Because it ain’t Halloween without making yourself look crazy fugly, my 3rd Halloween makeup is based on the masks from The Purge (2013), an American horror movie (turned franchise!) wherein crime rates and unemployment became almost non-existent because for 12 hours a year, it’s legal for the citizens to unleash their angst by committing the most heinous of crimes (oftentimes towards those who are poor or weak…so it’s like the modern-day Philippines and the poor people who are being slayed because they had the misfortune of fitting the Drug Pusher Starter Pack, but I digress).
What I used:
Urban Decay’s Optical Illusion Complexion Primer
Maybelline’s Fit Me Liquid Foundation in Natural Beige
Maybelline’s Liquid Concealer in Medium
The brown and gray-brown shades in Fashion 21’s Contour Kit
LifeFord Hi-Precise Eye Pen in black
bareMinerals soft focus in Warmth
Patience. Lots and lots of patience.
Garnier Micellar Water & a handful of cotton ballsfor the eventual screw-ups because my God do I suck at drawing thin lines steadily
Facepaint! Brown, black, dark coral, and white from the Flash Palette.
Graftobian Blood Pastesprayed using a toothbrush.
My housemates’ big-ass knife (already an upgrade compared to this LOL)
What I did:
This is the part where I’ll admit that this makeup look will make it seem as if I cheated since all I had to do was follow Madeyewlook’s The Purge Makeup tutorial to a T. And AY DONUT KERR, because this Purge Mask facepaint makeup took me looooooonger than my first two Halloween makeup looks (like I had to redo my facepainted lips four freakin times!!), and Madeyewlook is pretty much the Youtuber who’s responsible why I’ve managed to create facepaint-based looks before. She’s a kickass teacher and I love her.
So if you wanna create this look, just watch Madeyewlook’s tutorial and leave me alone this was so traumatizingly exhausting lemme just move on to my next makeup look because I prefer SFX-based makeup looks over facepaint-based ones okthx.
To be honest, I wasn’t so hot about this makeup look. But like I said, I’m aiming to create 7 Halloween makeup looks this year so I can’t really afford to be picky. All I know is that when I saw this makeup look in Instagram ages ago, I thought, “Hmm looks doable enough, I’ll just have to substitute the melted skin with rolls of tissue bits like the last time.”
I’m not even going to yap about Snow White because she’s my least favorite Disney princess (#MulanPaDinMgaOlol), so I’ll just go straight to the step-by-step:
WHAT I DID…
…FOR THE FACE, PART 1:
I prayed to the makeup gods above that I can still squeeze out an ample amount of Urban Decay’s Optical Illusion Complexion Primer because I don’t want to splurge on a new bottle any time soon just so my face can look flawless and make-up ready. Then I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered that I just have a faulty pump.
I covered my face with Maybelline’s Fit Me Liquid Foundation in Natural Beigeusing a damp beauty sponge. Added more coverage by applying bareMinerals Mineral Foundation in Neutral Medium with a huge foundation brush. Raged and told myself another lie about getting more sleep when I realized that I’m three products in (primer + liquid foundation + mineral foundation) and yeeeet, my eyebags were still visible. Slathered an inverted triangle of Maybelline’s liquid concealer in Medium under each eye and blended that out with my middle finger.
I defined my cheeks and made my noseline pop like it’s for Josh Groban with the powder blush & powder contour from Sleek’s Face Contour Kit, then illuminated my browbone and cheekbones with Benefit’s watts up highlighter because I like goin extra with my highlighters.
…FOR THE EYES:
I shaped my eyebrows and filled in the sparse areas with Nichido Browmaster in Gingerbread, which has been a cheaper, guilt-free-everyday-tool for me compared to Benefit’s Gimme Brow.
I Primed my eyelids with Lorac Behind The Scenes eyeshadow primer because I need the yellow & blue colors to reaaally stick (yeah, poor choice of color combination but they were supposed to represent Snow White’s Ikea-inspired dress).
Dabbed a bit of white facepaint from my Flash palette over my lids (or else the yellow will barely show on my Azn skin). Added a layer of yellow facepaint over the white lids, then I used a lemon yellow powder eyeshadow my Creative Me palette as their setting powder, and theeen lined the crease and my lower lids with the Facebook- blue eyeshadow (also from the Creative Me palette).
Suck at blending two neon colors together, decided to just screw it and leave them looking raw rather than end up with a green eyeshadow look.
Tightlined with Nyx Retractable black eyeliner, created my cat eyeliner look with my black, Lifeford Hi-Precise Eye Pen, and finished that off with my new favorite falsies (#BT03 Bohktoh false eyelashes #ObligatoryHelloThailandILoveYouForThis), used with my favorite, holy-grail-of-an-eyelash-glue from Nichido.
…FOR THE FACE, PART 2:
I rolled bits of tissue paper into little cocoons. THEN I use the same liquid foundation I used on my face to paint all over them so they can appear as the same shade as my skin. Set to dry.
I used one of my random brown eyeliner pencils lying around to create an outline of my bloody mouth (visualize Ronald McDonald’s mouth while you’re at it).
I lined my Ronald McDonald mouth with a layer of pinky-sized tissue paper using Graftobian liquid latex. This will serve as the frame of the melted skin bits.
I mixed red, black and brown facepaint from my Flash palette and painted my Ronald McDonald mouth outline so it will appear as if it’s one gaping hole of a mouth.
Once the liquid foundation-doused tissue cocoons are dry, I started sticking them to the tissue frame of my Ronald McDonald Mouth using more liquid latex and smoothened the creases with Graftobian Modelling Wax. Oh and I also kept an o-face during this whole ordeal to make sure that the tissue cocoons/melted skin will fit nicely haha
Painted the tissue frame of my mouth with the same liquid foundation, then dabbed a geneeerous amount of Graftobian Blood Paste on the painted gaping hole.
