I have been good: Birthday/Christmas wishlist! :)

Christmas is literally just around the corner, a time of giving and receiving. Throughout the year we always look forward to Christmas because the festive season allows us to wish and if lucky own the things we want. :) I have been so good this year! haha here's my Christmas wish list:

ZUCA for MAC

These days I hardly bring my portable makeup trolley with mirror and lights to shoots, especially when I know that the place of shoot already has a dressing room fit with mirror and lights but if otherwise I bring my trolley. The reason I hardly bring my trolley is because it is so heavy! Thus 1st on my list is this ZUCA for MAC bag. I think this is perfect, easy to lug around and it also doubles as a chair! Also for now, this is more practical than getting an assistant to help carry my things. Haha :)

Blackberry Bold 9900

I have been a crackberry since 2007 and I haven't turned back since. Blackberry is essential to my life, from emails, messaging and data. So when news came out of this Blackberry Bold, I knew I had to have it. But, my current Blackberry bold is still in perfect condition and even though I want this new Bold badly, I still can't justify spending on cellphones. Hehe this is on my list for Santa haha :)

Tory Burch Eddie Crystal Bow Ballet Flats

Pretty yes? YES. Even prettier when you try them on for yourself. Which I did, and am now thinking that I shouldn't have. I thought I wasn't gonna fall in love with this pair with me harmlessly reaching out for it and trying it on (just because it was my size). But no. It's soft leather and crystal bow glitz and oh so comfortable sole had me captured. Now I AM HAUNTED. And when I get haunted, I HAVE TO HAVE IT. Thus I promised myself, I will only buy it after all my Christmas shopping. But if anyone decides to play Secret Santa, do note that I am a size 6 for this shoe. Haha :)

Wicked The Musical in SG

Above everything that I want this Christmas TO WATCH WICKED THE MUSICAL IN SG tops my list. The story is so dear to me and I really want to watch this musical. For friends who have seen it in other parts of the world, they say that it is one of their favorite musicals. I love musicals, even though I have only seen a few in my life. I must come out to see the confused green skinned Elphaba and Best friend Glinda. I want to cry my eyes out and sing to all the songs. Wicked will be running in SG till February, and I do hope I get to catch a show. WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED (The Secret, saying it over and over will get me there haha).


So those are the things that are on my Christmas wish list. I really hope that I can come around and get some myself or get some as gifts. Haha Anyway, Tis the season to give and to receive. But above all, Tis the season to share love and happiness. :)

Share the joy my friends! :)


Toodles! :)

My favorite neutral crease colors

Hi all, a blessed Sunday to everyone and to the girlies from Manila; A cozy snuggle-fest weather to you. :) I recently discovered my addiction to neutral colored crease eye shadow. The crease color can depend on what type of makeup look you are going for, but for me the safest way to go are neutral colors, my favorite are the mid tone brown shades.

Here are my favorite crease color shades:
From top to bottom:
Soba, Cork, Wedge

Swatches:
Soba, Cork, Wedge

From left to right:
Seedling, Moleskin, Outre

Swatch from left to right:
Seedling, Moleskin, Outre

These are my most favorite crease colors from MAC. The reason why I have a lot of crease color favorites is because, not all shadows colors go well or actually even register color on everyone. So having a number of choices is good. :)

What are your favorite crease colors? :)

Toodles! :)

Lime Crime Lipstick in Countessa Flourescent and Centrifuschia

When I saw swatches and pictures online of people wearing Lime Crime lipsticks, the first thing I that came to mind was literally "WOW", the bright lipsticks were so hard to resist that I just needed to get me at least 1. But before I usually purchase a product, especially If I have to buy it online, I do a ton of research so that I won't regret the color I'll be getting. In to my research, I was getting pretty skeptic because of the mixed reviews. So I decided to get the lippies that had the more positive things said about them, the lippies I got are:

Countessa Flourescent and Centrifuschia

Countessa Flourescent Swatch (Top)
Centrifuschia (Bottom)

From the bright swatches, there's no question that your lips will be the focus that everyone will notice right away. That's what I love about these lippies, they can stand on their own.

I decided to get Countessa Flourescent because the reviews said that this was the closest shade compared to MAC's famous Candy Yum Yum, now I love Candy Yum Yum and I'm super sad I only got 1 tube. The fear of running out of Candy Yum Yum haunts me, so I decided to get this Lime Crime dupe. It did not fail, it is as bright and as amazing as Candy Yum Yum. Even my mentor and friend RB Chanco thinks so too. :)

On the other hand I chose Centrifuschia too well, just because i thought it was a pretty color. Hehe. Again it did not fail me, it goes on so smoothly, lasts long and hardly bleeds. :)

This is me wearing Centrifuschia

I've had these lippies for a few months now and I'm pretty happy with their performance, though here are some tips to note down if you are planning to buy Lime Crime Lippies:

- Some of their lipsticks after applying settle in a funny way. This was one major consideration and one of the biggest negative review of the lime crime lipsticks that I read. Some of their lipsticks settle in the lines and look oily (my experience with Countessa Flourescent), BUT, do not fear, here are some solutions to avoid this:

a) Use a lip brush to apply, I've noticed that this way it doesn't settle
b) If you don't have a lip brush, apply lipstick directly on lips, Blot, and re-apply.

