I've told you about my boyish sister's transformation several posts ago.  Lara of NARS Shang did her makeup and hairdo and she looked totally stunning.

A couple of months ago, she had an event she needed to go to and we no longer had Lara around.  And so, half-heartedly (i can tell!), she obediently entrusted me to 'transform' her.

Grabbed this pic from her facebook page.  This makeover surprised her friends and they wanted to keep a memento of it.   They even made an effort to create this fancy pic.

This is her on normal days:

With Ate's Makeover (this was 3 hours after the party already and the cheek makeup's no longer visible):

after clinique's toner and moisturizer:
FACE: Clinique's Pore Minimizing Serum as primer on tzone area only
Clinique Superfit in Neutral applied with fingers
EDM Golden Medium in original glo applied with Charm stippling brush
Joppa Full Coverage in Grecian gold (2-3 layers) applied with Charm stippling brush
buffed mineral powders on face using Nichido kabuki brush
Aromaleigh finishing powder in peaches n cream applied with Charm stippling brush
EYES: In2it eyebrow powder using my bleak angled brow brush
Nichido liquid eyeliner (black)
Fanny Serrano curlash
Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black mascara
no eyeshadows, i'm still a newbie with it
Freshlook contact lens
CHEEKS and LIPS: Nichido pink blush (forgot the name)
 The Bodyshop Lip and Cheek Tint on lips

It was such a simple makeup that I did considering she was going to a function where practically all the ladies were glammed up.  We had no time to visit the salon and my poor sister was hoping I could help her with her look.

I don't think I failed, did I?

Q:  How do I keep my Bodyshop cheek tint long-lasting?

A: I top it off with my Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals in Gentle Pink!

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Luminous Blush in Gentle Pink, around 350php (~$7)

Swatch: no shimmers but it glows; luminous indeed!

It even has instructions at the box's back!

I dab Bodyshop's tint over the apples of my cheeks, then use Charm's stippling brush to get a small amount of mineral blush and dust it over the tint.... and voila!  A natural flush that lasts longer!

Here's how the tandem worked on my cheeks after an evening reunion (~6 to 7hours post-application; blotted twice):

Not as stunning as how it looked before going out; nevertheless, it still looked healthy on me

(this post has the amount of scars I had to cover up, scroll through the bottom)

What I used:

FACE:

Clinique DDMG

Smashbox Photofinish Primer Clear

Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation in 302-65A

Aromaleigh URFP in Peaches and Cream to 'degrease' my face from the concealer

Joppa Grecian Gold Mineral Foundation

Aromaleigh URFP again to seal in everything

LIPS:

Still, The Bodyshop Lip and Cheek Tint!

My tattered and torn Bodyshop Lip and Cheek Tint; I love it to bits!  Surprisingly, this baby knocked out NARS powder blushes bad in my case...

I know there are a lot of people who are wary about getting this cheek tint because of:

application issues

dissatisfaction in color pay-off

some reviews that say it doesn't last long

But I hope you can:

try using a flat foundation brush to distribute the gel

experiment with building up its color

digest what I've reviewed because it can really last long

Because I believe that the Bodyshop lip and cheek tint gives the best healthy blush and I want you to experience it, too!

Thanks for reading!

If you still remember my post on my dear friend Kristine's bachelorette party, I'd have to tell you that she already tied the knot last week!

Her wedding started at 9:30AM and I was late for the ceremony proper since I still had one patient to attend to.  With only an hour to spare for preps to her wedding, I pushed my luck on just  my amateur prettifying skills, mineral makeups and freshlook dailies contacts to give me some radiance that day.

And it didn't fail me! Yay!  My other childhood friend, Reina, sarcastically quipped that it was dubious that I'm out of time to prepare with the kind of makeup I was wearing.

