Hey Everyone!

This is the only time I get to wear bad make-up and get away with it. I have to admit it and I’m sorry if I sound mean but there are times when I just wanna help a gal out. Either in the MRT, mall or even on the street, sometimes I just wonder what’s going on in their heads when they put on their make-up this morning. Being a make-up artist, it’s really hard not to look. Here are my top 5 make-up pet peeves (peeves are things that really annoy you) and how to fix them! They’re common make-up mistakes that everyone makes! Not like you gotta fix them for me, but let’s just say you gotta help yourself.

1. The Reverse Panda Eye

This is probably the most common. You’re doing your make-up and you didn’t sleep much last night so you’re layering on that concealer under the eye. In the mirror it looks pretty good but trust me girl, it’s deceiving. You think it brightens your look up but when the camera snaps and flash goes off, you look like what I call – the “Reverse Panda”.

It’s not a good look. You look like you have headlights under your eyes and it’s just plain distracting. But, here are a few tips to help you out. If you have heavy and dark under-eye circles it is totally understandable why you want the coverage. Instead, make sure you opt for a concealer with no SPF and no reflective properties. Anything that is a concealer and highlighter in one or a “radiant” concealer is an absolute no. Instead go for something that’s just a liquid concealer. However, if you have no under eye circles like me, and want to highlight – then, just dab three dots underneath your eye and in short dabbing motions, blend the concealer out! Just to clear things up, your under eye concealer should be the same color (not lighter) as your foundation/face.

2. Round Blush-a-Holic

I don’t know how this trend made it here, but it did. The round circle blush shape is making waves with it’s Japanese fans but truth be told, we don’t all look like Japanese dolls. I’ve seen this on girls on the train, going shopping, at the movies. And I hate to be mean, but I really think you look like Krusty the Clown’s wife. I mean look at me! I didn’t even do up myself that bad to show you. I usually see these girls with bright red or orange circles on their cheeks. I just wanna go up there, ask for their permission of course, and blend it out. Trust me, they’re not doing cosplay either.

Blush can do so much for you and it’s not just about looking fresher and more alive. It can help slim you down too. For the most natural flush, work the blush slightly from the top of your cheekbones down to your cheeks. Make sure you add a little at a time till you get the perfect flush and you can see that the blush looks much better and more complete!

3.  The Ashy Foundation 

One of my friends is super fair, but really wants to be tan so much so, she’s in “foundation shade denial”. She refuses to get a foundation that is her shade and usually goes for the shade 2 or 3 shades darker. Then, she bronzes up her entire body. Although looking tan isn’t the problem here in Singapore, I still think we have a similar problem. A lot of the more tan models I do always ask me to apply something lighter so they look lighter on camera. That’s not a problem since it’s on camera but walking around, you do look a little funny. The reason why you look ashy, dull or gray is because your foundation either is too light a shade for you or you’re walking around with the wrong undertone.

And it’s not your fault either. The BB Cream craze here is…crazy! They only provide one or two shades and all of them are for light skin tones. Even walking to your local Watsons and Guardian, most of the make-up brands even major ones supply only foundation shades for light skin tones. It kinda makes me a little mad. Find something that is your skin tone. But, it could be the fact that the actual foundation is gray! There are so many bb creams out there with a gray undertone. You squeeze it out on your palm and it’s obviously gray! Do you check this or no, because it’s gray. I show you ze difference. Gray vs. Yellow – BOTH are bb creams. I’m not going to name any names but you can see the difference for yourself.

4. Top Heavy Lashes

That picture makes me wanna go “heheheheh”. Lol. You can see how dramatically smaller my eyes have gotten and this is everywhere. I mean false lashes can do every Asian great things, including myself. They do open up the eyes. However! You must get lashes that suit your eye-shape. Sometimes people think that all false lashes are created equal but no, they come in different shapes and sizes for a reason! Getting super full lashes does not equate to getting super big eyes. In fact, it equates to smaller eyes if your eyes can’t carry them well.

So how do you pick a good lash. Granted the “good lash” isn’t the best lash I have but it will do. You can see the “good lash” has varying lengths, cris crosses, has more space between the lash and is layered. This is for sure going to look a little lighter on your eyes than the “bad lash”. Of course if you have really large eyes you can turn the “bad lash” into a “good lash”, but this lash is going to just flatten and squash your eye. It’s a straight cut which isn’t natural. It’s just thick. It’s like I can just grab the thing as one piece of hula skirt and take it off.

As you can see, the “good lash” makes such a gigantic difference. Even though the “good lash” isn’t as thick as the “bad lash”, it’s able to open my eyes even bigger than they originally were without lashes and that’s exactly what you want!

