Prenup. Prenup? I asked in horror. Why do you need me for a Prenup? Fernando asked you to sign a Prenup? On what grounds do you need to sign a Prenup? These were the thoughts racing in my mind and I immediately told her that a Prenup was such a tasteless way to start a wedding and that she should reconsider her wedding plans to him because I saw a red flag hovering somewhere there. The actual definition of a Prenup is a document that either party signs before a wedding to protect significant assets that one brings into a marriage, in the event of a divorce or separation. So formal and so business like. Not romantic at all.
I felt like I had to be an Ate to her and give her my 5 cents worth of marriage advice because I felt I had to tell her something is wrong. She laughed and told me to chillax because nowadays, a Prenup is actually a photo or video shoot not a document. Susme! Prenups by today’s definition are video or photo shoots of the couple in varying moments of love all captured in digital media for all to see and shown during the wedding reception. This becomes part of their wedding album. Huwow!!!! I never felt so behind the times, considering I’m supposed to know this right?
I said to myself, wow how times have changed; I never had a Prenup during my wedding in 1996 so this Prenup concept was a bit shocking to me. All that I had as a memento of my wedding was a wedding album with 5×7 photos inside it. No video, none of the social media posting that we do get today. I was getting over the shock but soon after felt relieved and excited to be a part of something romantic and magical, and so I agreed, and shock turned into excitement and being honored to be a part of this couple’s magical love train. The shoot was captured by no less than Jason De Guzman of Imagine Nation Photography and Manu Cuevas. Hair was expertly styled under the deft and skilled hands of noted hairstylist Alee Benson. Makeup Used was Nars Bridal Palette on her eyes, MAC Lingering for her brows, MAC Studio Fix Foundation in NC 35, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, Orgasm Blush, Makeup Forever Sculpting kit and MAC Spice lip liner topped with Angel Lipstick.
Felt the love already. First few shots of the day and there is no feeling of hiya or stiffness between the two. Photographer Jason was excited to see the progress of the shoot.
Lovers Delight. This is one of my best photos. The bride used this for her profile photo in Facebook recently.
Last few shots of the day and they were still in good spirits. Jason couldn’t have captured it any better.
As I write this, Sandy and Fernando have been married for the past two years and I can testify that the mood and feeling captured in these few photos are still shared up to now. When I follow them in their Facebook and Instagram accounts, I see them express their love for one another by posting random acts of kindness , some may call it oversharing or TMI (too much information) but I commend them for keeping the flames of passion burning between them. Nowadays, love can be cheap and overrated, with expressions of motherhood statements about empty promises but not these two lovebirds.
Currently they are trying to expand their family and I wish them all the luck and happiness and I have no doubt it will be sooner than they think. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Love you both Sandy and Fernando. A huge thanks to you for making me a part of your wedding and your lovefest.