The No -Makeup Look:

FACE:

Clinique DDMG

Smasbox Photofinish Primer (Original)

Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation in 302-65A used as concealer on blemishes, pock marks & undereyes

Aromaleigh URFP in peaches and Cream using Charm stippling brush

Joppa FC Medium 3 using EDM flat top brush (2 layers)

Joppa Grecian Gold using EDM flat top brush (1 layer)

Aromaleigh URFP in peaches and Cream again to seal in all the mineral :-)

LIPS&CHEEKS:

The Bodyshop Lip & Cheek tint patted on cheeks

EYES:

Eye tapes

Freshlook Dailies Contacts in Pure Hazel

Fanny Serrano black gel liner using Fanny Serrano angled liner brush

The Face Shop's false lashes

Fanny Serrano lash curler

BROWS:

Fanny Serrano clear mascara

Lancome dual eyeshadow (Noix shade) using Fanny Serrano angled liner brush to fill in sparse areas of brows

Now these shots were taken after the reception's program.  My lip and cheek stain's awesome job can no longer be appreciated.  My mineral makeup has made me look dewy, not oily.  My eyes, despite the lack of shadows, still popped with the freshlook dailies+flasies tandem.

Reina in her taupe dress, me in my floral number, and Kristine, of course, in her bridal gown.

The three of us have been friends way back Kindergarten days in Maryknoll Child Study Center.  We've been schoolmates/busmates for 12 years, too.  We've fought over stickers, snubbed each other during that time and even caused the entire schoolbus (including our seniors) to be divided as they took sides.  We've sang 'The greatest love of all' with what we then thought was 'voicing', pioneered trick or treating in our village, graduated and made our parents proud altogether.

These people are the closest to my heart although we barely see each other after college (we live in the same village!).  We may have new sets of people we hang out with at present, but we know deep inside us that we are genuinely bestfriends forever!

PS:  These were the pock marks that I had to conceal.  I just thought I had to share.  Natural makeup is very possible even if you have lots of blemishes and ugly, ugly, ugly scars.

Pock marks, pimple blemishes, and monolids.  The solution? (at least temporarily! =D) Mineral makeup, a good concealer, eye tapes and freshlook dailies!

Moving on with my Primer Review Series, let me do Barenaturals' Skin Perfecting Primer.

Skin Perfecting Primer sample, 5mL, 145php($4), from Barenaturals' site

I was a little reluctant to try this primer since its consistency was the most 'fluid' among the usual primers I've tried. However, it's a good thing that I chose not to pass up on this because it has a good number of pro's.

What I liked about it:

• no scent at all
• skin feels smooth and velvety ala smashbox photofinish primer
• little amount is enough to create a good base for smoothing your foundie
• locally available and relatively cheap
• has sample bottles; good value for your money
• Barenaturals owner practices good great customer service!

Uh-ohs:

• sample bottle has no pump for the flowy product to be dispensed properly
• product is too runny for my liking
• my oilies busted its oil-control abilities in 2 hours (t think that tonight was rather a cool evening... wondering how soon it will take for my makeup to budge if it were extremely hot and humid...)

Here's a pic I took after hearing mass (this was an hour after putting makeup on). We walked our way to and from the church as it wasn't too far from home. Notice that my face is staring to look dewy (which is a bad sign):

Face: Clinique DDMG

Barenaturals Skin Perfecting Primer

Clinique Superfit foundie in Neutral

Barenaturals Premium Glow mineral makeup in Olive Neutral Light-Med

Aromaleigh URFP

Cheeks&Lips: Bodyshop's lip and cheek tint

Hmmm, so I used a premium glow mineral foundie. I wonder if it is the cause of tonight's freaking oil. I'll give the primer another try using something else (like my dependable Joppa/Pure Anada mmu's that can control oilies) and update you.

Generally, I think that the not-so-oily gals will love this. It's cheap, locally available and it can give you that smashbox primer feel! Sadly, it didn't do well on me (for this night) so I don't think I'll be getting a full-sized bottle anytime soon.

I know that I am not the only girl wishing I had a different skin type and that I knew the best way to control oil. Oily-skinned gals like me are dreading the oil mine trapped in our faces and it's such a difficult task for us to make sure that we're still pretty and fresh at the end of the day.

Here's our biggest problem: we need a face make-up with medium-to-heavy coverage to hide our acne marks and scars, but we can't keep that make-up sit on our faces because of excess oil.

Let me share with you my top 6 must-use beauty products to control oil in helping us keep our faces primped and pretty the entire day:

#6. Blotting papers.

J&J Clean and Clear Oil-Absorbing Sheets, ~118php ($2.50) at beauty stores and supermarkets

Oily girls need blotting papers since these are handy goodies to keep our faces fresh and oil-free. Just make sure you dab it on your face and not rub it in. It's a must to blot first before retouching with a finishing powder to make sure you're not trapping oil and sweat underneath your made-up face.

