COOL DETOUR

Hi, there!

This is just to let everyone know that we are still here! 🙂

I don’t blog here as often as I used to anymore because of my day job and the travelling

that I’ve been doing lately. I still do makeup (mostly weddings on weekends) and give

personal makeup workshops. Text +09173266426 to inquire.

For more udpates, go to my travel blog: http://cooldetour.wordpress.com.

Stay productive,

d.

THE MAKEUP DEN RATES 2012

This week alone, we’ve received 7 inquiries for our updated 2012 rates. Our packages have always been posted on our RATES section but we’re posting it here again for easy access 🙂 Feel free to share to all of your friends who just got engaged!

PROMO ALERT!!!

They say the year of the dragon is lucky for weddings. We’ll make it even luckier for the couples out there! The Makeup Den will NOT be charging extra for out-of-town and out-of-the country weddings for bookings made from January to March 2012. This means that for Destination Weddings (outside of Metro Manila):

1) Client only has to pay for the ACTUAL cost of transportation/gas, hotel accommodation and food allowance  (on top of the agreed package) .

2)We will waive the Out-of-town/Out-of-the-country Add-on Fees already!!!  This is a 4,000-5,000 Peso discount for Destination Weddings!

3) This promo is applicable only to those who will book and make a down payment from January 1 to March 31, 2012. So even if your wedding is still, for example, on Dec 2013 but you book within Jan-Mar 2012, you will still be able to avail of the promo.

Yey,

d.

The Makeup Den Rates 2012:

Make-up Designory

As a makeup artist, the question most often asked to me is: “What brand of makeup do you use?” I always say that good makeup is not dependent on the brand but the consistency of each product, the application techniques and the personal style taste and effective collaboration of the makeup artist+stylist+subject.

Some brands though produce really good products in every category they are in: from foundations to eye shadows to lipsticks! Essentially, to evaluate a makeup brand, one should check if they produce high-quality products in every category they play in.

Here’s my personal list when evaluating a makeup brand:

FOUNDATION BASE *Does the brand carry yellow-based foundation that’s more suited to olive-skinned Pinays?

*Is the brand’s foundation range extensive enough? [fair to really dark brown]

*Does the brand have cream-based foundations? [I prefer cream because it’s oil-based which means it stays longer versus liquid-based foundation. Why do I say this? Think about it: water evaporates, right? Oil just stays. That’s the most basic law of nature when it comes to makeup! 🙂 Even for airbrush application, the foundation should be silicone-based/oil-based. Using water-based foundation for airbrush defeats the purpose of choosing airbrush application because the product won’t stick long especially under hot weather condition. With oil-based foundation, you don’t need to retouch the makeup. You just have to learn how to manage it.]

EYE SHADOW                                                                                                                                                                      *Is the product highly-pigmented?                                                                                            *When you apply it onto the skin, does it stay true to its natural color?                            *Does purple stay purple all throughout or are you left with just the shimmer or silver?      *Can it be applied using wet and dry application?

BLUSH                                                                                                                                                 *Same questions as if you’re evaluating eye shadows.

LIPSTICKS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               *Does it feel heavy when worn?                                                                                                        *Do they have a wide range of matte colors? [I prefer matte with just a hint of moisture because you can still add gloss to it. If you start with a high-shine lipstick, you cannot anymore change the look by removing the shine. So if I was on a limited budget and I am asked to choose which one to buy, matte or glossy, I’d choose the earlier. If they don’t have a matte lipstick, I’d go for the lip liner coz at least, it’s more matte.]

COLOR CORRECTORS AND CONCEALERS

*Does the brand carry at least a peach corrector?                                                                         *For concealers, do they have a wide range of colors as well? [Last thing you’d want is apply a concealer that’s too white. I see concealers as basically cream foundations in smaller pots. Cream-based makeup have higher pigment count than liquid-based which means they also have higher coverage. Concealers are used to technically, cover a blemish, right? So if your cream foundation already has high coverage, what do you need a concealer for? You only need a concealer when you use liquid or powder foundation that doesn’t have high coverage. Most of the time, what you really need is a color corrector so you can neutralize the skin color. You’d want to “correct” and neutralize the color of the blemish first before you put on a foundation. Think of it as repainting an old house gate. You’d want to cover the dark rusts with an orange primer before you put on the white paint all over. That way, those rusty parts won’t turn gray when you cover it with white paint and the over-all finish won’t look patchy. Same logic applies when painting the face. You’d want to cover a dry bluish pimple mark with an orange/ peach corrector to neutralize it and make it appear more beige than blue before you put the foundation on. Makes sense, right?]