Find a red hairband and hold an apple. Pose for a selfie and make your nosy cat wish you’re not her hooman.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the latest DRAMUH concerning the BGC community cats, particularly those that have been living in the ever-so-fancy, Two Serendra. Actually, you might’ve forgotten it already, since this has been going on for almost two months now and the management probably feels that it is beneath them to respond (unlike a Filipino senator who had the initiative to release this I-was-a-dog-lover-but-now-I-love-jail-cats-shame-on-you statement but nah let’s not get political shall we?) I’ll let this article clue you in so I can just focus on sharing a step-by-step guide for this SFX makeup look. I’ll reaaally try to just focus on my makeup. I’ll try.
OH NO I’ve been scratched after playing with this cheese grater! *scratches head* Guess I’ll just throw this poor, unassuming cheese grater away; it doesn’t deserve to co-exist with me…#StupidAnalogyForAStupidDrama
What I did:
For the face, I used Urban Decay’s Optical Illusion Complexion Primer. It’s supposed to make your skin look flawless and perfect—an optical illusion like the beauty of Two Serendra because underneath the fancy, expat-friendly facade (“Oh sh*t, that place is brimming with expats? That must be such a 1st world haven in our 3rd world nation!”–says every clueless Juan) is a management which, unfortunately, has money that couldn’t buy them class nor the animal welfare awareness of 1st world nations. What a haven indeed!
Then I used a makeup sponge to apply Maybelline’s Fit Me Liquid Foundation in Natural Beige, which resonates with what I imagine to be the Serendra management’s thought process in dealing with the community cats. “Hmmm we better set a rule that forces our residents to pay P10,000 ($185) for feeding those cats…and the retail area should probably set up a DO NOT FEED THE CATS sign so we can join High Street’s kitty bandwagon regardless if, unlike High Street, we haven’t set up a proper feeding program with the ever-willing volunteers…I mean, these cats are sooo cheap, always lounging and flaunting their bellies for the rays of sunlight that should be exclusive to us Serendra folks…Santo Dios, they don’t even have the right breed for our brand of lifestyle! So yeah, let’s make this money-grubbing penalty happen because it’s never gonna apply to me…it fits me.” #LongBuildupIsLong
Then I used Maybelline Liquid Concealer in Medium to cover my eyebags which can probably compete with the eyebags of the cat-loving, Two Serendra residents—you get caught feeding the cats and that’s $185 down the drain, hostile treatment optional. Who could sleep in peace at night?!
TIME FOR CONTOURING, BLUSH & HIGHLIGHTING! I used two products for this step. First is Sleek’s Face Contour Kit, which includes a powdered blush (which can give your cheeks a rosy effect, just like Serendra’s attempt to make things look cute and rosy lol hashtag “Fluffies of Serendra” nga daw check ittt) and a brown powder contour (that you’ll use to make your cheeks and nose look slimmer and more defined, kinda like the bone structure of the Serendra cats if they starve to death). Then of course I’m not going to forget my favorite creamy highlighter of all time which can brighten up your cheekbones, browbone, and your cupid’s bow: Benefit watts up…so, what’s up Serendra? Any updates? Since, you know, it’s been weeks and you haven’t responded to the invitations nor sent a representative to (wo)man up and digest all of the efforts of the people who are WILLING to create a humane Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) Program for the Serendra cats—with no funding or labor needed from y’all whatsoever. They are offering solutions that can keep the Serendra cat population healthy and stable so you won’t have to experience the Vaccuum Effect. Watts up???
To shape and define my eyebrows that seem to be perpetually raised thanks to Serendra’s haughty lack of action, I used the no-fuss, Nichido Browmaster in Gingerbread.
For my simple smoky eyeshadow, I used Bootycall (browbone & lower inner corner my eyes), Chopper (lids) & Tease (crease) from the Naked 2 palette of Urban Decay. Urban Decay…Urban Decay!!! Hahahaha I don’t even need to write this joke anymore. #BestOfLuckWithYourRatInfestation
I used two different eyeliners, both as black as the hearts of the cat haters of Serendra: Nyx Retractable Eyeliner for my lower waterline, and Lifeford Hi-Precise Eye Pen for the obligatory cat eyeliner look.
And now, for the grated skin (recreated from @rubymediamakeup) that resembles an exaggerated cat scratch aka The Most Overused Argument As To Why We Should Just Eliminate The Serendra Cats Year After Year When Eliminating The TNVR’d Cats Will Attract New Unvaccinated Ferals To Claim The Territory Who Are More Likely To Scratch Or Bite Unsupervised Children So It’s Like One Expensive Roofie Circle: I applied a thick layer of Graftobian Modeling Wax all over my cheek, carefully brushed a bit of setting powder & blush powder over it to make it stay put and look infected, dragged the tip of my gel eyeliner brush on the surface of the waxed area to create the 3D wound effects, filled those strips with the brown facepaint from my Flash palette, and dabbed Graftobian Blood Paste on the brown strips. Graftobian modeling wax is too sticky to be molded so I just rolled strips of my DIY scar wax (discussed here) for the strips of skin on the bloody cheese grater.
This post is dedicated to my Sandra who was an abandoned kitten discovered, fostered & spayed by some of Two Serendra’s compassionate residents. See, you Two Serendra hotshots are blessed with people who actually care about a keeping a well-maintained cat population in your vicinity. They’ve been using their own time & resources just to keep those pest-killing cats happy and healthy…but what have you done in return?
After nine months of hiatus and letting this blog float in cyber purgatory, I am back. First because I am awake now that September has ended #ObligatoryMemeingDadJoke, second BECAUSE IT’S HALLOWEEN, AKA THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR (at least for me, because I get to have an excuse to stock up my makeup stash and flaunt my weirdness without being judged!)
Last year, I had five different Halloween looks (plus this) so I am reaaally wishing and hoping that I can at least be as productive as last year, if I can’t afford to be #extra and do seven.
So what have I been up to anyway?
I wish I can blame the BGC cats but nope, I haven’t contributed new content for cobgc for three months now (props to my fellow Titas for picking up the slack!). I wish I can say that I’ve been snorting cocaine served in gold platters thanks to myriads of high-paying, after-work freelance jobs. I wish I can say that I’ve finally surpassed my 16km night run of last year. I wish I can say that I’ve just been busy adorning my Rihanna forehead with contour powder and facepaint.
