Thursday, July 26, 2012

AMW Makeovers: Gorgeous Girls Ready to Face a Festive Wedding

Good day everyone!  I hope you're in a good mood right now as I am!  So far, God is good as I can still do the things I love to do, at the same time, having loads of fun!

A couple of weekends ago or was it 2 weekends ago?  *scratches head*  I did makeup for 4 lovely ladies whom I felt comfortable with in an instant!  Sue me!  I tend to chitchat at work so if you're looking for a quiet makeup artist, ahmmm....just ask me to keep quiet!  My feelings won't get hurt...I promise! :P

In this post, I will not talk about the content of our conversations as I have my own confidentiality clause *ahem* (I'm trying to be professional here! lol) but I will definitely share to you what I've done for their makeovers! 

My rule of the thumb, I try my best not to make my clients look similar! I prefer talking to clients, ask them if they have any makeup looks they want and probably give a bit of suggestions so the client will know what to expect!  I also like to chat a bit at the same time, take a quick look at their bare faces, that's the best time I note down the areas I want to enhance and see if there's anything they want to hide.

Puffy eyes?  Dark under eye circles?  Freckles?  Red spots?  

You don't see anything?  Well, it is OKAY to ask.  I have to admit, there are times I don't see what they see! I can't argue with them, they own their faces for their whole lifetime! 

Sister of the Bride (SOB #1)
Skin type: Combination - oily and normal
Request: Do some contouring, make her look good on photos
SOB#1 has great skin to start with and I took time picking the right foundation for her as it is very easy to make a mistake with fair-skinned girls.  To add a natural "tint", I've added a bit of warm-toned foundation to match the shade of her neck.  

As soon as I got the base covered, I proceeded by fixing her eyebrows, filling the gaps and set with brow gel as it is a whole day event, I don't want her walking around with uneven brows!  

Then comes the eye makeup, I want to create a "lifted" effect so I concentrated on applying dark shadows on the outer corner of her eyes extending it a bit making her eyes appear larger!  I've done a simple daytime smokey makeup and enhanced the shape of her eyes with a dark brown gel liner!  Since SOB#1 advised me to make sure I'm putting waterproof liner on her as she "may cry", I've decided to apply the rest of the gel liner on my brush to the lower lash line using short strokes.

I enjoyed contouring and highlighting her face as I already have all her features in my mind that I would like to "pop".  With a natural blush shade that matches her lip color, it was a soft, natural, yet enhanced look!


Sister of the Bride 2 (SOB #2)
Skin type: Combination - oily on T-zone normal on the rest
Request: Natural makeup but has to put colors so as not to look pale.
SOB#2, same as SOB#1 has gorgeous skin to start with so creating a base isn't difficult at all!  I took time applying more on the under eye area and the sides of her nose.  SOB#2 has deep set of eyes so what I did was to use a matte colored eyeshadow (2 shades darker than her skin) and enhanced her deep crease, with the same technique as SOB#1, I've decided to "lift up" the sides of her eyes.  This technique does not only make you look wide awake, it also can make a person look younger.  

A very natural blush was used as I also contoured her cheeks to create higher cheekbones.  For lipstick, a bright colored pink lipstick was used.



Sister-in-law 1 (SIL #1)
Skin type: Oily
Request: Light makeup that can withstand long hours plus running around for her kids
Since SIL#1 has bright skin to start with, I used it as my inspiration to create a makeup that's bright and fresh.  After finding the right foundation shade for her, I let the foundation sit for a couple of minutes as I do the rest of her face.  Eyebrows were trimmed and groomed to create a shape then a simple eye makeup was done just to enhance her eyes.  

As soon as I'm done with the eye makeup, I proceeded by "setting" the foundation using a blush on her cheeks and a dark foundation powder to contour.  For the rest of her face, I lightly dust a shade lighter powder foundation just to "set" her makeup and stopped myself from creating a matte look.  

The lipstick was approved by SIL#1 and I like how her lipstick can make the "already young looking mom" younger looking!


