Lights, Camera, Makeup!

After years of lusting for a make up artist chair, I finally have one! It was on my wishlist last Christmas and Santa decided to send it through snail mail, thus reaching my destination on Valentines day. Ok , it wasn’t Santa. It was my hubby who gave it to me as a Valentine’s present after listening to my constant rantings on how my back hurts after every makeup gig. Sweet.

I ordered my makeup artist chair from Suesh, my favorite supplier of makeup artist tools, known for their superior yet affordable brushes. I got it for Php 5000 (about $106) which isn’t bad because these kinds of chairs in Quiapo are sold for around Php 4000. The courier cost was Php 620 from Manila to CDO through AP Cargo. What I like best about Suesh is that they’re open to suggestions. I asked about the possible shipping cost from their usual courier and they said it might take a little over than Php 1000. I suggested AP Cargo and Suesh immediately called them up to inquire about the shipping rates, which as expected, was a lot cheaper. I received my order a day after. Quick, right? AP Cargo used air instead of ocean freight to deliver my package.

The framework is made up of wood while the seat and back canvas have to be inserted to it. At first I doubted the capacity of the chair to hold an average client sitting on it. But then I tested it on my hubby and my mom and it went fine. To be safe, don’t use it on obese clients. I have my chair and canvas in all black but I can change the color of the seat and back anytime through the canvas available at Amazon for only $9. I saw one in purple and another in red. I really think I need an alternate canvas because the texture is prone to collect powders and other make ups falling off.

My problem now is its portability. Although it can fit in the car trunk folded, attaching the piece near the foot can be cumbersome. From the time we assembled it, we didn’t fold it up again because the foot piece is difficult to remove and even harder to put back. It needs some screwing and unscrewing, which would take a lot of time if you’re on a gig. It’s kinda bulky bringing it fully assembled although it’s not that heavy. I don’t think I can bring it when I’m alone coz it would ruin my poise to carry this big thing around. I might be offered a job at the sea port when somebody sees me lifting it over my head.

I guess the chair is great for home studio, or if you have people who can lift if for you, or if you’re a male makeup artist. But I’m still glad I have the chair now. It doubles as a director’s chair so if I’m not doing makeup, writing, or attending to patients, I’d probably be out somewhere living out my fantasies as a movie director.. err.. for wholesome flicks, of course.

number of view: 715

Shopping Online With A U.S. Address

Don’t you just find it frustrating to find something you really wanna buy from an online shop in the US, and realize you can’t have it due to shipping restrictions? Well, in some ways it works to your advantage because it helps you save money but sometimes, it can be a bummer.

The easiest and cheapest solution we could think of is to ask relatives and friends from the US to ship it to us or to bring it on their next trip back to the Philippines. But then, they lead busy lives and have other more important things to do than mail our orders. When they come home, there is not enough space for their own stuffs, so why bother them with ours? I’m guilty of the last part that’s why I had to look for options not to be a burden to them.

Last month, I tried ordering through Johnny Air Cargo. So far, they have the best rates and fastest delivery based on my research. No, I didn’t order for makeups but for health supplements and some of the best multivitamins  (yeah, times are changing) which are sold way cheaper in the US.  It got to me 2 weeks after, which we picked up from the Johnny Air outlet at Robinson’s CDO. 2 weeks- because It took one week to deliver my goods from Washington to New York (the location of Johnny Air US)  through regular mail,  then  Johnny Air forwarded it to my provincial destination in just 1 week.  I received the goods in perfect condition and in a timely manner.

The rates are $6.50 per pound for Manila delivery, $7.50  per pound for provincial addresses, with a minimum of 2 lbs per package. An additional dollar is charged for highly taxable items like electronics. Handling fee is $5 per package. These rates are already inclusive of custom taxes.  For electronics, $50 customs charges apply for laptops, and  $15 for iphone and itouch.

Here’s how to avail of their forwarding service:

• Shop from any US -based online store,  pay it through the available payment options offered by the US vendor, pick a method of shipping listed by them (UPS, USPS, Fedex, DHL) and address it to:

Attn: Analyn San Diego/Your Name
Johnny Air Retail, Inc
6904 Roosevelt Avenue
Woodside, New York 11377

Telephone: 718-672-7080

• Notify Ms. Analyn San Diego of your order, inform her of the details including tracking #, item description, order#, etc, through her email at analynd@aol.com or jna@johnnyair.com.
• For further inquiries, you may get in touch with them through Crissy or Analyn in the US: 1(718)672-7080 or Plem in the Philippines: 02-7603818

I’m expecting another package through Johnny Air next week, this time it’s a book I ordered (still not beauty-related). The next problem we have is how to order from sites that do not accept  credit cards billed outside the US,  like Sephora. I’m not sure if Johnny Air has a solution for that but I’ll get back to you when I find out. Happy Shopping!

number of view: 486

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette Now On Sale

Smashbox is having a beauty blow-out sale with 25-50% discounts on selected items. Included in the sale is the Holiday special, Eye Wish palette which used to be $44. It is now sold for only $33! This has much lesser colors than the Ultimate Palette which I got in 2008 but it contains bolder shades, the Smashbox Lid Primer and a lookbook that teaches step by step applications for 13 party looks.

The $49 travel brush that I featured in an earlier post is now reduced to $36.75.

