Donna

Small world story: As with most of my clients who are based abroad, they usually know about me through the Internet. Donna is based in Toronto, Canada. When Donna posted her wedding photos in Facebook, I was quite surprised when Kayan, another bridal client of mine who’s based in Guam, commented on the photos on how they both got the same makeup artist, which is of course moi. Turns out they were high school classmates and unbeknownst to each other, they both booked me for their respective weddings! Their weddings were just 5 days apart. I just love how the Internet connects everyone together and how it really makes the world really really small, parang tatlong kembot lang ang Guam and Canada from Philippines! =)

Now on to Donna’s hair and makeup. She wanted a natural look, but wanted me to put mint green eyeshadow as the base color for her eyes so that it’s somewhat coherent with the motif, which is light green and maroon. That’s one way of tweaking the natural look, adding a pop of color. For the hair, she wanted Korina Sanchez’s hairstyle during her wedding, which is a soft, elegant bun.

Here’s her before photo:

and after:

more pictures from F. Topico Mayuga Photography:

see that mint green eyeshadow?

Looks like I have a bad hair day in that last pic haha. Thanks also to Mayleen, Donna’s very very nice cousin, for coordinating the wedding =)

Karen

She married the boy-next-door. Literally. Marrying your childhood sweetheart is probably the stuff of movies for most of us. But for Karen and Miguel, who lived right in front of each other’s houses ever since they were kids, this is exactly what happened.

I always assume that  my bridal clients are older than me, always calling them “Ms. ___” and peppering my sentences with “po” whenever I talk to them. So I was quite surprised when I realized that Karen was younger than me (I was 23 the first time I met her, and she was 22 years old). Baka nabuntis, I thought. I really need to change this mindset because firstly, I’m approaching mid-twenties (eeepp!), and second, there’s really nothing wrong with being married at a young age. She wasn’t pregnant. They’ve been on a long distance relationship for 5 years ever since Karen’s family migrated to Vancouver, BC, and they just can’t bear it anymore. They decided to get married already even if they’re still young so Karen could petition Miguel to work in Vancouver and so they could be together again.

Anyway, on to the makeup part. Karen wanted smoky eyes. It’s a night wedding and her eyes are a bit chinky so this is perfectly fine and her eyes would definitely look bigger with this style. She bought MAC’s Holiday Collection 2009 pigments which comes in 5 pretty shades and wanted me to use it on her and on her relatives as well.

For her, I chose the Grape (deep purple) shade for contour and Kitschmas (light pearly pink) for highlight. The Grape is the one at the leftmost and Kitschmas is in the middle of the photo on the left. At first I thought it would clash with her Renee Salud filipiniana gown but it worked just fine.

I loved these pigments so much I went to MAC in Rustan’s Makati the day after the wedding to buy my own set. Sadly, they’re all sold out. I though I would never see them again until, more than a month after the wedding, I laid my eyes on a set displayed in another MAC store. Guess where? In the duty free shop in Bangkok’s international airport! I grabbed a box without hesitation and the saleslady said it was the last set. Whew!

Here’s Karen’s before pic:

I love her nicely shaped eyebrows!

and after:

no lipstick yet

final look:

More shots from Niceprint Photography:

The purple eyeshadow was surprisingly wearable, even for weddings. Good choice, Karen! =)

Tricia

I instantly liked Tricia when we met for trial makeup because we had 2 things in common– we’re both cheerleaders from Holy Spirit and we both love animal prints. She loves animal print so much that her debut’s theme is safari!

Since she’s a performer, i assumed she’s used to having makeup done and had no qualms when I said I wanted to do smoky eyes on her. On the day of her debut, she even bumped it up and said that she wanted to have the smoky cat’s eye look (that means a winged smoky eye), and if maybe we could double the false eyelashes daw. I love it!Though we’re going to do a smoky eyes, her makeup should still be not overly dramatic because her dress and fascinator by Mich Dulce is already busy. In this case, the highlight is the dress and the makeup should just be complementary to it and not the other way around.

Here’s a before shot of her:

And after:

Don’t you just love the leopard print fascinator? For her eyes, I used a black-forest green (safaring-safari)-gold palette.  I extended the wing almost up to her eyebrows and put 2 layers of natural false eyelashes to make her eyes look bigger. I kept the rest of her face natural so the focus is just on the eyes and her outfit.

