Before and After: Gale

 

How I would describe Gale is that she has small features on a round face. Her eyes may already be deep set, but they are tiny. So one makeup tip I use to lengthen the eyes is to extend the contour outward. And to widen, my classic makeup tip of using white eyeliner on the bottom rims of the eyes always works. For her lips, I use either glossy or semi-frosted lip color to help her puckers pop out, giving it an illusion of looking bigger. Gale already has a cute, tiny nose which we all want, and I merely accentuated the bridge with contouring powder. And of course to trim her face, I also applied this to define the cheekbones. Another makeup tip to make her face smaller is to apply the same powder on her temples and jawline. Voila!

*eyeshadow (contour): NARS duo eyeshadow in Surabaya

  bottom eyeliner: NARS pencil liner in Parrot Cay

  mascara: MAYBELLINE great lash mascara in Very Black

  lips: NARS gloss in Triple X; or MAC lipstick in Festivity

  contour powder: NARS bronzer in Laguna or Casino

*disclaimer: the photos above were NOT edited in any way. 

Before and After: KC for Pond's feature on Chalk Magazine

KC is a fresh college grad that needed a new, mature look to face the corporate world ahead. With this, I opted to give her a light, yet sassy look to fit her age. I used a medium coverage foundation—just enough to even out her complexion, but light enough to wear throughout the day. She already has beautiful big eyes, but you would notice a slight droop on the outer corners. One simple makeup tip that ALWAYS works is to give them a boost using a bit of liner, and a lot of lash lift. I used mostly neutral shades for her eyes and cheeks, to fit the corporate standards, but I went a little bold on her lips to give her a fun, fresh look—she IS still young, after all :)

  foundation: NARS Balanced liquid foundation; or for the lazy ones, MAC Studio Fix powder

  eyeliner: NARS pencil liner in Blackmoon

   

  eyelash curler: SHU UEMURA eyelash curler

   

  mascara: MAYBELLINE Great Lash mascara

   

  lipstick: NARS in Niagara

*disclaimer: the photos above were NOT edited in any way.

Ria Gamboa’s Five-Minute Makeup

What you need:                                         Recommendation:

1.       Cheektint                                                1. Herbench Paint Box Pretty When Pinched

2.       Concealer                                              2. Mac Studio Sculpt concealer

3.       Face powder                                         3. Maybelline shine-free powder foundation

4.       Powder highlighter                            4. Mac Crushed Pigments in a light vanilla shade

5.       Smudge-proof eyeliner                    5. Prestige (BeautyBar) retractable brown pencil liner

6.       Eyelash curler                                      6. Shu Uemura eyelash curler

7.       Gel mascara                                          7. Any. I use Loreal lash serum

8.       Lip gloss                                                  8. Maybelline gloss in Passion Fruit

*Prepping makeup tips are always standard, as mentioned in my previous blog “Ria’s Two-Minute Makeover for Dummies”—clean face, hydrate, and groom your eyebrows.

Application:

*first 3 steps are exactly the same as my previous blog.

1.      Dab a bead of tint on your cheeks, and slowly spread out to the apples of your cheeks in a circular motion. This can be tricky, because you need to even it out before the product dries on your skin. Make sure there’s no clear indication where the tint ends—blend well so it fades towards the edges. If needed, apply a small amount on your lips as well.

2.       If necessary, apply concealer under your eyes using the tip of your ring finger. Take your time in doing this. The skin in this area is very sensitive, so make sure you PAT the concealer till it evens out, instead of spreading it out hurriedly and risk stretching the skin.

3.       To set, gently dab powder on the spot under your eyes, then on the T-zone. Make sure that you pick a shade matching your own skin tone. And I truly mean this: if you wish to be fair-skinned, using a shade too light for your skin tone is NOT the answer.

4.       Dip the very tip of your forefinger into the powder highlighter, and dab onto the inner corners of your eyes. Some highlighting shadows need to be used wet, so as to adhere properly, and appear more brilliant on the skin. Make sure you blend throughout the corners of the eyes. I call this makeup tip the “muta” effect haha—it may sound ridiculous, but I promise, it brightens up your eyes without wasting time and effort on a full-on eye makeup. This also gives a fresh, dewy effect if you apply it on the tip of your cheekbones, and spread them out towards your temples.

5.       Line the top of your upper lashline using a smudge-proof pencil liner. The reason I use smudge-proof, is so I don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day. I can cry or sweat without having to deal with raccoon eyes—very low maintenance, without any need for retouch. It is important to remember though, that it is smudge-proof and not waterproof. Actually in any case, you should refrain from rubbing your eyes using your fingers, tissue, or anything for that matter—it’s not a permanent tattoo. If you feel that you are tearing up for whatever reason, dab gently and directly with a facial tissue, as opposed to wiping it off. Personally, I don’t use dark liner on the lower rims of my eyes because I like to look fresh. And at times I use white liner on that area--a great makeup tip to brighten and widen my eyes. But if the dark rims work for you, then go right ahead!

