WHAT GOES ON IN MY MAKE UP CLASS

As a make up artist, I think I have learned to appreciate what a little lip gloss or blush here and there can do to a person's confidence. I honestly think that when a person feels good about herself inside and out, she's able to interact with others better and more effectively. That's why I decided to teach make up, because I believe that it's truly something we should take advantage of. :)

I've had two batches of students so far, and it has been a really wonderful experience for me. I guess I've retained my passion for teaching (Preschool was entirely different though), I still get kilig when I know I helped someone learn something new. Even if it was just to apply concealer correctly.

My class usually lasts for 4 hours which includes the lesson, the demo, and the guided self-application. I offer it to all ages and I usually have it on the weekends to groups of four or more.

Here are some of the lessons that I teach:

• Skin Care
• Foundation
• Concealing
• Shaping and Grooming your eyebrows
• How to Apply Eye Make Up for your unique eyeshape
• Eyeliner and Mascara
• Applying blush and lipstick
• Contouring
• Which colors of blush or lipstick should you apply?
• Day Make Up/10-minute make up for everyday
• Night Make Up
• Make up tricks and secrets

If you're interested to be part of my class, please send me an email at garcia.gex@gmail.com :)

DIY : Transferring your MAC Eyeshadow to the Palette

My make up kit was getting a little too crowded, and I decided that I had to save as much space as I could. I have to admit, I'm not as young as I used to be and carrying my make up kit is taking its toll on my back (haha)

I figured that I could transfer my MAC eyeshadows to the palette, because they come in individual packaging and it was just taking up too much space. With the help of Youtube and other blogs, I found the easiest way to do it.

What you need:

• A sharp object (I used a safety pin)
• A plastic knife
• A straightening iron
• The MAC Palette

Step One
Use the safety pin to pop the top of the eyeshadow from the case. It should just easily pop out.

Step Two

Place the eyeshadow on the straightening iron for about 20-30 seconds for the glue to loosen up. (BE CAREFUL, ITS REALLY HOT.)

Step Three

Using your plastic knife or even a ballpen, slowly push the back of the eyeshadow.Avoid touching it with your fingers because it's EXTREMELY HOT. (Of course, with my clumsiness, I burnt myself twice while doing this. Haha)

Yay!

Step Four

Heat the case of the eyeshadow as well, to loosen the sticker label. We'll be sticking this behind the eyeshadow, so that it's easy to check which shade it is.

It easily comes off after heating it in the iron. 

Step Five 

Put it on the palette! :) We're finished! 

What to do with the empty cases? Hmm.

M.A.C's Lady Danger Lipstick

As far as I know, Lady Danger has been out since last year. It's a really great shade for the season. (Isn't tangerine the color for this year?) Red with that hint of orange. It's trendy but not too overbearing. I have to confess that it took me a while to get used to the color. I usually wear neutral colors, but I really really love this shade. It's not your ordinary red lipstick!

The difference with M.A.C's Russian Red

(top: russian red; bottom: lady danger)

I suggest that you keep your eye make up really simple with this lipstick. Just a little blush, eyeliner and mascara (and maybe some falsies if you're going all out) should be enough to complete your look.

Remember to use a lip liner, since applying a loud lipstick can be tricky. It also helps the lipstick last longer. :) Since it's a matte shade, it helps to apply some gloss or lip balm to avoid drying out your lips. My lips tend to get soooo dry whenever I use matte shades from M.A.C which is annoying at times, but it really stays on for hours.

 It costs around 1,000 pesos, a bit pricey but if you're willing to splurge --- I suggest you go for it. It's a unique shade that may not be around forever!

Enjoy!

BTS : Clothes Off PhotoShoot

I had a shoot with Angela Puyat and Micah Cabral this week for their clothing line, Clothes Off! I've been doing the make up for their shoots, and it's been super fun! :) Their clothes are really really cute! You can check out their clothes and visit their page at http://www.facebook.com/ClothesOff.designs :)

Applying the final touches (Kylie Versoza... and my hair. haha!)

I used Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette...