Hope those questions help you choose a makeup brand/product to patronize. 🙂 These questions can also be helpful to bloggers out there when reviewing makeup products!

Now, I do not have an exclusive contract with any makeup brand. I’ve been asked to guest as a makeup artist by The Body Shop. I’ve been commissioned by Mary Kay Cosmetics, too. I have Shu Uemura’s Artists Circle’s shopping card. I carry a MAC makeup case. So when Make-up Designory USA invited me to join their special workshop for the school they are about to set-up in the Philippines, I immediately agreed, no strings attached!

Not only is Make-up Designory a huge and prestigious makeup school in America, it is also a brand that produces high-quality make-up! The brand scores high in my personal score card above.

And who would refuse such an invitation especially when you’re gonna take classes with some of the top make-up artists in the country?

So for a couple of days, I attended the workshop conducted by no less than Makeup Designory’s Director of Education Paul Thompson together with makeup artists Kris Bacani, Precious Medina, Cha Cuyong, Myr Lim and Georginna Desuasido. Thanks to Sprint Asia owners Paul and Jennifer Yap, all of us had a truly enriching experience!

To be able to teach in Make-up Designory Manila (Pure Beauty store located in Serendra, right across Market, Market, 2nd floor near Bench Fix and The Strip), one has to 1) be invited, 2) undergo the workshop and 3) pass the evaluation of MUD USA. Glad to announce all 6 of us passed all 3 stages. So today, all 6 makeup artists above teach in MUD Manila. I don’t teach there regularly though. I’m by appointment or special request for one-on-one makeup tutorials or if they have special classes usually on weekends.

 [That’s Paul showing us how to create a huge scar on Jen’s hand.]

[Amazzzing, isn’t it?]

[That’s me doing a teaching demo on Jen and in front of my classmates.]

[This is my first ever class in MUD Manila! It was so much fun!!!]

[These are my pretty students after our whole day class. They did their makeup themselves!!! Not bad, right? :)]

To know more about MUD Manila, visit their website at http://mudmanila.com.

Enjoy painting faces,

d.

What’s up, D?

I haven’t blogged for 6 months! There was so much going on with work that I have simply forgotten to update this site. Let me share with you what I’ve been busy with.

Latter half of 2010, I assumed the role of Marketing Manager for Watsons Philippines. This is the reason why I can only do makeup on weekends!

Start of 2011, we launched a very promising in-house brand called Watsons Sakurabella. It’s a hand and body care range infused with cherry blossom extracts. We had a Japanese-themed press party at the beauty section of SM Department Store, Makati [which is turning out to be the new haven for makeup junkies]! You can find everything in that store–Majolica Majorca, Etude House, most of the newest makeup brands that have reached Philippine shores! It doesn’t hurt that Forever 21 just opened right across that section!

[That’s me wearing a Paul Herrera Japanese-inspired outfit and a kimono-inspired fascinator by Tiara by Tracy Dizon]

[with the  pretty and uber tall Sakurabella brand ambassadors PMAP President Phoem Barranda, PR girl Tony Abad and model Rissa Mananquil]

[designers Kate Torralba and Rhett Eala were also at the launch!]

[Mega Magazine’s Gen M designers created the Sakurabella-inspired kimonos of the Elite models.]

[Maurice Arcache wrote about the event in Inquirer, as well as so many other editors! Photos by Alex Van Hagen]

Stylebible.ph posted the party pictures on their site and even had a best-dressed poll. Kate Torralba won in her very cute Japanese outfit, of course!

A few months ago, I attended the launch of Forever 21 Makati. Congratulations to Jane Kingsu-Cheng and team for a very successful event! 🙂

I bumped into bloggers Val Uy and Marj Sia (who just recently launched Catwalk Cosmetics!) at the event. Thanks to my dear blogger-friend Lee Shen Gee for the photo!

 Another event I attended was the Watsons Beauty Lab where I saw another dear blogger friend of Lookbook.nu fame, Karl Leuterio [extreme left]! Thanks to blogger Kira Ramirez for the photo! 🙂

Next on the list is the Marionnaud’s Beautiful Moments event wherein I bumped into my ex-officemates from Summit Media– freelance stylist and makeup artist Jasmine Mendiola and marketing director Marcie Linao. Marionnaud is a cosmetics and fragrance store from Europe. It’s located at the 2nd floor of Mall of Asia. They carry hard-to-find and exclusive fragrance brands. Definitely worth a visit!

