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!

For all the girls who have given up on mineral make-ups (MMU's) or are on the brink of throwing them out... please reconsider.

In between those times I've basked with minerals, I've always thought of going back to traditional foundies especially during those zitty times for their excellent coverage. I never knew that the choice of mineral applicator can make a HUGE improvement on the foundie's coverage.

I've always used brushes to apply them as it was the most popular method of getting an airbrushed look. It wasn't until five days ago that I discovered how sponges can be better mineral foundie applicators for my skin type--- scarred, oily and acidic.

Joppa Mineral Foundie Full Coverage Light 3, $22

The Bodyshop's Professional Sponge, 200php (~$5)

The basics of applying MMU's with a sponge (get the bodyshop's!!!):

1. Transfer a bit of the foundie onto the lid

2. Dip your dry sponge onto the product.

3. Tap the sponge a little to get rid of the excess minerals

4. Smooth onto skin in a downward motion

5. Blend, blend, blend

I've used MMU's for almost a year now, not because they've made me look flawless, but because

• they're gentle on my sensitive skin... Zero break-outs
• they give my face a certain kind of glow after washing it off at the end of the day
• the full-sized jar I bought 9 months back is still half-full
• mineral make ups do not expire

And ever since my discovery on the bodyshop professional sponge+mineral foundation loveteam, I can now add:

• they make me look like I've got great skin

FOTD on Joppa Minerals' Natural Look:

before the minerals, zits on chin+eyebags+pock marks beneath cheekbone

Joppa+sponge tandem worked for me!

I used: Clinique's 3-step

Primer: L'oreal True Match Smoothing Makeup Base

BB Cream: Elianto Miracle Multiplex #2

Foundie: Joppa Minerals Full Coverage Light 3

Finpow: Aromaleigh URFP in Peaches and Cream

Tools: The Bodyshop's Professional Sponge to Smooth on Joppa foundie and

EDM's flattop brush for the URFP

YUP, no concealers!!! weeee!

Before my eureka moment with the sponge, I was lusting for a good concealer (MAC's or Cinema Secrets, based on forums). Imagine my big savings when I dabbed on a sponge?

So girls, before you rip that mineral makeup foundie jar off your kit, please consider using a good sponge. The only downside to it is that you get to use more of the product relative to using brushes. But what the heck, you'd look really pretty and flawless anyway!

New to mineral make-ups? Check out this forum that talks about 'em!