Hey everyone! Joining us for Nosy Beauty today is Cj. I’ve known of Cj from her infamous commercials as a child prodigy, but I re-encountered her in my adult life when I found out she was working at the same advertising agency as my college friend Paulina, a few years ago. I noticed she was also somewhat into makeup and asked her to do Nosy Beauty, and she said yes. 🙂

Cj de Silva-Ong is a Senior Art Director for Digital who like to paint, sketch, [make] lettering, watch movies and tinker with web (and other digital stuff like apps) design.

Why I use make-up: Honestly, because it is fun. It’s like painting — I get to experiment on lights and shades and play with my features.

Brushes
I have been using my hands/fingers for the longest time until I got the Samantha Chapman Real Techniques Core Collection brushes from http://instagram.com/fmbeautyboutique! Just like what I said, makeup, is like painting. Yes, I can finger paint, but brushes make a lot more difference, especially for contouring. 

Here are the brushes I use more often:
Buffing Brush – I use this to set my powder foundation
Contour Brush – I use this to apply my contour powder along my cheekbones
Angled Eyeliner Brush (From Landmark) – For filling out my eyebrows

Now for the makeup! I’ll just describe them according to chronology of application:

Face
MAC Studio Finish NC30 Concealer – I apply this under my eyes and conceal my blemishes.
MAC Studio Finish NW25 – This is a slightly darker shade and a little more orange-y. I use this to conceal blemishes along the contour areas. I also apply this under and on the side of my nose to reduce the redness.

MAC Studio Finish Powder Foundation NC30 – I dust a little on my face to set the everything. Not too much on a normal day, as MAC is heavy duty makeup. But for special occasions, I go full coverage.

E.L.F. Contour Powder – I apply this on my cheekbones to bring it out a little more. I just follow my actual face contour. Sometimes, I extend it a bit towards my chin for some drama. (Yeeees drama.)

TOPSHOP Highlighter in Sunbeam – I apply a very light amount on my cheeks and nose bridge.

Eyebrows
On my wedding day, I saw how my makeup artist Paolo Maranan accentuated my brows — And I realize that good brows helps make you look put together instantly. And they do frame your face!

Everyday:
Nichido Mineral Eyebrow Pencil in Chestnut + E.L.F. Eyeshadow Palette (the one for lining)

Special Occasions:
K-Palette Eyebrow Tattoo + Majolica Majorca Eyebrow and Lash Colorist

Eyes
Everyday:
I only put liner so my eyes look bigger. I just use Ever Bilena black eyeliner and layer it with K-Palette Tattoo Eyeliner so it won’t get smudged.

Special occasions:
I would experiment more with eyeshadow. My friend gave me this makeup box from Forever21 and I love how pigmented the eyeshadows are. I usually use the iridescent peach and metallic brown. Then I add liner, curl my lashes (Shu Uemura) and put some mascara (Maybelline). 

Lips
Ohmy, I am super obsessed with lip colours. I’ve always been more comfortable with matte or sheer. But I always experiment with colors.

My current favorites: Revlon Matte Balm, NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in Milan and MAC Matte Lipstick in Up The Drama. If you notice, I really like wearing colors. NYX’s Milan is super photogenic. But when I feel like going neutral, NYX SMLC in London is my go-to shade. 

I think, beauty comes from being comfortable. When you’re comfortable, you’re more likely to act more sincerely and confidently. Another thing, I think beauty radiates from people who know themselves well — they may embrace trends but they definitely make the trend work for them.

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Yay, thanks for letting me pick yo beauty brain, Cj! 🙂 You can read Cj’s blog and view her art here. For more Nosy Beauty, click here.

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