So I really hope you found this useful! Hope I don’t see any of you girls sporting the above anymore or I haven’t done ma job properly!

Shop at my online store – http://www.roseanne.sg

Love,
Roseanne

Hey Everyone!

I’m sure us ladies are always on the hunt for that perfect lip gloss. One that isn’t sticky, doesn’t clump at the end of the day one that can make our lips that much juicer. Well ladies, I have your answer – it’s the Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited Lip glosses. I have been trying these out for a while and I have fallen in love with them. They aren’t sticky, are really hydrating in fact and come in so many colors, you can probably have one for every outfit! In this post, I’ll be doing a review, tutorial on trendy lip gloss looks as seen on Spring runways, showing you some of my personal favourites and ending with a giveaway of one of them!

Shu Uemura has always been on the top of their game. They’re probably top in innovation and technology in cosmetics and are known for their vivid colors and breaking boundaries. You’ve seen them at every department store or mall and you probably have their eye-lash curlers. I raise my hand. Even when I was in make-up school, Shu Uemura was all our teachers (who have been doing makeup for like 20 years) could talk about. They said that their amazing quality and brushes surpasses all other make-up brands.

So here I am introducing you the new Shu Uemura Lip Gloss – the Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited! Shu Uemura has integrated four key elements in these new lip glosses – being a shape memorising technology, artist modulator colors, a skin loving formula and a new applicator!

Previously, Shu Uemura included a rod shaped applicator in its lip glosses. Now, the applicator is a circular shaped donut that can catch just the right amount of lip gloss when you apply it. I love these applicators because they spread the gloss really well and they do trap lip gloss as well. The pointed top makes going into the corners of the mouth a lot easier too.

Another cool thing is the shape memorizing technology  When applied, the lip gloss forms a coat following the shape of your lips and even if you touch it, it doesn’t shift or move. It’s powered by a 3D elastic gel network that evelops the lips. When you disturb the surface of the gloss, with pressure or friction, it automatically repairs the smooth surface. It can reflect light well too!

These lip glosses are also super hydrating and really, they aren’t sticky at all. The super smooth formula is caused by a moisture active complex and botanical oils that condition and soften your lips.

I’ve always seen Shu Uemura as a real make-up artist brand and it’s so cool to see that they’re encouraging people out there to be make-up artists on themselves with exploring new color boundaries. The lip gloss range also has 4 Artist Modulator colors that you can wear before or after your lip glosses to change the look and texture of them. It’s sort of like on-the-spot customisation! You can mix and match these modulator colors to create new colorful shades or to make it suit your skin tone better.

Now it’s tutorial time! Today I’m going to show you how to do the trendy two-toned lip that’s been making an appearance everywhere including on the runway and in magazines. It’s a really easy look to do and something that’s really in right now.

Simply use a pink lipstick on your upper lip. Choose a vivid color or a sheer color depending on whether you’re more of a bold lip or natural lip gal. Then apply an orange lipstick to your bottom lip. Of course you don’t need to stick to these colours! Find colors that are complimentary to each other and those work too.

Then, apply your lipgloss! I’m using Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited in AT 60C and applying it to my top lip. It really brings the lip out automatically. Then, I’m using AT 50C on my bottom lip. Make sure you’re careful and if you need to, you can always use a bit of make-up remover and a q-tip to hide any mistakes.

And you’re finished!

The next look I thought about was how to make lips really have a pout with lipgloss. As a make-up artist, you learn that you don’t always have to stick to the rules and apply lip gloss all over your lips only. You can actually add a lighter lip gloss to the middle of your lips to make them pop and have a pout!

I’m using a wine beige lip pencil first and applying that all over my lips. This will help form a nice layer for the lipstick to cling on to and hide any skin tone imperfections. Then, apply a raspberry red lipstick and finish off with a pale orange lipgloss like the Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited in OR10C! Using the applicator, just lightly dab the middle of your lips until you get that desired pout!

The last look is probably what is on everyone’s mind this season, being Spring. It’s that pretty nude lip! It’s great for even a smokey eye or keeping it natural with pretty pink cheeks to match.

Instead of using a lipstick which can be too nude and harsh, I’m using a nude lip pencil to do the trick. I love using this pencil because I can layer it on until I get the desired nude lip. All I have to do is put streaks on my lips and use my finger to blend it out. You’ll see that you’ll have a much more natural nude lip and it helps the nude lips show up on darker skin tones too. Then, I apply Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited PK 60s which is a really pretty fairytale pink with a bit of silver shimmer and that completes your nude lip look!

My personal favourites that I’ve been loving lately are the CR 20S, WN 20S, PK 30S and RD 10G. The CR 20S is a beautiful coral and pink shade with a subtle silver reflex. It’s an amazing everyday color that goes well with all make-up looks!

