Maldivian Sunset Babe

A Maldivian Sunset Babe

It certainly has been a long time since I posted anything here. Thanks to this blog and to many friends and believers I have been rather busy with loads of makeup and hair styling work.

Anyway, I want to share with you my first cover. As you can tell it is for Shape Singapore, a magazine dedicated to health, fitness and living well. Not only is this my first cover, but also my first time in Maldives where the photo shoot took place. While it was hard work--we worked from dawn to dusk, it was all worth it. I'd like to thank Linda Tom, the former art director of Shape for believing in me and giving me this wonderful opportunity to work with her and the wonderful team of stylist and photographers.

On the first day, we waited patiently for the perfect sunset for the cover shoot. While I was busy getting our actress/model cover girl Sonia ready, the stylist Dolphin was selecting the perfect bikini for the camera. Makeup for the cover and fashion pages was generously sponsored by Shu Uemura.


As I wasn't sure if Sonia was going to get wet for the shoot, I decided against using the commercial foundations and opted for the waterproof TV foundation stick which would hold up should the cover girl get wet.



Sonia is a wonderful model/actress based in Hawaii and she has appeared in a major television series in the US. I loved her healthy island girl look and her really nice caramel skin tone. As her complexion is great, I decided to dampen the foundation sponge and applied the base for a sheer look. The foundation is then fixed with translucent powder. I love transluscent powder as it suits all skin tones. These days translucent powder is almost impossible to find.



As Sonia has strong brows, I stroked on a clear gel-based brow fix and then got to work on her eyes. Of Filipino and American heritage, Sonia has large and really expressive peepers. In the upper inner corner of Sonia's eyelids I brushed on a burnished copper. Then using a metallic brown shadow I applied the colour to the outer corners while working it into the contours. Finally, I applied a pale pearlescent gold on the brow bone for highlights. With a mettalic brown pencil, I lined her upper lids and rimmed her eyes (top and bottom)to make her eyes pop.



For her cheeks, I brushed on a nice sienna with a little shimmer. This Shu Uemura blusher is a godsend as it blends nicely into the skin and imparts a sexy, healthy glow. Sonia has good bone structure, so there was no need to shade the hollows of her cheeks and jawline. However, I lightly brushed some shader at her temples and hairline to give her that nice, tawny sunkissed look.



Sonia's full lips were painted with Shu Uemura's brown lipstick for a nice natural appeal. Then a little gold shimmer gloss was applied to the centre of the lower lip for that sexy pout.

I had some problem with Sonia's hair as the humidity level in Maldives was incredible. As the look called for big loose curls, her hair straightened out in no time. Thus, we had to give her tight curls and leave the moisture in the atmosphere to relax them just right for the camera.

Linda, Dolphin and photographers Aik andWei Liang, found a nice rocky spot with the sunset in the background. The team headed out to the chosen spot about 4.30 pm. Despite all the planning, the wind was not on our side. It blew inland and Sonia's hair was blown forward, covering her face. We pulled the hair to one side and tried to pin it down, but the look was too neat. We resorted to just having Sonia hold her hair down with one hand. The team decided to apply baby oil on Sonia for that healthy glow, but no one brought the baby oil. Anyway with the wind billowing around, it could end up with sand sticking onto the model's skin. So I guess it was a blessing in disguise.



Aik did a fantastic job of capturing Sonia against the beautiful Maldivian sunset. The look was so natural and totally healthy. And of course, totally Shape. I really loved the shoot despite the fact that the craggy rocks made manouevring around the cover girl for touch ups extremely precarious.



The next morning we got up early again to shoot a backup cover. This time, an apricot swimsuit was chosen. The makeup was alsmost the same as the previous day, but I used a warm pink lipstick to match the outfit. After the makeup and hair was done, we hurried to the eternity pool and waited patiently for first light.

The Resort

The location was so idyllic, and the waters so clear and cerulean blue. I never believed such crystal blue waters existed and those in holiday postcards were just doctored to make the pictture more appealing. Now, I am a believer.

