All posts filed under: FOTD

Made-Up History: Chuck Close’s “Lucas,” 1986–1987

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Chuck Close is my freaking hero. If you haven’t heard of him, here is an example of his work: Mark (1978 – 1979) (source) His work is often recognized by his hyper-realist style, by the delicate manner in which he handles the supremely focused photographs of faces. To add to the effect of grandiosity, these paintings are often rendered on an extremely large canvas with all the details zoomed in and exposed to be observed by the viewer. Frank (1969) (source) A funny thing I learned today is that Chuck Close is “face blind.” He is afflicted with a condition called Prosopagnosia, which literally means that he has trouble remembering faces. He could have dinner with you tonight and forget your face the next day. Most of the portraits he has done (and he has done many, in many different ways) are of his friends and family, though this was not a deliberate decision brought about by his Prosopagnosia. Big Self-Portrait (1967 – 1968) (source) This is one of Close’s most recognizable and celebrated works. …

EOTD: Gradient Eyeliner

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An eye experiment—gradient eyeliner! Or ombre, if you prefer that term. It’s super easy, which will probably make this the shortest post ever on this blog. I started in the inner corner with a dark green shade (Urban Decay Mars) and stopped a third of the way in. Then, I used a bright ocean blue shade (Urban Decay Deep End) on the middle third of the lower lash line. Finally, I connect the line to a beautiful blue-violet shade (Urban Decay Ultraviolet), filling in the last third of the lash line. And that’s that! Eye makeup: Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Eye Pencil in Tamarack as base, bareMinerals READY 2.0 in The Scenic Route, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Perversion, Benefit They’re Real! mascara Rest of the face makeup: BECCA Resurfacing Primer, Burberry Sheer Luminous Fluid Foundation in Trench No. 4, NYX Eyeliner in Taupe, MAC Extra Dimension Blush in Fiery Impact, NYX Round Lipstick in Peony. I hope this post was helpful! Have you tried gradient eyeliner before? 🙂

FOTD: Sachi’s Mermaid Party

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Here’s a look I wore to my goddaughter’s first birthday party, which was held last Saturday. It was themed “Under the Sea.” Sachi Elise was in full-on mermaid costume, so I thought I’d follow suit even just a little. I injected a little bit of Ariel in my makeup, though I decided not to go with a red lip… just because it was a children’s party. Instead of a red, I put on my default “Disney princess” lip, which is MAC’s Betty Bright. The full effect of this lip is displayed in the last photo below. It is probably one of the only bright lipsticks that I love. For the eyes, I tried to capture Ariel’s mermaid… ensemble. I used the Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette for Eyes from 2012, which I have said to be my favorite palette of all time. Sadly, LM has ceased to be cruelty-free, so I opted out of the Artist’s Palette for 2013. If you can still get it, try it out since the one I have is perfect. All …

EOTD: Cut Crease & Extended Wing

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Here’s an eye look I tried out last Tuesday for a movie + dinner. I changed the lip to a pretty red (Le Métier de Beauté’s Signature)after I got off the train. LOL I don’t like commuting with heavy makeup. However, the true focus here = the eyes! It’s a neutral look, obviously, but I did a cut crease, an extended wing, AND pretty thick lashes (for my standards anyway), which I don’t do often. A cut crease is when the crease color is more pronounced than super blended out. That’s how I understand it, anyway. I used several colors from theBalm’s Nude ‘Tude Palette, which I’ve spoken about a lot here. I find that since using it from way back when, I may have changed my opinion on this slightly, but we’ll get to that later. I used Sassy (frosty white) on the inner two-thirds, Stubborn (shimmery pink) on the outer third. Silly (glittery warm brown) as the crease color which extended to the outer part of the eye. I used Snobby (cool yellow) …

Just a Hint of Cranberry for Autumn

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Here’s a subtle jewel-toned gradient—a perfect look for fall! We don’t have four seasons here in Manila, but I still seem to pattern my makeup accordingly, for some reason. I think the natural inclination towards the end of the year is to go a little bit darker and vampier, though I couldn’t tell you why! A really popular direction is to also incorporate lots of berry colors, whether it be on your eyes, cheeks, or lips. The focus of this look is the little peek of cranberry down at the end. I kept the rest of the face bare. Because I have no imagination. STEPS: 1. Cover the entire lid with a blackened purple base. (shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Painting Liner in Blackish Satin Purple) 2. Pat on a cool, periwinkle blue with violet undertones on the inner two-thirds of the lid. (Art Deco 82) 3. Apply a midtone cranberry color on the outer third of the lid. (Stylenanda 3 Concept Eyes #Saturn*) 4. Blend the two colors together. 5. Add a matte ochre …

Haircut + some FOTDs

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Hello! I just wanted to share my haircut with y’all. I got a haircut last Saturday and it’s pretty different from my usual lump of hair—I got bangs and layers! :0 As it happens, I have a bunch of reviews and posts queued up here so you might see some old Carina haircut photos popping up here and there. BUT here is my head as of now:

FOTD: I Went to a Wedding

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I’m quite busy at the moment, so here’s a quick FOTD post! I hope you don’t mind. 🙂 A few days ago, I went to a wedding, which I posted about here. Towards the end, I put my hair up and looked like a whale—and I keep mentioning my weight gain, because I truly do not feel comfortable in my, in this skin, so there—but this is what I looked like with my hair down & my makeup intact: Do you like the cooler behind me? Hehe. DA BREAKDOWN: On my face, I used Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (review), BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal (review), bareMinerals Original Foundation in Medium Beige (review), and no concealer because I forgot to put it before the foundation, lol. Topped it off with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light (review) and a spritz of Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (review). On my eyes, UDPP (review), of course. All over the lid, I have Le Métier de Beauté True Colour Crème Eye Shadow in Champagne Shimmer, topped …