But nope.
Rather, the past few months was simply me doing a Rihanna (complete with getting treated for anemia, crazy period cycle and hormonal imbalance that made me look thiccer). Hey, it’s what pays the bills…and it’s what allows me to spoil the love of my life, the one I never imagined having nine months ago:
This clingy, insect-catching, toy-fetching, psychotic alarm clock. Yes, I’ve been crazy for cats since I was a kid, but this is my first time (as a lone city dweller who can no longer rely on her grandpa to care for the stray kittens she found on her way home) to actually own one—first because she had me at MEOOWWWWRRRUH? Second, I was an overthinking commitmentphobe (Who will care for her if I’m on vacation? What if I migrate and get a new job abroad?!) who values #ResponsiblePetOwnership, the same way I value marriage or motherhood or the last piece of pizza when I’m finally full but I have to go home—I don’t have the heart to dump or give her away or just ragequit when the going gets tough. Third, I admit it–turning 31 has made me develop that fuzzy feeling that pushes you to give a damn about something…and for me, that something better be a freakin cat because I am not yet ready to squeeze out a mini-me.
Her name is Sandra because she used to be a stray kitten that was abandoned in Serendra. THANK JEEBUS her foster mum chose Sandra becaaaaause speaaaaaking of Serendra and the horrors of Halloween, nah I’ll leave it for my next blog post—which I will write after this, at least after I finish cracking my knuckles and sharpening my stake. 😉
2018 is the Year of the Dog so I decided to make my first post for this year about…cats. #CozImEdgylLiekDat
“I’m not crazy. My reality is just different than yours.”
This makeup look was inspired by the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland–nothing too detailed or special effectsy. First because I wasn’t really planning to create this look; I’ve turned 30 last September and I want to try doing more elaborate SFX makeup looks in my free time (like my White Walker look that made me murder loads of tissue paper), than patweetums shiz like this kitty look that forced me to buy my own kitty headband (I’ve borrowed A LOT of my cousins’ toys and headbands as my props before and I’d like to limit that so I won’t weird them out too much with my paki-Lalamove po bukas sa office yung toy nila ha favors hahahaaa).
Second because I need to pick up the slack after taking a two-month hiatus from this blog because I’ve been busy AS FCUK with work and occasional waldas-peraraket and new hobbies and responsibilities (no joke I haven’t even picked up a freakin makeup brush since my friend’s wedding last December!)
Third because I realized that if I can create content using my mukap and amateur blogging skillz…maybe I can use it to promote the Cats of BGC? What am I waiting for and what the hell is stopping me? It’s inexcusable for someone like me who: writes for a living (hello to the people of HARI who may have noticed that I always have a Facebook tab open–thank you for turning a blind eye!), renewed this domain last October, and was asked by fellow crazy BGC cat ladies to manage the Facebook page. #SupportYourOwn #ButIShallNotAbuseMyFacebookPagePowerToPromoteThisBlogAndExploitTheNeedsOfOurCats #PussiesBeforePageViews
Before I proceed with my Cheshire Cat makeup look how-to’s, lemme talk about the Cats of BGC first. I’ve been working in BGC for a year now, and I remember walking home from OT, stumbling upon what appeared to be a kitty haven around July:
These friendly free-roamers immediately stole my heart for being great lap warmers every time I’m late from OT, tired from running, or impatient while waiting/texting. :3
After joining a TNR (Trap, Neuter & Release) activity to get some of the BGC cats fixed (because neutering cats can prevent them from overpopulating AND THERE ARE LOADS OF HOMELESS KITTIES ALREADY) around September, I got to meet fellow BGC cat ladies who all dream of giving FURever homes to the cats. Sure our kitties can be cuddly and entertaining for people who frequent their hangouts but did you ever think about what happens to them when you come home after using them as your furry, purring, stress-relieving machine? There might be other independent kitty feeders (which is why ang taba talaga nila compared to other homeless kitties), but even they can’t comfort the cats especially when it rains. I’m just glad that since they’ve become used to playing with people and they “can” (involves a very pain-in-the-neck process IMHO) receive medical attention (thanks to generous cat lovers who also have their own lives so utang na loob, please don’t dump your cats. Hindi kami rich, empleyado lang din ang karamihan samin!!!), our cats are more adapted to…well, being adopted.
At the moment, the hoomans behind the Cats of BGC has the variety of a 90’s boyband: there’s Claire (who’s been feeding and fixing and fostering the BGC cats for around 10 years now using her own resources IMAGINE THAT TAPOS MAGTATAPON KAYO NG PUSA?! FOR SHAME!!!), there’s May (who, aside from fostering kitties Claire can no longer take in [haha!], has a no-BS attitude when it comes to interviewing potential adopters and EVEN delivering our kitties), there’s Leslie who uses her photography skillz to supply and update us with all the raw cat photos I try to meme-ify and helps me with the PMs when I kennat handle people-personning…and then there’s me:
That’s if I’m not chasing after kitties during TNRs. Cardio din yun yo.
So far, so good I guess! Fortunately I was able to bully my favorite OT homeguuurl Keith Magnaye (the same person I guilt-tripped into making my Gimme Timmi logo and joining Hyundai’s first Digital Arts Competition where bitch won 2nd place based on our heads’ scoring) into making the the Cats of BGC logo(Me: Keithyyyy gawan mo kami ng logo…gusto ko Bonifacio ket na may katipunero scarf…pero modern huhu. Keithy: Sige mumshie *sends logo of an adorable cat with a tied-over sweater the next day*) so content-wise, that’s one less thing for me to deal with since I suck at illustrating. And if you’re wondering how you can help our struggling, crazy cat ladies team, please consider:
Adopting our #CatsOfBGC and giving them their FURever homes. No, there’s no actual “Tinpurr” app. But since people keep saying “Okay ang Tinder matches sa BGC a” (I wouldn’t know since I was an OKC type of girl lol), I decided to fashion our cat bios after the app interface because you know, even these kitties have their own personalities. See, we see ourselves more as a matchmaking bunch than a rescue group that has the power to take in all the cats we see–we want our cats to live better lives away from the streets, not keep them happy, healthy BUT homeless.