I love the WN 20S because it’s such a unique color for a lip gloss – that dark burgundy that’s really in right now as a color. You can go lighter or go all out and use this even without a lipstick and the pigmentation is totally Shu Uemura!

The PK 30S is a creamy pink that reminds me of barbie. It’s really pretty and has a multi tone reflex that really makes your lips shine. I feel like it does a really good job plumping the lips too! RD  10G may look really vibrant and bold in the tube but straight on the lips (like these swatches with JUST glosses on and no lipstick ) you can see it really enhances the lips and is quite wearable. It’s a gold and red orange combination that’s super pretty.

Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited Giveaway: 

And what’s all of this, when you need to try it for yourself! I’m giving away a Shu Uemura Gloss Unlmited in CR20S! I thought it was the most wearable for everyday so it’s here for you to take! All you have to do is comment on this post with what your perfect lip gloss would be like by May 18, 2013. The giveaway is international! Good Luck!

I just wanted to let you all know too that there’s an event too where you can find out even more about the lip glosses! It’s called “Pucker Up with Shu” and you get to be one of the first to try out the new and exciting shades! It’s a night of colourful exuberance and you get to pucker up with Shu Uemura! It’s at 7PM on May 10th at Shu Uemura Tangs Orchard!

Check out my video to see the glosses live ;)

Hope you liked this post! The best part? These lip glosses are only SGD$33 each! Definitely collectable. Let me know if you have any questions below or visit Shu Uemura’s Facebook Page or Shu Uemura website for more information!

Love,

Roseanne

Hey Everyone!

I get a lot of questions asking what should I get – natural or synthetic hair make-up brushes and the answer is, both. That’s because natural and synthetic hair is useful for different functions when it comes to applying make-up and both are essential to either your personal or professional make-up kit. Here’s the low down on both and what they’re great for.

1. Synthetic Hair Makeup Brushes

What is it? The bristles of the make-up brush is composed of hair that is synthetic and man-made. Often the hairs have a more smooth/slightly plastic feel to them. They are dyed to brown or a gradient brown and cream to white usually.

What can it do? Synthetic hair is great for cream and liquid products – including foundation, cream blush, gel liner and concealer. It is able to not absorb so much of the product and apply a smooth finish onto the skin without much streaking. The hairs tend to gravitate toward each other in applying the product instead of spread out so it can help apply liquid and cream well. For any cream and liquid product including lipsticks, use a synthetic brush. Synthetic hair can also be more precise and the brush can be cut sharper so eyeliner can be made very precise. You won’t get any fly aways with a synthetic brush.

Best synthetic brushes to get - Foundation brushes like the Sigma F80 is which is a synthetic kabuki, concealer brush, lip brush, eye liner brush

Avoid synthetic brushes that are used for – Powder, eye-shadow, blush and bronzer. Synthetic brushes do not pick up powder well.

2. Natural Hair Makeup Brushes 

What is it? The make-up brush is made of natural hair from an animal like a squirrel or goat. The hair is similar to our hair and is commonly soft and smooth and dyed black or white. Avoid getting straw feeling natural hair bristles that feel like they could poke you.

What can it do? Natural hair brushes are the best for powder products – powder blush, face powder, bronzer and eye-shadow included. When the hairs are applied with pressure, they have more texture than synthetic bristles and therefore pick up powder well and blending is made easier and more natural on the skin. You can’t blend as well with synthetic bristles because the bristles don’t move as freely as natural hair bristles do.

Best natural hair brushes to get - Eye-shadow brushes – MAC 217, blending brushes, paddle brushes. Also blush brushes like the MAC 116, contouring brushes and powder brushes.

Avoid natural hair brushes that are used for - Foundation, concealer, lips and eyeliner.

So there you have it! Hope you now know the difference :) Let me know if you have any blog requests below! Would love to hear them!

Love,

Roseanne

Hey Everyone!

Laura Mercier’s Spring Collection is inspired interestingly enough not by candy in a jar or flowers, but by ballet and yoga. In fact, the Spring 2013 collection is called Arabesque and only a few strokes can create a gentle spring look. Laura Mercier invited me down to their counter at TANGS Orchard to preview their collection and get a make-over with Global Make-Up Artist, Benjamin Ruiz. I couldn’t resist.

Laura Mercier is a somewhat new addition to Singapore. Previously, they were only available at a shop called True Colors in Takashimaya although I’ve long since heard of the brand when beauty gurus raved about it their oil free tinted moisturiser and primer online. It was also available in Melbourne at Myer. It was a pleasure having Benjamin Ruiz do my make-up and give me a few tips here and there. He’s been in the make-up industry for 17 years and worked with Laura herself to create Laura Mercier.

