Rose

Rose is my Texas-based bride. Her wedding was pretty special to me because it fell on my birthday. I definitely don’t mind spending my birthday working as long as I have awesome clients!

We were able to test the smokey eye look she wanted during their prenup shoot (check out the vintage themed photos here), so that’s what I also did for the wedding in Punta Fuego Batangas, sans the red lips to make the look softer.

Here’s her before photo:

and after:

Airbrush makeup by Kris Bacani, wedding makeup artist

Hair by Dimple Callada

Photos by Niceprint Photography

Shot at Club Punta Fuego, Batangas

Hello birthday girl! Sinong bagong kulot??

view more of my works here.

Esel

All I really wanted were rain boots. But what I got in return was a family of bridal clients and personal makeup students! 2 years ago I was lusting for Plueys, these uber funky rain boots that I’ve seen on some of my friends. The inggitera that I am, of course I have to have my own pair. I was hesitant to order online because I wasn’t sure what size I have to get, so when I saw that the seller’s house is near where I live, I asked if I could fit them first there before I buy. Good thing she agreed, or else I wouldn’t have met Esel, the Plueys queen herself.

After I bought my pair, she referred me to her sister Kari, whom I did makeup on for her wedding. Kari and their other sister Risa also enrolled in Makeup Designory Manila‘s personal makeup class, which was taught by me. And then lastly, Esel also booked me for her very own wedding. It really is all in the family

I love the atmosphere of Esel’s wedding, it has an earthy and homey feel to it. It’s simple and unpretentious as you’ll see in the photos. But first, the requisite before-and-after!

Before:

and after:

Airbrush makeup by Kris Bacani, wedding makeup artist

Hair by Dimple Callada

Wedding Gown by Monique Lhuillier

Photos by Jeff and Lisa

Busy-busyhan. Thanks Jean, Via, and Dimple for helping me out!

Risa made her hairpiece and that of the entourage’s.

Also did Risa’s makeup. Check out more of the awesome stuff she’s selling here!

Funky paper flowers. I like!

Congrats Esel and Gelo!

View more of my works here.

Not yet ready for rain? Order now your own pair of Plueys here.

Juvy

Juvy is one of my Singapore based brides. Recently I’ve been getting wedding clients from Singapore one right after the other! I was joking with my hairstylist that if ever we’ll work there, I don’t think we’ll have a hard time getting work because we already have a good network of Pinoys there. Kumikitang kabuhayan pa rin!

Juvy and I didn’t have trial makeup, but I’m happy and relieved she liked what I did. It helped that she has such a lovely face that’s a breeze to work on. I think the other suppliers, from the florist to the photographer, will agree that working with Juvy and her husband Joel was that too– a breeze. Congrats Juvy and Joel!

 

Airbrush makeup by Kris Bacani, wedding makeup artist

Hair by Alex Leyson

Photos by Jar Concengco of Campfire Media

View more of my works here.

Be A Vintage Vixen This Christmas Season

A few days ago FemaleNetwork.com and Purbeauty invited me to do a holiday makeup tutorial for them. Check out this step by step guide and channel your old Hollywood glam this Christmas!

Jaeleen (and how a 4-year old got me this wedding gig)

Jaeleen is my New Zealand based bride. It’s quite funny how she got to know me. I regularly do makeup for Disney Princess magazine, dolling up little girls to look like their fave princesses. I happen to do makeup for Anne Keir, this shy and adorable girl, for one of their issues.

AK and her mom Keih loved the natural makeup I did, so Keih decided to check out my site and recommend me to Jaeleen, her sister who will be getting married and was looking for a makeup artist then. Good thing Jaeleen listened to her niece and sister!

Here’s Jaeleen’s “before” photo:

Tip: Have a facial done a week before the wedding day and not the day before. Sometimes, redness occurs (especially on the nose area where blackheads are squeezed out). Jaeleen had these red stripes on her nose, thank god for airbrush makeup these could be easily covered!

Here’s the “after”:

Airbrush makeup by Kris Bacani, wedding makeup artist

Hair by Alex Leyson

Gown by Von Lazaro

Photos by Wally Gonzales and Von Lazaro

That little girl right there gave me this gig!

Uma-Anne Curtis

Congrats Raymund and Jaeleen, and of course thank you AK and Keih!

View more of my works here.

Rose + Chi’s Vintage Inspired Prenup Shoot

I do not normally post prenup photos here (this is actually the first time), but I’m making an exception for  Rose and Chi. They were originally supposed to shoot in Enchanted Kingdom, but they learned late that it’s going to be closed on the day they want to do it. So at the last minute they decided to have a vintage themed shoot instead and booked The Filling Station, this place in Makati with a 50s diner vibe. I already shot here before for an OK! magazine fashion editorial, so I know they will have great photos, given the great ambiance in this restaurant.