Liquorice is pretty popular for his ‘stache but he’s still waiting for hoomans who won’t mind his vanity/mirror-staring habit.
Before being spayed (thanks to Claire), Mama gave birth to the other BGC cats like Caramel, Fudge, Liquorice & Eleven…so nope, she ain’t pregnant. She’s just permanently manas.
Nibbles is the type who’d trot towards you as soon as you start shaking your bag of cat food. 😀
Belo is…sakto lang. Haha she’s playful and can get really clingy (come feeding time) but she’s cool enough to stare at you contentedly while you’re having the time of your life with her friends. So parang ako.
Oh where do I even start with this gerl?! Meghan can be princess-like with a mine-mine-mine attitude but she’s one of the sweetest cats who’d try to trip you with her markings/cuddle with her friends. I love her.
(The others not shown here have been adopted/up for adoption. Man I love people sometimes.)
Attending to a sickly BGC cat you encounter. As much as we’d love to be the James Deakin or Top Gear of every BGC cat in need of help, I’m pretty sure that we cat ladies are like normal human beings: we have our own lives…careers…hopes…and dreams. We may not have reached the stage of asking for monetary donations yet (as much as we’d appreciate that since you know, we don’t have unlimited funds!), but we’d definitely need help when it comes to attending to sickly cats AND NEVER DUMPING MORE CATS. Please keep your money or your cellphone or your laptop, and please inform us should you encounter someone asking for those–if we need it na, you’d definitely learn about it from our FB page. Baka nga i-unfollow mo pa sa sobrang hard sell ng We Need Money posts ko if ever–EVEN WORSE THAN THIS lol)
Spaying/neutering your own cat so you’ll never have to dump unwanted kitties elsewhere. Especially in BGC, where my dinner will be more likely spent on more catfood because of your rejected furbabies who will then give our current adoptables less chances of getting adopted dahil biglang nagiging survival of the fittest ang peg–both for the cats and hoomans letse
Spreading awareness because who knows, someone in your circle might be looking for a furbaby…or a serious bitchslap to unlearn his/her kitty-abandoning ways. Learn more by Liking https://www.facebook.com/bgccatsph/.
Right. Now that I’ve taken that outta my system, let me bore you with my Mukhang Pusa (literally, this time):
WHAT I DID:
Prep your face with bareMinerals Prime Time makeup primer so it won’t appear as if your breakouts don’t make your face as smooth as a cat’s tongue.
Apply L’Oreal Infallible Liquid Foundation in Sable Sand using a damp beauty sponge from Daiso (berate me all you want for not using a Beauty Blender but I ain’t gonna use a thousand-peso sponge to create a quick makeup look I’m gonna wash off after an hour!)
Give up your membership to the Contour Cream Club by contouring and de-chubbying your face with Fashion 21 Contour Kit–this is in powder form so it’s easier for me to blend and build-up the color without looking like I fell asleep resting my cheeks on a V-shaped steel bar covered in grease.
Level-up your highlighting game by applying your favorite highlighter (Benefit Watt’s Up)on your browbone, nose bridge, cheekbone…and then dabbing Platinum from your new Sleek Highlighting Palette over those areas. #PagNamanDiPaKuminangAngBoneStructureKoSaHighlightEwanKoNa
Fill in your brows with Benefit Gimme Brow in 04.
Rub a bit of eyeshadow primer (Lorac Behind The Scenes) all over your lids because you’re gonna need to make the Cheshire Cat pink pop.
Do another one of your life’s smoky eye: Tease (from Urban Decay Naked 2) over the crease for transition color, Magenta facepaint (from Flash Palette) on your lids, Neon Bright Pink (from Coastal Scents Creative Me) over Magenta to reaaally make the pink appear pigmented af, Flash (the shimmery Ultra Violet dupe from Urban Decay Shadow Box) for the outer corners, and Black (from Lorac Pro) to define the outer corners/make them look smokier.
Tightline with NYX retractable eyeliner (black on the upper lash line, white on the lower lash line)
Dab a bit of white facepaint (Flash Palette) on the inner corner of your eyes, then wing it dramatically with Maybelline Hypergloss black liquid eyeliner–note that I even used it under my lower lash line to trace my kitty eyes. Use this same black liquid eyeliner for your whiskers.
Use extra girly falsies with the holy grail that is Nichido eyelash glue, set with your naturally short lashes with Benefit They’re Real black mascara.
Draw your Cheshire kitty nose, mouth and neck using different types of makeup brushes (gel liner brush for the nose and mouth, and a flat blending brush for the neck) with the pink, black and white facepaint from Flash palette.
Complete the look with an eighty peso kitty headband and a beauty app for your fake yellow kitty eyes because you’re still too kuripot to hoard weird contact lenses.
Hate yourself for the next few days because you completely forgot how pink and red facepaint/eyeshadows can stain your skin no. matter. how. you. scrub. Avoid outdoorsy activities that require you to tie your hair up, fearing that people would find you weirder than ever because the pink striped marks on your neck were probably from some crazy BDSM choking mechanism (pass!)
For my 6th (and final) Halloween makeup (yep I reaaaally forced myself to level up from my 5 Halloween makeup looks last yearDios mio sawang-sawa na ako humawak ng makeup brush), I decided to go as a mermaid. I was actually planning to do a mermaid look last year, but a good friend of mine whose name rhymes with cat told me to wait AFTER my inaanak‘s mermaid-themed, 2nd birthday party last December. I of course obliged because apparently, things like that are crucial in girl world.
What I love about the mermaid makeup look is that it seems so otherworldly, when it’s really not that difficult…if you have the right materials though. Of course, the first challenge was to find a freakin mermaid crown in Manila. Unlike flower crowns, I haven’t seen any mermaid crown that’s mass-produced so I knew I was gonna DIY this thing.
