A Great Night for Me + FOTD

Yesterday was an important night for me as my orchestra, the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra celebrated its 10th anniversary. I was one of the three featured soloists for that concert and I was very honored to have been chosen to perform. I played Chaminade's Concertino for Flute. I was quite nervous but I'm glad the performance turned out all right. 

My good friend and co-MUA Theresa offered to do my makeup. I, of course, said yes, because it meant less stress for me. She did a great job and I really felt great.

So here's some pictures of me performing:

Congratulations to MMCO, my fellow soloists, the composers, the choir!

And, of course, I had to take a pic of myself before the night ended!

I'm sorry it's a bit dark. I took this in our bathroom before I took my makeup off! Ciao! 'Til next time.

Review: Graftobian Hi-Def Creme Foundation

Remember when I posted that I really wanted a Graftobian Warm Super Palette? When I went to the US, it was out of stock! Thankfully, Joan sold her extra piece. I didn't think twice and bought it right away!

This is a great thing to have in a makeup artist's palette. It comes with 18 warm different shades that range from light to dark. From the pan, it looks cool but actually, when applied, actually blends nicely with the skin.

I tried the colors, and I found that Enchantress and Vixen are the ones that are good matches for me. For this photo, I used Enchantress. Here's a picture of me wearing nothing but foundation. I'm sorry about how I look. I just took a bath and haven't combed my hair.

I have a zit in my left undereye, but it was able to cover it well. I love the coverage and finish that it gives!

PROS

• Did not make me look oilier than I am
• Staying power is good. I don't use traditional foundation for long periods of time because I want to let my skin breathe. I've used it for a maximum of 6 hours and by the time I wash it off, it's still intact, but I do need to blot my face.
• Looks great for pictures, coverage is medium to heavy
• A little goes a long way

CONS

• Can't think of any right now

Don't need a lot of shades? Not to worry. Graftobian sells this in groups of five and in singles. And the good news is that these are available locally.

TIPS AND NOTES

• Most people find that using a sponge works best for cream foundation
• Cream foundation is not likely to provide oil control for gals with oily skin, also it's not likely to dry out the skin of dry skinned gals
• Need a lot of coverage? Cream foundation is a good bet.
• Want to use it for everyday but find it too heavy? Mix it with your favorite moisturizer. The effect is like a tinted moisturizer :)

Make Up for Ever HD Foundation and MAC 130 Brush

I've had my MUFE HD foundation for a long time but never got a chance to review it. Well, I'll finally give my thoughts about it. True to its word, it really is meant for pictures. My skin looks great in photos, but in real life, I'd say that its finish is just like any regular foundation. Its coverage is light to medium, and its finish is matte, unlike the dewy finish of the Revlon HD Foundation.

Staying power is just okay, around 4 hours. Sometimes, I notice that it cakes when I try to retouch it with finishing powder. I guess it's just me since my skin is really oily.

Lately, I've been using my MAC 130 brush to apply my foundation. If you've been following my blog, I picked up one for myself during my trip to the US. It's really much smaller than I imagined, so it takes long to cover your whole face. I have to devote extra time to apply my foundation, but I think the finish is worth it. The result was a very even medium coverage. Yes, this brush is like a hybrid of a stippling brush and a flat top brush. The result is a more precise application than a bigger stippling brush like a MAC 187, since the head is so big that it can tend to apply foundation in sporadically.

So after all my babbling, here is the result of the combination of both products I've been talking about. I first primed my face with TFS Professional Makeup Base in Green (you can read my review about it HERE). And then I applied my HD foundation with my MAC 130. I have bad skin, not because of acne but because of my large pores and depressed acne scars from my childhood, but I don't see it here.

I'll keep using this combination, because it works for me! Have a great day everyone!

Review: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat + Good News!

Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't been blogging lately, I try to but I've had a busy schedule so far. So now, I'm back with a review of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

I'm so lucky that I had a chance to buy this when I was in the US. This is one of the most raved about top coats, because even though it's fast drying, it doesn't chip fast unlike regular quick-dry top coats.

So what makes this top coat so popular?

Let's see.

PROS

• It really does dry fast. Normally when I paint my toenails at night a few hours before bed, I wake up with nasty marks on my toes, but with Seche Vite I don't have that problem.
• It works about as well as a regular top coat

Basically, it does what it's supposed to do, which is good!

CONS

• not locally available

Overall, I'm very happy with this! I will be repurchasing for sure!

In the US, this retails for around $8. I know some online resellers have this. It's worth a try!

Plus, I have some good news! I won Aileen's (theshadesofu) giveaway! I won two mineralize eyeshadows from MAC In the Groove Collection! I'm really happy because I totally didn't expect it. I can't wait!

Musical Review: Legally Blonde the Musical

I'm a big fan of broadway musicals! In fact, it's one of the main reasons why I chose to pursue music as a career, so I try to catch all the musicals that get staged locally, regardless if I'm a big fan of that particular show or not. Sadly, I missed out on two musicals this year already: RENT and Spring Awakening. You see, my erratic schedule prohibits me from booking tickets for months in advance. I only book tickets around a month in advance, and by the time I was going to book for those two shows, tickets were already gone.

Lucky me, there were still tickets for this show. I didn't get good seats, but that's okay, since Meralco Theater isn't a big theater, anyway. To tell you the truth, I actually have the Legally Blonde Broadway recording, but I don't listen to it because I feel that the music doesn't stand well on its own, much like Avenue Q. Don't get me wrong. Avenue Q is freakin' hilarious, but I find that there's nothing special about the music (I'm very fond of musicals that use orchestras as opposed to bands and such). So I came in the theater with only the movie adaptation in mind. 

I have to admit, I had my doubts about Nikki Gil. I've seen too many local musicals wherein they get big names to headline the shows, even if they have little or no experience in musical theater. In the end, their performances disappoint. This, however, was not the case with Nikki Gil. To my surprise, she really delivered. She was not pitch-y and looked like she really knew what she was doing.. She did great overall: singing, dancing and acting (although I could not see her face since I was so far away).

The supporting cast really delivered, too. Great performances by Jett Pangan, a musical theater veteran, as Prof. Callahan, Cris Villongco as Vivian Kensington, Guji Lorenzada as Warner, Jinky Llamanzaras as Paulette, and Geneva Cruz as Brooke Wyndham, Calvin Millado as Kyle (the UPS guy). Nyoy Volante did great as Emmett, too, but I'm not really a fan of his voice.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable show. Great cast, high energy and with many funny moments!  Of course, you cannot expect a Broadway-type set, but that's okay by me as long as the quality of the performance is good. Today is their last show, try to catch it before the run ends.

Lemming for: Urban Decay Naked Palette

I really love Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palettes! Creamy shadows with wonderful pigmentation, all for a price that ain't too bad on your wallet. So when Urban Decay came out with this Naked Palette, I knew I had to have this! Finally, a UD palette for neutral lovers! It comes with 12 neutral shades, a mini UD Primer Potion and a double-ended pencil with Zero and Whiskey!

I have to have you! If only ordering from Urban Decay were as easy as 1, 2, 3.... Good thing this is a permanent palette so I won't have to panic! It's OOS right now in their website due to the high demand, though. See, Urban Decay? I knew a neutral palette would be a hit!

How Corrupt Are We?

Last night, I had every intention of being home by 9:30 PM, browse around the internet and blog. I know I haven't been blogging lately, so I intended to be back in circulation last night. Fate, however, had other plans for me. I got into a minor car accident with a taxi driver 5 minutes away from home. I was alone. It was nothing serious, but it was hard to identify who was at fault. Me, being the panicky person that I was, called my dad. In the end, we all went to the police station to settle things.