- The lippies also have a tendency to bleed, so I suggest using a lip liner first. :)

- These lipsticks last long, and have lip staining ingredients in them. So at the end of the day, give your lips a good scrub to make sure that no residue is left on your lips. :)

Hope this review helps! :)


Toodles! :)

CHALK Dec-Jan issue

Hey guys, grab a copy of CHALK Magazine December-January issue with Xian Lim on the cover. The Beauty Editorial features the trends from Fall/Winter 2011 that you can surely sport in this season's many many celebrations. :)

Makeup by yours truly and Maui, thank you once again Chalk Beauty Editor Michelle Katigbak-Alejandro for trusting and believing in us! Awesome styling by Kate Paras and photos by Dix Perez :)

Here's are the looks that I did for model Isabel Collins :)

Happy Monday all! :)


Toodles! :)

SLEEK Makeup lipsticks

Hey all, a blessed Sunday to everyone! I just got home from a quick afternoon shopping at the St. James Bazaar in Alabang. This bazaar is a yearly thing from me, you can practically find anything you want and need for yourself and presents for others. We got lucky with parking too, parked right in front of the entrance. :)

One of the surprises i saw and immediately chose from was a wide selection of SLEEK makeup. I only know of this brand from other international bloggers as they blog mostly about the Sleek eye shadow palettes. I was more fascinated with their lipsticks at only PHP400 per tube!

Here's what i came home with:

Sleek Lipstick in:
Mystic (Matte)
Fuschia (Sheen)

Swatch of Mystic (left) and Fuschia (right) and a showcase of my arm candy hehe


I really really love how pigmented the lippies from Sleek are, I am actually regretting I didn't buy more. Hehe

Here's me wearing Mystic:

Goodnight All!

Toodles! :)

Hitting pan once again! :)

Don't you just love hitting pan on your products? I definitely do because I get to see which products I lean more towards and it means time to replenish (a.k.a shopping for new makeup) :)

Here are my top hit pan items for 2011. BTW, these are the make up used in my Professional Kit. :)

Favorite Shadows for 2011:
MAC eye shadow in Ricepaper, perfect for lids and for brow highlighter.

MAC eye shadows in Soba, Cork and Wedge; I have an obsessions with the mid tone browns crease colors hence the hitting pan :)

MAC eye shadows in Yogurt and Orb, another lid color favorite :)


Foundation

MAC Powder Foundation in NC42

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation NC30 and Powder Foundation also in NC30, these 2 have hit pan the same time mainly because of this girl below:

Angeline Quinto on the Buzz, Photo credits from Push.com.ph

So those were my items that quickly hit pan for this year, what are the products that you have used over and over this 2011? :)

I will leave you with a video of Angeline Quinto singing You light up my life on ASAP last November 20, 2011 which happened to be her birthday celebration on the said show. Makeup by yours truly. :) Enjoy!

Toodles!! :)

Thank you 2011!

I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful 2011 has been for me. I have been blessed with such an amazing career this year that it has kept me sane! :) Even though I have lacked seriously with blogging this year, i assure you all that make-up was never out of the picture. It really is awesome when you do what you love for a living. Happy thanksgiving all!

Here's a portrait of what best describes me; vanity, makeup, true love and macarons! :)

Cheers to a wonderful 2011 and here's a toast for an even better 2012! :)

Toodles! :)

US Makup Haul

In my recent trip to the US (for work), so that I won't be buying impulsive makeup I went with a list of what to buy before I even left Manila. Well we all know that didn't really work out as planned. Haha But I am glad to say that this has got to be my most conservative loot to date!

Most of the items I got were to replace almost empty products and the others, well just a few knick knacks that I figured I would need. (Figure being the key word! :P )

Photo was taken in Instagram hence the effect hehe

Aquaphor
Maybeline Mascara
Sephora Conceler
MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in Process Magenta
MAC e/s in: Moleskine, Carbonized, Bisque, Cross Cultural, Liberty of London
MAC Blunt
MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC30
MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC30
MAC Prep and Prime Pressed Translucent Powder
MAC Lipmix in Red, White
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in San Paulo, Tokyo

Here is my conservative loot! :) Out of the products my favorites have got to be the MAC Lipmix - which I got in Red and White, and the MAC Prep and Prime Pressed Translucent Powder. :)

From this US trip, I had the most fun time shopping in the MAC Pro Store in The Forum Shops Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas. I was like a little girl jumping from table to table trying and swatching the products. I had such a great time too with all the MAC artists so accommodating. I went back a couple of times during my week stay in Vegas. Had I the chance to buy the whole store and take it home I would. :P But don't we all. :) Glad to say that I had tons of self control buying only the things I would need! :)

Shopping for make up is always love. :)


Toodles! :)


Carla

What are your MAC must have products?

