The Magic of Contouring and Highlighting

Contour- recede an area that you want to minimize or you want took less prominent

Highlight - to bring forward or enhance an area that you want to be prominent

Putting make-up is not only about putting colors to your face but more of enhancing one's features. It is important to know one's facial shape to know where exactly to put colors.

Contouring and highlighting are one of the basics one should be familiar with . They could give

dimension to a face that would enhance monolid eyes, emphasize cheekbones and slim down face.

Like magic that instantly transform looks.

Before

After

Contouring tools:

• contouring powder - pressed powder 1 to 2 shades darker that your skin tone (preferably matte finish )
• bronzer (alternative to powder)
• eyebrow pencil and powder
• eyeliner
• contouring brush

Highlighting tools:

• highlighting powder - iridiscent powder, white/skin toneshade, shimmer
• highlighting brush

Step 1: Apply foundation to create a nice base for make up

Step 2: Shape eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil and fill in the hair with eyebrow powder.

Step 3: Contour cheekbones with bronzer, add darker shade of eye shadow into the crease area of the eyes , line upper and lower eyelids (closest to the lashline). Add contouring to areas you want to recede --- in my case - my cheeks, jawline, nose and temples.

Highlight browbone, upper plane of my cheeks and the eyelids.

Step 4: Add blush to brighten cheeks and lipstick to polish up the final look :)

T A D A!!!!!

Make up used:

• Mac Studio Fix Fluid NC30
• Palladio brow pencil
• Stila Contouring Trio (carefreeshopper)
• Mac wedge eye shadow -eyes and nose contouring
• Mac Cute Blush
• Maybelline Gel liner
• Maybelline Cat eyes mascara
• The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter
• Mac Chatterbox lipstick

Eye Primer: UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) VS. e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

I super love make-up. I love how it could alter one's look and how it could suit one's mood. The overwhelming colors that one could play with, are like sweet candies in my eyes. Having a lot of colors to choose from --- eyeshadow would have a wide array of colorful choices.

To achieve a very nice application of eyeshadow, prepping the eye with an eyeshadow primer could save us from retouch, from having ugly (EEWWW!) CREASING on our eyelids plus the smudging and fading of colors.



UDPP - Urban Decay Primer Potion $19


This is famous of all eyeshadow primer. It is $19 in Sephora. For the price it did a very good job in letting eyeshadow stay. It beats the heat of our hot weather, the tears and the sweat. Most of all, by the end of the day, eyeshadow looked as if it was just applied with NO CREASING at all.

It is creamy in texture and dries up matte. A great base for any eye make-up. From Concealer to eyeshadow and liners. Works best with cream eyeshadow too. However, I'm very sad :( because I'm allergic to it. Actually when I'm wearing it I don't feel the allergic reaction. But when I take it off with my Maybelline eye make up remover, my eyes would start to itch terribly and leave my eyelids swollen. Maybe it's not the UDPP I'm allergic to ?! (sometimes I still use it and put very little amount :P) Love it!!!!

V E R S U S

e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer $3

This is a GREAT STEAL. I've tried it and it works AS WELL as the UDPP. I couldn't believe how a $3 eyeprimer could be compared to a much more expensive one. I read reviews and blogs and they say that it's a must try. When I got hold of it, I was amazed that it did a great job in keeping my eyelids crease free and fade proof. My eyeliner did not smudge at all. However, the texture is a lot more watery than as of UDPP. And it doesn't dry to a matte finish. And much more, I'm not allegic to it :) A BIG plus plus....



RECOMMENDATION:

Since I'm a make-up junkie, I really don't mind paying much more as long as it is doing it's job. But I also love steal bargains that I could use for everyday. I don't mind having both of them.

I recommend BOTH! UDPP is really the best of all eye primer - texture, crease-proof, fade proof, colors are more vibrant. The packaging is also very cute (hihi :P) But then, for those who are PRACTICAL and just want to have a good eye primer, e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer works as well and doesn't cost much. You get the same benefits from both products. The fact that our eyelids are prone to be oily most of the time, eyeshadow primer is a MUST. I Love , love eye primer --- life is much easier without having to retouch during the day. ;)

Beauty Bloggers

I'm very much thrilled to have met different beauty bloggers. What really is more exciting was I have met people that shares the same interest as I do. I thought I was the only one really addicted to make -up and skincare. As what my hubby said, "Kumakain ako ng make-up!" . I always wanted to control myself from buying make up. But to no success, I still buy more and more make -up.

I used to buy from Sophie and Shen mineral make-up. Now that they are bloggers, they have inspired me. I can't forget this night when I met them. I was the make-up artist of Elianto and they invited these bloggers to see what's new with their products. As I was observing them, I really enjoyed talking to each of them because we were speaking the same language. Their unbelievably love for beauty. One of them even told me that they also keep from their hubby when they buy make up. Oh my! What a relief! It's not only me. Not only that, we all have the same weakness--- going home with a loot. Couldn't go home empty handed. It doesn't feel like I've met them for the first time.

This was early last year (2010). As i read their blogs, it inspired me to do my own share. To write about beauty products that I've tested. Products that I've loved and hated.

Thank you Sophie Uy for encouraging me to start my own blog site. Hope I'll inspire other beauty junkies out there the way you all do. Thanks!!!

How it all began.... From clueless to undeniably addict

I remember when I was a kid, I always ask why my mom would buy skincare and make-up that costs a fortune. I could remember that she would buy a tiny pot of anti- ageing serum (Estee Lauder) that is P1,500. At that time it was pretty expensive. ---(about 15 years ago or more). A lipstick that would cost an arm. I thought to myself that my mom was probably using the best brand there is but I thought that she could get same quality with cheaper brands.

Everything else changed when I saw where she's coming from. The sad part is... I'm much more to what she was before. An addict!!! A make-up whore that has a never ending crave for make -up.

I used to have 2 lipstick and a gloss. A pink powder blush, 3 neutral eyeshadows, a tube of black brown mascara and a brown pencil liner eyeliner. I only have a powder brush (also used for blush) and an eyeshadow brush. Just enough loot for someone who barely puts on make up. But couldn't imagine how and how fast my collection grew.


Started getting interested when I was pregnant with my 2nd child. Nothing to buy that would be of benefit to me personally. I started trying on different shades of blush, then to colorful lippies in gloss or lipstick. Then, I started buying brushes from Body Shop (they were the finest at that time that won't break the bank). From there, my passion for make up grew each and everyday. I became a freelance make-up artist that encouraged me more to try out different make up in the market. I would buy from drugstore make up, from Beauty Bar --- 1st love, Body shop to online shopping (locally and internationally). Now I have tons of make-up. Some still unopened. Different brands, textures and finishes.

Make-up simply makes me happy. For me it's like toys for kids and candies for everyone. When I'm in a make-up store, I'm like in Toys 'R Us or in a Candy factory. SIGH!!! :)

How a person looks could affect how her day would go. "If you look good, you feel good. Everything follows."