Cosmo Singapore April issue on the stands now! [yes, you see the return of the other page because it's a scan. sigh]

photography: Micky Wong
styling: Janice Pidduck
hair & makeup: Andrea Claire

image source: my behind the scenes Instagramming.

model: Yana K / UpFront Models Singapore

Products I used:

On her skin: Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream, FACEatelier Ultra Foundation
On her gorgeous wolf eyes: Tom Ford
Cheeks: MAC
Lips: NARS Chelsea Girls - love this so much you have no idea.

Update: oh yeah... I did hair too. duh - I've been using Original & Mineral a lot lately. I LOVE them. Original Queenie to humidity proof hairspray and it doesn't smell like Grandma's comb-out!

The Dream Team were back at it again for Thoi Gian (Vietnam)
Phototgrapher: Brendan Zhang
Styling: Furqan Saini
Art Direction: Nazri Razak
Hair, makeup & nails: Andrea Claire
Model: Flavia Corrente

You may laugh at the recognition that I styled the hair on this shoot but you can't ignore hair just because a model is lying in a pool - although - yes, not a high stress hair shoot.

The nails are Deborah Lippmann Magnetic Wave in Physical Attraction available in Singapore at Luxola

We shot this last year and as I said - a little difficult to track down the PDF or hard copy of the magazine. Brendan sent me the images. Sharing is caring.
Without having the actual tears means I don't have my credits for what I used - BUT (don't cha love a big but?) I have some consistency of what I use in my work:

Skin

Dermalogica - EVERYONE in my chair gets this before we begin makeup.

Foundation

[say it with me] FACEatelier

Cheeks

NARS  The Multiple Stick in Lamu and layered with Copacabana for a highlight

Eyes

[I am 99.9% sure I had used] Tom Ford Beauty eyeshadow quad in Silvered Topaz

Lips

Urgh. Totally forget... Sorry Dudettes - I was playing more with OCC Lip Tars (available in Singapore at BellaBox) at this time so it may be a Givenchy Lipliner (LOVE them) with a Lip Tar...

image source: me with my HTC ONE S

This is Melissa, Singaporean model/actress represented by Looque in a behind the scenes photo that I just had to share - I mean - look at that lip colour! I'll get there...

On Melissa's already flawless skin:

Skin: Prepped with Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream and IPSA On the Peak Eye Aesthetics - an amazing eye cream (why am I sharing this with the models - note to self: covet)

Foundation:  A combination of Dermalogica's Covertint in Medium with FACEatelier Ultra Foundation #1

Cheeks: Again with a combo, in order of application: MAC Cosmetics Posey Cheekblend Blush , Bobbi Bown Shimmer Brick Bronze in the hollows and Jemma Kidd All Over Dewy Glow in Iced Gold as a highlighter.

Eyes:
based with black|Up Cosmetics Intense Radiance Eye Shadow in ME04 from lid to brow bone and Mono Eye Shadow in MP04 at the top & bottom lash line
Tom Ford Onyx Eye Defining Pencil in the waterline
NARS Hollywoodland soft touch shadow pencil on the inner corner
Revlon Photoready 3D Volume mascara in Blackest Black

Le BIG finish:

Lips: GOSH lipliner in Pink Peony with Tom Ford Flamingo lipstick

The past couple of days I've been shooting with globe-trotting photographer David Dobson - his work is gorgeous AND he's a nice guy. See, fashion isn't just full of bitches... I kid.

Speaking of... 

Here's another behind the scenes I took from our shoot with members of [the] Collective - left to right: Angelique Nicolette Teo, Linda Black and Mohini Sule.

I know - I work with really ugly people. sigh

BRAZIL-BRIDE PARADE

So you are flying off to get hitched at the latest and greatest resort in Bali? Bora Bora? Fiji? Niagara Falls (Canadian side of course)? A hair & makeup artist may not be in your budget to fly to Paradise Island and your options to hire locally may be limited. The cost of being a ladder wielding bride may mean that you are having to DIY your bridal beauty. Here is your makeup how-to from start to finish:

Dermalogica

Step 1 - Skin prep: hopefully you are the glowing bride radiating from within with your love but if your skin is a stress mess - blotchy and broken out calm by exfoliating with raw sugar followed by a calming masque. SPF is your last step before your makeup. To keep your oils at bay on your big day I recommend using an oil-free moisturizer which minimizes shiny skin in photos too. Try Dermalogica's Oil Control Lotion or for normal to dry skin use Skin Smoothing Cream. You can boost your spf coverage by adding in the Solar Defense Booster spf50 to any moisturizer.

