Make Your Own Lip Palette!

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Gwen Tan in Makeup | Leave a comment

Hola Chicas y Chicos!

I know not many of you have lots of lipsticks like I do but if you ever need to sort out your lipsticks and organize, you can try this!

Make Your Own Palette!

Can you believe how heavy empty lipstick cases can be?

I actually put whatever I have on a weighing scale and it is about 2 kilograms. Putting my lipsticks into a palette has allow me to reduce the weight I carry around in my ever so heavy makeup kit!

This is how 1 of my lip palette looks like when it is finished!

Things you need :

Water Colour Palette (Empty)
Candles
Toothpick/disposable chopsticks
Kitchen Towel
1 Tablespoon
Self-Adhesive Brand Labels
Alcohol Pads
Small knife

How To :

Lay kitchen towel on your table top or work surface.
Arrange all the items on the kitchen towel neatly
Using the alcohol pads, clean the water colour palette, spoon, knife, and toothpicks/chopsticks.
Light the candle
Cut your lipstick onto the spoon, and use the toothpick to remove whatever lipstick that is left in the tube.
Place the spoon with lipstick over the candle and let the lipstick melt. This should take about 1 to 2 minutes depending on the texture of the lipstick. Sometimes, if the lipstick has a frosty colour or shimmer, you will need to use the toothpick to stir the color to make it even.
Pour the melted lipstick into the water colour palette.
Allow 5 minutes for the liquid mixture to solidify.
Repeat steps 5 to 8 for the rest of the lipsticks.

Tips!

Water colour palette can be purchased at all art supplies store. The 1 I have only cost me SGD$3. However, the cover is a little loose so you will have to fasten it down. I use a bright pink cloth tape.
I use alcohol pads to sanitize the tools used for this Lip Palette. Some people recommended using bottled alcohol but I find that method rather messy. Alcohol pads are rather fuss free and easy to use.
You might want to write the labels before starting to melt the lipstick.
You do not have to put the lipstick palette into a fridge. It will cool down at room temperature and solidify.
Putting the lipstick palette into a fridge will risk condensation when you remove it from the fridge and condensation can encourage mold to grow on the lipsticks.

I hope you guys can try it out too.

I really love doing this. Makeup organizing can be rather therapeutic. :)

Have A Great Week Ahead!

Gwen
MakeupToys

Contact me at ask@makeupaffir.com

Famous Makeup Artists: Kevyn Aucoin

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Gwen Tan in Inspiration | 1 Comment

That’s why I began doing makeup in the first place: I was hoping that through helping people see the beauty in themselves, I could try and find it in me.” – Kevyn Aucoin

I really like this quote from Kevyn Aucoin.

It kind of sums up what I feel about doing makeup for people.

Kevyn Aucoin was a legendary American Makeup Artist. He had produced so many sensational works while he was alive that until today, his works are still being appreciated by many.

He was diagnosed with a rare tumor at the age of 39. During that time, he began taking increasing amount of prescription and non-prescription painkillers, so as to ease his physical and mental suffering. In the end, he died 1 year later due to acetaminophen toxicity, a condition caused by his addiction to prescription painkillers that eventually lead to his kidney and liver to fail. It was a great loss to the makeup industry and during his passing, there was tremendous out pour of sadness.

What makes me respect him so much is that he came about at a time when society has not yet accepted a male makeup artist.

Against all odds, after going through a very rough childhood of discovering he was gay, being bullied by his classmates in school, being beaten up by security officers in a departmental stall for checking out cosmetics, he decided to move to New York to continue to pursue his dream : To Be A Makeup Artist.

He began doing makeup on test models for free to build up his portfolio before he was eventually discovered by VOGUE. From then on, Keyvn was given the opportunity to show case his talent and started his fantastic career in Makeup. His clients eventually included A-list Celebrities and Supermodels.

Kevyn Aucoin has 3 books available on Makeup and he also has a line of cosmetics that are currently being sold in Barneys New York.

The 3 books are :

1. The Art of Makeup

2. Making Faces

3. Face Forward

They are really good reads for me and I think they are pretty inspirational.

I think his dream came true because of his relentless pursue. He truly love what he was doing. Passion kept him going.

Passion is the only thing that can pull you through the darkest moments in whatever you choose to do.

If you have a dream, go for it. You only live once, and like we already know, life is really too short to spend doing miserable things.

If you do not have a dream, it is still not too late to have 1.

Dreams can really lit a dying flame.

I’m very thankful to be able to be living in my dream.

Gwen
MakeupToys

Image Source : Google Images

Review: Eye Shadow Blending Brush by Estee Lauder

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Gwen Tan in Makeup, Reviews (Makeup) | Leave a comment

I have many different brands of brushes in my kit and I strongly believe in good tools. Currently I’m in the process of testing many new tools and I would like to share some of my old tools with you guys first before I go into the new ones!

When I first started out as a makeup artist, investing in makeup tools is extremely hard because good brushes that are available in Singapore tend to be very expensive and having a full set could probably set me back close to $1000 or more. Also, I really believe in good quality cosmetics and imagine spending on both good brushes and makeup!

Perhaps it is my strong belief in good tools and my stubbornness, I rather be hungry than to use stuff that I have no faith in.

Please do not get me wrong, expensive does not always mean good. It is just that what I have tried that works for me happen to be a little pricy. But they are really worth the investment for me. Overtime, my kit consists of brushes of many brands. It is my honest opinion that there is no 1 brand that can make everything perfect. This not only applies to cosmetics, many other products too.

