WHAT LIES BENEATH ... ;-)

I didn't want to post this before because I felt that the "before" and "after" looks were too disparate as to be embarrassing already hehe, but I wanted to pay tribute to my HMUA, my incredible topical cosmetic surgeon, Toto Bagamasbad. I booked him without a trial and have not regretted it since ...

My post-8-hour overtime, bleary-eyed look. I hope I look much better now, even w/o makeup, thanks to my stress-free days as an unemployed bum/wedding planner ...


Moi, 5 minutes after Toto finished ... makeup is still settling - I tried to capture the same positioning and lighting to have a better comparison w/the "before" look. I felt kinda weird then, since it's more makeup than I'm used to, but it didn't feel cakey and crease when I made some experimental funny faces, just to verify that the old me is still underneath ... ;-)


Me and my mom at my cousin's wedding reception, 6 hours after


Closeup in ambient light


With my 16-yr old goddaughter, 9 hours after


Basking in fluorescent light at home, 12 hours after ... I was loathe to take it off ;-)

Before I heard of the popular MUAs at w@w, I never thought bridal makeup would be so expensive ... I figured I would spend around 3-5k max in a reputable salon ... and didn't see how paying 10k more would be a wise investment.

I now know the difference.

1) Good makeup will provide complete coverage, w/o looking fake or "too much" - If you're like me, with dark pimple marks that fade ever so slowly, this is important. When I had salon makeup before, they said they can only cover so much before it would be too heavy. Now I know that's false. It can be done, with good tools and a skilled artist.
2) Good makeup doesn't fade after 5 hours ... once you're covered - you STAY covered, even through the passing of many hours and the trickling of sweat ...
3) Good makeup merges with the skin so that you don't feel conscious wearing it. I wanted airbrush makeup before since they said it felt so light but alas, it wasn't an option for me because of my pimple marks ... It was a load off my chest when Toto's regular makeup didn't feel too alien on my skin.

Lastly, good makeup highlights your own unique beauty and doesn't turn you into something that you're not.

Actually, h2b thought my makeup was a bit heavy, but then, he's never seen me on full foundation coverage before hehe. But he has acknowledged that I photographed well in it ... I guess it's a tradeoff - of course we need makeup that will look "natural" on our wedding photos and video, which entail us sacrificing our light, "everyday" makeup for heavier coverage in person on our wedding day :-)