I’m happy they changed plans because the photos turned out to be awesome! The makeup and hairstyle we did to Rose worked well with the theme. As for Chi, I don’t know why but he reminds me of those action stars from those campy 80s movies, he fits well in this kind of photos! Put a pale chinito here and it won’t work. Chi looks every bit a man’s man.

Airbrush Makeup by Kris Bacani

Hair by Dimple Callada

Photos by Niceprint Photography

This shot would have been perfect if it were not for that PUMPKIN!

Love that last shot. Up next are Rose and Chi’s wedding photos!

View of my works here.

Tina (and the wonders of Galvanic Spa)

Tina is my US based bride, and a good friend of my former bridal client, Ketty (she was one of her bridesmaids before). Tina was supposed to get married last April 30 and I was already booked for another wedding then, so she was supposed to go for another makeup artist. Unfortunately (but fortunately for me), due to to visa issues her wedding was moved to November 5, so she reverted back to me. It really was a blessing in disguise!

Tina’s email me to when she sent me the photos:

I just wanted to thank you again for doing such a wonderful job at my wedding last November 5.  Even if we did not get a chance to have a trial session, you were able to achieve the look I wanted for my big day — I was impressed! What made it more enjoyable for me was that I felt so at ease with you — as if I’ve known you for so long!  You were always my first choice… I’m glad my very good friend, Ketty Angeles, referred you!

I hope to have the chance to be made up by you in the future. ‘Til then I wish you more success!

Sweet

Before I did Tina’s makeup, her cousin asked me if he could prep her face first with the Galvanic Spa. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s this handheld machine the size of a cellphone that “smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.. results are so remarkable, your radiant, youthful face and body will leave people wondering about your age and your secret.”

I’ve heard so many good things about it, and Belo centers offer this treatment at around P2,500 per session. If you have the budget though, you could buy this machine for around P20,000 from a NuSkin distributor.* True enough, after her cousin used this on her, Tina’s face was noticeably smoother and glowing. It made my job easier because the makeup adhered to her skin better.

Here’s Tina’s “before” picture:

Glowing na, diba? And here’s the after:

Okay, not much difference there! I just softened her brows a bit and kept everything natural. Dimple added hair extensions so she could achieve this mermaid-like hairstyle.

———————————————————————————————————————–

Airbrush Makeup by Kris Bacani

Hair by Dimple Callada

Photos by Flicker Happy

Congrats Tina and Chet! View more of my works here.

* I am not a NuSkin distributor, and I do not want to be one. Nu Skin network marketers, if you happen to read this post, DO NOT call me. I repeat, for the sake of my sanity, DO NOT CALL ME. As it is, not a month goes by  without me getting a call from one of you guys. I just believe in the product, and I happen to buy some NuSkin products from time to time because they’re really great, but I don’t want to be in the business. Salamat!

Part 2 of PURBEAUTY: My Top Picks

I have gotten to know PURBEAUTY inside and out ever since I started teaching in Makeup Designory Manila. Here are my current faves from this store:

1. ORLY NAIL POLISH, P349.75

Before I became I makeup artist, I specifically remember the 2 times I had a professional manicure and pedicure: my junior prom and my sister’s debut. Putting on nail polish never really appealed to me; I see it as a time consuming, unnecessary task. Now, I can’t live without it! As a makeup artist and makeup teacher, my hands are always captured in photos (especially wedding photos) and people always look at them whenever I do makeup demos. So every two weeks, I go to my suking nail spa for mani-pedi to make sure that my fingernails are always clean, polished, and coated in a pretty shade (I couldn’t do my own mani-pedi even if my life depended on it). The spa charges more if you want to use premium nail polish, so I just bought my favorite Orly shades since I know I’ll be using them over and over again. My staple shades are:

Country Club Khaki. A “greige” shade (gray + beige), or as my friend put it, my bangkay-gray shade. :p

Cupcake

Gumdrop

Orly has launched their new Birds of a Feather line, and the Purbeauty people told me it’s going to be available in a month’s time in the store.

I am not a fan of metallic shades, but this one really appealed to me:

Nite Owl

Pretty, no? Purbeauty people, are you reading this? SPRINT ASIA PEOPLE, ARE YOU READING THIS??? This would make a very nice Christmas gift! Hehe

2. BEN NYE LOOSE POWDER, P300-400

I’m so happy more and more professional makeup are now available here in Manila through Purbeauty. One that I was looking forward to for a very long time is Ben Nye Cosmetics, an affordable yet densely pigmented line of makeup. Last week, I finally saw them displayed. I will be buying this after I’m finished with my Kryolan loose powders:

Ben Nye Loose Powder in Banana. The powder is very very fine, and at P300, it’s really affordable.

3. MAKEUP DESIGNORY CHEEK COLOR IN GLOW, P925

A dead ringer of Nars’ orgasm, but with less shimmer so it’s perfect for everyday. Very pigmented, too.

