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