“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.” Dame Elizabeth Taylor.
PS. Just finished reading this fabulous book, the love affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
MAC Tartan
While at Changi Airport Terminal 2 it is hard to avoid the makeup counters especially when you know you there is a little discount on cosmetics. Last week I purchased the MAC Tartan Reelers & Rockers Eyeshadow Palette, it includes six eyeshadows: White Rabbit (shimmer white), Melt My Heart (metallic silver), Carbon (matte black), Family Treasure (metallic bronze), Gaelic Gold (metallic gold), and Crown & Sceptre (metallic copper). I found them good value for money, pigment was not bad and useful for both day and nighttime as there is matte and shimmer. The best part is that these shadows can be layered nicely especially if you use a MAC Paint Pot or a MAC Pigment.
A night out and the aftermath
Late nights and drinking cause skin havoc. How we face the aftermath is key! I try to drink at least a glass of water for every couple of alcoholic drinks, staying away from dark liquour and sticking to less fruity drinks (less sugar, hello). Alcohol dehydrates because it is a diuretic and causes our face/body to look and feel tired. Washing your makeup off and moisturizing, is a requirement no matter what. Before bed I wash my face with a gentle soap free cleanser, use makeup remover for the eyes. When I get up, I apply Dermalogica Age Smart Antioxidant Hydramist all over. This helps perking up and giving your face some much needed anti-oxidants.
Luckily living in Singapore there is fresh coconut water all over the place so the morning after I guzzle as much as I can handle. Coconut water works quite nicely with hangovers, it has no artificial additives and contains significant amounts of electrolytes. Avoid greasy food and most of all, give your body a good flushing, a steam or sauna session clears out toxins. And of course, I go outside makeup free, SPF 30+ on and wearing some large eyeglasses.
Amorsoloesque Makeup
This photo by Candy Yam is part of the Amorsoloesque photography workshop I did makeup for on Saturday Dec 4th. It was conducted by Filipino photographer Maricris Carlos – she is an expert in this field of whimsical post-production. Putting makeup on model Alexia Giessen was great fun, I used very bold eye colours mixing Yaby pearl eyeshadows, a small touch of Face Atelier foundation with some Yaby concealer. Another secret weapon was the Shadow Shields – they are an amazing little tool to help avoid messy racoon eyes. I spent a while working on Alexa’s eyes, they needed to stand out for the studio lighting. This workshop was fast paced and the participants like myself, live for the moment of getting the right angles. Thank you Xilver Claire Events for booking me! I loved every second of it.
Daily Inspiration
I love old Hollywood. Give me Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Lucille Ball, Marlene Dietrich, all timeless and unique!
“I am not funny. My writers were funny. My directors were funny. The situations were funny…What I am is brave. I have never been scared. Not when I did movies, certainly not when I was a model, and not when I did I Love Lucy.”
-Lucille Ball (Rolling Stone, June 23, 1983) (photo by Walt Sanders for LIFE, click to enlarge)
Bridal Makeup
Last Friday afternoon, I was asked to do bridal makeup for a Profoto/ Shriro Singapore gathering. There weren’t too many details revealed, alas all I knew is that it was a lighting seminar with top Australian wedding photographer Marcus Bell. No big deal, right? My model was running an hour late, did the best I could under time pressure. Once we were ready with makeup, I noticed a large crowd and buzzing interest in the latest gadgets and lighting.
This look was achieved using a combination of products, Makeup Forever HD Foundation, Yaby concealer, and eyes using L’oreal mascara, MAC pigments and paint pot.
Hair and working in the heat
Sunday I had a test shoot at Marina Barrage with the uber talented Clifford Loh. Outdoor temperature was a hot and humid 34C and because we were trying to avoid the midday time frame, it was decided that hair would be done outdoors. Considering that hair is something that sort of fell on my lap along with nails and other skills I am learning as I go, I am very happy with the results. A high ponytail with a natural hair wrap around, using lots of product because the model’s hair was very fine and smooth. Voila!
Photo credit Clifford Loh
Ode to Dermalogica
As much as Norah loves makeup, I also love skincare. Well, skincare is like peas and carrots, they compliment one another, the better your skin looks, the more radiant your makeup will be (and you will probably need less of it, depending on your age/ taste).
Dermalogica has been a favorite of mine for a while. Today, I got a bit 0f redness around the neck area, my skin feels irritated (I was outside in intense heat shooting at Marina Barrage). Fear no more, Dermalogica Multiactive Toner to the rescue on my neck and Dermalogica Áfter Sun Repair.
Welcome to my blog!
Finally, I caved in to the world of blogging. Trust there’ll be plenty of documenting of my journey in beauty and makeup. This is a labour of love and I am ready to share it.
A Fashion Test
This is a collaboration that I'd been chasing for a while, I love Nino Yap's photos, he is phenomenal and working with him is a delight. We sort of knew each other through mutual friends, still had not been able to properly connect. One evening I was at the wedding dinner of a makeup artist friend in Singapore, and lucky for me I was sat next to Nino. What followed after was a hard sell on my part, basically on how we should do a shoot. And here it is! For the occasion, I enlisted Gracia Ventus – a fantastic stylist whose love for Rick Owens is only matched by one of my friends back in Philadelphia (rare). When a good team comes together, it is like magic, time just flies. Our lovely model, Rhianna I happened to work with before, really worked it! I used my Yaby pigments and Makeup Forever HD with some false lashes to pull of this look.