It's no secret that probably the most popular and well trusted brand when it comes to make up is MAC whether for professional artists or not. MAC has been around for a number of years now and has ever since never failed when it comes to their marketing strategies. From Back to Mac, to a huuuggeee line of products and to the always exciting seasonal collections, they always know how to keep their customers wanting more.

I must admit, I have fallen into the MAC trap (I was sorta anti-MAC before but now i eat my words!) and I can't get enough of the brand! My kit has transformed and is now 85% MAC filled and it just keeps on growing. I want to share with you all my can't-live-without-must-have MAC products.

MAC Eye Shadows
Photo taken from Temptalia

MAC has got to be the brand that carries a full range of colors and finishes for its eye shadows. At first, I thought they were overpriced and any eyeshadow will do. But once I started taking Makeup Artistry seriously, the main problem I faced with other eye shadow brands was that there was fall out and the colors just wouldn't stick. Until I tried MAC eye shadows, the color output was superb, hardly any fall out and the colors just blend well. Yes, you pay a pretty hefty price per eye shadow but it definitely is worth it. MAC eye shadows are top on must-have list.

MAC Brushes
Photos taken from MAC Website

MAC is also well known for their make up brushes because of their quality and many rave reviews. You may think that any other brush can do the job because yes, I used to also think that way, but what I've realized is that without the right tools, you can't achieve perfection. Sounds so way up there huh? Haha but to clear that out, when I say right tools, what I'm looking for is a product that is made with top notch quality to help it last a long time, a product that can produce the same result every time and one that I can use with utmost ease. And with the wide array of MAC brushes, these have got to be my must-haves:

MAC 190
Can be used for cream and liquid foundation, out of all foundation brushes I have tried and own, this gives me the least streaks and most of the time gives me no streaks at all. Thus making my foundation application flawless every time.




MAC 109
This brush is raved for it's flawless-ness when used to apply liquid foundation in a buffer motion, that is true yes because for a time that's what I used it for. But after that I realized that because the brush really isn't intended for liquid products it encountered more shedding, thus is shifted it's purpose. I started using this brush to set liquid foundation with powder foundation. Because of its round-ness it is like a 'kabuki on a stick' and the size perfect for buffing making sure every corner and crevice of the face is reached.



MAC 266
I really can't live without this brush. This is my best friend hand-in-hand to help create the best looking eye brows in every face. Perfect angle and perfect shape, it works 100% with my favorite brow products.


MAC Brow Set
Photo taken from MAC Website

I don't know of any other brand that can come close to a product like MAC's Brow Set. It looks like mascara but this baby is intended to give your brows the tint that it needs. Aside from the tint, it also helps keeps your unruly brows polished. I start panicking when I see this product running out in my kit. I love it that much.

MAC Fluidline
Photo taken from MAC Website

Almost every cosmetic brand has their own gel liner, but MAC's version is just so convenient to use. It glides on like silk, dries to a matte finish and looks smooth every time. Just always make sure to not leave it open for long and close it tightly so it doesn't dry easily.

With MAC's full range of products, most of what I have in my kit if not all are well used and really treasured, but the ones that I have mentioned above have got to be the products that can't be beaten by other brands.

What about you girls, which MAC Products are your must-haves? :) Can't wait to read all your answers. :)


Toodles! :)

The on-the-go bag

On days when I know work won't require me to bring my lighted train case, I save myself the effort (loading and unloading from my car, carrying it up flights of stairs which tires me out even before I begin the actual work haha) and bring with me a smaller kit. This smaller kit is already filtered and includes only makeup I would need, especially when it's me doing makeup for a regular client and or you know the venue of makeup is equipped with lighting and a mirror to use.

A few days ago, after a beauty ed for a magazine, I decided to drop by the Suesh showroom to just look around (I laugh at myself for thinking I would just "look around") and came home with this baby, my new on-the-go makeup kit bag.

Description from Suesh
- Stylish padded canvas bag perfect for girls who are always on the go.
- Zebra print
- Dimensions: 13 x 7.5 x 8.5 inches

--- PHP1,200

Here's what the bag looks like open with my stash inside :)

Brush belt goes on top of the pile, fits perfectly in the bag without deforming any brush and notice how the inside of the cover has provisions for brushes too :)

Brush belt out, and surprise at all that room for my kit :)

Everything that was inside the bag :)




Inside the bag

Here's the inside empty, roomy enough t fit all the things you will need plus inside also has a lot of pockets for little things. The outside of the bag too is surrounded with pockets so there is plenty of room for everything.