Googling for references can be disheartening…
Where on earth are these ladies getting all of those pretty jewels and shells…and are those starfish?!!? #RhetoricalQuestion #IKnowTheyreFromTheOceanOkay
…but then I realized, why do I need to overload my mermaid crown with jewels and pretty seashells and dead starfish? IMMA GO REALISTIC ON DIS BISH. Soo:
♫ Look at this stuff, isn’t it sh*t? Wouldn’t you think my destruction’s complete? Wouldn’t you think I’m a girl, a girl losing everythingggg…♫
What I did:
Tagay ka muna. DO NOT THROW THIS VERY SPECIAL WRAPPER AWAY
You’ll need it because the next 2 hours will be spent gluegunning a mermaid crown together, facepainting and taking selfies.
For the mermaid crown: Find a thin plastic headband. Use a glue gun to attach the pendant & loose ends of a beaded necklace (I can’t remember where I got this because I’m not a huge fan of burloloys) to the headband’s center and ends. Find a house that decorated for Christmas way too early and swipe one of these glittery, coral-looking ornaments they’ve stuck to the Christmas tree. Cut into bits, stick to the center of your crown. Cover the headband with seashells (find a Filipino store that sells sungka and you’ll get your seashells). Hang the remnants of your dinner around the glittery corals of your crown–candy wrapper, ketchup sachet, plastic bag that carried your lumpia, etc. (I told you Tagay was needed and no, I didn’t eat a cotton bud, it’s for erasing makeup mishaps!)
For the face: Use a damp brush to cover your face with the Rural blue facepaint (aka Cerulean if you have to be Miranda Priestly all about it) from the Flash palette. Wear a hair net over your face before contouring scales to your forehead and cheekbones with a matte purple eyeshadow from the Coastal Scents Creative Me palette, and a shimmery purple eyeshadow from the Urban Decay Shadow Box palette.
For the lips: Mix a bit of blue with two bits of pink from your Flash palette. Use your new purple facepaint as your lipstick. Dab a bit of glittery purple eyeshadow from the Urban Decay Moondust palette all over your purple lips.
For the eyes: Use the same purple facepaint you mixed for your lips to draw your eyebrows, add transition shade for your smokey eye makeup, and define your lower lash line. Use a matte black eyeshadow (also from the Urban Decay Shadow Box) to cover your lids and lower lash line. Blend blend blend blend blend. Wing it with Maybelline Hypergloss black liquid eyeliner, use reaaally long falsies with Nichido eyelash glue, then set the falsies with your naturally short lashes with Benefit They’re Real black mascara.
For the extra stuff: Do you remember the jewel stickers people used to stick to their Blackberry phones that’d make Paris Hilton say, “That’s hot”? Yeah, use a few pearl-looking ones and stick them to your face. Feel glad that you made a mistake the other night by mixing a batch of DIY fake blood (hair gel + a pinch of cocoa powder + food coloring) that’s way too runny and had too much blue food coloring when you were preparing for your Stranger Things makeup look so you might as well use that green blood by attaching a plastic lid to your neck with Graftobian Liquid Latex and let your green fake blood drip all over it.
Borrow your housemates’ plastic fork and take a selfie.
Because it ain’t Halloween without zombies, I decided to update my last year’s zombie look. First because it’s been a year and there’s still nothing scarier than being a daily commuter in the Philippines…so yeah I am dedicating this look to the Philippines’ favorite Tito for defending us commuters, and my commuter friends who’ve learned how to ninja-do their makeup WHILE commuting liek watdahel?!!? Kayo ang tunay na #Petmalu!!!
Second because it only took me an hour max. I mean, the goal isn’t to look good after all…
Train to Busan? More like Train to Baclaran! #PumasokNaEmpleyadoLumabasGustongMangainNgTao
Third because I was inspired to create something messy and disgusting thanks to Make Up Pro‘s #MUPFREAKYFACE Halloween contest (they’re giving away P30,000 worth of make up yo; can you just imagine how much can that haul help me?!)
What I did:
Cover your face (and lips!) with a thin layer of white + blue + green facepaint (from the Flash palette). I didn’t want it to be too matte because I just wanted make myself appear like I’m running out of blood.
Flaunt your natural eyebags! I tightlined my eyes with red facepaint, blended that out with a bit of blue and brown. I did this using my fingers because again, the goal of this look is to appear as gross as possible. Just use your Before photo as a reference of what you should NOT look like (BTW my pa-candid, Before photo was made possible by my crispy-pata-loving housemate whose name I would rather not mention due to the addition of unnecessary letter H to the spelling, and his very patient wife. Both have gotten used to seeing me walk around the common area with crazy makeup looks so I salute the patience of these two!!)
Use a veeery thin brush to draw the veins using green, brown and red facepaint. At this point I was getting sleepy so I didn’t bother making sure the veins look more, err, veiny.
Fill in your brows like usual with Benefit Gimme Brow in 04.
Soak a cotton ball in Graftobian liquid latex, flatten it onto your neck (this will serve as the zombie bite); do the same with a smaller cotton ball for the eyebrow pencil. Roll cotton balls until they’re long enough to have the same length as your plastic shards, dip them in liquid latex, then attach to your face.
Attach the shards and brow pencil to the latexed cotton bruises, hold onto place until dry.
Paint the bruises with your usual liquid foundation, then top with red and black facepaint.
Go crazy with your fake blood (hair gel + pinch of cocoa powder + red food dye); add streaks of brown and black facepaint to appear messier.
Paper-macheing the demogorgon brooch alone took me the first 4 episodes of Season 1 already,
I’m not yet finished marathoning Season 2,
I have 2 more Halloween makeup looks up my sleeve and I’m targeting to create another one tonight.