(my pick: J&J Clean and Clear Blotting Paper; also try: Gatsby's ~140php, Watson's <100php)

#5. Finishing powders.

Aromaleigh's Ultra reslution finishing powder, $13.75 at website, there are resellers over ebay.ph

These oil-control beauty products add to keeping the face clean and fresh-looking. It can also blur imperfections while giving us a radiant glow.

Oily girls need finpows because we don't want our face to look so flat with a matte make-up.

(my picks: Aromaleigh's URFP's, Bare Escentuals Tinted Mineral veil 500-1000+; also try: Monave's 600-800php, Joppa's 490-900php)

#4. Foundation powders.

Joppa foundies in Full/Soft Coverage, Morning Dew and Simple Radiance, $18-$22 for full-sizes

MMU's are by far, the best foundation powders that can perfectly set your liquid foundie! I will swear to this till I die.

Oily girls need foundation powders to make sure that their base foundies get an extra hold.

(my picks: Joppa's 700-1000php, Pure Anada's 1,000+php, Clinique Superbalanced powder 1,780php; also try: Monave's ~1000php, Lauress')

#3. A gel moisturizer.

Clinique's DDMG, 2400php 125mL at Rustan's; $24 at Clinique website

It's a let-down to know that there are millions of oily-skinned girls who skip on moisturizers. Let me tell you a secret: moisturizers that hydrate the skin send signals to our sebaceous glands to cut down on oil production since enough moisture is already achieved. We produce excess oil basically because our skin lacks the needed moisture!

Oily girls need a moisturizer in gel form to eliminate the greasy feel and replace it with a smooth and velvetty one instead.

(my pick: Cinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel)

#2. A good toner.

Most people say that it tightens the pores and remove excess oil. While this is good news for us, these claims are plainly untrue. The real deal with toners is that it removes unwashed dirt and cleansing residues (c/o our soaps) that may irritate and clog our pores. Since most traditional soaps (and even some facial soaps) are alkaline, toners do the job of restoring the pH of our skin to normal.

Oily girls need a good toner because we don't want more zits/acne adding up when we stuff our faces with make-up. (Tip: there are some toners, like L'oreal Pure Zone's, that contain salicylic acid which can help us with our acne problem)

(my picks: Clinique Clarifying Lotion #3 or #4 1,500-1,800php, my derma's glowing solution 400+php; also try: L'oreal Pure Zone Toner 300+php, Celeteque's 200-300php, Nivea's, Body Shop's Tea Tree Toner 600+php, Neutrogena's Alcohol-free toner ~500php)

#1. Primers!

Smashbox Photofinish (Original), 1800+php at Beauty Bar, $36 at Smashbox website

I've never realized the power of a primer until I started reading beauty blogs. Primers do wonders you just can't imagine. They provide a smooth slate for your make-up to glide on while blurring imperfections and pore size. The best thing about primers is that it keeps your make-up stuck on the face by keeping oilies at bay (which is later reinforced by your finpows)!

The best primers I've tried are silicone-based ones (Smashbox Photofinish), but since most of these can clog our pores, there are primers built silicone-free that may be to our liking!

(My picks: Skinhour's Mattifying Day Cream/Leyende's Face Canvass 400+php, Shu Uemura Mousse UV Base 2000php, Smashbox photofinish Light 2100php also try: Smashbox photofinish original (has silicone), Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel Cream 400-500php, Kryolan Invisi Matte, 800php, MUFE Matt-Velvet 2000+php, Skinfood Agave Prime Gel, 2000php)

I hope you learned a thing or two with these. There are hndreds of ways we can hate our oily skin, but the first step to busting the unwanted oil is to accept that we are what we are. I've come to love my oily skin now... partly because of these best beauty products to control oil!

I never liked setting my foundie with a powder because it just ruins the entire look. Give me a handful of time, say 10 minutes, and I'd look like a soiled gal with a dirty face. Ulk. A royal turn-off, I must say.

But then came Aromaleigh's Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder (URFP). This is a setting/finishing powder made of I bought their translucent variant online and I have to say that I'm very, VERY, very, VEry impressed. I use my EDM FT brush for this to achieve that airbrushed look!