When I bought this bag, it answered all my considerations in looking for an on the go kit. It was large enough to fit everything yet not too bulky to lug around, it had extra pockets, it was light and the design and print is funky to bring around. :)

The best part is that, setting up and packing up is such a breeze, storing things in little bags like lipstick, eye liners and the likes helps too so that there's less clutter. This bag is perfect! :)

Toodles! :)

MAC Prolongwear lipstick in Goes and Goes

Hey guys, posting another review on my MAC Prolongwear Lipstick collection in the shade of Goes and Goes. I have constantly mentioned in my blog posts my love for MAC Prolongwear lipsticks. Just like MAC Matte lipsticks they really last long on your lips after hours and hours without feathering. The bestest best part is that it isn't drying on the lips, even after hours its formula helps keep your lips hydrated thus giving it a matte finish that is not drying. :)

Goes and Goes is a Blue Violet Shade

Here's a swatch of Goes and Goes compared to other MAC Lipsticks

From top to Bottom:

Candy Yum Yum

Pro Longwear in Overtime

Pro Longwear in Love Forever

Pro Longwear in GOES AND GOES

This lipstick though, I don't know I have mixed feelings with. I find that it doesn't really complement medium-darker skin tones. Also I feel that it's not a shade that can be used for everday wear. Although I don't regret purchasing this because I know it will come in handy with a not so usual concept shoot for work. :)

Below is a pic of me and Angel, Angel is my make up mentor RB Chanco's loveable assistant. Angel is wearing MAC Pro Longwear in Goes and Goes, he is the first to try the lipstick since I have yet to use it for work. So for everyone's reference here's a pic of Goes and Goes worn by Angel. :)

Tillmy next post!

Toodles! :)

MAC Matte lipstick in Candy Yum-Yum

In my previous post, I described this lipstick as being infamous. Candy Yum Yum is a matte lipstick, a limited edition product which was part of the Quite Cute collection. Before the collection even came out, a lot of buzz was going round about this neon pink must-have lipstick. Because I'm a makeup junkie i just NEEDED it with the fact in mind that it will be out of stock most probably everywhere! So I searched high and low, did what I could to get my hands on one. Thus being infamous, the lipstick sold out right away and getting one was no regret ( Oh I regret not buying 2 actually!).

Candy Yum-Yum is a bright neon pink lipstick and when applied literally looks like it's being lit up, most especially on my dark asian skin tone (think a reflector jacket but without needing light to illuminate it) although don't get me wrong, it is beautiful when worn! :)

Here's the swatch on my hand, although this picture doesn't give justice to it's brightness!

To show you how bright the lipstick is on me, here are pictures of me wearing Candy Yum-Yum under natural lighting.


See how the lipstick is just lighting up on my dark skin tone? The lipstick is just shouting "I'm here go look at my brightness!" haha and i love every bit of it. :)

Here's a run-down on Candy Yum-Yum

Likes:
- A great unconventional addition to the kit
- It's Neon!
- The matte formula allows it to sit on your lips longer without bleeding
- In my opinion it suits all skin colors

Dislikes:
- I only bought one
- It's freakin limited edition


I really really love this lipstick, I think it complements everyone giving just the right amount of spunk to your look. I just wish it becomes part of the permanent collection or they decide to release this shade again. :)


Toodles! :)

I've become addicted to lipsticks

I feel so ashamed, that it has grown accustomed to me to apologize at every beginning of my blog posts. I know I have promised to blog more often and I know I have not lived up to that promise, but I do assure you that I have a valid reason hehe. From January up to this month, work has been over pouring and over whelming that when I have time, instead of blogging, I find myself asleep and resting on my bed. But although I have been super busy, I have not changed one bit with my makeup hoarding! :) And recently I noticed I've become addicted to lipsticks hehe.

Here are my latest hoards:

Left to Right:
The Infamous Candy Yum Yum from the Quite Cute Collection
MAC Pro Longwear Lipstick in Overtime
MAC Pro Longwear Lipstick in Love Forever
MAC Pro Longwear Lipstick in Goes and Goes
Wet and Wild Mega Last Lip Color in 905D Smokin Hot Pink
MAC Lip Pencil in In Synch from the Quite Cute Collection

I didn't realize I was hoarding so much on lip products until I saw my stash and realized they were all still in boxes. I don't know why but I have recently become addicted to lipsticks, and it hasn't even ended, I have a few more lipsticks I ordered coming soon! Weeeh more lippies! :)

As for now, these are my new babies. :) Which one of the lip products do you want to see swatched? :)

Let me know. :)

Toodles! :)