FILLER POST!!! (a.k.a. Dani Can't Find Her Camera)

So it's kind of embarrassing to make this big ta-da about being back to blogging and then not post for, what, a week? It's coz I can't find my camera, you guys! >_<

Anyway, I decided to do a bit of a filler post while I'm trying to find that darn camera. So here's what I've been up to lately:

Firstly, I met Larie-girl! (see above photo)

She is sooo sweet and sooo cute! Unfortunately, I only had about 2 hours to spend with her, but it was 2 hours well spent! I have now met 3 of the bandits; that makes my heart very happy!

School's been going well... One of the highlights of my course so far is learning how to block eyebrows. It's a lot of work and it's difficult to do without the proper concealer, but it's still a lot of fun!

Btw, how thrilled does my brother look? I think he loves missing an eyebrow!

We've been doing decade makeup as well. It's really interesting to see how much makeup styles and trends have changed throughout the years. The 50s was definitely my favourite look as it's so classic and flatters nearly everybody. Last night was all about the 60s and I had a lot of fun creating something reminiscent of that era. I was trying to create something that was traditionally 60s, though I found that mine was bit more on the modern side. Still, I think the look turned out well. :)

And last but not least...

If you read my last post, you'll know that I was the makeup artist for a YWCA campaign. Well, here's some photos!

Honestly, I felt like I could've done better... I keep thinking that perhaps I should've gone for a more defined and polished look instead of something very natural, but I'm still proud of the work I've done. The entire experience was so valuable and it's such a trip to see your work in such a public space.

The other day as I was getting off my train, I just happened to look up at the TV screen... What did I see? The YWCA ad!

I stood under that TV for a good 5-8 minutes waiting for it to pop up again so I could take a photo of it. It was such an incredible feeling seeing something you've worked on displayed for all to see!

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And there you have it... My first filler post. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me -- hopefully I'll be able to find my camera soon!

Have a great weekend, lovelies!

Call It Beauty is Back With Bobbi Brown! (+ A Little Makeup Artistry Update)

I'm baaaaack!

Firstly, I must apologize for the ridiculous (and unannounced) hiatus... I can't really talk about it, but let's just say my personal life required all of my attention. But I decided that I've worked too hard on this blog to let it fall by the wayside; so here I am, trying to slowly make my way back into the world of beauty blogging! I do apologize for falling off the radar without any notice on the blog -- I promise I won't let it happen again. (But in case I do, a little slack would be appreciated :p)

Thanks for those of you who checked up on me via twitter, your concern was definitely appreciated and it warmed my heart. :)

But now, onto the review!

A few months ago, I started looking for a long-wearing foundation that did not have as much coverage as my go-to: Estée Lauder Double Wear. My reasoning was that I wanted my skin to look more natural on the regular and save Double Wear for performances and special occasions. Everyone totally has a special occasion foundation, right? :p

I was recommended Bobbi Brown's Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation by the lovely Becca from The Beauty Sample and since I pretty much love her blog and everything she's featured on it, I knew I had to give it a try. Now, before I continue, I must say that this foundation has been discontinued and replaced by the Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation (which promises an even longer wear time). So why am I reviewing it? Well, because it's still available for purchase in some counters and because I want to! :p

Wearing Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation with no concealer.

What I love about this foundation is that, as the same suggests, it looks very natural. It gives great coverage and I require very little concealing (under my eyes and on blemishes); basically it makes my skin look great without looking overly great. Plus, it doesn't break me out or cause any reactions, which is always a bonus. It's a great colour match for me, though it did become too light when I tanned up a bit during the Summer -- nothing a little bronzer couldn't fix, though!

The only thing that would've made this foundation that much better is if it had better oil-control. I did find that my face gets oily before my regular work day and it definitely fades quire a bit after 8-9 hours (without setting powder). This is probably what Bobbi Brown improved on with the release of their new long-wearing foundation, so if your skin is on the oilier side, I would definitely try the Long-Wear Even Finish foundation first.

That said, now that the weather is much cooler, I find that this foundation definitely sticks around for at least 9 hours. So I'll definitely be reaching for it more often during the Fall and the Winter.