My friend Rossel Taberna (super pretty wife of news anchor Anthony Taberna) texted me to say that she saw me in Good Housekeeping Magazine‘s post-event feature of Marionnaud’s Beautiful Moments. Here’s the ad:

 I also just recently judged the first ever Beauty Central Makeup competition of SM Department store. The first leg was staged in Mall of Asia.

Another noteworthy thing that happened to me in the past few months is my personal discovery of the prowess of Alex Carbonell of Studio Fix (Greenbelt 5)! Alex is now my favorite hairstylist and color artist! He is so chic! Clients easily warm-up to him. Book him early coz he handles so many famous artists like Bianca Gonzales and Iya Villania and his schedule is always hectic!

Another discovery is this Clark Kent look-alike singer/ model Kevin Cisco. Kevin is the new face of Watsons Men. Below is the Watsons Men ad shot by THE Paolo Pineda. Hair and makeup by Benjie Angeles. Girls, love your man by making him gorgeous with Watsons Men. Teach him how to cleanse + tone + moisturize! After all, behind every gorgeous great guy is a wise Watsons woman! 😉

If we have a print ad, we also have a brand new TV commercial for Watsons-branded products! Believe me, these products give you the best value for money–from tissues to hair treatments to bubble footspas!

 

View the Watsons TVC here.

After a stressful first half of the year, I took a break and went to HongKong with my friends. One highlight of the trip was when we spent an hour at the Bobbi Brown store in IFC Mall. I showed my friend Michelle the magic of color correctors. 🙂

Us friends partying in Lan Kwai Fong!

Speaking of friends, my girl friends and I attended the launch of Estee Lauder’s New Lipstick Collection. We were so excited to test the vibrant lipstick colors! Since the three of us have different personalities, we also had different color choices: coral, pink and nude!

These ladies also swear by Estee Lauder’s long-lasting lipsticks:

[TV hosts Grace Lee and Chesca Litton, singer Isabella and actress Priscilla Mereilles]

Those are just some of the things that kept me going for the past months. Hope you’re also having your share of fun! 🙂

Still here,

d.

Proudest Moment

It is not a secret to my clients and readers that I have a day job that doesn’t involve makeup. I have been a marketing practitioner for 8 long years already and a makeup artist for 5 years now. Last year, when I was being interviewed for a write-up, the editor asked me, “Dens, what do you consider your proudest moment?” The writer, I found out later, was expecting me to answer, “when I staged that big event” or “when I launched a successful marketing plan”. She was expecting something work or business-related. But instead she heard me answer this:

“I feel most proud when I see my brides, my girls, walk down the aisle with a confident smile, tears flowing down their eyes, not minding their eyeliner and mascara because I’ve told them it’s waterproof! Plus, I taught them how to dab their tissues discreetly, without smudging their eye makeup! Each time I watch a bride anxiously walk to wards her groom, I feel a sense of pride. Usually, I watch her from the side of the church or from the back where I assist her and most of the time, assure her that she’s not gonna trip! I feel like I have given her that wonderful gift of feeling amazingly beautiful on her Big Day! That accomplishment, because it is personal and real, makes me feel I have a sense of purpose in this life.”

“Next to that, I think, is seeing the look on the groom’s face when he sees his bride. Some consciously wipe away their tears with a hanky. Some shake their heads in perhaps utter disbelief that they’ve managed to snag the girl of their dreams! One bride even shared to me that the moment she reached the altar, her groom whispered “Sobrang ganda mo naman ngayon!” (You’re so beautiful today!)”

In a world full of choices, I am in awe at the brave grooms and brides who are still willing to take the risk, forgo their other options and commit to building a happy life with just one special individual.

To all the couples who have chosen our Team, The Makeup Den, I wish you the happiest of times. May you find strength to resist temptation, endurance to renew and live by your vows everyday and resilience to choose to love each other still inspite of trying times.

Love,

d.

Just because…

…it’s Hearts Day soon!

