My Top 5 Pro Makeup Artist Secrets Revealed!

I have been a professional Makeup Artist for almost a decade now!  Counting those times when I was just "happily" doing my classmates' or friends' makeup?  That would be a total of 2 decades!  Prettifying boys and girls have always been a goal of mine!  I remembered saving up my allowance to purchase international magazines back then just to flip through pages after pages admiring the makeup on each model (even on ads!)  That, my friend, was pre-Youtube days.

Now that I'm living my dream prettifying people professionally.  There will always be friendly competition out there and I know I have to "up" my game to make sure I keep existing clients and get new ones!  With so many talented makeup artists out there, we need to do something right to stay in the game!  How?  By ---

1. Constant Learning.

2. Maintain Client-Makeup Artist good relationship.

3. Take care of EACH of your client like how you would take care of yourself.

Well, there's more but that's the top 3 on my head as of the moment.

As you all know, makeup artistry is not all about fun and glamour!  Well, I do look a bit more "glamorous" in the photo below taken for Biogenic shoot just because they need a profile picture of me as a makeup artist but trust me, I don't look like this at work!

During the shoot, the makeup artist in me can't help but retouch my co Biogenic-mommies' makeup.  It is as natural as "breathing" when I would automatically check the makeup of Jackie and Frances making sure they are camera-ready!  I guess, once you're a makeup artist, you'll always be one! 

I bonded with Frances over retouch and we did a bit of "beauty talk" while taking the photo (above).  Frances told me about her dry skin issues and how I deal with clients who have dry skin.  I immediately shared all my tips and tricks and realized, hey!  I do have a couple of tips up on my sleeves, so why not share it to you guys too?

NU Lady Bulldogs Photoshoot + How I Survive A Photoshoot Day Like This!

I choose to focus on Bridal Makeup Artistry especially now that I'm a mom.  Any other makeup jobs like Photoshoots always excites me!  But I choose to limit myself on that route because I want to spend more time with my toddler and you know how Photoshoots take up a lot of your time.  (Kyle Nash, if you are reading this in the future, you know how much I love you ha!) :P

But when my favorite photographer Mark Lao and Bestfriend asked me to be part of the Biogenic Photoshoot for the NU Lady Bulldogs Volleyball Team, how can I say no?  It maybe a full day away from my son but it was worth it!

Pack-up faces!

The shoot calls for very natural makeup.  There were a total of 17 girls and I partnered with fellow makeup artist Bing Castro.  (Bing, great job!)  Aeicy Cruz was the one who did all their hair!  All 17 girls!

How To: Make Up Look for Busy Mom

I recently received an email request regarding makeup for busy hands-on mom!  I can totally relate so I told my dear AMW reader I can definitely give in to her request and show her how I usually do my makeup when I am off to a very busy day with my little one!  

There are so many things I have to keep in mind when I wear makeup with a toddler!  It has to be quick and easy to do, it stays at least the whole day because I don't have time for retouch and lastly, I should still look like myself but a tiny bit better! :D  I hope I did look a bit better!  

AskMeMom's Makeup

 Full brows, defined eyes, clear face with a bit of healthy glow and a naturally looking lip color! 

Is this what you're aiming for?  If yes, then read on!

AMW Makeovers: Dynamic Youth Beauties

Happy Tuesday!
It's AMW Makeovers once again and this time, I'm sharing the look I've done for 5 beautiful ladies!  They are celebrating 60th Anniversary for the group Dynamic Youth and it was held at Manila Hotel a couple of weeks ago!  These girls are so easy to work with as they are very beautiful even without makeup!

Don't forget to comment below on your favorite look!

Client #1

Skin type: Combination (Normal/Dry)

Request: Very natural look

Client #1 has very beautiful skin to start with, so all I did was to concentrate foundation application on key areas (center of her face) and creating the "glow" from within using highlighting powder.  For her eyes, I just played a bit of neutral browns, silver and pearl white to create "uplifted" eyes.  And for the rest of her face?  I used a peach colored blush and lipstick.