What sets me on panic mode is the Hybrid in 2 Luminizing Primer which is marked down from $34 to $17! Here is a brief description from the Smashbox website:

Get instantly smooth and glowing skin and create a perfect canvas for makeup application with this revolutionary dual formula PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER and ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. It’s packed with vitamins, antioxidants and botanicals for added healthy skin benefits. Wear under foundation or alone for a gorgeous natural glow. Can be used all over face for a radiant complexion or blended over cheekbones, brow bones, the bridge of nose and chin to highlight.

There are plenty more products and gift sets on sale which you may find interesting, just go head over to Smashbox.com.Tip: Grab these makeup goodies while you can because most of these are limited edition items. They are placed under the curtain call area of the website which means they will be gone soon. The next time you look for these, they will probably be sold in eBay by retailers who will sell the set items individually at a higher price.

Images from Smashbox.com

number of view: 409

Makeup Artist In A Bag

Are you a sucker for makeup tutorials? I just came across Stila’s latest product, a portable makeup player that lets you bring your makeup guru in the bag. The Stila Makeup Player is a makeup bag and video player in one. After you download free beauty videos from www.stilabeautytube.com, you can connect the makeup player to an mp3 player or smartphone for audio or video playback right on your traincase.

Aside from the sleek bag and the portable video player, it contains $110 worth of Stila makeups including the One step makeup foundation, Convertible Color for the lips and cheeks, Eyeshadow trio and #7 eyeshadow brush, plus a full sized Lip Glaze. The whole package is worth $250 but is being sold for only $69.90! They’re even offering it on 2 installment payments of $34.95.

This is great for makeup newbies who want guidance on the proper application of makeup from the Stila Pros themselves. The bag size is just right for those beginning to build their own stash of makeups. While you do primp yourself up facing the large mirror on the bag, the video will show you how it’s done step by step. Even if you already have a cell phone or laptop where you can easily view the tutorials, the affordable price of the whole package is just too good to ignore.

number of view: 770

No More Bad Hair Day

One of our readers, Bianca/Sunmom, named a few local manufacturers of organic beauty products in a previous blog post on organics. Human Heart Nature was one of them, thus I researched about it immediately. Surprisingly, upon browsing the goods on the Human Heart Nature website, I noticed  that the prices are very reasonable. Knowing organics, they usually come at a price, but their company proves it otherwise.

Unlike other local online stores that require going to the bank or Globe outlet to transfer payment, the Human Heart Nature online shop conveniently accepts credit cards. Being a supporter of organic products, I took advantage of the affordable prices and purchased some items including the Hair Mask- Intensive Gugo Bark and Avocado (Php 84.75) and the Hair Styling Cream- Acapulco and Mango Butter (Php 89.75).

Hair Mask-Intensive Gugo Bark and Avocado

After shampoo, the Hair Mask is to be left for 30 mins before rinsing. It is said to have strengthening, nourishing and moisturizing properties, boosted with Vitamin E and B complex. The Omega-3 in Avocado helps in restoring moisture and elasticity while the Gugo Bark, a time-tested natural hair enhancer that our grandmothers swear by, nourishes and minimizes hair loss. The addition of organic virgin coconut oil adds shine to worn-out locks.

The ingredients are as follows:

Water, cetrimonium chloride (from palm/vegetable oil), cetyl alcohol (from coconut), organic Entada Phaseoloides (Gugo Bark) extract, organic Persea Americana (Avocado) oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, natural honey extract,  Rosemary fragrance oil, gluconolactone (natural preservative), Rosemary essential oil, tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Peppermint essential oil, citric acid, and sodium benzoate.

The peppermint oil makes it a cool and fragrant bath essential that you would want to use often. It is just as effective as hair spas or intensive damage control conditioners sold at department stores, minus the harsh chemicals.

Hair Styling Cream- Acapulco and Mango Butter

I say this is the bomb! This has light to medium hold that affords a great hairstyle without leaving nasty residues. After bath, I apply it on my hair that has been ravaged by regular rebond. As I mentioned before, my hair has frizzy strands that looks fried by the bathroom lights and it isn’t easily solved by my usual leave-on conditioners or hair cuticle coats that come with a greasy feel. It had to take an organic hairstyling product to tame my damaged locks.

At first, I dampened my hair with the cream a little too much that throughout the day, I sported a wet-look as though I’ve been out playing in the rain. By wet, I mean water-wet and not the oil spill kind.  I learned that it only took a little amount to get it working. Noticeably, the frizz were gone and my hair was more manageable without being oily.  The effects are even more remarkable when I use it after the Hair Mask which I don’t apply on a daily basis because I’m scrimping and I can’t wait for 30 minutes before rinsing it every time.

It contains the following organic ingredients:

mango oil, vegetable-derived cetyl alcohol, mango butter, purified water, Philippine carrageenan, acapulco extract, natural vitamin E,  and peppermint fragrance oil.

On my next order, I’d like to try their organic shampoos and conditioners. For something that you apply daily, wouldn’t it give you some peace of mind if you know that you’re using products that are environmentally-friendly and healthy? Human Nature’s price is not a prohibiting factor so I expect more people turning to organic products eventually. Hopefully, more Filipino companies would take after the example of Human heart nature and offer quality products from natural resources found locally.

Human Heart Nature has a satellite office in La Palma, California. Readers from the USA can order online from the Human Heart Nature US website.

number of view: 1011

Next Page »