Like I said, it was hard to say who was at fault. The policeman who was in charge of our case, pulled my dad aside while the cab driver and I did the paperwork. He was hoping that my dad would bribe him to skew the case in our favor. The nerve of that policeman! Everyone's heard of bribing policemen  to escape traffic violations, but I can't believe they'd stoop that low to get a few hundred bucks. Of course, my dad didn't. Then the talking went on. 

At the end of the night, the policeman said that both our licenses will get tickets because none of us would admit the blame. Both of us drivers contested, because it we felt that it was not fair to both of us. Then he said, "Sige ganito na lang, ano mas gusto niyo, for the good of the government or for the good of the office patrol?" He wanted us to pay him instead of paying our ticket. Normally, when you incur a traffic violation, policemen try to make us bribe them by making us think that it was our idea. But in this case, he already said it straight out! He even said, "Tulungan niyo na lang yung mga nagtratrabaho dito (Help those who are working here)." Wow, such nerve. 

In the end, we didn't pay anything, because his superior officer said some vague comments that we "interpreted" as meaning it's okay, we didn't have to pay.

It's so sad that the state of our country is so bad. Some people will do anything just to get a little more money. Policemen will tweak results for a small amount, just think what they will do for a big amount! If you can't trust the law enforcers in this country, who can you trust?

Cecile Licad in Concert: A Hairstyling Experience

Last week, world-renowned pianist Cecile Licad had a two-night concert with Filharmonika. My co-MUA friend who was to do Cecile Licad's makeup asked me if I'd like to help out, because she knows that I'm a musician. So I gladly said yes! I did her hair for two nights.

Here's me with Cecile Licad. She truly gave a stellar performance. Guys, you should see her perform sometime :) 

Anyway, I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much and I've just been leaving you with questions from my formspring. I've been busy but I'm hoping to be back in circulation soon :)

Ask Me

Q: nagpapixel laser na ako kanina lang.. just wondering if it's safe to use BB cream? i read na it was originally made for post laser treatment.. when can I use bb cream?

A: Regarding this, it's best to ask your derma. I can't really answer that for you :)

Ask me anything

Musicalfan Loves Minerals Readers' Corner

Hello everyone! I'm happy to report that my laptop is in working order again. I have a lot of unanswered questions from my formspring so I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

More questions regarding pixel:

Q: how many stacks did your derma use on your face? my derma told me she'll use 1 stacking only but then "sayang".. though she assured me that it's gonna be effective. I really want the pixel treatment on my depressed scars but I am scared of the downtime! 

A: I'm not really sure what you mean by stacking but if you're referring to how many passes my derma did on me, she did it twice. Like they say, no pain no gain!

Q: how scary are the scabs? do they literally fall off randomly? 

A: Yes they fall off randomly. Think of it as something like peeling except that instead of  clear skin coming off, it's scabs. Scary is a very objective thing. It really depends on how you perceive it :)

Q: hi crystal! what perfume do you wear? i like light scents a lot (think d&g light blue and anna sui) but i want to try other scents, care to suggest a few? thanks a lot

A: Unfortunately, I can't be much help here, because I'm not really into scents that much. I'm very fond of light scents, too. If you want other light scents, you can try GAP Dream (my all-time favorite!), DKNY Cherry Blossom, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Elizabeth Arden Pretty, Paris Hilton. If you want to go darker--well I don't have much experience with darker scents, but the Dior line is a good choice. Of course, perfume differs on everyone because it reacts differently with our skin. I actually like Tommy Girl, but it smells terrible on me!

Q: what is the best BB cream for you? 

A: I've only tried two BB creams: the pink Legere and the Skinfood Aloe, so I really can't give you much input. BB creams are a costly addiction so I'm giving up for now :)

Be Back...

Hey Everyone! I'm going to be MIA for a few days, because my computer is experiencing all sorts of problems that is driving me slightly insane! I hope to be back soon! XOXO