Doesn't she look like local actress Iza Calzado?

AMW Makeovers: MOH and MOB

Happy Friday AMW Friends!
Today, I'm sharing an MOH (Maid of Honor) and MOB (Mother of Bride) makeover!  This is a continuation of my bridal makeup as posted HERE.

As we all know, the Bride is top priority when it comes to hair and makeup but as a makeup artist, I never forget to really take my time to prettify those people who are with her!  The special people who walks the aisle together with the bride to witness the special bonding between a man and a woman!  

I was lucky enough to prettify these 2 beauties!  One is sister of the Bride who will also act as Maid of Honor and the other one is the "blushing" Mother of the Bride, who feels as excited and as nervous as the bride!

I would like to share the newest Virginia Olsen products I got that I loved so much I brought with me on the gig and actually used it!  I seldom bring with me loose mineral makeup but because the pigmentation and colors are so pretty, I can't help but use them!  Thanks Virginia Olsen for sending me these!  The shades are perfect even on Bridal gigs!

AMW Makeovers: Airbrush Bride

I usually advise my bridal clients that Traditional makeup nowadays can achieve the flawless look airbrush makeup can offer!  I am also confident enough that I have good makeup bases to help their makeup stay until removal!  Thanks to my past clients for always texting me after the event, I actually knew which product works for which particular skin type!  And yes, I get feedback that their makeup stays until removal!  (Thank God!) 

For today's client, she particularly requested for Airbrush Makeup and of course, her wish will always be my command!  If you think she looks familiar, well, I did her trial makeup a week before her wedding (read Trial Makeover post HERE)

Airbrush Bride: Angela
Skin type: Combination (Normal/Oily)

Request: Cover red spots and create natural-looking flawless skin.  

She also availed retouch makeup.

Before and After

AMW Reports: Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noir Event

Guerlain --- upon mentioning this name, I immediately thought of the famous Guerlain Meteorites!
But after attending an event called La Petite Robe Noir (Little Black Dress), that explains why all of us wore black that day, I learned Guerlain is more than Meteorites!  Guerlain has something more to offer, something glamorous and fascinating ---

Embodied in their newest scent called La Petite Robe Noire Couture.

AMW Makeovers: Trial Makeup For Soon-To-Be-Bride

Happy Tuesday AMW friends!

I thought having a baby would stop me from doing what I love most, makeovers! 

Thankfully, I have clients who are very understanding!  I got a call for a trial makeup and it was a Saturday where no one can look after my baby!  So off I went with Baby AMW and thankfully, he was such an angel that day (and most days) he behaved while mommy worked! 

Meet soon-to-be-bride A, A is not used to putting on makeup so I was very particular in making sure she's very comfortable on every step.  I also explained to her that Bridal makeup is a bit tricky, eventhough she wanted to look very natural (no makeup look), her face will definitely be more made up than the usual daily makeup routine due to flash photography, extreme sunlight on that very special day.

Here's my take on makeup that make her look more vibrant (aka IN LOVE) yet she still looks like herself!

Client Skin: Combination (Dry/Normal)
Request: Natural makeup

AMW Makeover: Trial Makeup For Soon-To-Be-Bride (Airbrush Makeup)

Happy makeover Tuesday AMW friends!
I'm all excited to share a Makeover I've done for my soon-to-be AMW bride!  She's a sister of a very good Beauty Blogger friend (who is very good in makeup) so I'm super glad she entrusted me!

The DAY is this weekend so a week before, Soon-to-be-bride decided to experience an AMW makeover!  I will also share some tips as I go along so feel free to ask questions on comment box below!

Airbrush Trial Makeup

Skin: Combination with a bit of acne marks.

Request: Fresh makeup that helps keep her oils at bay!

AMW Makeovers: The Groom's Room

Does this family picture looks familiar to you?
Well, your hunch is right!  They are a repeat client and this time, they have a lovely bundle of joy!  Read about their Prenup Pictorial makeover HERE.

