Geishock

Last Saturday, we had a Japanese-themed photoshoot with multi-faceted artist Bon Aserios. The photo session was his birthday gift to Audrey, our model. Thanks to his recommendations, Audrey contacted me to be her makeup artist for this shoot.

Audrey has a thing for everything Japanese, hence she requested for the Geisha look. Bon also suggested another design inspired by Sarah Meier’s prenup pics which we incorporated in the chosen theme. The colorful splatter gave the Geisha a modern twist, hence the name “Geishock” or “Geishuck,” if we take it after Audrey’s chucks.

Traditionally, geisha makeup is done using a wax or oil base called bintsuke-abura followed by the application (using bamboo brush) of a white powder mixed with water to a pasty consistency. The white makeup (oshiroi) originally contained lead and mercury, which are toxic substances to the body. Zinc and titanium dioxide later replaced the hazardous ingredients.

The essential colors in a Geisha makeup are white, red and black. To whiten the skin, I used the Kryolan Aqua Color in white using a damp sponge. Ben Nye Azalea eye shadow on top of Nyx Electra were dabbed on the outer corner of the eyes. Nyx Electra alone rendered the puckered lips a vivid red color.

For the splattered look,  I used the 24 shimmer palette, which contains subdued, pretty pastel shades. It would have been bolder had I used the Kryolan aqua colors beneath it. Note to self: get Ben Nye’s other Lumiere Grande eyeshadows.

Here are some shots taken by photographer Bon Aserios. For more of his fresh, funky works, please visit his website at http://bonserios.com.

Thanks to my Mom for doing the hairstyling and my hubby for carrying my heavy tools. Thanks also to Audrey and her family who are the coolest people to get to know.Her cousin, Stephanie served us Wasabi chips ( which went with the theme) for snack during our shoot at the Flores Orchidarium.