Step 2 - Primer: Dermalogica SkinPerfect Primer with its active ingredients it’s the first of its kind to offer a blurred line between skincare and makeup - speaking of blurring... The pearl essence also helps to diffuse fine lines and pigmentation prepping the skin for foundation.

There are other primers on the market that I like such as Laura Mercier Foundation Primers which also come in a variety of choices from matte to radiant, and have travel sizes too to minimize packing space.

Step 3 - Flawless Base: FACEatelier Ultra Foundation is the ultimate second skin foundation. Hyper-pigmented yet breathable leaving your skin smooth and flawless. I have been using foundation virtually exclusively in my work since 2004.

Follow with your concealer as needed - most women I find overuse concealer. Make sure you are lit from the front and not from above when applying your makeup - GREAT lighting is needed for a proper makeup application. My latest concealer fave is Laura Mercier's Undercover Pot which is also great for traveling as it contains a concealer for under the eyes, a camouflage for breakouts and a little setting powder.

You won't see me recommending powders often in foundation nor for setting - powders age you. Who wants that? But for the sake of your wedding makeup after your base is complete powder minimally! I LOVE Alison Raffaele's setting powder - it's the best in the biz as far as I'm concerned - truly for all skin tones and skin types without accentuating fine lines. I've tried the Amazing Cosmetics Setting Powder - that one is ok too.

Eye brighteners are NOT to be mistaken as concealers but often are. Move over Touche Eclat! Tom Ford's Illuminating Highlight Pen is a must! Conceal as (and if) needed and then use an eye brightener to perk up tired eyes. Eye Brighteners are reflective to help diffuse fine lines and tired eyes so over-application can leave with you with white blotches under the eyes with flash photography - yes use this but sparingly.

Step 4 - Blush/Contour/Highlight

You can never go wrong with my blush faves that happen to be the cult faves of many makeup artists and celebs.
From top left: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze on it's own creates a beautiful dewy colour and contour with its prism quality, NARS Laguna or Soap & Glory Solar Powder make great contours, NARS Copacabana for that dewy highlight (replacing my soon to be bankrupt Jemma Kidd All Over Dewy Glow) and of course NARS Orgasm for that err...uh... flushed glow. 

Step 5 - Eyes:

An eye primer is a must especially for brides who need eye makeup to stay put all day. NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base which is colourless or Benefit creaseless cream shadows available in select colours for a light champagne base (Birthday Suit) up to a smoky base - they are also slightly reflective which adds depth and a little forgiveness if they aren't applied with the accuracy of a pro's hand. 

This is wear it gets tricky. Do you want a simple natural eye or a smoky eye? Whatever your choice, refrain from being too on trend with your big day beauty. The latest blue eye shadow is going to be an eye sore in 10 years - you want to display your pictures with pride not cringe at what was in style. Classic gowns, hair and makeup is the way to go.

A classic eye which is also influenced by the 40s:
*Using a shimmery neutral cream shadow applied from lash line to brow bone. Benefit's Birthday Suit is my #1.
*In the crease apply a medium shade for contour. Try MAC Wedge or Laura Mercier Coffee Ground
*Apply a gel liner at the lash line using a bent liner brush to help with precision
*Use a Red Carpet eye popping trick with MAC Shroom applied to the inner corners of the eyes.
*Curl lashes and apply your fave mascara

If you are keen to do a classic smoky eye with more of a matte texture try Tom Ford Titanium Smoke palette (pictured).

An easy Smoky Eye:
*Base your lid with a cream shadow - I like to use bronze for green or hazel eyes, earthy plum for brown eyes, amber for blue eyes.
*Smudge a dark brown shadow at your lash line top and bottom and into your crease
*Line at your lash line and into your waterline with a smudgeable liner - I prefer to use black and smudge it with your brown shadow but you could opt for dark brown. My go to eyeliners are Tom Ford Beauty or MAC Powerpoint
*Lots of mascara and fake lashes if you can master them. Only use Ardell Lashes. 

Step 6 - Lips

My two favourite lips for weddings: Red lips or nude lips; leave the frosty pink at home for your 80s themed party.

The best reds are Julie Hewett's Noirs pair with Givenchy Rouge lip liner

Nudes lippies: NARS Chelsea Girls, FACEatelier in Cameo, black|Up in #1 pair with Givenchy #12 lip liner or FACEatelier Cameo lip liner

Check back soon as I will do a DIY Bridal hair post soon.

Happy New Year! [It's the 5th so still ok to say this for 2 more days.]