This time, I was tasked to do makeovers for the "Groom's Side". 

Check out more transformations....

AMW Makeovers: A Long Time AMW Reader

Good morning and happy Monday AMW Friends!

I am excited to share my most recent makeovers done for a long-time AMW reader!  Nancy was originally drawn to my blog because of my Nail Art Tutorials, turned out, she enjoys prettifying her nails as much as I do!  Then, we ended up sharing and comparing mobile phones, then makeup!  That is how random we could get! 

After so many years, we finally had the chance to meet, and it was during her brother's most special day!  She played one of the most important role --- mother of the groom!  Though she's still young for that, I have this goal to make her  look and feel the prettiest "young mom" for the day!

Click to see more before and after photos.

AMW Makeovers: Benefit's Ladies of Benefit Lane

Happy Tuesday AMW friends!
Remember my BTS: Ladies of Benefit Lane Photoshoot post? Well, I do not have the official photos for now but I'm glad to announce that some of the photos were used in stores and some were flashed on screen during the launch or opening of Benefit SM MOA.  I am so excited to share the before and after photos taken by Mr. AMW (not official photos) and I want to thank Benefit Cosmetics Philippines for trusting me to do this job!  #VeryThankful

Before and After: Julia Sniegowski

AMW Makeovers: Bea and Claire

Happy Friday!
I am so excited to share another AMW Makeover post, I  haven't done a makeover posts for quite some time but now, I'm back with a vengeance!  I am very thankful that I still get clients even if I was "on leave" for several months after giving birth!  

I got a text message from my dear friend who's currently the Brand Manager of Silka, she asked me to do her makeup on the company's anniversary party!  Who am I to say no?  She has been very supportive of my makeup artistry and I can clearly remember the times I practice my makeup skills on her!  

It has been several years after so I'm really excited to prettify her again!

Bea has always been on a "safe side" in terms of eye shadow shades, it has always been golds and browns so that day, I suggested she gets out of her shell and try on something different, something she doesn't sport much and it's definitely a smokey eye makeup! 

Thankfully, Bea felt the same about the change and gamely asked me to do whatever I think would work for her!  It was a night event so a smoky eye makeup is perfect!

BTS: Ladies of Benefit Lane Photoshoot

Happy Monday dear readers! :)

Today, I will be sharing a BTS (Behind The Scenes) of a project I've been excited about!  The Ladies of Benefit Lane Photoshoot!  As you all know, I've been doing quite a number of projects with the brand (Staff workshop and Benefit Fine One One Workshops at Greenbelt, Glorietta and Shangri-La Mall) and I've always enjoyed each and every project with them.  That's why when I was contacted by Benefit Philippines' Marketing Manager Aubrey to do a photoshoot for the 2nd Ladies of Benefit Lane, I immediately said YES and thankfully, the schedule was perfect!  It was a month after I gave birth!

Though I've reviewed a lot of Benefit cosmetics, I still prefer to arm myself with more knowledge about the products, I borrowed a whole traincase of Benefit goodies and studied and played with each of them!  As you know, being a makeup artist, I like to spread my wings and not enclose myself in using only products that I am comfortable with!  In the shoot, I am allowed to use ONLY Benefit products and thankfully, they have complete range of products even for makeup professionals like myself. 

On that day, I happily piled Benefit products in front of me before the models arrive.  Doesn't that look AMAZING? Looking at makeup and colors make me feel so good! Hooray if you feel the same!

AMW Makeover: Trial Makeup for Asian Eyes

Happy Thursday AMW friends!

Today is Thursday and I'm looking forward for the weekend!  Why?  Well, there are so many things to look forward to!  For me to pack my "hospital bag" as I'm officially on my 32nd week of pregnancy and I've been very busy for the whole month of January and February I told myself I needed the rest before the sleepless nights c/o Baby AMW!  