(photo from things-we-heart)

The Makeup Den is giving a 15% discount to all brides who will call this month of Love (Until Feb 28, 2011) to schedule a trial anytime within the year . Your trial may be scheduled for another month but if you pencil-book it within this month, trial fee becomes P1,500 only (at our Mandaluyong condo). Plus, you get a 15% discount on your total bridal package!

*TMD only accepts weddings scheduled on Saturdays/Sundays.

*This promo does not apply to those who have already booked in the past.

go to http://themakeupden.com/rates for packages.

TO BOOK, CALL OR TEXT:

+63917-326-64-26 OR

email letusdens@yahoo.com

Celebrate love,

d.

Makeup Magic!

My birthday last year was a blast! I knew that was hard to top so I decided to accept this makeup booking in Batangas that fell on my birthday. Add that to the fact that the bride is a friend and a co-Gawad Kalinga advocate. It was extra hard to refuse when you know the bride has a kind heart and helps people for a living! [To know more about Gawad Kalinga and how to help, click on this link.]

The day before her wedding, my dear bride sent me a BBM message quite panicking about the red blemish that appeared on her upper lip after a waxing session. I, as the makeup artist, kind of panicked too! 🙂 My thought bubble: Here we go again! Another bride accidentally burning her skin!

Now I’m sharing this with everyone to remind brides-to-be to have their facials and waxing sessions done at least 2 weeks before their big day! This is a warning to all waxing salons out there too! Time your sessions properly! The salon was lucky our bride was kind enough to let this pass! Here’s what happened to her upper lip:

Thank heavens I brought my corrector and concealer palette from Makeup Designory! With a lot of prayers from the bride’s friends and family, we were able to perform magic! 🙂 After about an hour of mixing shades, neutralizing her skin color, hiding the blemishes and making sure the skin won’t crack, The Makeup Den has managed to produce a blemish-free bride! 🙂 She also had very cute freckles spread evenly on the sides of her cheeks which she wanted removed. Here’s how my dear bride looked on her big day–

We were joking as soon as I was done! Where’s the blemish?! Oha, oha?! 😛

The wedding went on smoothly. Her suppliers were fabulous! Twins John and Paul Herrera created her gown and bag. (Trivia: These twins were the reasons why I became a makeup artist! John was my Fashion Illustration teacher at FIP. He was the one who suggested that I study Makeup Artistry and shared that his twin Paul was also a makeup artist!)

Now I know I spent my birthday working but after seeing the bride walk down the aisle happily, I knew I was meant to be there and it was all worth it! 🙂

Best wishes, Cindy!  Continue helping others through your advocacy!

Believing in the miracle of love,

d.

TMD Reports!

It’s been a busy month for The Makeup Den!

1) Our “You, Only Better Workshops” are over. We’ve had a successful first run and the encore was a hit, too!

2) Our Halloween gigs were so much fun! Metro Working Mom’s October Issue (with Daphne Osena-Paez on the cover) released a Halloween special featuring kids in cute D-I-Y costumes! Makeup by TMD! Fun, fun, fun! Of course, we also enjoyed putting drag makeup on attendees of Bigfish’s Halloween Cream Ball (no photos yet.)

3) We’ve booked Eight (8) wedding gigs this month!!! (4 of which are out-of-town). One bride to be wed on December sent this visual peg for her look. I (Dens) am super excited to use matte red lipstick on a bride! This choice of color doesn’t come too often. Most brides stick to peaches, corals and pinks! Brave one, my December bride! I promise I won’t let you down!

4) Starting November 8, I will be working full-time again. Yes, I used to have a day job and it doesn’t involve makeup. 🙂 This means that I can only accept wedding gigs on SUNDAYS and some Saturdays of the month. The rest of the team can accommodate weekday requests though. Please don’t hesitate to inquire via email (letusdens@yahoo.com) or text (0917-326-64-26) regarding my availability. Our December calendar is starting to look crazy! So I suggest you inquire or book in advance.

We still have the 50% discount on upgrades to airbrush, 10% discount on TRIGGERhappy Photobooth’s services and the usual discounts I give to friends and relatives. 🙂

5) Let me leave you with a TMD Tip:  “When using cream foundation, mix it with a face primer or moisturizer so that the finish will be as smooth as possible. It will almost look like it’s second skin! :)”

Below are photos from Lisette’s makeover for her sister’s wedding. I used Makeup Designory‘s cream foundation mixed with their face primer. The Makeup Designory’s Rose Clay lipstick is perfect for the natural makeup look! What do you think?