3. BDELLIUM TOOLS 10 PIECE BRUSH SET WITH BRUSH ROLL, around P5,000

I was able to use these brushes last week when I taught the personal makeup class, and the quality is good. At around P5,000, the price is not bad at all. It has the basics covered. Plus I like the brush roll, which is very utilitarian chic. Some of my students bought this and they’re very happy with it! I recommend this a starter brush set for newbie makeup artists, and as a personal set for makeup addicts/junkies.

4. GRAFTOBIAN LIP COLOR PALETTE, P1,500

Here’s another professional brand that is worth checking out. Most makeup artists I know carry Graftobian in their kit, and they’re satisfied with its performance.

If only I don’t have yet the shades in this palette, I would have instantly bought this. The color selection is perfect for bridal work. Other palettes are also available with different color selection.

5. GRAFTOBIAN HD PRO POWDER PALETTE, P5,000

I’m buying the refills for this palette. My Makeup Designory co-teacher Georginna Desuasido convinced me to buy these, and I will definitely! I like the full coverage it gives.
7. DOLLFACE EYESHADOW PALETTE, around P850

Who hasn’t heard of Dollface? With a whopping 88 colors in a palette and with an unbeatable price to boot, this is the go-to brand for makeup artists and junkies who don’t want to shell out on pricey eyeshadows yet. The color combinations are endless!

What are your favorite products from Purbeauty? I’d love to hear from you!

Purbeauty is located at the 2nd floor of Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

PURBEAUTY: Haven for Makeup Artists and Makeup Addicts

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about PurBeauty, given that this store is the home of Makeup Designory Manila, the makeup school where I currently teach. It has been open for almost a year now and earlier this year I’m there almost everyday, so this post is long overdue!

Aside from it being MUD Manila’s headquarters, it is a haven for MUAs (Make Up Artists and yes, Make Up Addicts also) and the go-to place for all things kikay. The following makeup equipment are available here:

Love that zebra print trolley!

Makeup chairs and malettes galore

ZUCA trolley, around P14,000. I’ve been eyeing this for months already!

You can also find the following brands here:

REVLON

NYX

JANE IREDALE

GOODY

WET N’ WILD

TEMPTU AIRBRUSH MAKEUP

DOLLFACE COSMETICS

CHARM & BDELLIUM MAKEUP BRUSHES

GRAFTOBIAN

ORLY

MAKEUP DESIGNORY COSMETICS

Speaking of Makeup Designory, I dropped in the ongoing Diploma Class by co-teacher Georginna Desuasido.

I missed you, Ginna! The students learned all about eyeliner, mascara, false eyelash, and lipstick application earlier. I’ll be teaching the Diploma night classes on January 2012, so for those interested to enroll, you may call Purbeauty at 8469016 and look for Alexis.

I’ll be posting my top picks from this store next, but for now I’ll leave you with my haul for today. I have Purbeauty gift certificates and I decided to spend them on new Revlon lip colors for my kit.

L-R: Revlon Colorstay Lipsticks (P575 each) in Crimson, Mauve, Plum, and Soft Rose

L-R: Revlon Colorburst Lipglosses(P575 each) in Gold Dust, Rosepearl, Papaya and Bordeaux

Gorgeous, aren’t they?

PurBeauty is located at 2nd floor of Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

More on Cirque du Soleil Makeup

After watching Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai here in Manila, I am simply awed and inspired by this group. For me, they are a perfect example of excellence. Everything they do, from the dances and acrobatics to their costumes and makeup, are very well thought of, it’s obvious that they dedicated time and practice to perfect every detail. As a dancer myself, I can just imagine the grueling hours they’ve put in in coming up with such an elaborate show.

I decided to watch another Cirque production, Zaia, when I went to Macau last August. Hay, if only I had the talent to join Cirque, I would have done it years ago! My jaw was literally hanging the whole time I was watching. Everything looked surreal, I am running out of superlatives to describe them.

Me looking giddy at the entrance.

As a certified fangirl, I wanted to bring home a piece of Cirque with me. So in the tourist trap known as the souvenir shop, I bought their coffee table book celebrating their 25th year which focused on the evolution of their costumes.

It explained the design process– from conceptualization to sourcing of materials to the actual production. I also bought this book for the makeup. Of course, the costume wouldn’t be complete without the makeup, which they did superbly. Circus makeup is theatric, so they really played up the highlights and shadows. They also utilized mostly primary colors, but even with this basic color palette, the looks are anything but boring. Check out some of my fave looks:

Fiery Firebird!

Well executed aging makeup right there

This looks very avant garde to me

Where to watch Cirque du Soleil next? New York? Orlando? Las Vegas? Canada? Japan? I think I’ll make it a personal project to watch all Cirque productions all over the world from now on. Hmmm that’s quite a pricey proposition, now on to rob a bank…