And what's the other thing that I'm looking forward for this weekend?  My 3rd and final Benefit Fine One One Workshop!  The first and second was super fun and I met a lot of cool Benebabes so I can't wait for the third and final installment to be held at Benefit Boutique, Rustan's Makati.

Benefit Fine One One Workshop at Greenbelt 5

February 2, 2013

Benefit Fine One One Workshop at Shangri-La

February 9, 2013

I can't wait to share more tips to the workshop attendees and speaking of tips, have you read the article I've written for Sample Room?  If not, feel free to click photo below as I've written some simple Makeup Tips for Asian Eyes.

Speaking about Asian Eyes, I recently had a trial makeup client fresh from Singapore who requested for a very simple makeup for her wedding reception.  Let me share to you some of the makeup tricks that I've did for her particular feature.

Skin: Combination (Normal/Dry)

Request: The client doesn't have any particular request 

but I'm imaging her going for a very soft and natural look.

Trial makeup client exudes a very positive personality even for someone you just met for the first time.  She's jolly, friendly and very cheerful so I'm imagining a makeup for her that gives a bright and positive outlook just like her personality!  I was aiming for creating fresh, glowing skin!  

To start off, I prepared her skin by applying ample oil-free moisturizer from Paul & Joe on dry areas;  lessen the look of pores on her nose area by applying Benefit's Porefessional and a moisturizing face primer for Laura Mercier for the rest of her skin!  As I let all the products to sit and do their "action", I picked up a small scissors to trim her brows and filled sparse areas with brow pencil.

As for foundation, the client doesn't have much skin problems to cover so I've decided to use a light to medium coverage liquid foundation from RMK.  I also did a bit of concealing to even out the color around the eye area and the sides of her nose using my Bobbi Brown Concealer.

I want to create bigger-looking eyes;  I picked several matte shades for a simple day time smoky eye makeup adding a bit of light, shimmer eye shadow at the inner corner to create an illusion of big, bright eyes!  (Eye shadows used: Lancome, MAC, Bobbi Brown)

For a more natural finish, I picked Dark Brown  Gel Liner instead of regular black gel liner which I usually use for a more natural look.  Black gel liner could make small eyes look even smaller if not applied correctly.  I also added dark matte brown eye shadow on top of the gel liner for a more natural finish. 

Coats and coats of mascara were applied after curling her lashes with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler;  I also applied falsies on her by cutting 1 into 2 as applying full lashes may make her eyes droopy.

Let's not forget to contour the face and nose area for that instant "painless" nose lift and face lift! 

As for the cheeks, I applied a tiny bit of cream based blush from Stila, and Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in Apricot.

As for the lips, I used a lip pencil from MAC closed to her lip color and gently apply it all over her lips and top it with Lancome Juicy Tubes.

Last but not the least;  I set the area that could "oil" with a Shu Uemura Colorless Face Powder.

Client's final look on natural lighting

Hair by: Kim Tan Rodriguez

Thanks to my dear client for the lovely time and for entrusting me to do a makeover!
Do you have any other tips for Asian Eyes out there?  I'd love to hear from you!

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AMW Reports: Benefit Staff Workshop at B Spot

It was very early Saturday morning that I was back at the B Spot (Benefit Philippines Office).  I haven't been back in this place since my first ever visit a year ago before Benefit officially opened in the Philippines (read post HERE).

This time, I'm back not to check out Benefit products but I'm back to do the thing I love most --- Teach about makeup!  The Benebabes, who are my students for the day, are already experts in their field but just like me, they're always open for training to gain more knowledge!  I am so happy and honored I was chosen to do this job!

To start off the class, I think it is very important to stress about skincare and we did a bit of chit chat learning about each other's skin!  

Since all the girls were stripped off with makeup, they immediately told me their concern on under eye circles and spots!  How to get rid of them?  Everyone tried my "trick" on how to use the Benefit's Erase Paste! 