This foundation is definitely a no-fuss foundation -- you can apply with a brush or your fingers, it still looks good. It's perfect for those days when I want to look polished and want more coverage than a tinted moisturizer/BB cream, but want less than EL's Double Wear foundation.


In other news...

I've started my Fashion & Photography Makeup course!

This has been THE course I've been itching to take since the very beginning and I am so happy that I'm finally taking it. Of course, I love doing your everyday, regular type of makeup; but there's something so thrilling about being more creative.

The two photos are above are 2 of the looks I've done so far. The first was something I came up with when prompted by the words fall and jewel tones. I wasn't initially very happy with the second look because a lot of my other classmates really went all out with their appliqués, but I've learned to appreciate it because I really like how the makeup aspect turned out. I was also relieved to see that my eyelining skills had not deteriorated.

This was definitely my favourite ever class assignment!

My instructor told us that we needed to: 1) "create" a runway collection. 2) create a makeup look for the runway show. And 3) create an inspiration backstory for both. It was so much fun because I was able to incorporate my creative writing skills into the assignment.

Pretty much the highlight of my (very short) career so far is doing a photoshoot for a YWCA awareness campaign. A friend of mine works as a copy writer for a local advertising agency and is working with the YWCA on the campaign. She posted a status on Facebook asking for any makeup artists who would be willing to do makeup for a photoshoot "pro bono," so to speak. Of course, I jumped at the chance to be part of this campaign. I mean, what an opportunity, right?

The shoot itself was a lot of fun and was a great learning experience. I can't wait to do more work!

Happy Wednesday, lovelies!

IMATS Vancouver 2012! (Or Dani's Second IMATS Experience)

Ahhh, it seems like only yesterday that I went to IMATS for the very first time... A year later and my life has gone in a new direction -- that of makeup artistry. I was definitely much more prepared this time around. My decision to go to last year's IMATS was a bit of a whim, so I didn't do any research; I kind of just... went. 

Anyway... This year, I decided to show up 30 minutes before the doors opened, which was at 8:30am. I was probably one of the first 20 people there and I only had to wait about 20 minutes before going in.

I may be mistaken, but I think there were less exhibitors this year than there was last year. Vancouver gets less exhibitors than all the other cities, in general, so to have even less this year than last is really disappointing. There were a total of 28 exhibitors present this year and only 22 of them were selling merchandise. Some booths also didn't have a lot of products available for purchase, which was such a let down. Naimie's Beauty Centre and CoverFX were the biggest disappointments; I think they must've had maybe 15 products at their table and that was it. I was really looking forward to purchasing the Matte FX powders from Cover FX, but they were only available in a kit and it only came in one shade. From a logistical standpoint, is it really feasible for them to come to Vancouver if they're not selling much of their products?

I'm sure there are many reasons why a lot of the brands that are available in Toronto, New York, and LA aren't made available in Vancouver -- perhaps there's not enough people attending IMATS in Vancouver and brands can't justify coming all the way here. But as a beauty blogger and a (baby) makeup artist, I still can't help being disappointed. Hopefully, as the years go by, IMATS Vancouver will grow to be as amazing as the shows in other cities.

Still, I had a great time and it was most definitely worth it for me to come again. I was able to get nearly all of the products I wanted to get to stock my kit, namely -- BRUSHES (and a lot of them!). My biggest concern was getting to the Make Up For Ever booth, as it is always so busy (unless you're one of the first, which I was!); I wasn't even able to get anything from MUFE last year because I was too impatient to wait in line for ages. But I made sure to rectify that this time around!

It's always lovely seeing other artists work, so I make sure to stop and stare appreciate the workmanship that goes into each look that's being created. That last photo was definitely my favourite... That gentleman from Blanche Macdonald actually had a little audience gathered around him, watching him work. It's just so editorial and high fashion -- I can easily see this model walking down the runway at a Dior show. I wish I could've watched him work for longer, but the line to Nigel's Beauty Emporium took me around a corner and I couldn't see him.