What is so wonderful about this resort is the exclusiveness and privacy it offers. Each villa has its own stretch of beach, while the water villas have their own patios. The exterior appears very humble and almost nondescript, but stepping inside one is blown away by the sheer luxury of a 6-star resort. It is definitely home away from home, but only better. If you have the means, this is definitely one resort to stay at and be pampered like royalty.

Model: Sonia Balmores-Chung

Art direction: Linda Tom

Photographers: Aik and Wei Liang

Stylist: Dolphin

Location: One & Only, Reethirah

Fab Foundation And Powder

What would you give for a foundation and powder that is light as a feather and takes years off your face? No, this is not a hoax. Makeup Forever has developed High Definition (HD) foundation and powder that is so light that it feels like you are not wearing makeup. Coverage is even and so sheer that it looks like you are born with great skin.

Developed for professional use with high definition TV and films, this product looks like it is going to be a huge crossover commercial success. What is HD foundation and powder? And what is so different about these two products compared to the others on the market?

The introduction of high definition films has stressed out many makeup professionals. This is one instance where technology is more bane than boon. So sharp is the resolution that it is putting the skills of makeup artists to the test. Poorly laid foundation and sloppy eye shadow blending are obvious on screen although it may not be to the naked eye. No longer can makeup artists depend on digital imaging to bail them out.

Answering the plaintiff cries of these professionals, Makeup Forever has launched their specially developed base and powder. Foundation and powder are talc free thus eliminating that cakey look and feel that you get from regular off-the-counter makeup. To ensure streak-free application, the French makeup company has developed a special sponge and foundation brush. The sponge is almost poreless unlike many found in pharmacies and therefore does not excessively absorb colour. So all you need is just a little foundation and your entire face can been sufficiently covered. The foundation brush is made of nylon as natural bristles, being organic, will suck up the moisture in the product and result in a streaky application. While the foundation comes in 15 shades (10 more to be added by end of the year) to suit different skin tones, the powder comes only in one colour: white. Made of micro-fine particles of silica, mica and zinc oxide, the powder smoothens fine lines, reflects light and protect skin from harmful UV light. And the good thing is that you don't a lot of product to set the foundation; all that is needed is a little dusting with a specially developed Kabuki brush.

At a special seminar for makeup artists, Makeup Forever's trainer applied the products to half a face of a volunteer who is in her 40s. You can barely see makeup on the model's face, but the side with HD foundation and powder looks distinctly younger and fresher. The product is also suitable for men wanting great looking skin. I got the trainer to paiint my face and after the session I caught up with some friends who could not tell that I was wearing makeup, but they did comment on how good my skin looked.

Retailing at $75 per bottle of foundation and $55 per container of powder, Makeup Forever's HD foundation and powder is certainly going to be a great success.

New Magazine Spread

This is a special feature with Peak Magazine for True Yoga. The concept is truly interesting using models in yoga poses and superimposed onto images of timepieces.

The male model is from Brazil and has a really nice lean and toned body, and of course, strong features. I only needed to powder his face and conceal some small blemishes on face and body. As this is a workout shoot, hair was also kept simple and neat.

The female model is actually Australian-educated, Chinese model who is also a yoga instructor with True Yoga. She has the typical delicate features and porcelain skin, but don't let that fool you. This yoga instructor is tough and extremely flexible. As she had great skin, I used Missha's Skin Color which enhanced her natural skin tone. I followed up with L'Oreal's Mineral Powder in G3 which gave her skin a flawless finish.

With the Body shop's Brow Shadow Duo, the dark brown tone gave her nice softly defined brows. I had to use a darker brown as this is a black and white photoshoot and black would be too harsh. I used :'Oreal's ColorAppeal Reminiscenc Collection eye shadow quad. I brushed her entire eye is in Lusty Pink, and then loaded my brush with Caramel Charm and applied the colour from lash line to just past the crease line. Dark Chocolate is used as a liner to define her eyes. To give eyes that 3-D look,Silky Beige is applied to her brow bone.

The model's cheeks glow tih Revlon's Rose Rapture blusher. The gold in the blusher helps to give the face that healthy shimmer. Her lips are lined with Maybelline's Line 'n design auto lip liner in Toast 5 and filled in with L'Oreal's Taffeta Caresse 517 (Aishwarya Rai's lip colour). Then Pupa's Splendor Extreme Ultra Brilliant Lipcolor is slicked on to give her lips fullness.