We also continued with foundation application using Hello Flawless and the right way to apply foundation while keeping the "concealer" intact.  Everyone, please say: "Pat! Pat! Pat!"

What's the best way to enhance one's look?  By fixing your brows!  These Benebabes sure knows how to fix anyone's brows and it was a fun day as we discussed about different brow shapes!

The girls work as a team!  They do each other's makeup and learn from each other as well!

Day time eye makeup was also done and it all boils down to the eye shape of each individual!  I do not believe in creating ONE eye makeup for everybody!  I believe that each individual have different eye shapes and we need to dive into the best eye makeup for each eye shapes!

All the girls working their way to prettify their partner as I move next to Aubrey who doesn't have a partner so I have to do half of her face as she does the other half!

Here are the simple makeovers done by the Benefit team!

Benefit's Chief Fun Officer Aubrey

Benefit's Marketing Executive Paula

3 Gorgeous Store Managers from 

Benefit Glorietta, Greenbelt and Shangri-La Mall!

It was a full 4 hours fun workshop that I won't forget!  I am happy the girls left the office with added knowledge from yours truly and I have to admit, I learned so much more about the brand and the products they offer that same day!

As for YOU who are not working at the said company, I have some workshops lined up at various Benefit stores!  To start off, I have one today at Benefit Greenbelt 5 Boutique!  To get updated on other schedules and their locations, Please LIKE Benefit Phlippines on Facebook for updates!  I can't wait to share my makeup knowledge to you!

Thank you so much Benefit Philippines for the trust!

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Stay happy!
 

AMW Makeover: Trial Makeup for Bride-to-Be

One thing that I love about wedding preparation is trial makeup!  I know some of my friends went through a lot of trial makeup before picking "the one", as for me, I was lucky enough to have just gone through 1 trial makeup and booked the makeup artist immediately.

Now that the tables have turned and I am the makeup artist, I understand and highly recommend clients to try as many makeup artists (as long as it fits their budget) because it is the greatest day of any woman's life to get married so looking great is not an option!

As for my first trial makeup this year, I am lucky to have met a wonderful woman whose inner beauty shone so bright she doesn't even need any makeup on!

Trial Makeup Client

Skin type: Normal, perspires easily

Request: None

My client's skin is almost perfect and all I need to do is to prime her skin with Laura Mercier Oil-Free Primer as a base for her foundation to apply smoothly and last longer.  Since the client has normal skin, I went for the shade that matches exactly her face and neck and applied all over her face!  Because I want to make sure the client looks picture-perfect, I used Bobbi Brown Concealer and applied a good amount to lighten up the darkness under her eyes and set with a translucent powder.

To create a nice frame, I tinted her brows and filled in sparse area with brow powders by mixing dark and light shades.  It is very important to take extra time in this step and constantly check at the reflection to make sure both brows at least match. 

As for her eye makeup, I've decided to play with these colors:  Bronze, Cocoa, Shimmer Gold and Matte Black (from various brands MAC, Bobbi Brown, Lancome and Shu Uemura).  I've decided to define her eyes by lining her upper lash line with dark brown gel liner from MAC and use the remaining gel liner to line her lower lash line as gel liners stay longer and have lesser chance to smudge and smear.  

I picked my ES Lashes A134 from KKCenterHK and instead of using a pair, I picked only 1 lash and cut it in half and applied false lashes only on the outer corner of the client's eyes.  

Let's talk about contouring and highlighting, as for any makeup for photography, contouring and highlighting is very important to create dimension.  I contoured the client's nose, cheeks and chin and highlighted the bridge of her nose, the center of her face and her chin.  Product used was my favorite Stila Contouring and Highlighting powder.  This creates better looking skin!

As for her cheeks, I used Shu Uemura blush and finished off with a brown orange shade of lipstick.

How do you like this week's AMW Makeover?
How do you perceive your bridal makeup to be?