Sister-in-law 2 (SIL #2)
Skin type: Normal
Request: Cover her under eye dark circles and some breakouts

SIL#2 was worried on how dark her undereye circles are and how obvious her breakouts were.  I immediately told her to calm down as I assured her I can make them disappear as I don't find them even obvious to start with!  

I took time mixing foundation shades and finally, was able to match her foundation to her neck.  To cover up the redness, I corrected the reddish area plus breakouts with a green concealer then proceeded with foundation application. 

As soon as I'm contented with the coverage plus the client is comfortable with the base makeup (she's not used to having herself prettified so she's a bit worried), I proceeded by trimming her brows and redefined the shape using medium brown eyebrow pencil (as client has colored hair).  

I picked a rust colored eyeshadow shade together with dark brown matte eyeshadow for a romantic look.  At the end, I added a bit of shimmery beige eyeshadow at the center of her eye lid for a natural glow each time she blinks!  A waterproof pencil was used as I slowly smoked it out with a pencil brush for a nice gradient effect.  

A very natural blush and lip color was also used as her kid isn't happy with "mommy putting on makeup" *teehee*  I don't think her son will be happy seeing his mom sporting a bright red lipstick! 


** Note: Hair done by Kim Tan Rodriguez.

Overall, I had fun creating various looks for each individual!  Different clients have different needs and it doesn't hurt to listen to them. :)

Which among the 4 makeup looks would you sport if you're attending a very special event?

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

AMW Reviews: Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Eye Liners

Eyeliners are definitely a girl's best friend.  Well, maybe not for all girls but this girl writing this post definitely can't live without it!  Don't get me wrong, I have my own favorite gel  eye liners to date and they still remain on my favorite list --- Stila Smudgepots, MAC Fluidline Eye liner and Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Liner are the top 3 choices I reach out for especially when I do makeup on clients!

As for me, I wouldn't mind using any brand as I'm always open to try on different brands from high to low end!  I guess that's one characteristic I have that made me create this blog!  I just can't help but get intrigued with different brands thus making me try such a wide array of products! 




In this post, I'm reviewing 2 of my favorite gel liner shades --- Black and Brown!

Revlon says ---
  • Easily glides to create delicate to dramatic lines
  • Waterproof
Shades: Black Brown, Plum and Charcoal

AMW says ---
Pros
  • Comes with a brush which is perfect for anyone starting out on makeup.
  • Water resistant.
  • Glides on easily.
  •  Smudge-proof.
  • The black shade is pigmented.
  • The brown shade can work as an eye shadow base.
  • No signs of eye irritations upon use.
  • The black one stays the whole day until I remove it, the brown one blurs a bit but doesn't smudge or create panda eyes.
  • Easy to remove.
Cons
  • The free brush will make it a bit tricky and challenging to create thin line.
  • The brown shade has sparkles to it, some of the sparkles may transfer to your lashes.
  • The brown shade is not as pigmented, need to re-apply several times to get the intensity I want.
Overall
A great gel liner brand to purchase if you're looking for good, quality liner and inexpensive!  The Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Eye Liner applies smoothly and slides without tugging.  The staying power is good and the worst that could happen is how the liner lightens up at the end of the day.

Tips
from Revlon
  • Pull out brush and flip to secure into cap. 
  • Twist off cap and dip brush into crème gel eye liner. 
  • Glide brush in small strokes across lash line. 
  • Close tightly after use. 
from AMW
  • Feel free to use your own favorite eye liner brush.  Either the pointed tip or angled-liner brush.
  • If you use the free brush that comes with the packaging, always wipe off excess product before storage..
  • Use only the tip of the brush and gently apply dashes on the lash line, gently connect the lines to create a very natural look.
  • If you plan to use this as an eye shadow base, use the 'flat" portion of the brush and apply a thin layer of the gel liner on the crease area.  Blend out rough edges using a blending brush then top with an eye shadow of choice.
  • Always follow by tightlining using a pencil to fill in gaps or "skin" that shows.
  • Close the cap tightly.  I have a full sized gel eye liner that I used only once and it dried out as I didn't screw the cap well!
  • New brushes may seem clean and harmless, but I strongly suggest to wash the brush before use.  Your eyes will thank you for it!
Will I repurchase?
Yes, the black one!