This year, I decided to take advantage of some of the talks that were going on. I chose to go to the Once Upon A Time Discussion Panel because I wanted to hear more about what it's like to work as a makeup artist in the film & tv industry, and the Camera-Ready Beauty Make-up session with Courtney Frey because I wanted to see the Ben Nye MediaPRO HD Sheer Foundation Palette at work. Unfortunately, because the two sessions overlapped, I missed the part that I  was looking forward to the most :p.

The Once Upon A Time Discussion was... interesting. I'm toying with the idea of getting into film & tv eventually, so I was really looking forward to hearing about the makeup artist's experiences with working on that show. There were 3 makeup artists and 2 actors in the panel, so we got to hear about makeup artistry from two different perspectives. That said, one of the actors kind of hijacked the panel... Don't get me wrong; as a performer, it was definitely valuable for me to hear what it's like for him to be in the makeup chair for hours at a time. BUT, I was really there to hear what the makeup artists had to say, and I think that because makeup artists are not usually in front of an audience (and speaking into a mic, at that), they were probably unaccustomed to the experience and didn't feel comfortable taking control of the situation.

I also wished that there was a question and answer section at the panel. There were things that I wanted the makeup artists to touch on... What is the collaborative relationship between makeup artists, actors, and production staff like? How far ahead do you get scripts in order to conceptualize makeup designs? How do you experiment with new technologies, textures, and formulas before using it on set? How do you build rapport with the talent on your chair? These were all things that I wanted to know, and it would've been amazing if I had the chance to ask that.

As for the Camera-Ready Beauty Make-up session, it was kind of difficult to see what Courtney was doing on the model at times because of the set up. But that can't really be helped as she was onstage. There were monitors on stage right and stage left, but the clarity of the image onscreen was not that great. What I really liked though, was that Dana Nye (son of Ben Nye) was on hand to speak more in depth about the various products Courtney was using. Since Courtney was doing makeup on her model, she understandably could not put too much of her focus on talking about the products; so it was really awesome to have Dana there as well. Plus, they gave a little package of 2 contour powders to the people who went to the session. Huzza (and all that jazz)!

*Fun Fact: Ben Nye was a makeup artist on The Sound of Music. <fangirling> How flippin' cool is that?!? </fangirling>

And there you have my second IMATS experience in a... What's the opposite of nutshell? :p

If you made it through this unnecessarily long and ramble-y post, then I commend you!

Stay tuned for my haul post!

Have you ever been to IMATS?

Making Up Is Hard To Do: The End Of Evening & Bridal

Well, that's another course done!

Evening & Bridal, unlike Makeup Artistry Fundamentals, breezed past in a flurry of various makeup looks. Seriously, it went by so fast, I was slightly dumbfounded at the end of my last class on Wednesday night.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you'll know how much I fretted and worried over my final exams. Hair and makeup in 90 minutes is a lot of work and for someone like me, who isn't a proficient hairstylist, it was a cause for concern. 

This is the look I did for my Evening Makeup final. My model is the utterly gorgeous Missy, who I've been friends with for about a decade now. 

I was feeling quite confident about this look because I had done it twice on her already: once during a practice run and another for a show. The last time I did this look, I was pressed for time and did the makeup in under 20 minutes; so I knew exactly what to do. On the exam itself, I finished just in time and was pleased with how it turned out (and with my instructor's repeated murmur of: "ugh! This is gorgeous."). 

For this look, I simply curled her hair and backcombed the roots for a more voluminous style. For the makeup, I did a dark, smoky eye with a bold red lip. I used the Estée Lauder Pure Color Blush in Wild Sunset that I reviewed recently on her cheeks and it looked absolutely fabulous.

Each student got to choose which look she wanted to have photographed by a professional and I chose this one. The photographer showed me some of the shots in her camera and they look really good! I can't wait to show that to you guys!

This was the look I did for my Bridal exam. I wanted to go for something more glamorous and was originally going to go with a red lip; but since I went with red for the last exam, I decided to switch it up.