Here are more photos from official photographer Kevin Tatco:

I wore an animal print top to get into the theme =)

Tip: When doing smoky eyes, put powder under the eyes to “catch” any eyeshadow that will fall.When you’re finished, simply sweep off the powder, together with any eyeshadow that fell, and you get clean undereyes =)

FAQs on Airbrush Makeup

A lot of people have been asking me questions about airbrush makeup, and it has dawned on me that most are still clueless or have been misguided on its advantages/disadvantages.  So here are some of the most frequently asked questions about airbrush makeup and my answers to them. I got most answers from different websites selling airbrush makeup, while some are based from my own experiences.

1. WHAT IS AIRBRUSH MAKEUP?

Airbrush makeup is designed to be applied with the same airbrush technology used for traditional painting and automotive work. The airbrush systems designed for makeup are usually smaller, and work at lower pressure. The system usually includes an 1) air source/compressor, 2) air hose that connects the compressor to the 3) airbrush gun, and lastly 4) the airbrush makeup which is loaded in the gun.

2. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF AIRBRUSH MAKEUP?

Though not a new technology, airbrush makeup is once again in the limelight due to the advent of evolving digital media, including digital photography and hi-definition television. The precision application offered by airbrush makeup has two major benefits that stand up to the challenges presenting makeup artists today:

1. Full Coverage, Sheer Texture: A true airbrush foundation is high in coverage, but thin in texture, offering high opacity or full coverage application that’s dispersed as sheerly and evenly as possible. The result is perfect looking skin achieved with a minimum of product.  I just use 12-15 drops of airbrush foundation for a face. At first it seemed like it’s too little, but after application, the skin already looks even.

2. Refined Pattern:  The spray-dot pattern the airbrush puts down on the skin registers less on camera than the patterns and straight lines that brushes and sponges leave behind. However invisible these marks appear to the naked eye, they can be quite noticeable when the face is shown in High Definition close up or High Resolution Digitial photo.

SPONGE

BRUSH

AIRBRUSH

While other advantages include speed of application (you could literally apply it in seconds!), longevity, and durability (thus reducing the need for touch ups), the true advantage of airbrush makeup is the beautiful finished result it produces.

4. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF AIRBRUSH MAKEUP?

There are three main types of airbrush makeup:

1. Water-based formulations are known for their matte finish, which usually do not require any powdering after application.   Although to fool-proof makeup, a light dusting of powder could still be applied.

2. Silicone-based formulations give a light dewy finish. The natural properties of silicone impart a soft-focus effect that radiates a healthy and youthful glow on any skin type. It is also transfer resistant and water/sweat/smudge proof, giving it more staying power than water-based formualtions. This is my preferred type of airbrush makeup, especially for bridal work or for any projects which require makeup to last for long hours.  I find silicone-based more durable than the water-based ones, and I love how it just seems to blend into skin, making it hardly noticeable.

3. Alcohol-based formulations are usually used for body art, prosthetics, tattoo coloring, and special makeup effects.

5. WHY IS AIRBRUSH MAKEUP MORE EXPENSIVE THAN TRADITIONAL MAKEUP? IS IT WORTH IT?

Makeup artists have higher rates for airbrush makeup because the products themselves are more expensive. It also requires more than just their hands and brushes to apply it; a makeup artist has to invest in a good air compressor and airbrush gun which aren’t that cheap either. Manufacturers know they could get away with pricing airbrush makeup higher because it is still a specialty product, it still is optional and not a necessity for the makeup artist. Though through time and as more brands come up with their own versions of airbrush makeup, I believe the prices will go down as it becomes mainstream.

It is definitely worth giving a try. Most of my clients who are hesitant to try airbrush makeup, end up being really satisfied with the results. Most of them say it feels so lightweight it’s as if they are not wearing makeup at all.  And for my clients who prefer the natural look, they are really happy that airbrush makeup doesn’t give a masked look, even if I have to cover a lot of blemishes/pimples/discoloration, because it just looks like second skin. You wouldn’t see any demarcation with the skin and the makeup. Here’s a before and after photo of one of my clients using airbrush makeup (no Photoshop):

6. IS IT HARMFUL? WHAT IF I INHALE OR SWALLOW IT? OR WHAT IF IT GETS INTO MY EYES?

If ever this happens, then that means your makeup artist was not trained properly on how to apply airbrush makeup. The client has to be airbrushed with their eyes and mouth closed.

There has been some studies saying that silicone liquids that are commonly and safely used in hand-applied cosmetics have been shown to pose serious health concerns when the user is subjected to repeated or prolonged inhalation. These studies are still subject to debate. Moreover, this is more of a concern of a makeup artist and not of a client, since you will probably be exposed to it in less than 5 minutes.

I hope this article would be useful to all those who have questions on airbrush makeup. Contact me if you have more questions =)