Basic Make-up Kit

A checklist for the makeup artist’s basic stash:

1. Foundation

This is your base or the first layer in a makeup look. It conceals flaws, evens out skin tone and gives your skin a healthy glow. This could be your most important makeup investment. Your stash should include a light and a dark shade. It may be tricky to find an exact match to your client’s skin but you can mix foundation colors to get the perfect match. Foundation should be blended down below the jawline until the neck with no harsh lines of demarcation. They come in liquid, cream, mousse, or powder forms.

2. Concealer

It may be applied before or after foundation. I prefer putting it after so as not to ruin the properly stippled concealer on areas where it is needed. Blemishes, dark undereyes, acne breakouts will disappear like magic if you know the proper application of concealers, otherwise, you may end up emphasizing the problem more. Several forms are available in varying coverage, depending on the areas to be concealed. When using it for undereye circles, it should be moist and creamy, while covering blemishes may call for a drier texture to adhere and last longer.

3. Powder

This provides the staying power for your makeup and control the shine by helping absorb the skin’s natural oils. The finer it is, the better, with less tendency to cake. Between loose and pressed, the latter absorbs more oil but for retouch, a pressed one is more convenient to carry around, unless you brought a pump brush with the loose powder.

4. Eyebrow Kit

You can use pencil, powder, creme or brow gel to shape the brows and frame the face. Some beauty pundits discourage the use of pencils because it draws a cartoonish effect on the brows. I personally prefer a powder form applied with a brush. I use a dark, usually brown eyeshadow shade to pull this off. But then, choose whatever you’re comfortable with. You can top the brows with powder over the pencilled area to make it last longer and look more natural. A brow gel helps tame unruly eyebrows.

5. Mascara

A dramatic way to open up the eyes. Waterproof is the most commonly used especially for events that may involve crying (like wedding). However, this formulation may be irritating for women with sensitive eyes. A disposable wand may be used for more sanitary practices and avoid spreading of eye infection. It is better to apply two layers of thin coating than a single clumpy coat.

6. Eyeliner

It is an important element which can accentuate the eye and make the lashes appear thicker. A liquid type is harder to apply than a pencil but it would depend on the eye shape and desired look. You can even use eyeshadows for lining.

7. Eye Shadows

You could get intimidated by the various color choices but a neutral palette is a staple item for makeup artists. If avant garde is your forte, your choices must be wider. The textures come in powder, creme, liquid and pencil. For a more intense color, you can put powder over a creme form. A creme is more difficult to blend and it creases more. You can use an eye primer to lessen the creasing and for colors to stay. Eye shadow finishes have matte, shimmer, frost and satin types.

8. Blush/ Bronzer

These impart a healthy glow and give a well sculpted appearance to the face. The rules of contouring should be remembered when applying blush. Blend well and avoid a clownish finish. Matte forms usually last longer than shimmer ones. Be careful not to apply a shimmer blush to the apples of the cheeks when it is already very prominent. This could make the cheeks plumper.

9. Lipstick

Shaping the lips may be extra difficult due to the many planes and curvatures of the structure. Lipsticks come in a variety of formulas, including matte, creme, frost. sheer, gloss and pencil. They are among the products that are quicker to expire so don’t haul too many at one time. Be careful for signs of deterioration.

10. Makeup Brushes

They have various forms and functions but a good makeup brush should be soft enough not to irritate the skin but effective in delivery of pigments to the face. Using your hands may be ok to blend makeup but some clients aren’t comfortable with your hands laying on their faces. I will be orienting you on the different brushes in later posts. Make sure they are washed at least once a week. After a gig, I wash them afterwards to avoid harboring bacteria and passing it on to the next client.

11. Sponges/ Powder Puffs

Although I prefer brushes over sponges in application of makeup products, these are indispensable tools for absorbing too much product, especially under the eyes, for blending and erasing smears. It should glide smoothly against the skin.

12. Eyelash Curler

For people with straight and short lashes like I do, it does wonders in opening up the peepers. It may also be a most dreaded tool because it can traumatize if you accidentally include the lids in crimping. Ouch! You have an alternative in heated lash curlers like Blinc’s. Metallic crimpers should be used before application of mascara and heated ones are used after mascara. Some would heat the metallic crimpers with a hair dryer to curl the most stubborn lashes but be careful that you don’t burn the lids of your client when the metal gets in touch with her skin.

