All posts filed under: News

Softly, again

Published by

Uh, hi. You might (?) remember me from years ago when I wrote a lot about beauty. Likely in a curious, albeit misguided way. I locked this account away at some point for various reasons I don’t feel like getting into now, but the beauty bug. It has bitten me once again. Not in quite the same way, and certainly, the first initial sting never left me completely. But, I was over it for a while (it felt too consuming, if you can believe that), and now I’m not. So, hi. I’m in the process of cleaning up house here, but I wanted to just say hi, a bit. I guess? I don’t know. This all feels very strange… First thing to get out of the way is that I’ve moved continents on account of school. So, I don’t have a lot of makeup with me and I don’t plan on accumulating a lot more (although I did a spot of shopping here and there, of course). I look like this now: While I was …

Ellis Faas - Identity Revealed

Ellis Faas: On the Edge of Beauty

Published by

I received the best email ever, a few days ago! Ellis Faas made a book. I’ve always been interested in “learning the basics” from beauty book staples by artists like Bobbi Brown and Kevyn Aucoin, but this is just on a whole other level of excitement for me. I’ve been such a big fan of Ellis Faas products—love at first swipe!—but I’m even moreso in love with her approach to makeup, and the progression of her story, coming from a photography background. Ellis Faas: On the Edge of Beauty “it is typical of the art of ellis faas to question and destabilise the rules and expectations of the beauty industry, to explore definitions and push boundaries of beauty. while adopting traditional tools and techniques of the trade, she attempts to transcend the industry’s restrictions, the idealised sense of perfection and the tendency towards global uniformity. to this end she makes use, in turn, of visual exaggeration, irony, surrealism, distortion and fantasy. by investigating the relationship between the everyday and the extraordinary, she creates her own …

Ellis Faas Glow Up

New from Ellis Faas: Glow Up

Published by

I don’t really post a lot of PR posts here anymore, so I guess it’s kind of telling just how excited I am for this new release from Ellis Faas. Glow Up is a new line from their complexion products—a range of highlighters set to be released on December 1, aka tomorrow. I just thought I’d give you a heads up! Highlighter is something I’ll always be drawn to, despite having numerous types in various textures, shades, and finishes. Light is a major player in makeup transformation, emphasizing shape and glow. Glow Up incorporates the soft focus properties of reflective pearls to attract light to your face, providing radiance with a soft subtle shimmer. Ellis Faas Glow Up is a facial powder illuminator that’s available in three shades: S501 (Porcelain Glow), S502 (Satin Glow), S503 (Deep Glow), each shade growing progressively darker in order to match a wide spectrum of skintones and their glow. If you’re not familiar with highlighter, you apply the product to parts of the skin on which light falls first: your …

Ellis Faas - Identity Revealed

Identity Revealed: a filmed triptych by Ellis Faas

Published by

Earlier this week, I received an email about a new venture by Ellis Faas—a short film. I’ve always been intrigued by her, as she is one of the most successful makeup artists in the industry. Her line is also brilliant, and she began as a photographer. Last Thursday, the former queen of the Netherlands Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix opened a new exhibition at De Nieuwe Kerk (which is an old church) in Amsterdam: “Magical Africa – Masks and Sculptures from Ivory Coast. The Artists Revealed”. For this exhibition, the curators commissioned a film by makeup artist/photographer/filmmaker Ellis Faas, asking Ellis to draw inspiration from the traditional masks from Ivory Coast. “Since ancient times, humans have been using masks – in order to express power and authority; to feel self-confident; to stand out or to hide behind; to not be recognised and disappear into the masses. Not only by traditional masks, but also by disguising and ornamental elements such as clothing, jewellery, hair and makeup. But can one truly change one’s identity, or is it …

Happy 30th, Burt’s Bees!

Published by

Some time last week, I was invited to Seda Hotel to celebrate Burt’s Bees 30th birthday! Burt’s Bees started from really humble beginnings, made by a man named Burt Shavitz—the actual person on the Burt’s Bees tin cans!—and a woman named Patricia Quimby. Burt was raising bees for honey, when he met Patricia, who found a way to use all the unused bee byproducts and crafted them into the products we now still see on shelves today. The ‘0’ is made of beeswax and the sign was spelled out with ingredients they use to make Burt’s Bees products. As you might have noticed, if you’re an ol’ regular here, I’ve been steering my beauty interests into a more natural and green direction. Burt’s Bees is a very accessible brand if you’re looking to go for cleaner ingredients. They like saying that their products are made from “ingredients you can spell.” I know they’re known for their lip care items, but they actually have great body care and skin care ranges. Peach & Willow Mask Deep …

Getting Pixyfied

Published by

Last week, I got invited to Pixy’s Launch here in Manila. I rarely get to go to events because of prior commitments and work deadlines, but I’m glad I got to swing by this one. If you recall, BDJ released a Pixy-centric box back in April. I enjoyed a lot of the products I got in that box, so I’m glad that they’ve finally reached our shores. Pixy is an Asian cosmetics line—formulated in Japan and manufactured in Indonesia, geared towards Asian skin tones and skin types, bringing out “truly Asian beauty” while striving to be on trend as well. Beauty Blossoms in Manila with Pixy! I was lucky enough to have been there for the Pixy launch in White Space last week. It was decked out in cherry blossoms and pink—a Pixy touch, representing the best of the ladylike “gal” trend with a twist, and of course its Asian slant. Hiroyuki Mitsuoka, President of Mandom Philippines (under which Pixy belongs), shares “Mandom is excited to bring Pixy here to the Philippines because we believe …

NARS 2014 Collections: The Carina’s Wallet Death Trap

Published by

Ayayay. I slipped and stumbled into another NARS purchase. Actually, this collection for Spring 2014 did me in real good—I even ended up purchasing a few things from the permanent range. Oh, dear. Let me show you what was responsible for my lapse in judgment. NARS FINAL CUT COLLECTION FOR SPRING 2014 (source) OK, first up is the all-pink collection. Which, you would think, would deter me from purchasing anything. But noooooo. I am unstoppable and my decisions make no sense. There are four blushes, four satin lip pencils, and one illuminator. Can you guess which ones I ended up getting? See the collection here. NARS HIGH SEIZE COLLECTION FOR SPRING 2014 (source) GUH. This is a beautiful collection, but I bought only two items. Can you guess which? (I bet you can.) See the entire collection here. There are two eyeshadow duos, two nail polishes, two eyeliners, one satin lip pencil, two glosses, and one multiple. Here, have another photo: (source) GUH. As if that wasn’t enough, they’re releasing a 15-pan palette. YES. NARS …