Both practice sessions for this look didn't go well. I went overtime on the first one and for the second, I stopped right at 90 minutes but hadn't done her lashes or styled her hair (beyond curling). My problem was that I was spending way too much time curling her hair. So I decided that I was going to focus curling the front parts of her hair really well and just rush through the back parts by curling bigger chunks of her hair... It worked! Not only was I able to finish all of her makeup, but I still had ample time to style it in a one-shoulder style. I really wish I had remembered to take photo before Missy removed the pins and the hair accessory so you could all see how it looked.

As for the makeup: This was what I did for the second practice session. I actually don't remember what I did in the first session, but it certainly wasn't this :p. I did a flick on her eyes but decided against that on the day. I told myself that I'll just line her lash line with pencil and smudge/smoke it out. I did do that during the exam, but I wanted a more solid definition, so I ended up doing a flick anyway.

I'm really proud of this look (described by my instructor as "very Eva Longoria"); partly because I seriously though I wouldn't be able to pull off everything in 90 minutes, but mostly because it finally earned me a perfect mark. *victory lunge*

So what's next for me? 

Well, I'll be taking the Fashion & Photography course, which starts in September. I also have a few definite gigs lined up: a graduation ceremony, a maternity photo shoot, an engagement photo shoot, and two weddings between now and the end of July. There's a possible wedding in December, as well (the wedding itself is definite, it's my participation that's up in the air :p). I also have been approached by a few others for other work, but those are not set in stone. 

I'm also considering taking some more hairstyling classes in the future so that I can do both hair and makeup for clients. Our course only had two classes of hairstyling, which is really not enough for me. I'm not exactly comfortable doing hair for people at this moment, so hopefully I can eventually learn how to do all sorts of updos. 

I'll be starting up a website as soon as I have a few photos that I can upload; I've already decided on a domain name and the web platform I want to use, so I'm really excited to have that set up. Also, my friend Missy, who is also a talented graphics designer, has designed business cards for me, which will go to print after my website has been set up. Exciting times up ahead!

It's funny how when I first started this journey, I wasn't really sure where it was going to take me... To be honest, I was slightly nervous that this venture would prove to be a massive waste of time. But now that I have Evening & Bridal under my belt and these upcoming gigs to look forward to, I find myself really excited to see how this career will go.

Anyway, once my website is up, I'll be sure to let you guys know. I'm excited to share that with you guys! And if you've actually read through this ramble of a post, then I thank you! Here, have some cute puppies for your trouble. :D

Have a great weekend, lovelies!

Thank You, Messy Wands! (And A Quick Update)

Look what the lovely Xiao of Messy Wands sent me!

I've been thinking about getting some Aqua Creams (and long-wearing cream shadows, in general) to add to my kit for some time now, so I'm incredibly grateful to her for sending this over! I've already used three of them and so far, I'm quite pleased. I think I still need to figure out exactly how to layer powder over them (should I allow them to dry completely? Should I apply powder straight after applying the aqua cream? Etc...) so I don't get any patches; but overall, I love having these in my kit.

The colours are fantastic, too! They're all neutral, so they would be perfect for use in weddings and special occasions. I'm going to be using them for my Evening & Bridal Final Exams in June, so I'm excited about that.

She also included these Pro Longwear Lipcremes from MAC's Daphne Guinness collection. Because she's über nice like that!

Dear Xiao, have I told you lately that I love you? <3

Here, have some Renner for your generosity! You're welcome. :)


Speaking of Makeup Kits...


Yes, I'm still in school! I haven't been posting about my progress because, well... I forget. But to catch you all up (that is, if you're interested :p), I am currently down to the last 4 weeks of Evening & Bridal. The next 2 weeks are going to be all about hair, which I was nervous about, but now I'm pretty excited. I practiced on my friend Missy (who will be my model for my final exams) last night and her hair turned out pretty awesome. So I'm looking forward to working on my hairstyling skills so that I can proficient enough to also do hair for special occasions. I'm Not quite sure I would want the extra pressure of doing hair for a wedding; and anyway, I think most brides would want an actual hairstylist. However, if I encounter a bride who wants to save a bit more money by using a makeup artist who can style hair, then I don't want to have to say no.