13. Tweezer/ Razor

For clients with brows that bring you back to the caveman era, you need to shape it using tweezers or razor. I prefer razor over tweezer since pulling the hair off on the same day you’d be applying makeup could leave the pores open and prone to infection. The tweezer would also be helpful in applying false eyelashes if needed.

14. Makeup Remover, Cotton Buds, Square cotton, Baby Wipes, Tissues, Alcohol

Avoid tugging the skin in an effort to erase accidental smears. Use a good makeup remover. Wipe off colors from your brushes using baby wipes, let dry before dipping it in another color. Wash your hands and sanitize them with alcohol even if you will be using brushes.

15. Makeup Traincase

When I was just starting, I used toolboxes sold at hardware stores to organize my kit. It was easier to clean and lighter to carry around. However, to avoid scaring the client by the household repair tools associated with the box, which she might think are needed to drastically alter her looks, I decided to get an aluminum traincase used by makeup artists. I still use the toolboxes at home to keep my makeups. Sometimes, I use a small suitcase which is lighter to carry and pack the makeups in pouches according to the area of use.

The details and recommendations for each product will be discussed in future posts. Til the next update.

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Camellia Rose Skin Primer

I finally got to own a bottle of one of the makeup world’s best recommendations: the Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing Primer.

Jen, the owner of Camellia Rose had to temporarily hold orders of the said primer because the demands were pouring in like mad. Since her products are handcrafted and prepared upon placement of order, she needed extra time to heed the clamor of makeup junkies.

It took me months to wait for them to restock while I continued to read positive reviews of the product with envy. What were all the raves about and why was it causing a virtual stampede on the Camellia Rose store?

I observed for a week before dishing out a fair review on the product and here’s my take on it’s success story:

A skin primer is something you apply to your skin before the makeup, to create a smooth base and hold the makeup longer. It prevents oiliness from coming out sooner and fills in large pores , craters and fine lines. This is an important step in creating a perfect canvass.

The ingredients are as follows: dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, silica, squalene, watermelon seed oil, red raspberry seed oil.

I’ll lay down the other reasons why it gets my seal of approval:

• It works. When I head off to the clinic everyday, I hardly use a liquid foundation to avoid parabens and other harmful preservatives. Yet, with Camellia Rose primer, i get the same smooth effect which I benefit from using liquid foundation, minus the health worries. I hardly see a shiny area on my face by the time I come home. My skin craters are still covered, with no touch ups done. Being an oil spill, it should qualify as a miracle.

• Pleasant smell. Silicone based primers have this rubbery scent which is tolerable for me but Camellia rose primer reminds me of a yummy watermelon you’d love to feed your skin.

• Easy to apply. It has the same consistency as smashbox primer which is easy to glide on your skin. Let it dry for 2-3 minutes before topping it with your regular makeup. With pure luxe, although the smoothing effect was excellent, I had trouble spreading them out with brushes because of clumping.

• No skin irritation or break outs. For 1 straight week of using this, I had no adverse effects noted. In fact, the remnants from latest acne attack has tamed down. Some girls have reported allergic reactions towards squalene and red raspberry which are ingredients found in the original version of the primer but you can always opt for the Camellia Rose V 2.0 in which the said ingredients are replaced by camellia and rice bran oil. By the way, I ordered the 2 versions which I use alternately. I still can’t decide which is better because both work fine with me.

• Affordable. A jumbo size is sold for only $18.95. Other primers cost around $30 per bottle. One tiny pump a day is all you need. Too much amount could lead to creasing.The bottle should last for a very long time.

• Excellent customer service. The shipping was fast, I’m from the Philippines but my order arrived in less than 2 weeks. That’s really something. Jen is a very nice, sweet lady who adds personal touch to her transactions. When I told her about this beauty blog, she was beaming with praises for the projects I did as a makeup artist. Despite juggling motherhood and business, she spends time to get to know her clients and make them feel special. She emanates with positive vibes which probably rubs off on her handcrafted products.

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What’s Hot: Empty Palette From Coastal Scents

If you like pressing eye pigments, this will end your hunt for empty palettes.

The pan sizes are similar to Mac’s eye shadow refills, 26mm. The case accommodates 15 pots. The Mac 15- slot empty palette has to be purchased from Mac Pro stores. I tried buying one from ebay but was always out-bidded. If availing of the buy now option, the price could soar up to $25 per case, shipping excluded.