Now that we got 2012 out of the way it's time to plan getting out of hibernation for our Spring makeup hauls! Living in Singapore makes it a little easier to visualize warmer weather makeup because it's tropical here and summer all year 'round. *bragger alert!*

Yesterday I was on set with Cosmo Singapore for a March fashion story - since it's not a beauty shoot I can show you the makeup that we were all loving! *pats self on back*

image source

This is the lovely Oksana S with Upfront models Singapore. I predict, like a few other models that I have worked with recently, that she is going places.

On Oksana I used:

Let's start with the lips since that colour is gorgeous!

1. I based her lip with Givenchy lip pencil #4. Givenchy has the best lip pencils on the market. The colours are lush and apply smoothly - zero tugging! I line and fill in so you don't end up with the harsh lip lined look which is very Soccer Mom *shudder*
2. I then applied the OCC Lip Tar in Cha Cha. I have a love/hate with OCC Lip Tars. I find that they are a little messy - you have to use them extremely sparingly otherwise before they set the colour creeps into the teeth - but once they set OCC Lip Tar is going no where. I find they work great as a primer since anything you apply over top goes on like silk.
3. I finished with FACE atelier's Lip Glaze in Paradise. Totally digging this combo.

Now we can rewind from the start:

Face

Dermalogica - I know - quelle surprise! Everyone I doll up gets Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream [  [{$39.00 USD at Ulta] on their skin as it gives me that best skin texture to work with. The key to great makeup is the skin you are starting with and I find the smoothing cream helps in giving me a smooth base... can I use smooth one more time in a description? Urgh - can you say thesaurus?

Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35- Light  $42.00 USD Barneys New York mixed with a little FACE atelier Ultra Foundation #1


Savoir Faire Concealer $46 SGD - I didn't use the powder - not a fan of powder under the eyes unless you are trying to look older - not many of us are... just the 15 year olds trying to get served.

Eyes

On the lid I used a MAC colour that of course, is discontinued. sigh I have a habit of that - but you could use MAC Gorgeous Gold - that's close to what I used.

Soap & Glory Solar Powder £11.00 at Boots I used this both as an eye contour and a cheek contour.

I used Onyx (middle colour) top and bottom at the lash-line from the Bobbi Brown 'Extreme Party' Eye Palette (Nordstrom Exclusive) $75.00 USD at Nordstrom

At the brow bone and inner corner of the eye I used NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Hollywoodland $24.00 USD at Sephora

I filled in her brows with a Brunette MAC brow pencil from their new brow line which has recently launched! The Strawberry Blonde brow pencil is perfect for me so those who ask me in person if my hair is brown can stop... clearly I am a redhead - temper and all.

MAC 'In Extreme Dimension Lash' Mascara (Premiering at Nordstrom)  $20.00 USD  at Nordstrom I LOVE testing out new MAC products. This mascara is amazing - zero clumping, no smudging and holds a curl.

Cheeks

As I mentioned above - I had sculpted Oksana's cheeks with Soap & Glory's Solar Powder first.

MAC Powder Blush in Supercontinental $20.00 USD at Nordstrom with its satin finish it has a light-refractive sheen-style finish adding subtle highlights to the skin - but I love a good highlight so I added more with two products - the NARS Miss Liberty and...

Jemma Kidd makeup School DEWY GLOW in Iced Gold £18.95  at Zalando - I have heard the rumour that Jemma Kidd is going under... anyone have the full scoop?? I hope that's not true but if you haven't added this to your beauty arsenal then hop to it Beauty Bunnies as this is a LUST HAVE.

TIP! Apply this FIRST before you add any powder product - you can layer the Dewy Glowy over powder but powder finishes will get a little disturbed so best to layer your creams and liquids together before your powder products.

Oksana's behind the scenes selfie. You can follow her on Instagram.

The end may not be near but the end of 2012 is! Why not go out with a dramatic she-BANG.

model: Sage Dakota
makeup by me

I started with basing Sage's lid with Tom Ford's Noir Absolute (below)- the texture really grips the shadow. The edges are not the easiest to blend out after the shadow is on so make sure you smudge the edges before you apply shadow especially if you want a soft edge.

Don't forget to tighten up the lash line with a fine brush - details Ladies - we don't want floating lashes!

Tom Ford Beauty Noir Absolute For Eyes  $35.00 USD at Neiman Marcus BTW - you could wear this on it's own on your lid dragging it out like a smudged cat's eye which will give you a grungy Rockstar look or simply use it as a liner.

