KASALAN 2010: October 15 -17, 2010

Hi there! I will be at booth #34 this weekend! Please come and visit me and get a makeup trial, on me! I'm offering great makeup package deals over the weekend so I hope to see there!

Wedding Congress 2010

Hi everyone! I'll be at the Wedding Congress 2010 this weekend, July 31 & August 1. This will be at SM Megamall, Megatrade Hall. Find your way nearest the convention hall at the congress and you'll see me at booth #38! Sweet deals await those who book onsite! Oh, did I also mention, that I'll be doing trials for free too?

Text me for an appointement over the weekend 09162356575! See you there guys!

The MOST Amazing Primers I've Tried So Far! FTW!

Just came from the NARS counter today and discovered an amazing franchise called PRO PRIME. It is the most AMAZING of all primers I've tried in the market! I used two of the products and I'll let you know why.

Pro Prime Skin Smoothing Face Prep
The formulation is just amazing! It's a balm (though not sticky at all) in a convenient and pretty container. I used it on a lady who had (very) oily skin to prep. It instantly mattified her skin and left a smooth velvety finish. I only used my fingers to apply the product to her face and the results were instant. The visible lines on her face also lessened with the application of the product. Upon doing my research, the Skin Smoothing Face Prep held true to it's claims. And the best thing about it, is that you can use it over makeup to mattify select areas of the face to touch up. Believe me, I first observed the results and all the claims are true. I love it!


Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
It comes in a mascara-like container and has a doefoot applicator. I just used two swipes for my eye area and spread it with my fingers. At first I thought it was just an ordinary primer to smoothen the eye area. But when I met with a client four hours later, she complimented that my makeup looked as if I had just put it on! I used NARS Goldfinger eyeshadow, a golden yellow eyeshadow and the color just popped!
Later into the day I was delighted to see that the eyeshadow did not budge at all and was as pretty as I first placed it. The downside? I forgot to take a photo to prove it. So I'll take it to the Road Test again and prove to you that the stuff really works! Better yet, come down to the NARS counter at Rustans and try it out yourself. You'll be as amazed as I am!

ROAD TEST: Multiple Choice - An Outsider's Take on NARS' Multiple

I worked for a popular cosmetics brand for almost 4 & 1/2 years and have been totally in love with it. But going freelance recently has opened my eyes to the world. I'm stingy by nature and I would go for products that would be uber useful for me and would eventually "pay for itself." That being said, I went on a road test to see what the best product would be for a simple college student, now that school's in. I decided to go and check out the NARS counter first, since I've always been itching to see what the beef was about with the blush called "Orgasm." What I would eventually discover is that you can walk away from a NARS counter with a multiple orgasm - specifically, a Multiple in Orgasm. What's a multiple? It's a stick that you can use on your eyes, cheeks and lips - gives you a subtle, sheer glow effortlessly.

Okay, so all that talk about the product is nonsense until we try it, yes? So, I gave the NARS Multiple a try - testing whether it's claim to be multi-purpose is indeed true.

ROAD TEST 1: DANELLA, 18 years old, COLLEGE STUDENT


Danella's a sophomore in college, so I decided to make her look very simple and easy for a college student to do. You'll notice a streak on her nose - I forgot to take her photo earlier and was able to swipe some tinted moisturizer on her face already. I used Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude. I lightly dusted powder foundation in Laponie on her T-Zone and cheeks.








Danella's brows naturally have a shape to it, so I just filled in by using Laura Mercier's Brow Definer in Fair. The brow definer is a solid cream in a tiny pot. Application is usually by dipping an angled brush to fill in the brows. Since we're going for a more casual, lesser planned and fussed over look, I placed some of the product on a mascara wand and brushed the brow. It helps fill in gaps and at the same time, softens the her features with a lighter brown tint to her brows.








I wanted this makeup to be as realistic as possible - quick and easy, because she's just in college after all. Here's Danella's final look. Still the same girl, just prettier. I was surprised that the Multiple was smooth and emollient. I expected it to feel a little bit sticky or greasy. Unlike other multi-purpose products I've tried, the multiple didn't feel weird when applied to the lips.

Here's a summary of the products I used:
1. NARS Stage Beauty Duo
2. NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara
4. NARS Multiple in Orgasm (used on the eyes, lips and cheeks)
5. NARS Pillow Talk Lipgloss



ROAD TEST 2: CLARIE, 25 years old, CHEF/ARTIST

Clarie's routine is basically dictated by her work as a chef. Always behind the scenes, chefs like Clarie usually put more importance to the output of their craft rather than how they look in the process. Clarie shares that it's a treat to be made up once in a while to escape the heat in the kitchen. Pun intended.

Since Clarie is also a visual artist, she was game enough to let me experiment with colors that she wouldn't usually go for. I also wanted her to look made up, fresh yet simple. I wanted her to look prettified without knowing what exactly was different.



I used the Multiples in Clarie's eyes, lips and cheeks as well. I used South Beach, a warm apricot shade on her eyelids to even out the skin tone and to grab the eyeshadow better as well. I used Portofino, a shimmering coral for her lips and cheeks. Corals are great for those who prefer subtlety.