I was supposed to recreate Pigeon Pie’s look down to a tee (like I even looked forward to painting a vintage floral wallpaper pattern on my face), but then I realized that even I do not have the time (nor skills) for it sooo:
Demogorgonish brooch
Mold an aluminum foil into a flower-like shape
Cover with bits of tissue soaked in Elmer’s glue, air to dry
Add colors using grey, pink & red acrylic paint
Cry deep inside while you roll bits of white clay until they look like grains of rice because holy crap what have I gotten myself into, this is even more time-consuming than the White Walker look
Hate yourself even more when you realize that you gotta paint a thin layer of Elmer’s glue on the Demogorgon mouth surface AND THEN attach the clay bits piece by freakin piece.
Face
Cover your face with a layer of white Snazaroo clown paint (because yellow alone doesn’t show well on your Azn skintone)
Apply a layer of yellow facepaint from your Flash palette
Contour using a matte green eyeshadow from your Coastal Scents Creative Me palette
Add drama to your eyegame by creating a smoky effect using the matte black eyeshadow from your Lorac Pro Palette
Line your eyes and fill your brows and lips your lips with the black facepaint from your Flash palette
Use extra girly falsies with Nichido eyelash glue
Draw the letters and Christmas lights with a thin brush (still using the facepaint from your Flash palette)
Soak a piece of cotton in Graftobian liquid latex and stick that to your neck
Stick that demogorgon brooch to the cotton, add drops of fake blood, the end.
Now this is my attempt to make up for the akala-ko-ba-makeup-blog-eh-bat-Thought-Catalog-ata-to content I published as my last post by sharing a more detailed guide towards creating my Arrows In Her Eyes makeup look:
Two months ago, I used my August makeup look to fangirl over the Foo Fighters’ song, Gimme Stitches. Obviously I’m still not done fangirling since this makeup look was inspired by Concrete and Gold‘s “Arrows”, a brooding, it’s-good-but-it-gets-better-when-you’re-angsty kind of song that Dave wrote for his mom.
So without further ado:
EYES:
Rub a bit of eyeshadow primer (Lorac Behind The Scenes primer) to make the colors pop.
I couldn’t be arsed to use more than one palette so I settled on creating a subtle smoky eye using shades from my Urban Decay Shadow Box palette (Baked Cowboy for the lid, Lost along the crease, Sin under the browbone, and Blackout for the outer corners).
Tightline with NYX retractable black eyeliner.
Wing it with Maybelline Hypergloss black liquid eyeliner.
Use extra girly falsies with Nichido eyelash glue, set with your naturally short lashes with Benefit They’re Real black mascara.
Fill in your brows with Benefit Gimme Brow in 04.
LIPS: I wanted to use a color I haven’t used in a loooong time so I chose Revlonlipstick in Burnt Sienna.
ARROWS + WOUND:
For 3 consecutive work days, grab an extra plastic straw from Circle K whenever you’re buying your usual P35 peso Coke Zero lunch drink to make the cashiers believe that you can’t actually consume that amount of Coke Zero alone everyday (SPOILER ALERT: you can).
Consider buying a metallic gold spray paint to make the arrow look…well, metallic…but remember that you have Orly Luxe inside any of the 3 shoebox-sized nail polish stash (aka Timmi’s Addiction 2012). So yeah, I actually used an Orly nail polish to cover the plastic straws. Good thing they’re really pigmented so it wasn’t such a waste lels
Cut one end of the straw lengthwise so you can easily stick feathers into it. Cut the other end diagonally so it can stick better to a round cotton pad using Graftobian Liquid Latex.
Wait til the liquid latex dries.
Line around your eye socket using the cotton pad so you’d know where to apply the liquid latex later to attach the arrows + wound.
FACE:
Prep the face with bareMineralsPrime Timemakeup primer so it won’t look too obvious that you just had your supposedly monthly facial treatment two days prior.
Apply L’Oreal Infallible Liquid Foundation (yes I went back to L’Oreal; it’s still the most hiyang, matte-kung-matte full coverage liquid foundation for me) in Sable sand using a beauty sponge (I tried using my new silicone sponge but it was awful what a scaaaam SMH)
Add colors to your cheeks using bareMinerals blush in Tickled. Contour with NYX Sculpt & Highlight. Go #Extra by contouring with bareMinerals All Over Face Color in Warmth and highlighting with BenefitWatt’s Up.
Make dilig the eye you chose to look impaled with arrows using liquid latex. Attach the arrow wound, hold until dry, add more bits of cotton soaked in liquid latex to secure it.
Apply liquid foundation over the arrow wound so it can blend with your normal skintone…before taking the black facepaint & red facepaint in your Flash palette to make the wound look gruesome.
Dab runny fake blood (red food color + hair gel + cocoa powder) all over the wound.
Last but not the least,mag-inarte as if you don’t have plastic straws na ninenok mo sa Circle K at pininturahan using soshal na kyutiks glued to your eye socket. The end.
BONUS!!
Let me take this chance to say thanks to my team of hecklers “art directors”. Not only do they help me narrow down my kaya-kong-panindigang-iupload-to-sa-internet choices (which prevents me from uploading DOZENS of similar-looking selfies), they’ve also helped me develop a thicker skin when it comes to criticisms about my looks (basta looks lang a). I guess that’s another thing I learned at 30: If you really want to get better/stronger then put yourself at the mercy of people who can end you. If you can survive their comments, then you can survive (almost) anything lololol Exhibit A:
As I’ve mentioned in my last post, I lost the drive to execute my September birthday makeup look because I didn’t feel like the accompanying, cheesy “30 Things I Learned at 30” list was still applicable.
But then I realized that: a) life goes on, b) I need to make the most out of this Halloween month c) what’s the use of writing for a living if I can’t revise and recycle my draft?
So scratch that. Let me post my “30 Things…” list with a different makeup look. It’s inspired by the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold called “Kintsukuroi” (or “Kintsugi”).
By this time I should hate everything associated with Japan thanks to that fateful video call that made everything unravel like instant ramen in hot water…but I don’t. First because I admire the philosophy behind Kintsukuroi: it treats breakage/ repair as part of the history of an object; it embraces the imperfections that make the object unique and intact instead of trying throw it away. #ThereIsBeautyInImperfection Second because to stay broken is soo unKintsukuroi yo.