For the hair, I decided on her simple bun. The model's long hair was rather dry toward the ends and the dark roots of at least 10 cm were showing. First, I tied a high a high ponytail. Then I separated the ponytail in two.I applied a little leave-in conditioner and sculpting lotion and twisted the hair into a two-ply 'rope' and then twist it into a bun.

Moulin Rouge

This shoot was done a quite sometime back when the movie was showing to packed theatres all over Singapore. Makeup artist friend, Christina and I decided to collaborate on an homage to Baz Lehman. Actually, we needed pix for our portfolio. Chris and I had dreams of setting up a makeup artist/hairstylist agency, but that didn't happen. Oh, we didn't fight, just that we sort of let that dream evaporate.


Anyway, the photographer Soon Tong from Calibre got us this Mongolian model from Carrie's. The model had stunning Oriental features that spoke volumes and a great attitude albeit aloof. That quiet dignity really worked for us.





Chris gave her strong smoky eyes courtesy of M.A.C. and lined her lids with Bobbi Brown's cream eye liner. She gave the model several lashings of mascara before she decided that fakes still gave the picture that certain drama. A deep wine blusher from L'Oreal was lightly stroked on to emphasise the model's high cheek bones. For that intense glamour puss look, M.A.C.'s Russian Red lipstick was slicked on. As Russian Red is a matte lipstick, the look was too painted and not very vogue, so Chris applied the Body Shop's iridescent lip gloss on the lower lip to accentuate the pout.

Don't you just love that headdress?

Then it came time for me to give her that showgirl hair. The model had stringy nape length hair - a result of brutal slicing - with a severe fringe. I gave her a ballerina chignon so that I could anchor the feathered headpiece to. Three luxurious ostrich feathers were fanned out and pinned to the bun. A short strip of black feather boa was cut and attached to the back to conceal the pins. A strand of hair was deliberately left down to give that angular face some softness.



Outfit from Baylene



Contacts:


Makeup - Christina 96886761


Fashion & Hair - Lawrence Yuan Chen 97629399


Photography - Soon Tong 98227956

Barely There Makeup

Call time for the shoot was 6AM. The fear that makeup artists have for early morning shoots is the model coming in looking all puffy eyed. Thankfully Bonnie, a Germany-based Korean model with Diva Models, came in looking fresh and perky. She only had red eyes from rising to0 early, and this she managed with a special eye drop that turn the white of the eyes super white. Bonnie looked alive instantly.

The shoot was for Shape's in-house ad for the Nike Run, and hence the look had to be almost natural and fresh. Although Bonnie had great skin, her skin was a little dehydrated and tired from jet lag. Using a normal foundation would result in the skin absorbing too much of the product, so I decided on a heavier base.

A strong foundation from Dermablend No 03 (used for TV and medical purposes) was laid to give her that flawless look that will hold up under all kinds of weather and temperature. (Oh, by the way it was an outdoor shoot.) A fine powder was then dusted to set the foundation. I used loose poweder from Dermablend which is specially formulated to work with the foundation.

Revlon's eye shadow quattro palette, 01 Copper Spice ColorStay was used for the eyes. A medium soft pale orange was applied to the entire eye lid. Then the reddish brown cinnamon shade was applied to the lid from lash line to slightly past the crease line. Dark smoky brown shadow was used as an eyeliner to define the eyes and also to rim the bottom lid just behind the lash line. A light shade was used to highlight her brow bone giving Asian eyes that 3D look.

Brows are given more definition with The Body Shop's Eyebrow Kit/Dark Brown/Black. For day, I used the dark brown tone. For naturally long lash, I first curled the lashes and stroked in Fiberwig black mascara to open up the peepers.

For cheeks, I prefer those with a little shimmer for that natural healthy glow. First, I lay a Hint of Rose from L'oreal, which is loved by women from all walks of life for its soft, natural shade. Then I enhanced the tone with Revlon's 430 Rose Rapture, which had some glold shimmer to bring out the cheeks.