I was lucky enough to have been able to purchase brushes that stay within my budget and work for me so far but I am also aware that there are better brushes out there, and it is an endless search. Until I get my hands on all of them, I’m going to share with you 1 of the best investment I have made in brushes.

I really love the Eye shadow Blending Brush by Estee Lauder. Perhaps it is the way I use this brush, it always allow me to find the crease so much easier and allow me to create that nice crease-look without having to spend too much time blending.

It is really up to you. What are you most comfortable with?

Blending Shadow Brush 25 by Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow Blending Brush MA S

I am aware that not many people have raved about this brush but it is probably because Estee Lauder is not known for making brushes. However, I really like it and it really makes my work easier.

2 ways to use this brush:

Apply your eye shadow and liner as normal and use this blending brush to ease out harsh line.
Use this brush to pick up eye shadow and shade directly. From the lashline to the upper crease, outside to inside corner.

The key to using a blending brush, in my experience is to be light handed. You have to be gentle and build the colour layer by layer.

I always use the 2nd method for Asian eyes and it is so good for me.

Give it a try and you might be surprised!

Good day!

Gwen
MakeupToys

Backstage with Stradivarius

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Gwen Tan in Looks, Makeup | Leave a comment

I did this gig sometime back and it was awesome fun.

Pictures were taken moments before the show and models are all made up, ready to do The Walk.

Thank you so much for posing for my camera!

Gwen
MakeupToys

Good models are really professional. They have to maintain their skin and make sure they stay in shape and maintain high energy level for all shows. Most of the time for this show, when we are eating our rice and carbohydrates, they are eating yogurt with fruits and nuts.

Although this might look like a glamorous and fabulous job, it is also a highly stress job where your entire body is under scrutiny every single time.

I respect their professionalism!

In A Rush? Feeling Lazy? Makeup, Doll up in 15 minutes or Less!

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Gwen Tan in Makeup | Leave a comment

“Oh My! I’m so late!”

“I’m so tired. I do not want to spend time putting makeup today….”

“My kids make it impossible for me to sit down properly in front of my dresser!” etc…

How many of you have days like these?

I have, most of the time I have days like these on Sundays. It is my day off and I wish I can let my skin have a day off too. I will usually head out with my large sunglasses on and only a coat of lipstick. Yes, no foundation, no eye shadow, no makeup. And yes, I’m a lipstick girl.

However, for those of you out there who feel lazy but not used to stepping out of the house without makeup, I have some short tips for you!

The No Make Up Make Up Look!

Prepare skin as usual with your skincare. If you have a tinted moisturizer, you can apply this and skip the primer. If not, finish your skincare and start with this :

Step 1 :

Prime your skin with a proper skin primer. Most primers in the market have color correcting purposes and with this alone, you can hide the greatest skin imperfection : uneven skin tone. If I were to recommend, I will choose Le Blanc De Chanel.

For a review on Le Blance, please click read this post : A Makeup Base For Everyone.

Step 2 :

Instead of using your usual foundation on your whole face, I will recommend this:

– Use concealer on areas that you feel you need. Especially to conceal those dark circle or
scars.
— Dust a light coat of loose power with a large powder brush over your face instead of using a full foundation.

For loose powder, Chanel Pouder Universelle Libre is a good option for this look. It is finer than most loose powder in the market and gives a nice non powdery finish. Skin looks and feel natural.

Step 3 :

Apply a coat of Creme Blusher to emphasize the cheek. Creme blusher will give a light sheen and give that healthy dewy young looking skin. If you do not have a creme blush, you can use a blusher with shimmer. I recommend Peach colour for all skin types. NARS Orgasm is a good powder blusher!

Step 4 :

Always make sure your eyebrows are properly define and trimmed. Eyebrows frame the entire face and it is very important to have eyebrows that are not too thin. You can use light brown eye shadow to define your brows. You do not need to purchase a special eyebrow palette. If you are willing to spend, it is a good time to invest in a tinted brow gel to set your well trimmed brows! I fancy MAC Brow Set.

Step 5 :

Curl your lashes and use Mascara. Apply 1 to 2 neat coats of mascara to open up your eyes! You can actually skip the eyeliner. Mascara, if applied properly, is most often sufficient to open up the eyes for this look. Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara is a great choice.

Lips Tips!

If you already have lips that are luscious and healthy(without discoloration), just use a lip balm.
If you have discolored lips like I have, use any neutral shade of lipstick to give the lips some color. If you are not a lipstick girl like me, you can use a lip gloss.
If you do not want a I Have Used Lipstick Look but you need the color and hate the gloss, using a lip brush, take some lip balm, mix with the lipstick and apply. This will make the lipstick less pigmented and the color will look more nude.
I’m using Dr Lip lip balm and I really love it. It is light and does not leave my skin feeling oily. Plus, it mixes well with most of my lipsticks!

This look takes me a maximum of 15 minutes! It is really easy and anyone can do it. I’m sure you are now ready to Makeup, Doll up in 15 minutes or less!

By the end of this post, you will realize that I really LOVE Chanel Cosmetics.

Cheers!

Gwen,
MakeupToys

Contact me at ask@makeupaffair.com

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Make Your Own Lip Palette!

Famous Makeup Artists: Kevyn Aucoin