Tom Ford Beauty Eye Color Quad, Crushed Amethyst  $75.00 USD at Neiman Marcus

1. I applied the highlighter (top left from the quad) to the inner corner of the eye
2. The matte colour (bottom right) I applied into the crease and blended up to the brow bone
3. The brighter amethyst (bottom left) I applied onto the lower lash line and swept across the lid

Eye Brows in Brunette  $15.00 USD at M·A·C was used for a slight fill in.

L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara $9.99 USD at Ulta - Sage has killer lashes so I didn't use the primer on her.

Because everybody and their daughter wants to contour these days... Sage's base was a combination of FACEatelier Ultra Foundation in 0+, 2 and 4.

Powder Blush / Pro Palette Refill Pan  $17.00 USD at M·A·C

I used MAC Cosmetics Azalea blush (pictured) and then blended the crap out of it - then blended some more... and then some more... the colour is really strong for pale skin but I love it!

Lip Lacquer  $24.00 USD by NARS Cosmetics in Chelsea Girls to finish off the look. I am LOVING this lip pot and just may have to snag some other colours. The texture goes on smooth but not sheer.

If the blush is a little too 80s for you, choose a softer colour or skip blush altogether.

This was the back of Sage's hair - I'll tell you how to do this chic deconstructed updo soon!

[Sage will be off to college soon and #stuffZoiesays is a little too young for these beauty blog posts of mine...I'll have to stockpile a bunch of posts with Sage or recruit more volunteers!]

Dermalogica (Singapore) invited me to speak at their launch of  AGE Smart SkinPerfect Primer SPF 30 to discuss: Pearl-fect skin.

Dermalogica says that they are blurring the lines between makeup and skincare, which is a great balance as some women just want to add a glow and smooth out fine lines, skin tone and brighten without a heavy base and the added beauty bonus? It is are still considered skincare as the primer contains active cosmeceutical ingredients. The velvety silicones create an instantly smooth surface prepping for a flawless make-up application. Wear alone over your moisturizer or after moisturizer application and before foundation to help [poly]fill fine lines for a lasting make-up finish.

Alongside the primer we also launched Sheer Tint SPF 20 and

Cover Tint SPF 20 - the common ingredient to all of these? Pearl essence.

FASCINATING: Pearl powder is believed to be a long time favourite of Asian women. Used during the Tang Dynasty to protect their skin under stage makeup... hm... and now in Skinperfect Primer!! How pearl-fect! ;) Pearl powder applied onto the skin speeds up the skin's natural metabolism which tones and rejuvenates the complexion. Can you not understand why my love for Dermalogica remains unconditional?? They are the skin professionals in the know!

For your day makeup:

1. A great base starts with the Skinperfect Primer followed by Sheer Tint or Cover Tint (slightly more coverage), both give a luminous glow. Glowing skin diffuses imperfections so you even out skin tone and smooth skin with the benefits of a slightly highlighted pearl effect.
2. Adding an extra highlighting cream to the 5 face lifting points - cheek bone, brow bone, bridge of nose, mid-chin and forehead - colour is up to you -I love NARS The Multiple Sticks for this. Try NARS Copacapana for lighter skin or Lamu for darker skin.
3. Follow with a tri -colour blush for dimension FACEatelier Peach Glaze is a beautiful colour that suits all skin tones. If you feel the need for slight sculpting, apply a darker tone of the Sheer or Cover Tint into your cheek hollows first.

**If you suffer from oily skin you can use your powder over top but in this MUA's opinion: powder is often overused to fight oily skin. Best to first check that you are on the correct skincare regimen - over powdering can result in your sebaceous glands thinking that they need to produce more oil so you effectively could be making your oily matters worse.*

Image via DermalogicaSG - lovely Hazel, my model from the launch day. Notice the pearls on her eyes.

Night makeup 

1. Glamorize any day makeup by simply boosting up your lips. A red lip, with pearlescent eyes suits everyone and can get you from office to soirée in under 15 minutes.
2. Want to try something a little fun and swaying from the norm? Why not a fine line of small pearls above your eye contour (oribital bone) or use the pearls to accent your winged liner.

Chanel: Runway - Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring / Summer 2013

Hair tip:
Why not accessorize your chignon with pearl drops a la Chanel?  Try a simple hair bow chignon - secure first, accessorize with pearls after.

Thank you Dermalogica and Aster Spring for having me part of your event! It was my pleasure sharing my makeup and hair tips with the media, bloggers, customers and staff!