Lips are are line with Maybelline's Lin 'n design Auto Lip Liner in 5 Toast and filled in with this long lasting lip colour that I found in Chinatown, Rhomlon Elegance Easy Glide Lipstick in Nude No. 05, which is waterproof, moisturising as it contains Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil.

For Bonnie's hair, which is rebonded, we tied it back into a slick ponytail. To prevent the tail from opening up like a broom, which happens when you go for a rebond perm, I used a leave-in conditioner to tame the hair and then used hairspray to keep stray strands in place.

This look is great for the weekend as well as for the office. Check out Shape May issue to see Bonnie in action.

About The Location

The shoot was at the Hort Park on Hyderabad Road in Telok Blangah. It is a beautiful and truly breathtaking location. The grounds are well landscaped with lots of open spaces. Great for those looking for meditative hideaways. Would certainly recommend this place to couples who are looking for unusual venues for their wedding solemnisation. There is also a multi-purpose hall for functions. And for those who love food, there is a Thai restaurant, Kah. The decor of the restaurant takes advantage of the greenery and scenery. And what better way to dine then in the embrace of Mother Nature.

About The Model

Bonnie is a darling to work with. Love her carefree and zany attitude which made the shoot so much fun. Just looking at her jump around would perk any flagging spirits. She will be in town for a while, so for those interested in booking her for shoots and shows, Bonnie is with Diva Models.

Pucker Up and Listen Up

Here are some facts about lips.

did you know that lips:

1) don't have oil and sweat glands?
2) don't have keratin?
3) have unique lip prints like your fingers?

So your lips are unique and special and therefore need special care and protection. Without oil and sweat glands no moisture is secreted to keep lips moist, and the absence of keratin means that there is no protective layer to prevent dehydration. So take of your lips just as you would your face and the rest of your body.

And did you know that by applying a lip balm prior to applying your lipstick helps lip colour to stay on longer? First, apply balm to lip and then blot excess off. Then with a lip pencil, pencil in outline and entire lip. Finally, apply your lipstick and blot off with tissue.

My favourite is the Mentholatum SOFT SuperSoft Treatment Lipbalm. What I love about this product is that it is herbal and is so soft that it glides smoothly over the lips with no painful drag. Furthermore, it does not leave your lips with that waxy, tacky feel like most. Lips feel soft and plump. I also use it around my eyes as it contains squalene (shark's oil) which is the secret ingredient in most wrinkle prevention cream. The formulation is so light it would not clog pores. After using it for a couple of days, the area around my eyes looks younger. Try it and let me know. Oh, by the way, use your fingertips rub some of the balm and then apply to the eye area. Remember, don't apply the product straight to your lids.

Welcome to Girls' Best Fren

Hi Friends,

Yes, I have finally gotten off my lazy ass to create this long awaited beauty blog. Have resolved not to procrastinate and be more pro-active with my life and business. And by the way, this blog was created to sincerely share exciting ideas and practical tips among friends. This is not just my blog but yours too. So, feel free to share with all women folk out there.

What you will see on this blog are models at actual photo shoots pre-touch and 'real' women oozing loads of confidence. This blog will empower you with all you need to put your best self forward from head to toe (OK, slow down, girls. This is just the first blog). You will learn not just from me but from other makeup artists how not to look like a Saturday Night Tart at job interviews, or look like Miss Pollyana at that beach party.

You will learn from here that looking FABULOUS is not impossible. There will be some product features --not the commercial writeups you find in women's mags--which are tried and tested at shoots or recommended by friends. however, we will not ban product managers from recommending their products on this blog, but I would like to encourage some sincerity and let our panel try and test them out and give their G0d-honest reviews. Fair enough?!

Get the latest on beauty and fashion here. Let you friends tell you what works and what doesn't, so as to help you cut back on shopping risks. Remember don't go shopping for that makeup, hair products or outfit without your friends' advice.

We will also try to get guys' opinions on the looks to give you a clearer insight into what men are thinking (oh, yes, don't be surprise, guys do think to a certain degree).

Oops! Sorry, I am rambling. Hope you will enjoy this blog and make this one of your faves and hope that this will be one that will inspire to actively participate. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Lawrence Yuan Chen