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Tip for the Day: Makeup for Older Skin (Another Version)

I have been asked so many times by fellow beauty enthusiasts on how to deal with "older skin" when it comes to makeup application. 

"I'd love to do a makeover for my mom!"
"I was tasked to do makeup for my mom, grand mom and aunts on my sister's wedding."

With or without background in makeup artistry, as long as we show some love for the art of color, we tend to find ourselves get into a situation were people we love entrust their faces to us ON A SPECIAL OCCASION! 

It is indeed nerve-racking but armed with tips, tools and knowledge on makeup for older skin + Loads of practice, I don't see any reason why we can't do this task in flying colors!

Feel free to read my Readers' Corner: Makeup for Mature Skin post for the basics before continue reading this post on follow up tips!

Tip #1 Youthful Skin

When it comes to older skin, nothing beats creating a clean, young-looking canvass and you can even get away with not much makeup on! 

Do not automatically assume that older skin equates to dry skin!  I used to assume that and have slathered moisturizing foundation over clients and learned from my mistakes after full face application!  

After years of makeup artistry (and continuously learning), I've met several older clients who have normal or even oily skin!  Take time to touch their skin (with clean fingers of course!) and talk to them to know their skin issues.

Each individual have different needs to I cannot stress enough to talk to them and check what they're looking for!

• Do they have dry patches on different areas of their face? - Apply moisturizer!
• Worries about fine lines and wrinkles?  - Apply a face primer that can help fill in those areas for a smoother application. 
• Do they want to cover their freckles and spots? - Dive into your knowledge on correcting and concealing!  (Read All About Concealers and How to Spot Conceal)

Tip #2 For the Love of Fuller Brows

I think I missed discussing about brows on my previous post so I'm highlighting this topic for today.  Most clients above the age of 50 have sparse and super thin brows!  The challenge?  Some of them would ask you to keep it that way with a "Don't Touch It" look!  

Customers are always right they say!  In the case of brows, I am sorry, but I have to do my job to persuade them!  Fuller brows can make a person look younger!  If they're not comfortable with thick brows, feel free to redefine and fill in their brows just a tiny bit thicker than usual and tell them, "It's makeup, I can always remove it if you don't like it!"  

At the end of the makeover, most of them won't even mind!

Tip #3 Eyelining the Natural Way

I used to pick gel liners on all my clients no matter what age!  The reason for doing so is the fact that I trust gel liners to have better staying power and smudge-proof capabilities like a superhero!  At the lather part of my makeup gigs, I've realized that most older clients look better with softer looking eyes!  A super defined line could break the overall "youthful" look.  For me, I prefer to whip out my trustee waterproof pencil liners and I pick either Black, Dark Brown or Gray!  Smudging the pencil liner after application will keep them looking fresh, young and vibrant!

Tip #4 Cream Blush for the Cheeks

Blushers in powder form can still be used on older skinned clients as long as it has a good amount of shimmers to make their skin looks healthy!  If a client's skin is dry to start with, I prefer tapping a bit of cream blush with my fingers or foundation brush as it settles more beautifully than any powder blush I know!  

Important note:  Cream blush are best applied after liquid/cream foundation application.  It is very important to blend well!

Tip #5 Make Highlighters and Illuminators their Bestfriend

As a good continuation to tip#4, the application of highlighters and illuminators can give a fake "moisturized" and "healthy-looking" skin!  I have always been a fan of highlighters as I always get compliments on my skin perfection so I don't see why I can't use these on our older friends!  

Keep in mind not to overdo application though!  

My last client for the year 2012!  She's a gorgeous mom of my client and let me tell you, she's got very good skin to start with so I don't have any difficulties enhancing her beauty!

Other related posts ---
Foundation application for Mature Skin
What's the Best Foundation for Mature Skin

I hope this simple follow-up article helps our readers who plan to prettify their gorgeous older family and friends!  Fellow makeup artists out there, feel free to share more tips!  I'd love to hear/learn from you!

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AMW Makeovers: Last Wedding for the Year 2012!