Coastalscents, the company known for their affordable makeups and brushes is granting our wishes by coming up this lovely palette for only $7.95! Pressed eye pigments or lip colors could go well perfectly into these, including your Mac eyeshadow refills looking for home.

The last time I checked, they were still in stock. Hurry, hoard if you must.

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Beauty Tips For the Bride

My friend Styx texted me, asking for beauty tips on her wedding very soon. My answer wouldn’t fit in an sms, hence I decided to write this article for her and the soon-to-be brides who want to look their best on their big day.

Skin Care

Your makeup artist can only do so much. Take care of your skin as it will be be doubly difficult creating a perfect canvass with bumpy zits ruining your pretty face.

A facial would be good for your skin. Start 6 months prior to the wedding. Make sure that your last session will be at least 2 weeks and not a few days before the event. This could leave reddish marks on your skin and bring impurities to the surface.

If you have a huge acne days before the wedding, visit your dermatologist for an intralesional injection of steroids. The zit should subside within 24 hours.

Don’t bask in the sun. Overdoing it may lead to sunburn. If you want a tan, consider bronzing creams instead. Similarly, avoid peeling creams near the big day. Patchy, dry, flaky skin may be difficult to conceal.

Avoid frequent night outs, exposure to smoke and alcoholic beverages. They all lead to a dull skin.

The Sexy Bride

Create an exercise routine months before the event. Enlist your bridesmaids to join you to make the activity more fun. Wanna get rid of that tummy bulge or those big arms? Customize your routine to address the problems.

Be careful what you eat. Skip the high carbo and switch to veggies and fruits. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. A healthy diet will speed up the beneficial effects of your exercise.

Take your daily multivitamins to keep you in top shape.

Hair Flair

Decide which hairstyle you want. Grow it long or trim it down, curl or straighten it, weeks or months before. Find a style that will flatter you. If unsure, ask your hairstylist for advise.

Don’t color your hair a few days before the big day if you are prone to allergies, unless your groom fancies a swollen bride. Allergic reactions could cause rashes, edema and at worst, difficulty of breathing. You could get rushed to the emergency room and sabotage your special occasion. Make sure to test the products before using them.

If your hair is on the limp side and you want curls or volume, avoid using shampoo and conditioner on your wedding day. Some hairdressers have to wash them with laundry soap to minimize the oiliness and limp appearance. That way, it becomes easier to style.

Hands And Feet

They are areas which shouldn’t be neglected. Treat yourself to a foot spa. Get a manicure and pedicure from someone you can trust not to inflict wounds. Paint your nails with pinks or peaches, not screaming red.

Bridal Makeup

Choose a makeup artist you are confident to bring out the best in you. Book an appointment months before because the artist you have in mind may not be available on your chosen date, leaving you to the hands of those you aren’t comfortable with. Check out their previous works before committing. This is your big day, not a time for big risks. It is crucial to have a trial makeup months prior . Set a date for this and tell your mua what you have in mind. Although she probably knows what looks best for you, you need to articulate your thoughts, to arrive at the look you desire.

If you have allergies to makeup, tell your artist beforehand so she can choose hypoallergenic products for you. If it’s a bad case of allergy, see your dermatologist so she can prescribe medications earlier, unless your mua is also a doctor *coughs*.

Eyelash extensions may be the “in” thing today, but if you already have nice lashes, you might have to think twice about getting one for your wedding. Besides being tricky to care for, it cannot be curled or applied with a waterproof mascara, so that limits the mua’s capacity to put volume into it, unless you opted for an already dramatic set of extensions, which may not look natural after the wedding day.

Get some sleep!

Preparations for the wedding may get stressful, leaving you less time to sleep. On the week itself, especially the night before you walk down the aisle, try to get adequate rest. A natural fresh, well rested look is a lot better than a well-concealed raccoon eyes.

On your momentous event, don’t forget to smile and cherish this important day in your life. Enjoy every moment of it. Remember the first time you fell in love with your groom and hold on to those sparkles in your eyes.

Photo by: Dustein Sibug
Model: Kristine Faye Ragpala-Tan
MUA: Grace Pamparo-Bandoy

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Style Spotting: Katie Holmes’ New Hairdo

Katie Holmes oozes with”oomph” factor as she strolls in Manhattan with this new hair style. I’m betting that beauty salons will soon be loaded with girls wanting to have their hair chopped like Katie’s. With the rising prices of gasoline, saving up on shampoo and conditioner won’t be a bad idea. I love the accentuating scarf and glasses.

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