To whom do I recommend this to?
 Daily gel liner users!  I don't recommend people who aren't into gel liners to purchase one as this pot can last forever and can dry out if you don't use it!

Where to purchase and how much?
Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Eye Liner costs $9.99 (approx Php430.00) on international sites.  Locally around Php350.00-500.00.

Product Photos

 Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Eye Liner packaging
Some people may mistake this for a liquid liner!

 Because of its pointed tip, I find it easy to hold yet it's still handy enough to bring this with me on my kit for retouch.  On packaging, black and brown looks matte but in reality, only the black one is matte while the brown one has sparkles.


 0.08 oz or 2.3g of product which I think is perfect for personal use!  I don't like gel liners that are housed in huge glass jar making it difficult for me to finish one!

Swatch on hand without base 
top 2 - Brown
bottom 2 - Black
 

Applied a thin layer of Brown near my lashline


 Looking closely, some of the sparkles have transferred to my lashes.  Personally speaking, it's okay as I can easily apply mascara after eyeliner application thus making my lashes appear fuller!

 A thin layer of black liner applied closest to the lashline
 

Matte, true-to-life black shade appeared.
Please bear in mind to tight line after with a pencil to fill in spaces.

What's your favorite drugstore gel liner?
My top 3 would be Revlon (in black), Maybelline and Kate.


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(Product sent for review.  Opinions 100% mine.  Please purchase at your own discretion.)

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

How to: Quick Day Time Look




Good morning AMW friends!  Today is another "This is How I Do it" series!  I was asked by one of my reader how I usually do my makeup on a regular work-day!  Well, since I work from home, I usually go "bare-faced" but on days I need to go somewhere for a quick event or meeting, here's how I create a look that I'm very comfortable with and I'm sure I still look like myself!  (Hopefully, the better version! :P)

Here are some of the products I used ----

Monday, July 23, 2012

AMW Reports: Yves Rocher Store Visit

Last weekend was crazy, I was pumped to be busy but the rain stopped me and turned me into a cute piglet!  *laughs*  Nevertheless, I'm glad I was able to attend the Yves Rocher Bloggers Event at Trinoma Mall.  Thanks to Mr. AMW for driving me as I dislike driving to Trinoma!  (Don't ask me why, hihihi!) 

I'm glad I wasn't late and I breezed through the store like I've been there gazillion times!  I'm glad to see familiar faces, my friend Vianca (my ex-colleague) is now the Brand Manager of Yves Rocher Philippines!  So proud of her!


I am not new to Yves Rocher brand as I have read and researched so much about the brand (for work) and we were actually placing some candidates to work for Yves Rocher, China years ago!  I just can't believe they're finally here and I get to see what they were talking about regarding the good price points and the power of plants! 

Yves Rocher, a French brand, is a plant-based cosmetics products.  The brand is actually regarded as France's pioneer of botanical beauty! 

Nail Art Tutorial: Dots, Sparkles & Colors



I've had my Aztec print inspired nails for more than a week and I found myself checking them out once in awhile for inspiration and probably just to uplift my mood!  For such a quick glance, it does give me the sense of colors and happiness and I find it a bit difficult on my part to remove it after both nails on the pinky fingers have already chipped!

Instead of gloating on losing colorful prints, why not create another one that's even brighter and more colorful?  This nail art suits the dark, gloomy weather over the weekend!

a photo of nail art tutorial

Step 1:
Apply your preferred base coat prior to any nail polish application, as soon as the base coat is completely dry, apply 2 coats of a neutral, peachy-nude polish shade and let dry.  In this tutorial, I am using BW Nail Polish gifted to me by my friend.