Happy Saturday AMW Friends!  Today, I will be sharing my final Bridal gig for the year 2012!  I am very thankful as I have prettified so many men and women this year and I'm looking forward for more!

Thankfully, I am feeling so much better on my last Bridal Gig and I was able to enjoy and savor the prettifying session with our gorgeous family featured in this post!

The Bride

Skin type: Normal

Request: Smoky eye makeup

Seldom do I get "smoky eye makeup" request from brides so it was a bit of a shocker for me coming from a Bride who's not used to having her makeup done!  It was a request I can't deny as I can immediately imagine a daytime smoky eye makeup look that would work well for her features, skin tone, dress and hair!

Let's start with her skin, the Bride has lovely skin to start with, not oily, not dry.  So I picked Laura Mercier Foundation Base and applied it all over her face and neck for a smoother foundation application.  I want her special day to be her "most radiant" day, I took my time applying layers and layers of medium coverage liquid foundation using the same foundation to cover the darkness under her eyes.

As for her requested Smoky Eye Makeup, I picked a medium gold eyeshadow color and applied it all over the crease blending and applying more.  I layered the eyeshadow with medium brown eyeshadow in matte and finished the rest off by applying glittery black eyeshadow near the lash line for a perfect "gradient" effect.

Gel liner was applied very close to her lash line and strongly recommended her full falsies for an extra drama!

I contoured her face and applied a matte peachy-pink blush finishing up with a similar shade of lipstick.

I love how the Bride is in a festive mood!  She was smiling and laughing the whole time which made her even more beautiful! :D

The Groom
Skin type: Combination (Oily on the T-zone)
Request: None

The very sweet groom was there all the time to help out with the wedding preps!  Most grooms are just in their rooms waiting for photo-ops while this groom was very hands on!  I even had to ask him to relax and savor his special day!

When asked about his skin condition, he groom complained to me his oily T-zone so I applied an oil-control primer generously on the said area and applied a shade darker powder foundation all over his face applying a bit more on under eye area for more coverage!  I did a lot of contouring for a nice dimension both on and off camera!

A brow gel was used to maintain the shape of his brows and a very natural colored lip balm was used for that wonderful "You May Now Kiss the Bride" moment!  (The lip balm tastes great by the way!)

MOG (Mother of Groom)

Skin Type: Dry

Request: Natural-looking

MOG is very young at heart!  I enjoyed prettifying her as I get to hear her share her stories! I took time preparing her face by applying good amount of moisturizer all over her skin waiting for the product  to set in before I proceeded with foundation application.

I gently drew her brows and redefined it before I apply liquid foundation.  As soon as the moisturizer was set, I tested on various foundation shades and was able to prepare her most matched shade by mixing 2 colors!

A matte colored eyeshadow shade was used mixed with shimmer-gold shade applied carefully at the center of her lids giving her the feel of her makeup. 

Matte peach blush was used and a brownish orange colored lipstick was used.

MOB (Mother of Bride)

Skin Type: Normal
Request: None

Looking at MOB's facial features, I've decided to focus on giving her eyes a lift and cover some of the pigmentation around her cheeks.  

After moisturizing her skin with an oil-free moisturizer, I applied 2 layers of cream foundation and used concealer for some dark spots.

MOB's tattooed eyebrows were fading a bit turning into a grayish shade.  Armed with my K-Palette 1-Day Tattoo Lasting 2 Way Eyebrow in dark brown, I gently filled her brows with a gray-colored eyebrow powder as well to make her brows look more natural than ever!

As for her eye makeup, I focused on creating a "lifting effect" so I applied darker shadow shades on the outer-V and used light reflecting shadows on the inner corners of her eyes to the center for brighter-looking eyes!

Red lips would make her look gorgeous and I'm glad she agreed! 

If  I were to do your makeup for a special occasion, what would your request be?
I'd love to hear from you!