Here's Clarie after the makeover featuring NARS Multiples. :)



Products used on Claire:
1. Stila 1 Step Foundation in Medium (this is amazing stuff!)
2. Laura Mercier Soft Brow Definer
3. NARS Capone Powder Foundation
4. NARS Sweden Powder Foundation
5. NARS Bysance Duo (Yellow)
6. NARS Key Largo (Brown)
7. Laura Mercier Eyeliner
8. NARS Portofino Multiple Cheeks/Lip
9. NARS Southbeach Multiple
10. NARS Chihuahua Lip Gloss (over Portofino)



I fell in love with the Multiple with the makeovers I did for Danella and Clarie. I have never tried the product prior to this and I am very much impressed and convinced. Priced at Php 2250, the Multiple can deliver great texture and payoff to the eyes, cheeks and lips. Just a note, some of the Multiples have shimmer, while some have none. I personally like the ones with shimmer as the glitter particles are not too large and provide dimension to the area it's applied on. Just a tip, use a spatula to scrape off a bit of product to be used on the eyes, cheeks and lips. Not only do you save on product, but you also observe hygeine practices even if you only do makeup on yourself. I particulary use a butter scraper and a metal spatula. The plastic variety is widely available too. Just make sure that you sanitize your tools prior to makeup. This makes a world of difference too. :)

Pictured above: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude, LM Lash Curler, NARS Multiples in (L-R) South Beach, Orgasm, Tuomata and Portofino, Stila One Step Foundation, Laura Mercier Brow Definer, NARS lipgloss in Pillow Talk and Chihuahua (top to bottom)

NARS, Stila and Laura Mercier are available at Rustan's Department Stores.

Red My Fortune Cookie

Red has always been THE color when you want attention all to yourself. I chose OPI Red for my mani-pedi on my wedding day. I really wasn't the french tip kind of girl. I wanted a bright, in-your-face, I'm-not-shy-at-all, look-at-me red. So there I was, having my nails done the night before my wedding day, rummaging through a bucket full of laquer. It was love at first sight.

Inspired by the stark contrasts of Hong Kong, the Spring Summer Collection of OPI is defined as "...old and new; tradition and innovation..." The collection is a mix of signature colors with names inspired by everything Hong Kong. A few favorites are Dim Sum Plum, Red My Fortune Cookie, Suzi Says Feng Shui and Bling Dynasty. The mere sound of the names stir the imagination of how tradition and culture can be traslated into shades of nail laquer. I've never been to Hong Kong, so I can only rely on my "research" to know what I'm talking about!

I'm a huge fan of anything that has a story behind it; and as far as nail laquers go, OPI makes the cut. Quirky, original, and most of the time, pun intended. Now Chop-sticking to My Story!

Oh, it's just so worth it to see their beautiful beauty shots for this collection. That's what inspiration is! Something's wrong and I can't seem to upload the photos. Let me give it go on another entry. ;p


OPI and the Hong Kong Collection by OPI are sold at Rustans Department Stores.

"Taking care of your skin is like taking care of your teeth. It is a health necessity!" - JANE WURWAND, founder of DERMALOGICA

I never really paid attention to my skin until I worked for a cosmetic brand a few years ago. What Jane Wurwand said was simple but true. We often neglect our skin, thinking that soap and water would do the trick. Or, in cases such as mine, we only pay attention to our skin long after our "prime" years.

Jane Wurwand created Dermalogica because she wasn't getting the results she wanted as a teen suffering from chronic dermatitis and eczema. Her condition meant that she wouldn't be able to tolerate the additives in commercial skincare. Today, the CLEAN START line was created to get teens into the habit of taking care of their skin and knowing why they should. It's not solely about vanity, but also about of reaping the rewards in the long run. As Jane said, "...it's never to early to begin taking care of your skin, if you can adopt good habits at an early age, your skin will reflect that."

CLEAN START caters to the "Net Generation" - young adults born between 1989 and 1996. The skin care line of Dermalogica not only considered thier target market in product formulation, but took note of this genereation's complicated taste through product names and smart packaging.

The starter kit is housed in a cute disposable ziploc bag and the cute bottles are of citrus colors. The whole line consists of a total of 8 products but the starter kit houses the 5 essentials.



Wash Off, All Over Clear, Ready,Set,Scrub, Bedtime for Breakouts and Welcome Matte SPF15 are smart names to get the Net Generation to start paying attention to their skin PLUS addressing the skincare concerns before the kids know what they are.

Another great thing about the brand is that they don't use SD Alcohol, mineral oils nor artificial coloring/fragrances and other unecessary ingredients to the products. It's really not about the packaging but what's inside.

Complementing the line are three other products, Hit the Spot (breakout spot treatment, Smart Mouth Lip Shine (no color!) and Brighten Up SPF15 (SPF with a hint of shimmer). Just a tip, I recommend Brighten Up SPF15 for normal to dry skin, Welcome Matte SPF15 for normal to oily skin types.





With the cute packaging, nifty names and straightforward formulas, who wouldn't want to have a CLEAN START?!

Watch out for the lucky road-tester for the CLEAN START Starter Set by Dermalogica!

Dermalogica is sold in all Rustans Department Stores.