Angel Locsin?!

before

after

close up

Model: Kristal Paragas

MUA: Carl Capellan

Kristal works for WNS. This 19 year old beauty looks like Angel Locsin :)

WNS Santacruzan: Cheriquit Abueg

before

after

Model: Cheriquit Abueg

MUA: Carl Capellan

Dusk Til Dawn Fashion Show (My Models)

l-r (me, jusan, deshi, aki, denjill and janna)

l-r (me, jusan, aki, denjill and janna)

l-r (me, jusan, aki, denjill and janna)

Photos by Emjay Mirasol

Dolce Superclub

June 19, 2010

Review: G-lish Gelato Cheek Treat Blushes

swatches

As you may now observe, I am more of a lipstick and blush guy (*winks*). I came across these blushes when I was at Trinoma. These were on sale and were endorsed by Patrick Rosas.

I bought two shades: Shade 1 (pure pink) and 15 (medium orange). The former is a MAC Pink Swoon dupe and the latter was bought out of my frustration over MAC’s Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach.

Pros:

Good color pay-off

Not chalky

Shade 01 is a MAC Pink Swoon dupe and is a good alternative if you find EB’s shy overwhelming

Cheap (Php 100 for a 4.5g blush)

Cons:

Packaging (similar to China made cosmetics)

Average staying power

Is it needed or it’s just nice to have? It’s nice to have

Will I repurchase: Nope

Rating: 3 out of 5

Review: Ever Bilena Blushes

l-r: Cheek, Earth, Shy, Honest

I love blushes. They give a sudden glow when properly applied. I’ve been looking for cost effective alternatives so that I can cater to customer’s with budget constraints.

I came across Ever Bilena Blushes during make-up school. Surprisingly some of these blushes are dupes of some high end brands.

I bought the following shades: Shy, Cheek, Earth, Everyday. I plan to buy Raisin soon. It’s a good MAC Mocha dupe.

Pros:

Superb pigmentation ( a little goes a long way)

Shy is MAC Dollymix dupe

Cheek is NARS Taos dupe

Earth is MAC Margin dupe

Reasonably Priced (Php 150 each)

Cons:

Average staying power

Is it needed or it’s just nice to have? I recommend some of the shades MUAs on a budget. (Shy, Raisin and Earth are a must buy!)

Will I repurchase: I will purchase Raisin and repurchase Earth should I hit the pan

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review: 4U2 Lip Envy Lipstick

swatches

I have two of these lipsticks – 01 (Barbie pink) and 08 (Brownish Orange) shades.

Pros:

Long wearing

Semi matte finish

Highly pigmented

Reasonably priced (less than Php 400 for one lipstick)

The shade 01 is a good MAC Pink Nouveau dupe (albeit the former is a tad darker)

Cons:

Can be drying due to its long wearing formula (so don’t forget to use lipbalm first)

Is it needed or it’s just nice to have? I recommend this to MUAs on a budget.

Will I repurchase: Definitely!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review: 4U2 Classic Palette

4U2 is an American Brand manufactured in Thailand (I don’t know if it makes sense). I think this brand is and underdog and deserves more appreciation and support. I honestly believe that MUA and beauty enthusiast should check 4U2 stalls.

I purchased these because I love neutral matte eyeshadows. I have oily skin and lids and matte eyeshadows complement my skin type.

I am biased over neutral palettes because of my niche preference: wedding, debut and editorial shoots. Ergo, neutral palettes are a must.

I fell in love with 4U2 Classic Palette because it’s an 8 color palette consisting of basic neutral colors. It’s definitely a steal for its price. It saved me from buying MAC neutral eyeshadows.

Pros:

Reasonably priced (less than Php 1000 for 8 shade-palette)

Good color payoff

Not chalky

Nice matte black packaging

Big mirror inside the palette

Cons:

I can’t think of any

Is it needed or it’s just nice to have? It’s a must for every MUA

Will I repurchase: Definitely!

Rating: 5 out of 5

What's Nice and What's Needed

I’ve been very busy with work lately. I’ve been juggling my time between work and studies. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t have time for my passion: make-up.

Early on, I have my target market in mind. I wanted to cater to their budget constraints hence the reason for buying mid-range makeup and even dupes. There are different factors that led me on buying similar products that led to such redundancies: impulse, rave reviews a.k.a bandwagon and nice packaging.

I’ve checked my make-up kit recently and I realized that I have a lot of redundancies. It could have been money saved or spent on high end products.

Moving forward whenever I am on the verge of buying a new make-up item, I’ll ask myself first: Is it needed or it’s just nice to have?”

It’s true that a make-up artists’ talent fee is directly proportional to the number of products he puts on the customer’s face. However, skill also is a major factor. Skill, in my personal opinion is a function of innate talent, dedication to one’s craft and ingenuity.

RB Chanco once said: “It’s not the make-up but the make-up artist”. Indeed, this is true. You may have a lot of make-up on stock, but it defeats the purpose if you don’t know how to use it.