These Kintsukuroi’d vases remind me of the Foo Fighters’ latest album called Concrete and Gold…
I don’t really know how I can elaborate about the process…because basically, I just:
mixed white & black facepaint from my Flash palette to create gray,
applied that all over my face with a beauty sponge,
used a matte black eyeshadow (Blackout from the Naked 2 palette) for contouring + smokey eyeshadow, used my black facepaint as lipstick + eyebrow tint,
ghetto airbrushed the specks using a wet toothbrush dipped in black & white facepaint for a concrete-looking texture,
then drew the broken lines with gold facepaint. Finished the look with falsies dipped in the same gold facepaint.
That’s it! Easy no? You should stop reading now if you came for the makeup look because I’m about to start yapping about my very pa-serious, very pa-grownup, Thought Catalog levels of:
30 Things I Learned/Still Trying To Learn As A 30yo
The world doesn’t owe you anything. I’ve encountered people who deserve better—from the most dedicated still struggling to make ends meet, to the healthiest suddenly inflicted with serious health conditions. I’m not saying that we should stop making an effort to lead a better life; we just need to keep moving forward without bombarding God/our parents/employers/significant others about how much they need to make up for our grief and even the score. In short: sh*t happens. If it doesn’t? Be grateful.
Believe in yourself. I’d like to say thank you to whoever made this statement. I actually have it saved in my phone because I, a fast-walking tornado of introversion and social anxiety, need to remind myself that there are times when I reaaally need to step up (which is how I managed to function during those times I served as a workshop host—I didn’t want to make people regret trusting/paying me for my work!)
“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter for always there will be greater or lesser persons than yourself.”—from “some poem” I forced myself to memorize to avoid demerits in high school (yeah I like pretending that I can no longer recite nor remember “this poem” lol)
Follow your passion in your own way. I’ve learned that there’s no right or wrong path when it comes to pursuing your passion. Some do it by dedicating every moment of their life to it. I tried that, until I’ve realized that it only leads to me feeling even more burnout and uninterested about what I used to look forward to doing. Like, I can certainly pursue my passion for makeup, but I’m choosing to stick to my current dayjob (that’s waaay far from the cosmetics industry)…first for the stability, second for the new things I never would have learned if I allowed my world to revolve around makeup…and third because I want to continue seeing makeup as my hobby that excites me, and not as an obligation I have to perform. At the end of the day, knowing what you’re passionate about is what matters.
Find peace in your own company. I’ve only started taking solo trips 3 years ago, because I was so scared of people branding me as “too independent” “too antisocial” or even “emo”. It’s not because I hate socializing; it’s because I’ve learned that nothing feels more exhilarating than overcoming your anxieties and having the freedom to discover new places down to their last quirk. Besides if there’s a 90% chance you’re gonna live a life in a humble abode that smells of cat piss, you better learn how to be comfortable with yourself pronto…
Food is not the enemy. There was a time in my life when I religiously stuck to a half rice diet because I was scared of morphing back to my huffing-and-puffing-OMG-I’m-not-even-halfway-up-the-stairs-yet, 2012 self:This is what happens if you let yourself go just because somebody loves you anyway with regular midnight Pancit canton cravings because it was soo hard not to eat while performing gerlpren Skype duties for my then-boyfriend who eats his dinner 2am MY TIME.
But screw the half rice diet! Without full meals, I’d have no brainpower for the entire work day plus my gusto-ko-na-mapudpod-tong-sapatos-ko-so-i-can-start-anew nightly runs. Food isn’t my enemy; being a lazyass is.
Not fat =/= Healthy. While I still support the keto diet (aka THE BACON DIET that helped me trim down from my 160lbs [YEPPP!!] self 4 years ago), I don’t think I can do it again. Now I look forward to eating carbs + meat + what I used to call “rabbit food” whenever possible—not because veggies are diet-friendly, but because I see no point of not being fat if I feel sluggish/bloated all the time. Don’t forget your greens yo.
Trends come and go; remember to #BuyItForLife. If my 4-year-old olive green Northface backpack can talk, I bet it’s going to sound like a tired Kris Aquino doing a tell-all—from namedropping all the places and people we’ve visited, to complaining about the questionable items I’ve hidden in its compartments during my #EdgeLord phase. The point is, it still hasn’t lost its function (aka Why I Bought It In The First Place!) and the usual “Naglayas ka ba?” “Ang laki ng bag mo!” comments didn’t make the world end, soo…I don’t see the need to buy that olive green Kanken bag I’ve been eyeing yet as I’m more excited with the idea of adding country flag patches to my bag instead. #NextLevelNamaste
Money is important…but sometimes, memories are importanter. I’ve tamed myself down in a way that I can enter AND EXIT the mall without even a single tube of new lipstick (as someone who prefers makeup over clothes, THAT says a lot), but I’ve also learned to appreciate collecting memories. I can barely remember what happened on the days I purchased big ticket items, but I can still talk endlessly about my Bangkok trip like it hasn’t been two months since it happened. I guess what I’m saying is: remember to give yourself a break once in a while—and when you do, go for something you can look back on and brag to your future grandkids. “…and then since Thailand doesn’t offer OTC anti-histamines, your lola decided to sleep her allergies off, and then she woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom…without bringing her keycard so she got stuck in the hostel lobby until 5am, itching and scratching…” So yeah, we have the rest of our lives buying material things; don’t miss out on moments that may never happen again.
Stay away from people who are rude to waiters and cashiers. Sure, I’ve had my share of bitchfests with rude waiters, but if someone treats them badly with no justifiable cause (you know the type—the powertripping, give-me-five-star-treatment-or-I’ll-call-the-manager matapobre who probably leads a life so sad, he/she just has to get an ego boost by stepping on others), these are not the people you’d want in your life. You don’t need to be an extrovert to learn how to say “please”, “thank you”, or even joke around with people who make a living serving others.