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AMW Makeovers: Groom's Side Engagement Party

Happy Saturday AMW Friends!  By the time you're reading this, I'm off to Tagaytay for a short R&R!  I've wanted to relax and enjoy fresh air while my tummy isn't as huge yet!  So I'll definitely be updated you through Twitter (@AskMeWhats) and Instagram (@AskMeWhats) so please follow me there! :D

Today, I will be sharing to you the makeover I did for a gorgeous family at Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar located at Shaw Boulevard.  The place is super cozy and gorgeous by the way so it really helps made me feel relaxed amidst the crazy nausea!  (I was on my 2nd-3rd month of pregnancy then.)

**hair styled by: Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar

Mother

Skin type: Normal

Request: Very natural makeup

Mother of the groom requested for a super natural look so I focused on prepping her skin by taking time to moisturize it and apply layer after layer of moisturizing foundation from RMK.  I covered her dark undereye circles with a salmon colored concealer prior to foundation application.  

The shape of her brows is great but it was a bit too light so I had to redefine it with the use of eyebrow pencil.  For eye makeup, I have opted for a bronze shade to give her a temporary lift.  

A bit of contouring was done on her cheeks and nose, a peach colored blush was used and a deep orange red shade of lipstick was applied.  So far, I guess Client Mom is quite comfortable with her overall look! (I hope!)

 

Sister 1

Skin type: Normal

Request: Cover skin darkness due to late-night sleep

All the sisters have gorgeous skin and face so I didn't have any hard time in creating looks for them!  Sister 1 had a loooong day at work and had only a couple of hours of sleep so I've decided to brighten up her eye area and cover skin shadows and darkness for her to look like she had 8 hours of sleep!

I took time correcting the darkness under her eyes and some spots on her chin and leave the rest of her face with minimal foundation.  I used 2 shades of foundation on her, a shade lighter at the center of her face and a shade closest to her original skin tone on the rest of the face.  

I matched her brow color with her hair and applied a very natural matte colored shade of eyeshadow and added falsies.

Since I visualized her to look "dainty" and "princess-like" on her brother's special day, I've decided to use a matte pink blush and matte pink colored lipstick.

Sister 2

Skin type: Combination (oily/dry)

Request: Any look that match her

Sister 2 came home for her brother's wedding the night before so she's obviously tired and skin gets a bit dry due to plane ride.  

For the base, I've used oil-control primer on areas that oil up and moisture the dry patches and let it sit for a couple of minutes before I start with foundation application.

It is quite tricky to conceal some of her skin darkness and spots as they fall on the area of "dry spots" so it is difficult to use any concealer that could dry up those areas even more so I've decided to use a cream based foundation to cover up her under eye circles and redness.  It is very important to "layer" and blend them really well to prevent obvious patches.

As for the brows, her brows are perfectly shaped so all I need to do was the fill in some spaces and darken it a bit.  For the eyes, I used a combination of champagne, gold and brown shadows creating a "lifted" look.

Of course, it's one of the most "photographed"  events so I contoured her face giving her definition and finished up with a reddish brown lipstick that matches her blush.

Sister 3

Skin type: Natural

Request: Natural makeup suited for her age

Sister 3, the youngest sister told me the color of her dress (deep purple) and I've decided use that shade as an inspiration!  Same as Sister 2, I didn't get to whip up my concealer and layered her foundation to cover her skin imperfections (which isn't much).

As for eye makeup, I used cream, deep purple and black eyeshadow blending them all together making it a bit difficult to pinpoint the main shade used!

I also picked dainty colors for the rest of her face to suit her age and gave the rest of her face some contouring for her to smile and be ready for the camera!

It was one of the most difficult makeover I've done not because it was difficult to prettify them but it was the peak of my morning sickness.  The family was very helpful and supportive of my pregnancy that I didn't feel any pressure at all and was able to finish my task in no time!  

Thank you for the trust and I hope to do another round of makeover with you guys soon!

Which one is your favorite "makeover" look?

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