Make Me Beautiful

I had the pleasure of doing Nicole's hair and makeup for her wedding a couple of months ago.

It was one of the most beautiful and elegant weddings Ive been involved in. I shall let the photos do the talking. :)

Nicole AD. St Regis. 5 July 2011

I love her freckles and her natural radiant smile. And those teeth!!

She had wanted a very natural look, nothing overly dramatic or OTT. Just natural and elegant looking makeup. Which is what love doing for weddings as well.

You can never go wrong with natural and elegant, and it will never go out of style. ;)

As for her hair, she wanted her hair down with big soft romantic curls.

I love this candid shot of her.

The Gown.

And I cant resist posting this one from lightedpixel's FB page:

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(Photo by Kelvin Koh.)

I JUST LOVE THIS PHOTO.

She looked absolutely beautiful and stunning.

There wasnt a dry eye in the hotel suite after she put on her wedding gown and veil. Mine included!

The link to Nicole and Vincent's photos on Facebook.

(See if you can spot me!)

Many thanks to Nicole for engaging me as her MUA for her big day, being so nice and sweet (I swear I have the nicest clients!), and for giving me permission to share her wedding day photos on my website.

:)

Like me on Facebook for latest updates and photos!

I have recently gotten some new products which I think are fantastic and wanted to share them with you.

Amongst the new favorites are some old favorites. :)

Kanebo Freshel BB cream.

I have purchased many BB creams in the past few years since the BB cream craze started. I have never finished an entire tube of BB cream until I came upon this one. I have finished my previous tube and repurchased another tube because I like it so much.

Most Korean BB creams have a grey-ish tint and can look very pasty when applied to skin. The shade is often too pale. The texture is also often rather "gummy" or difficult to spread. This Japanese BB cream however, is very creamy and blendable.

The shade is yellow-based and is similar to M.A.C NC20. This comes in only one shade. It would fit most fair to medium fair Asian ladies. It is very much like a tinted moisturizer.

Many clients ask me, "Whats a BB cream? Is it a foundation?" BB creams are not foundation per se. The closest description would be a tinted moisturizer, because they provide coverage yet has various skincare properties.

I love that this Kanebo BB cream has SPF 32, which is more than suffiicent for daily use. I can skip sunscreen when I use this BB cream. After I apply my moisturizer, I apply this BB cream and set it either with my 2 way cake (for more coverage) or a sheer pressed powder (for a more natural look).

Its ideal to always set BB cream with a powder (be it pressed or loose), otherwise with sweat, sebum and the hot humid weather, any BB cream will just melt into a gooey mess.

This gives a very natural dewy finish, it just blends and disappears into the skin. And this makes you look like you have naturally good skin (which is the whole point) and not like you are wearing a heavy layer of foundation on your face. The cakey mask-like foundation look is passe and very unattractive. Skin should look like skin!

Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder Clear

I was looking for a sheer pressed powder which I can use for touch ups and I came across this in Watsons. I tried the sample on my hand and I really liked the sheer silky finish. I use this to set my BB cream/ liquid foundation, and also for touch ups and I really like it. The powder is very fine and doesnt look cakey at all. I also like the subtle (rose?) scent.

Biore Cleansing Oil Cotton Facial Sheets

Old favorite. :)

I use this myself and I always carry spare packs in my makeup bag in case clients do not have any makeup remover to remove their makeup at the end of the day. I like this because its inexpensive, removes makeup very well, is very easy to use, and comes in small handy packs of 10 and also the larger pack one which can be refilled.

Sometimes at the end of a very long day and I am too tired/ lazy to do the cleansing oil + facial wash routine, I simply wipe off all my makeup with this and go to bed. 2 sheets are more than sufficient to remove full face makeup. And it doesnt leave behind any greasy oily residue. Loves!

I also happen to love the Biore cleansing oil (the original pink one). I am not sensitive to mineral oil, so this is an inexpensive and effective cleansing oil for me. Ive used Fancl MCO previously and I honestly dont feel any difference.

Estee Lauder Disappear Smoothing Creme concealer in 02-Light

One day while hanging around Raffles City waiting for some friends, I started to gravitate towards the makeup counters (I wonder why!), and I started playing with makeup at the Estee Lauder counter. I tried this concealer and loved how creamy it was and also the coverage was really good.

I initially planned on using this for work but I ended up stealing it to use for myself. Heh. I will buy another one for work!

This is best used for undereye area because its creamy and covers dark eye rings pretty well without being cakey. I also use this to cover the redness/ blotchiness around the nose and chin area.

I use a gentle tapping motion with my index finger to blend out the concealer and gently spread this outwards and downwards.

Some ask me if its better to use a makeup brush, sponge or fingers? Its really up to you but whatever you use, just make sure its clean.

Essential Rich Premier Hair Essence

Yes, I repurchased. The left one is the old packaging. I really like this leave in conditioner. Its inexpensive ($10?), has a lovely fresh fruity fragrance and leaves my hair feeling softer and less frizzy.