 

Every great performance deserves an…

ENCORE!!! 🙂

Due to insistent public demand (haha sounds like a concert!), The Makeup Den’s You, Only Better Makeup Workshops will run for 2 MORE DATES:  OCT 16 (Sat) and OCT 17 (Sun). All of the dates posted on this link are fully-booked already. Email letusdens@yahoo.com or text 0917-326-64-26 to reserve a slot for the encore dates!

Thank you soooo much to all those who sent private messages, emails, and texts! A million thanks to all those who joined our workshops and to those whom we will see on Oct 2, 3, 6, 9 and 10!!!

Feedback from those who have joined our one-on-one makeup consultations and workshops:

“Thank you sooooooooooooooo much ms. dens.  i had a great day! super galing grabe! grabe kita talaga yung difference ng before and after. I really learned a lot from you. Thank You Thank You. I’m sooooo happy and satisfied with your tutorials. Worth it yung layo ng travel ko. Now, I [can use my makeup stash.] I’ll tell my friends talaga to [join your] tutorials. Hindi ako mapapahiya.” – Lorie, Entrepreneur

“The workshop is not only a good starting point for makeup newbies but a practical refresher for those with makeup background. It gives you a better understanding about products and application, more importantly it teaches you basic makeup skills and consequently, gives you the confidence to put a better you out there. Lastly, Denise is such a good teacher!!!” – Vi, Lawyer

“After taking so many makeup lessons from the past, I realized I didn’t learn at all since I still ended up not knowing how to put makeup on myself. With Dens’ workshop, I learned and found myself being addicted to makeup products. I actually want to beautify myself everyday! For the first time, I am loving my face and I feel more feminine! Before, I seriously look boyish due to my unruly eyebrows! At first, I was afraid when Dens said we had to re-shape my eyebrows but all the fear went away when I saw the results! Even my grandma gave me such a good compliment! I do love Dens’ approach! She’s very patient and she gives more tips even after the workshop! I now consider her my mentor. Two thumbs up!!!” – Val, Student

“The Makeup Den’s You, Only Better Workshop was absolutely fantastic. Dens catered the workshop to our specific needs and wants. Not only did I learn a lot from the session, I also had a blast!” – Christina, Broadcast Journalist

“It’s a good thing to learn makeup from an artist’s perspective! I learned about the theories and how I could apply them when I do my own makeup!” –Ana, IT specialist

The fee is P3,000. If you come with a friend, we give the both of you P500 off! So the fee becomes P2,500 each only!

Let us know!

See you at the workshop,

d.

Last Hurrah!

Hi, Ladies!

We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries for the “You, Only Better Makeup Workshops!” We’re actually surprised by the interest and enthusiasm you’ve shown for this service.

We regret to inform you though that The Makeup Den might have to enter into a contract that will prohibit us from Teaching Makeup under the TMD brand SOON.

Good news is that TMD will be part of something H-U-G-E happening for the makeup industry here in the Philippines in a couple of months! Can’t disclose the details yet but I assure you, it is something to look forward to! We’re actually very excited about it!!! 🙂

Bad news is that, as I’ve already mentioned, we can hold our workshops until October 10 (Sunday) only. So for those who would want to learn how to apply makeup TMD-style, you still have a chance to join! Sign-up by emailing us at letusdens@yahoo.com or text 0917-326-6426. Hurry ‘coz the slots are easily filled-up! Note that we only accept a maximum of 4 persons per class.

All you really need to know about makeup, you can actually learn in less than a day. Of course, to be good at it though, you’d have to practice, practice, practice! This workshop will teach you the fundamentals of makeup application and artistry. It will teach you how to assess your own facial features and bone structure. It will teach you how to use those products you’ve had for a long time now but never really learned how to apply correctly on your own face!

TMD’s workshop is designed with the average girl in mind— She wants to look pretty but claims to always be in a hurry. She appreciates the natural look but has always been intrigued by the smoky and cat eyes. She doesn’t necessarily want to become a makeup artist but wants to attain a solid foundation/knowledge on the art of painting faces! She knows there’s something wrong with the way she applies her own makeup but can’t really pinpoint what. Ultimately, she wants to know how to apply makeup and still look herself, ONLY BETTER! 🙂

The fee is P3,000. If you come with a friend, we give the both of you P500 off! So the fee becomes P2,500 each only! 🙂

Let us know! 🙂

d.