6.       Curl your eyelashes. And instead of pressing on your lashes really hard, try making short, light crimps while moving the curler up towards the ends of your eyelashes.

7.       Apply gel mascara on your curled lashes. Wiggle the brush through the strands, making sure you coat each lash in every direction. Do not use petroleum jelly as what I have directed in my previous blog. Since you’ll be wearing eyeliner, it is important not to use anything oil-based on your lashes so as not to smudge or erase it. Personally I don’t like to use real mascara—black or brown on a daily basis. I like to give my lashes a good rest on non-special days. Plus I don’t want to look made-up—I like to pretend I wake up like this every morning, so I always opt for the natural look :p

8.       Finally, slather on a bit of lip gloss! Don’t scrimp on the shine—you may pick a natural shade that has a little sparkle (like my Maybelline recommendation), or use a high-shine gloss like MAC cosmetics lip glass. But better to use a good quality gloss that’s high on brilliance, rather than applying it too thick and risk looking like you’re drooling on yourself :D one tip I can give to keep its high shine, is to avoid blotting your lips together. Some women have developed this habit of pressing their lips together when wearing gloss or lipstick, thinking it helps keep the product on their lips. But in reality, it just erases and wears the product off, unless you’re using a matted lipstick.

And voila! This makeup works wonders because it makes you look oh-so naturally beautiful without spending much time in front of the mirror. I’ve perfected this look, eliminating unnecessary steps to make sure it is perfect for every woman on-the-go: i.e. buying retractable pencil liner instead of the wooden ones that you still have to sharpen; using cheektint as opposed to powder blush, which wears off throughout the day, etc. This makeup lasts the entire day, with the only thing in need of retouch is the lip gloss (if you ate some of it during lunch) and maybe, a little powder on the T-zone, for those with hyperactive oil/sweat glands.

Like I’ve mentioned in my previous blog, this Five-Minute Makeup is my standard default look on an everyday basis. It is uncomplicated, no fuss, and very natural. I have also posted my embarrassing before and after photos, for you to note the difference of what a mere five minutes can do. Try it out guys! I’d love to hear back from you :) watch out for my next entries on “How To Get This Look” and other before and after photos from some of my shoots. Stay tuned!

*FYI, this was NOT photoshopped haha

before

five minutes later

Ria Gamboa’s Two-Minute Makeover for Dummies

 What you need:                                                              Recommendation:

1.       Cheektint                                                                    1. Herbench Paint Box Pretty When Pinched

2.       Face powder                                                             2. Maybelline shine-free powder foundation

3.       Petroleum jelly                                                        3. Any. I use Vaseline

4.       Eyelash curler                                                          4. Shu Uemura eyelash curler

5.       Lip gloss (optional)                                                5. Maybelline gloss in Passion Fruit

6.       Concealer (optional)                                             6. Mac Studio Sculpt concealer

*Makeup tip #1: Hydrate. I should probably follow this myself, but I’m too lazy. (It’ll take a toll on me when I’m forty.) Moisturize at least at night, to make sure your skin is supple the next day. If you have an oil-free moisturizer and tend to get dry skin, it would be better to also apply it during the day, under your makeup.

*Makeup tip #2: Start with a clean face.

*Makeup tip #3: Groom your eyebrows. I know that we’re all busy, but there’s NEVER any excuse for unkempt eyebrows. Thick is in, but you must always tweeze out the stray hairs that aren’t part of the shape you want to achieve.

Application:

1.       Dab a bead of tint on your cheeks, and slowly spread out to the apples of your cheeks in a circular motion. This can be tricky, because you need to even it out before the product dries on your skin. Make sure there’s no clear indication where the tint ends—blend well so it fades towards the edges. If needed, apply a small amount on your lips as well.

2.       If necessary, apply concealer under your eyes using the tip of your ring finger. Take your time in doing this. The skin in this area is very sensitive, so make sure you PAT the concealer till it evens out, instead of spreading it out hurriedly and risk stretching the skin. 

3.       To set, gently dab powder on the spot under your eyes, then on the T-zone. Make sure that you pick a shade matching your own skin tone. And I truly mean this: if you wish to be fair-skinned, using a shade too light for your skin tone is NOT the answer.

4.       Curl your eyelashes. And instead of pressing on your lashes really hard, try making short, light crimps while moving the curler up towards the ends of your eyelashes.

5.       Apply petroleum jelly on your lashes using the tips of your fingers. This gathers the strands to make them look thicker, giving them a fresh, dewy, wet look.  This also gives the same effect if you apply it on the tip of your cheekbones, and spread them out towards your temples.

6.       Put a liberal amount of petroleum jelly on your lips. If you had previously applied tint on your lips however, it would be better to use a non oil-based gloss, to keep the tint from being erased.