Ms Photogenic - Kyra looked stunning in so many photos that I obviously had a hard time picking images to use.

I had a call-out on my Facebook page looking for a glam makeover volunteer [and thank you as I had many!] - Singapore-based photographer - Kyra Ann was happy to oblige.

Known for my love for Dermalogica you can bet that that was part of my first step.

Kyra's base includes:

• Oil-Free Matte, Skinperfect Primer, Sheer Tint in Light & Dark all Dermalogica

• FACEatelier Ultra Foundation #3

• Savoir Faire Concealer (that I am just trying out - review later)
• SkinFood Peach Sake powder only in the t-zone

Yes- I used those lashes too but they were applied later.

My NARS Danmari All About Cheeks palette is well-loved.

Kyra's eyes:

NARS Pro-prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base a primer that grips shadows from lash line to brow bone to avoid creasing and fading
NARS Nymphea on the lids [pictured above]
Urban Decay Snakebite in the crease which I applied slightly above Kyra's natural crease to create a more open shape
Bobbi Brown Gel Long-Wear Eye Pencil in Jet smudged on the upper lash line
Ben Nye Cork from the Essential Eye Shadow palette under the lower lashes
Ardell Cluster Lashes - just a few in the middle of the upper lashes
Rimmel Scandeleyes Mascara

I set Krya's hair using Remington's travel rollers from Target - they're ceramic, cheap, dual voltage and fab! The goal here is not aiming for curl but just added body, shine and a bend to the hair to work with - make sure the ends smooth around the roller avoiding fishhooks.

Barbie? Is that you??

*Tip - Set hair in rollers as you do your makeup -this gives the hair time to cool for a longer-lasting shape. If the hair has not cooled down leave the rollers in until it does.

Brush the hair straight and slightly upwards. Gather as if to put it into a ponytail - grip hair at the base with one hand and twist the tail with the other hand until it twists in your hand creating a seam - pin along the seam with 'X' to lock your pins.

*Tip - clean up all the fly-a-ways at the hairline if they bother you with a toothbrush and hair wax

Back brush the ends of the hair - I used my fabulous Mason Pearson brush. Why back brushing vs back combing? Back brushing creates a fuller build up of hair.
Gently brush the top layer of the hair back, over the lovely nest you just made and pin at the back.
[who else thinks 'If I had a photograph of you... ' here?

Kyra never wears a red lip so I wanted to show her how much a makeup can change with just an alternate lip colour.

With Givenchy #5 Rouge lip liner and NARS Jungle Red lipstick

FACEatelier's Cameo lip pencil and MAC Cosmetics classic Twig lipstick

*aside from the on-camera flash and my Glamcor Lights Kit there is nothing fancy going on here besides Kyra, hair and makeup products. I have no Photoshop - nor would I know how to use it.

Now you are set to strut your stuff down the Red Carpet, the aisle or at a fancy gala.

My latest hairspray love? O&M Original Queenie - that 'do is going nowhere in a convertible on the Autobahn

Red lips are stunning but also high maintenance - don't forget to check your teeth!

I show you more red lip tips here on Yahoo's Glam Up!

Not 100% naked like a Prince may be, just nearly there...

(click image to read)

Barely there makeup still needs some effort however, it would take less time to apply it than reading this article that I wrote for Motherhood magazine.

Please note: on page 2 "...using a cream blush apply blush after foundation but before setting powder, otherwise it will spill and streak." Spill should read pill as when you see pilling on your sweaters. The only thing that could spill would be a bottle of liquid or maybe my champagne did as I wrote the article and therefore accidentally wrote spill...

I'm sure you notice my love for Benefit's Creaseless Cream shadows! I mention them all the time in my blog, my articles and I own all the shades in my kit that I paid for FULL PRICE. Certainly the love is not shared with their PR department in Singapore who, despite my trying to reach out to them, constantly do not respond... I give up! But I do love the product! Birthday Suit is an amazing base colour for all - I tend to use it as a primer for all eye shadow.

Tom Ford Beauty order via Neiman Marcus but rumour has it that it is coming to Singapore (for those who are based on this tropical island like me)

Becca get via Escentials or Luxola

FACE atelier via Luxola

Dermalogica

Josie Maran & Smashbox via Sephora (oh, another company that is like pulling teeth to connect with in Singapore...actually; I'd rather pull my teeth)

Bobbi Brown is at Tangs

Majolica Majorca and L'Oreal is at Watsons

Credits for the image above: 

Photgraphy: Alvin Tang

Hair & makeup: Andrea Claire

Model: Elizabeth D / MINT