It took me a while to get back into the swing of things after a 3 week break between classes, but I finally got my groove back a few classes into the course. I wasn't able to do makeup every class because my instructor went a bit overtime on his demo, which I wasn't that pleased about. I've had some pretty memorable moments, as well. Top of which was creating an Indian Bridal look on a classmate who had small, mono-lidded eyes. That was probably the toughest thing I've had to do so far.

Anyway the last 2 weeks have been awesome, skill-wise. I did a glam bridal look and a classic evening look recently, and my instructor was quite impressed with both. So now I'm really focused on doing an excellent job on my final exams... There will be a photoshoot as well; each student can only choose one look (evening or bridal) to be photographed and I've chosen Evening. I've got some pretty cool ideas for the shoot and I can't wait to share the photos with you guys!

Oh! And I've also booked my first paid makeup gig! I will be helping another makeup artist with a wedding in July. There are 10 women who will need to have their makeup done, so we will be splitting the task up between us. I'm kind of excited about it, but also kind of nervous. Hopefully there'll be lots of opportunities to do makeup this Summer because my next course doesn't actually start until September.

So that's what I've been up to in my Evening & Bridal class... My kit has been steadily growing and now includes some hair tools and hair products. I also kind of went crazy a few weeks ago and got a ridiculous amount of lip products...

L-R: Airy Fairy by Rimmel, Temptress by Revlon, Blushing Mauve by Revlon, 

Yummy Plummy by Maybelline, and Black Cherry by Revlon

L-R: Blushing Berry Le Gloss by L'oréal, a Vinyl Gloss by Rimmel (why do they not put the name on the tube? >.<), Raspberry Splash Le Gloss by L'oréal, Peony Colorburst Lipgloss by Revlon, 

and Nude Touch Le Gloss by L'oréal

Have a great week, lovelies!

New In My Kit...

For those of you who don't know, I am currently taking Makeup Artistry classes in a local community college. I finished Makeup Artistry Fundamentals two weeks ago and am currently awaiting the start of my next class (Evening & Bridal) later on this month.

Because Makeup Artistry Fundamentals was the foundation of all other makeup classes, what we learned was fairly basic stuff. Probably one of the most important things that's happened is I've come to really appreciate the value of a good neutral eyeshadow.

If you've seen my eye looks, you know I like to get colourful and creative. But that's not going to fly if I'm going to do freelance work, will it? Most women will want to stick to neutral shades, and I need to be able to have some go-to shades that I know will do the trick. So, I headed to MAC to pick up some neutral eyeshadows to add to my kit. Though, unsurprisingly, I couldn't resist a good purple :p. Ehh, I figure I can throw it in there anyway.

Here are the shades that I chose...

Retrospeck ("beached blonde")

All That Glitters ("beige with gold pearl")

Swatches of Retrospeck & All That Glitters

Satin Taupe ("taupe with silver shimmer")

Nocturnelle ("pinked-up chrome purple")

Twinks ("deep plum with pearl")

Swatches of Satin Taupe, Nocturnelle & Twinks

I've always loved MAC eyeshadows, though I've found not every single shade performs as well as others.  All That Glitters is particularly soft and buttery, which I love, because it ends up looking fairly pigmented right away. Meanwhile, Nocturnelle, Satin Taupe, and Twinks doesn't feel quite as buttery as All That Glitters and requires a few more swipes to get a good swatch, but they are still very soft and quite pigmented. Retrospeck doesn't apply as smoothly as the other four; it can go a bit patchy at times, but seeing as it's a light shade, it's not that obvious. It doesn't take much to even it out, either. 

I think these eyeshadows will make a fantastic addition to my kit and I can't wait to use them on a look for the blog. Also, would any of you guys be interested in a review and swatches of the Make Up For Ever eyeshadows that came with my kit for school? I keep meaning to write one, but we all know what a fail March was, blogging-wise. Let me know in the comments if this is something you would be interested in seeing on call it beauty.!

What are your favourite neutral eyeshadows?