Personally, I do this makeup on myself in only one minute, because I skip the concealer. This works when I need to make a quick run to the grocery, pick up my laundry, take out the trash, or go to the gym. Yes it IS okay to wear makeup at the gym—but only if it takes you one minute to put it on :p

Keep posted for my next entry on the “Five-Minute Makeup”, which is pretty much my default look on an everyday basis. In the mean time, enjoy laughing at my before photo! If you notice, the “after” still looks like I have no makeup on, (unless you compare it with my “before” face…not nice :s) which is exactly what I wanted to achieve. All I needed was a hint of it to keep myself lookin—well, like a human being :) enjoy trying it out, and give me feedback if works for you!

no makeup

1 minute later

My Philosophy Behind Makeup

My makeup motto being “Not everyone has to be born beautiful—you just have to make them think you are.” is not some shallow mantra to trick people into finding you attractive. It’s actually full of hope and optimism—something I say to inspire others, when they think they’re not fortunate enough to be blessed with model-perfect looks. Trust me…even models aren’t perfect in real life—I would know :)

I always believed that beauty is for everyone—regardless of gender, social stature, level of aesthetic consciousness, and one’s natural endowment. A lot of people, I find, don’t take time to fix up or put on a bit of makeup because a. they don’t have the time; b. they don’t really care; or c. they’re already gorgeous enough, even without trying. If you’re in the third group, well good for you..and you are more than welcome to leave this topic. Kidding. In all honesty, there might be some of you who look great with absolutely no makeup on, but let’s face it—maybe one in 50 women is that lucky. And I’m here to help the remaining 98%, myself included.

Believe it or not, I actually entered this business NOT because of some great passion for aesthetics like most makeup artists do. I basically went into the beauty industry, because I myself used to think I was ugly. I mean I wasn’t like freak-of-nature oogly or anything…but I used to be skinny, deathly-pale, plain-looking, slightly awkward, and very manly. And it didn’t help that I was in a group of the prettiest, most popular girls in highschool—except I was the black sheep. You know how in every pretty-girl group, there’s always one that you kinda wondered how she got to be included? Yep—that was me :D

Because of that, I started using a tiny bit of makeup at an early age, to help make me feel better about myself. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying it’s all about the physical beauty. I’m still a firm believer that inner beauty is what really counts. But let’s be honest—if you don’t feel confident about yourself, then how can you allow your true, dazzling personality to shine? I mean I don’t exactly feel like being all friendly and fabulous if I ran into my crush, completely shit-faced at the supermarket, right?? I’d probably mumble some awkward hello, then storm off without another word.

My goal is to let every woman (or man) feel that they don’t have to go through any of that. Nobody ever needs to feel that they are not beautiful—and this is what subconsciously made me gear towards a career in makeup six years ago. I didn’t LOVE makeup then—I liked it, but mostly I just liked the way it made people feel. This is why I now specialize in beauty and wedding makeup (as opposed to avant garde, high-fashion and fantasy makeup)—I just want you to look like the best version of yourself. And for those of you who don’t care what others think, again, good for you. But do it for yourself—allow YOU to radiate inner beauty by exuding the type of confidence you can get from dabbing on just a little hint of gloss ;)

With that being said, I will be posting next week about my “Two Minute Makeover for Dummies”, as well as the “Five Minute Makeup Trick”…so for those of you who think you don’t have the time, no more excuses. I’m probably the only makeup artist who will be teaching you how to do makeup that any half-wit can pull off haha, but I want to make sure that as of today, everyone here knows that makeup can be easy and effortless—because like I’ve said, beauty is for everyone. Of course later on I will be showing you more advanced beauty tips and makeup techniques, so stay posted!

7th grade me!

present

Business Card

Hi guys! Here's my business card, featuring some of my work. I'll be posting the individual photos later on, but for now, you know how to find me ;)

Makeup Artist Profile

Ria is a professional makeup artist for over 6 years, specializing in beauty makeup. She was offered contracts for sponsorship by high end brands, being hailed as Francois NARS' main makeup artist in the Philippines for three years; Clinique's first-ever official artist for PR and photoshoots; as well as guest artist for MAC cosmetics. Ria has made a name for herself in the print industry, doing magazine and print ad work on models and celebrities over the years. She is also a sought-after wedding makeup artist, doing a lot of bridal and entourage grooming. Being an expert in beauty makeup, Ria has garnered a personal following of celebrity, high society and mixed-lifestyle clientele. She has also dabbled in tv and commercial work in the recent years.

Aside from the more important inner beauty, Ria encourages people to pursue their own physical confidence as well, possibly through makeup. “I genuinely believe that beauty is for everyone. It is a form of self-expression not just for the aesthetically-conscious, but for every single man and woman who want to exude radiance and confidence. I always say, Not everyone has to be born beautiful—you just have to make them think you are ;).”