First let’s get that base. Benjamin insisted that I get used to using a primer and Laura Mercier was the first brand to introduce face primers. He recommended that I use the oil free as I have combination skin and then he applied the LM Silk Creme Foundation. In fact, the difference between LM foundations and others is that LM is full of pigment, not of texture so that it feels like nothing on the skin but is able to get that desired coverage everyone wants. He then used the famous LM secret camouflage and secret concealer to hide my blemishes. A great tip is that if you’re trying to cover up a zit and the concealer seems to always slick off, just apply some onto it, do the rest of your face and then come back and cover it again. That way, it has something to hold on to!

Next up is the cheeks. He used a creme blush with a paddle brush to add color to my cheeks. Rose bud is like a pink peach color that’s really pretty.

On the eyes, he started first with a primer which is the LM eye basics in wheat. The caviar sticks are one of the stars of the show for Arabesque collection in the following colors. They are like glide on shadows and once set, they do not budge. It has great pigmentation and looks beautiful on the lids. I can’t wait to use it for a shoot! Anyway, I picked Sandglow which was more of a neutral tan. He then used the Arabesque palette to create a soft tan eye and used a blue shadow coming up from the lid line to give it a bit of color. He finished off with something I’ve never tried which is a cobalt blue eyeliner!

The Arabesque palette featured below is a really nice shimmery palette of neutral pastel/brown shades. You can certainly use Pink Mosiac to highlight on certain areas which Benjamin did on my cupids bow and cheek bones too.

For the lips, he used Creme Smooth Lip in Mango which is like a pink orange color and a lip gloss in bare pink. Really quite outstanding.

Overall I liked the look he created for me and really grateful for the introduction to a brand I’ve always heard of but never got to try! Hope you got some tips out of it too!

Check out my online store at: http://www.roseanne.sg

Love,

Roseanne

Hey Everyone!

I hope you had a festive Chinese New Year, and still going! I recently got my hands on my very own hair doll to practice. We used these at beauty school and since every make-up artist here seems to know hair like the back of their hand, I knew I needed to brush up on it. But, doing your own hair is so different from doing someone else’s hair since you can actually see what you’re doing in the latter.

That being said, meet Zoey. I had a tough time finding a suitable hair doll. They don’t have these in Singapore so you can only really get them online. I also happen to be scared of dolls and with long hair and a seemingly life like face, they can be pretty intimidating for the faint hearted. But, scratch out all those thoughts because it’s really JUST a doll. It’s a “it” not a “she”. I mean, whatever helps, right? Anyway, the chinese dolls are the scariest for me so I got a 22 inch Brunette from Giell Beauty Supply. I’ll be doing a review somewhat later but it’s great – just that it happens to shed quite a bit and appear quite course when you get it. That being said, styling is made much easier when you carry a small water spray to spritz before styling. It’s 100% human hair so it’s okay for curling or other heat appliances.

So here’s a simple tutorial on how to do a braid tied bun. The style kind of reminds me of some gladiator/grecian braid. It uses a few great basic techniques to produce something quite cool. Hair is pretty easy once you get the basics right – sectioning, backcombs, braiding – and then you can mould the hair with hair spray, hair pins and hair grips in any shape you want. I’ll show you how to use a hair pin in a later tutorial. They’re like magic for holding things up.

Start off by first sectioning the hair so that you have two sections in the front (1) and then bring those sections to the back and tie with an elastic sort of like a half up/half down style (2). Remember to keep a space in between the two sections where you can see my finger poking through. Take another section of hair from the front and french braid it (3) – it’s good to get it quite thick as the braid shows up better. Do that for the other side as well so that you have a braid on each side. Then, take the little pony tail of the half up/half down hair style you made in (2) and back comb it with a rat tail comb to create a puff (4) – this is the “stuffing” of the bun so the poofier the better. You can just grab it apart to make it larger. Then, take the remaining hair (5) and fold it up over the puff in (4) and stuff it into the small hole you made where you can see my finger peeking through in (2). Then, use pins to pin up and position the bun and keep it from falling apart. You can also use bobby pins or hair grips to mould the hair into the desired bun shape at this point (6). Then, use the braids and bring it back over the bun to the other side and tuck it away on the other side (7). Do that again for the other braid so it looks like the above picture). Spray with hairspray and you’re done (8)!

Hope you liked this quick hair tutorial – and my very first of more to come :) Let me know if you have any desired styles in the comments section below!

P.S: roseanne.sg, my online store, is finally opening it’s doors on Feb 23, 2013 – stay tuned on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/roseanne.sg to keep updated!

Love,
Roseanne