Aromaleigh URFP translucent, FULL-SIZE, 0.5 oz net vol
Ingredients: silica, mica and iron oxides
Amount: $13.75 (~ 670+PHP)+ $5 int'l shipping+ 35PHP customs tax (QCPO)

The Edge:

• totally masked my big pores giving me that soft focus

• eliminated that "dirty" look due to my oily T-zone

• kept me looking fresh throughout the day

• re-application needed only after several hours (it takes 6 hours for me to retouch)

• my sensitive skin didn't break out

• it made me look FLAWLESS!

• a teeny weeny amount is needed and Aromlaeigh's URFP full-size can go a looooong way (I say six months, daily application)

• ingredients are skin friendly, promising reduction of fine lines and imperfections.

Uh-ohs:

• not available locally

• the sifter jar makes it so easy to allow some powder to spill (what I did was I transferred some of the contents to another sifter jar so that I don't waste the precious URFP)

Look at how it perfectly fits my palm! Will certainly fit your purse, too!

*****************

ROYAL RATING: Spend-worthy? Absolutely! We're giving it: PERFECT!
*****************

I'm waiting for the peaches and cream variant I ordered a few weeks ago. Most gals claim that this surpasses the Aromaleigh URFP translucent. I can't imagine that there can still be something better than this! Good job, Aromaleigh!

What's your setting powder? Or are you like me that gets freaked out with how powders make the skin look weird?

Royally yours, Bleak

The first time I ran through the shots of the girls sporting the ulzzang (or ullzang) look, I dissed myself for not knowing make-up and stuff as much as I should.

Despite my run-of-the-mill skills in make-up, I pushed myself to watch youtube vids on how to get the much coveted "ulzzang" look. Ulzzang is a Korean term that connotes a pretty face. Who wouldn't want that? And so I ventured...

(thanks, Nikki of Askmewhats for the inspiration)

(Disclaimer: This is my death-defying act with make-up because I badly wanted to TRY the fad... the authentic ulzzang look necessitates circle lenses and falsies... but I don't have those and so I went ahead with what I've got on hand.)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Five Cheap (and easy!) Ways to Get the Ulzzang Look

Ulzzang Look Step 1: Make your eyes magical with double eyelids

My biggest problem is that my left eye's lid is waaay thinner than my right eyelid.

my assymetric lids

I scanned youtube for tuts on creating double eyelids. I made sure I practiced these "lessons" several times till I got used to using an eyelid glue right. Koji Eyetalk is what most of the girls use, but since we don't have that locally, I opted for:

Aido Eye Putti 140PHP (roughly $3)

we glue and poke!

Finally, I now have a better left eyelid!



Ulzzang Look Step 2: Conceal the bags and line the eyes!

A Nichido concealer came in handy to hide my eyebags and dark undereye areas.

I used a black gel liner to line the upper and lower (outer third) lash lines. Then, I used a silver highlighter on the inner lower corner of the eyes (used L'oreal illumination in 915 Highlight Reflets)

Fanny Serrano's gel liner, 220PHP (roughly $ 4.50)

the black liner+white liner tandem widened my eyes

Ulzzang Look Step 3: Apply eyeshadow

I am no pro at eyeshadows. They are the last thing I'd learn to do mainly because it looks difficult. So I just slathered a basic bronze shadow on my lids and highlighted my browbones (used L'oreal illumination in 915 Highlight Reflets). If you can do shadows well, I'd bet you'll be perfectly uzzlang-ish!

Body Shop Cubes Palette, I used Shade 04, Rich Bronze $22

now you know what i mean by hating eyeshadows... i can barely let them appear on my eyes!

Ulzzang Look Step 4: Apply Mascara and fill the brows

Using light sweeping motions, I filled the gaps in my brows with Avon eyebrow liner (brown).

I used my all-time fave mascara to add that girly touch to my flutters.

Lash curler and Maybelline Unstobble Mascara in Shiny Black, around 300PHP (roughly $6)

Ulzzang Look Step 5: Finish with light powder and lip balm!

Just to keep the oil at bay, I used Aromaleigh's Ultra Resolution Finishing powder. Add Burt's Bees Lip Balm, and you're all set!

Although the real (and very pretty) Ulzzang look is based on circle lenses and long flirty lashes, I skipped those parts because, one, I have yet to buy those, and two, I haven't found the guts to play around with circle lenses and falsies. Here is my final ulzzang look:


If I can be Ulzzang (even just on the average), then so can you! Go ahead, quit hesitating and start digging up that train case! Try on that Ulzzang look you've long been wanting to do!