The rompers....perfect for summer! :)

During the shoot

HOW TO GET THE LOOK: Aside from the Naked 2 palette, I used Bombshell from M.A.C for her lips and L'oreal's True Rose Blush. I completed the look with lots and lots of mascara and false eyelashes! It's amazing how falsies open up your eyes :) 

Are you interested in learning make up? Send me an e-mail at garcia.gex@gmail.com for inquiries :)

BIGGEST MAKE UP NO NO : UN-BLENDED MAKE UP

Hi guys! I really hope you enjoyed my previous post.. I'm trying to update this weekly so please let me know what products/looks you want me to focus on and I'll try my best! I'm really excited to share with everyone my experience with make up and give as many beauty tips as I can. :)

Moving on...The secret to good make up application (aside from practice, of course) is blending. I've noticed that this is often ignored with concealers, blush, eyeshadow, etc. For your own sake, BLEND BLEND BLEND.

Unless you want to look like this....

It looks really bad, right? Horrible, even. (haha!) I'm guessing they powdered her nose and her undereyes without bothering to blend it all over her face. 

Here's another example, when you don't blend your blush (or put too much).

When your blush looks like this, it does NOT look natural at all.....(Unless, that's the look you're going for.) It's useful to have a powder/blush brush hanging around for this. Also, make sure you have powder BEFORE applying blush. Failure to do so results in that cakey/unblended blush look because your face may be oily. If you're applying cheek tint or a cream blush, however, it's best to apply your liquid/cream foundation first or a moisturizer so that you can easily blend it on your skin. This will not be possible if you already apply powder. 

If you feel you already applied too much blush, just grab your face powder and add another layer. This will help remove and cover up a bit of the extra. :)

Blended eyeshadow VS. Un-Blended Eyeshadow

The blended eyeshadow looks a lot better, with the color diffused. It keeps you from looking like a raccoon. Haha! Just keep on blending the edges of your eyeshadow until you can't tell where the eyeshadow ends or begins. The best blending brush for me is the MAC 217. I've been using it for myself as well as my clients and it blends eyeshadows flawlessly... I promise it will give you pro looking lids. :)

I hope this helps improve your make up looks! :) Send me your questions at garcia.gex@gmail.com or please leave a comment! Thank you :)

(I do not own these photos. Thanks to google for always helping me out!)

L'oreal's True Match Super Blendable Concealer

I've been using a lot of different concealers for my make up and I'm really happy I came across L'oreal's True Match Concealer. It's great for drugstore make up as compared to M.A.C and Make Up Forever which are really great concealers but not so easy on the budget.

What I like about it:

• It matches my skin's texture and color (really great for asians), looks really natural on my skin
• Easy to blend 
• A little goes a long way
• It does not smudge/melt with heat and sweat, it's waterproof!

What it can improve on:

• The concealer comes with a weird brush or wand (it reminds me of liquid paper) and it absorbs too much product.. difficult to use especially if you're focusing on a little blemish
• It dries fast so blend it as soon as it touches your skin

I already applied concealer on the left, and on the right is my (really dark) under eye pre-blending of the concealer. (Scary, I know!)

After blending, and applying some powder over my face.

There's still a slight hint of my dark circles because I didn't put too much, but trust me it's a lot worse without it. Haha! I used the Light/Medium - Neutral (They have Light/Medium or Medium/Deep in Warm, Neutral and Cool Undertones). It's safe for everyday use, because it's not too heavy on your skin and you don't look too made up.

Enjoy! :) 

L'oreal's Color Riche L'or : Lipstick Review

I've recently been endorsed as a L'oreal Make Up Artist (Triple yay!) and these are the first products that I got a hold of. They sent me four lipsticks: Ruby Explosion, Pink Carat, Plum Ecstasy and Brick Lame. I super love how pigmented they are. Their colors are really intense (not to mention their staying power).

What's the difference with other lipsticks? All of the shades have in them a hint of a gold shimmer, giving your lips that extra plump and shine. It's pretty affordable (PHP 695) for a really good quality lipstick. My personal favorite is the Plum Ecstasy. It's pink, red and fuchsia all rolled into one lipstick. I like it because it's so easy to apply and the color stays on for hours. I tried to rub off the swatches with soap and water, they still wouldn't come off! Ruby Explosion is my next favorite. They both have that intense color but it doesn't come off as too strong which makes it perfect for any time of the day.Brick Lame and Pink Carat are great for day time use, because they don't deposit too much color which allows your natural lip color to blend with it.

Check out the swatches below (T-B: Brick Lame, Plum Ecstasy, Pink Carat and Ruby Explosion)

Me wearing Plum Ecstasy

L'oreal products are available in leading department stores and in any Watson's store :)