I really like Essential range of shampoos, conditioners and hair masks etc. I have oily scalp but dry hair, so I use the PINK shampoo and ORANGE conditioner/ hair mask/ hair treatment and leave in conditioner. Made in Japan, smells great and super affordable, cant get any better than that. :)

Daiso cotton bud swabs

I love these. Why? Because the cotton tips are so firm and dense. There are no loose stray fibres (unlike Watsons/ Guardian ones) and these are great for cleaning up makeup boo boos ie- mascara /eyeliner mishaps, cleaning up nail polish boo boos, lipstick out of line, its even great for blending out harsh pencil eyeliner for a softer natural look.

I also use this for applying false eyelashes on my clients, to press the lashbone against the lashline- its more hygenic and precise than fingers.

I always stock up whenever I pop into Daiso! :D

Shu Uemura UV Underbase Mousse

This has got to be my favorite makeup base, hands down.

Its so light and fluffy. Once applied to skin, it disppears without any trace. It has SPF 30. It comes in two shades- pink and beige. I have tried both and personally I dont notice any difference because its sooo sheer. They are both fantastic. It does help makeup apply better and last longer.

Think of this as your foundation's best friend. :)

This is also great for people who dont wear makeup but want to have SPF protection without something sticky/ greasy on their face.

$78. A tad pricey but worth every cent.

Ettusais Peeling Milk

Its pronounced "Eh Tu Say"!

I tried some on the back of my hand and was sold immediately. This is amazing stuff. If you find Cure Aqua (forgot the full name) too watery/ weird smell/ too expensive, try this. It has a nice milky creamy consistency. When you massage this over your skin, you can really feel the dead skin sloughing off and skin looks that much brighter and fresher after rinsing.

Frequent gentle exfoliation is very important to keep skin looking fresh and dewy, prevent breakouts and minimize blackheads/ clogged pores. :D

Nivea Body UV Whitening Serum SPF 22

You can probably tell by now that I am obsessed with sun protection and whitening products. I have clients who are obsessed with sun protection (one wears suncreen even when she's home all day, everyday without fail) and they have amazing near-flawless skin!

I love Nivea. Ive used so many of their products for over a decade. I use both the day and night whitening body lotions. And when I saw this, I had to get it. And because I am so hardcore, I use this OVER my day whitening body lotion.

Does it work? Well, I wear a watch everyday and I do not have a strip of fairer skin on my wrist. I am as pale as a ghost. :x I can safely say it does help prevent skin darkening.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of UV PROTECTION. Make sure it has both UVA and UVB protection. The former protects against rays that cause Aging and the latter protects against rays which cause Burning. I never step out of the house without applying my body lotion + sunscreens.

You'd thank me 10 years down the road!

My current skincare routine.

I LOVE Cellnique's Off With Those Heads (quirky name I know). I have to say I much prefer the original packaging when it first came out on the market.

I used to use this a few years ago when it first came out and I must have used about 3 or 4 bottles before I stopped. And I forgot how good this product is until recently there was a 20% off at Sasa due to GSS. I used this for 4 days and I could see and feel the results. Its as good as going for a good facial! Because skin just felt so smooth and clear, without any painful extraction. I swear my skin is softer and smoother.

Upon application, skin feels minty fresh and this clear gel absorbs almost instantly leaving skin feeling very smooth and soft. I apply at least 2 layers of this for optimal results.

They have a 14 day money back guarantee. If you dont see any results in 2 weeks, bring the remaining product back and you get your money back, no questions asked.

Go take advantage of the GSS promotion and get this. You can have better skin in just one week. Cheaper than a facial, without the pain. :D

...

I really like Hada Labo too. Its like a more affordable version of Fancl. No fragrance, no mineral oil, alcohol or colorant.

My AM routine: Wash, Cellnique, Clarins White Plus moisturizer, makeup.

My PM routine: Remove makeup, wash, Cellnique, Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening Milk. Sometimes I alternate with the Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion.

Two of my fave facial cleansing products.

Shiseido Aqua Label White Clear Foam and St Ives Apricot Scrub. Lets just say Id be really devastated if either product were discontinued.

The former is a foaming face wash with some granules in it. I love that my skin feels very clean and yet not taut/ dry after washing. I have combination skin- dehydrated on the surface but oily under.

As for the scrub, I have used countless tubes of this in the past decade. I panicked when I couldnt find any in Watsons last year, turns out they were revamping their packaging and was clearing all the old stock.

I cant live without this. I use this scrub maybe twice a week and it might be too abrasive for some but I like it. You can even use this on neck, decolletage, elbows and knees. If you find this too abrasive for the face, you can use this as a body scrub. I love how it leaves skin feeling so uber smooth!

And its inexpensive! This is a cult favorite.

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy

I have the driest ugliest wrinkliest hands in the world. :(

No thanks to OCD, I am always washing my hands, with anti-bacterial soap! Thus I need the really heavy duty stuff. This is GOOD. A tad pricey but worth it.

Okay. Thats all for now.

Phew, long post. Anyway do let me know what you guys think. Id love to do more of such posts! :D

Note: All products featured are purchased myself, all reviews are 100% my humble honest opinions and nothing is sponsored, this is not a paid ad of any sort. (I wish.) Heh.