Respect hard work. I’ve worked with enough creative professionals to know that I can’t just ask them to design my website or take my photo for friendship’s sake—and to do so is very nakakahiya because dude, that’s their bread and butter! If you really value your friendship then you would think twice before taking advantage of them because it’s not as if they can just create something out of thin air. Mahiya ka naman sa eyebags nila, lalo na ng mga nagfe-freelance na walang kasiguraduhan kung kailan mare-release ang TF. Make it worth their while by supporting the fruits of their labor (thus my choice to start purchasing games & apps that I find awesome. Thankfully I can always wait ‘til they’re on sale lololol), or by proposing an X-deal.
People follow different timelines. This is kinda similar to #3: do NOT compare yourself with others. A year ago, I found myself wallowing in self-pity: “Pakshet I was already 4 when my mom was 29. Now I’m 29 and I’m single, I just quit my job, I need to freelance like crazy if I want to survive, I need to find new housemates if I want to keep my place…at ni pusa wala ako!” I’m at that stage in my life where people are getting engaged/married and popping babies out left and right. Sure it can feel alienating at times…but then I’ve realized that even if I suddenly found myself switching bodies with them ala-Freaky Friday? I wouldn’t be happy.
Make the most out of what you have. I have lots of time-consuming hobbies/skills (from experimenting with creative makeup projects, translating stuff, shooping strangers’ photos for good deed/lulz/beer money, recording and editing my own VOs, to caring for rescued furbabies) that often make people say, “Ang dami mong time!”,“Ang lakas ng trip mo!” or the frustrating, “Bakit mo ginagawa yan?” (especially if I’m not getting monetary returns from said skill). But that’s the point—I’m not yet married nor do I have a kid, ergo I still have the time to focus on my own interests/well-being. Instead of obsessing about the things missing in your life and posting one hugot meme after another, keep yourself busy by developing your skills while you still caaan. Pramis that feeling of accomplishment is 10x more empowering than listening to Chaka Khan. Which brings me to…
…never let yourself go. Please refer to the screenshot in #6. I know it’s easy to ditch when the going gets tough, so if you have somebody who loves you at your worst, that’s fantastic! But that’s still not an excuse for you to become a bahala-na-si-Batman-basta-my-partner-loves-me slacker when it comes to your own future and overall well-being. Kumbaga, finding someone who loves you is not an excuse for you to stop loving yourself.
Accept the idea that everyone has his/her own blunder years. My blunder years happened in 2010-2013, when I was in my first relationship-turned-engagement-turned-heartbreak. I do NOT regret that it happened; I regret how I didn’t bother having my own foresight as soon as “we” and “us” were established, which left me scrambling to plan and prepare for my own future at 26. I’ve become the complete opposite of my blunder years self so I’d like to think that I still have the chance to turn things around after learning sooo many things from my experiences. Ay tenkyu baw.
Never stop trying to be Something From Nothing. I swear this is going somewhere, and not just because I wanna add a link to my life anthem: your life may suck now, but it’s not going to get better if you don’t do something. Besides, it feels sooo good when you look back on your Poorita Mirasol days and see how far you’ve come.
Let people have their own fun. Been there, done that—being a hater won’t make you any happier (except Musical.ly FFS I will never understand dat sh*t).
People outgrow people and it’s normal. I can’t hate the people who’ve outgrown me because I myself am guilty of outgrowing other people. Ganun talaga ang buhay, and the least I can do is be glad that we shared moments of iyakan, tawanan, blah blah that helped me become who I am now. So: Hello besh! I hope you know that I don’t hate you. In case I treated you poorly, I’m sorry. I’ll always be grateful that you became a part of my life and rest assured that I’m always rooting for your success even if I don’t fit in your life now. Salamat.
Choose your people because everything is temporary. Because life is too short to waste by seeking validation from people who obviously don’t care to show if they still exist/check if you still exist, learn how you, too, can choose your people and make a damn effort keeping them so you’ll never have to refer to #19.
Self-awareness is valuable. If you don’t want a fast-walking grumpy girl bitch about your being an inconsiderate pedestrian/MRT commuter/escalator rider in Facebook, DEVELOP SELF-AWARENESS. The world does not revolve around you, so try to always put yourself in other peoples’ shoes before acting like a prick in public.
Sometimes, it really is only words. As someone who vomits words for a living, I can testify that words can be cheap thus they should not cause you to overthink yourself til 4am. When words are used recklessly and waaay too often, they can lose their power. Remember to value actions, as well as the beauty of leaving some words unsaid.
Today you, tomorrow me.Nowadays kindness is even more elusive than that freakin pack of Korean spicy noodles, so if someone performs an act of kindness, remember to pay it forward.
Life’s shitty moments will fertilize your growth. In a few months you will look back on your lugmok-sa-putikan moments and even initiate the mockery of it all while gigglegroaning. You’ll be fine; be thankful that soon, you’ll know AND be better.
People are smart. In the real world, your alma mater doesn’t matter, because there are thousands of people who are as smart as you are (…or even smarter!), in their own special areas.
Enjoy idleness. Tengga moments rarely happen to adults who deal with never-ending deliverables, priorities and obligations so if you find yourself “bored” and restless…congratulations for being able to afford boredom! Make the most out of it.
Research, research, research. Google is continuously innovating their features to make sure that you can school yourself faster and easier–use that to your advantage so you can avoid being a victim of hearsays. Dyusko, sa internet all it takes is a few clicks for you to get second (and third and fourth…) opinion. To remain inutil at this time and age is cancerous.
Everyone has his/her own problems. Worrying about what other people will say becomes useless because they’re preoccupied, dealing with their own lives…unless you’re a celebrity who needs to protect his/her every move because the stakes are higher, of course.
Think long-term. “This palette can probably pay for a 5-night stay in a comfy hostel abroad on February.” (because again, memories stay foreeever!!)
It’s okay to wait. That’s what #s 12, 13 & 14 are for. 🙂
mag-inarte as if you don’t have plastic straws na ninenok mo sa Circle K at pininturahan using soshal na kyutiks glued to your eye socket. The end.
