Fashion: JAYA RAMSEY: SOUL DIVA

Album Cover for Jaya’s “All Souled Out”

Photographer: Pat Dy

Stylist: Liz Uy

Makeup PEG: Young, fresh and natural

Hairstylist: Rowena Sonido

Working with Jaya is just an example of one reason why I enjoy and love working as a make up artist. Imagine working personally with the person whom you were once just listening to, whom you used to just watch over the television. It is very enjoying and at the same time humbling that you get to work with people who were able to build their name on their industry.

I have been a big fan of Jaya ever since she started as a singer, and not to mention she is the woman behind the song “Dahil Tanging Ikaw” which I personally love and even try to mimic they way she sang the song. She is indeed the country’s one and only “Soul Diva”.

Busy doing some Retouches for Ms Jaya

at Work

I received a call 1^st week of May from Louei Lizardo, the project coordinator of Universal Records inquiring about my service as I was personally chosen by one of their artist who will be releasing her new album in month time. And to my surprise it was Jaya herself who requested me to do her look for her upcoming abum. It was very exciting, flattering and at the same time a humbling experience that these people you used to watch or listen to would entrust to you their look for whichever event/purpose it may be. (Though it would not be the first time to meet Jaya since I used to see her inside the dressing room everytime I work with Kyla for Party Pilipinas every Sunday)

Inside Cover

They wanted to give Jaya a younger and fresh look for her new album. They also wanted to give Jaya a longer hair since she used to appear on television with short hair.

 

During the shoot, a simple yet very excited and enthusiastic Jaya arrived as she told me that she trust my work especially seeing Kyla everytime I do her makeup. She is very “kalog” and fun to work with which makes the entire shoot very light and enjoying. And also hearing her soulful music for the said album just made everyone feel chillax.

Fashion: PHOEMELA BARANDA: GET LAUD

AD Campaign for for GET LAUD's  2011 Collection
Photographer: Raymund Isaac
Stylist: Lotho Lotho
Makeup PEG: Smokey eyes but still natural and fresh
Hairstylist: Rowena Sonido

I have been in the industry for 12 years and part of it is witnessing different people being transformed by time and experience. I have seen how an amateur model turned supermodel in the present; or even a starting showbiz personality and now the face of different movies, commercials, or ads. Seeing these people still working on their chosen industry (modeling, showbiz, etc) always paint a smile and awakens different memories as I worked with them years before. Phoem is one of those people whom I have been working with and I've witnessed her transformation from an amateur model to one of the most successful model/showbiz personality/host and same goes with her witnessing me how I started as an amateur makeup artist. 

Phoem in Philip Tracey inspired hat by LOTHO

And not to mention the photographer Raymond and stylist Lotho and also the hairstylist Weng were also some of the people I have worked with and been working with since the time beginning..(:P)

While working

Raymund waiting for the next shot

Working with them (Get Laud) is like working with a family especially because it was my 3rd time to work with them. Ms. Jenny, the over-all head of Get Laud is always generous to all the people working with her. The entire shoot was overflowing with food and she made sure that everything is being taken care of accordingly. 

The ever bubbly LOTHO

More powers to the company and also to all the people I worked with!!! ;)

Get Laud 2011 Ad Campaign Video from ago coronado on Vimeo.

Wedding: NIKKI:THE CANDID BRIDE

Wedding date: January 2, 2009

Wedding Venue: Fernbrook Gardens

Photographer: Lito Sy and R. Pingol 

Hairstylist: Bren Sales

I grew up surrounded by women who have such great inclination and passion to beauty and makeup which  I should say, played a vital role on how I fall in love with makeup artistry. As a makeup artist I believe that after your work, it should be the woman who should be noticed first before the makeup. I always and will always applause women who knows how to speak out their mind; women who celebrate their uniqueness and individuality and women who are proud of who they are and what they are and are proud of their own beauty. And Nikki is one of those women who knows how to embrace individuality and her uniqueness. She is the kind of woman I enjoy working with. She knows what she wants and she loves makeup. Nikki is the one who refers me to Ana May(one of the featured bride here as well) cause she was very satisfied with my work during her wedding. Nikki and her then groom lives in US and they wanted to get marry here in the Philippines.

Nikki and John Michael

As a woman who have such interest and knows how to apply makeup on her ownself, she wanted to have a makeup artist whom she can rely onto and will be very satisfied with the outcome. So I was referred to her by her sister in law, Vanessa Obligacion, and asked her if she wanted to have a trial makeup with me. And that's the time I met Nikki; and I was humbled when she even said that she have had several trial makeup with different artists yet she wanted me to be the one to do her wedding makeup.

 Nikki had always been very open and frank with what she wants from her eyeshadow, blush on, lipstick, etc. She wanted to have a very smokey eyes using a black brown eyeshadow; which I can say fits her Bold and Candid personality. She wanted me to use the products she always use and she even brought some products for me which she says she loves the most. I didn't have a hard time doing her makeup since she knows what she wants and she even guides me as I put her makeup on.

Candid Bride on her Candid shot

Watching while I put on the blush on

There's nothing more satisfying than to see and work with women who knows how appreciate beauty and who are proud of their own beauty. Working with these women and meeting women whom I know I can be of help for them to realize their uniqueness is something that motivates me to work harder and to continually develop my craft. Because at the end of the day, the satisfaction I got is more on how every women I worked with learned how to appreciate their own beauty and their individuality and not just with the praises and comments I got from them...

It was a pleasure working with Nikki and meeting woman like you just make me more humble and at the same time make me fall in love deeper with the craft I fell in love with ever since.

The newlywed with their parents

Happiness and love, love, and more love to you and John Michael!

Wedding: ANA MAY: THE THOUGHTFUL BRIDE

Wedding date: May 27, 2011

Wedding Venue: Fernbrook Gardens

Photographer: Dennis Garcia and Wally Guerrero

Videographer: Threelogy 

Hairstylist: Rowena Sonido

Working for the wedding industry allows me to be exposed to different women of different age, social status, profession, personalities and of course different faces/canvas for me to work on. And it is something that I love because it is not only where I get to meet different people but it is a very rewarding job in the end especially if you were able to highlight whatever the bride desires or whatever it is you think that will fit her basing on herself (personality, facial assets, etc.). And it is very flattering and at the same time a big help that the brides I worked with were very happy with my work and even refers me to their friends or relatives that will soon to get marry.

The Bride and her maids

Months before the wedding, I received a call from a wedding coordinator regarding her client, Ana May, who wants to avail my service for her wedding. I asked if when does her client wants to do the trial but Ana May says that she doesn't need it since she trust my work. It was her friend Nikki(whom I also did her wedding makeup) who referred me to her. She loved how Nikki's personality/desire was translated or even highlighted on the makeup I did during the wedding. "Yun ang look nya even sa US and siyang siya yung makeup na un" as she said. Ana May is working and living in the US which also made it hard for her to fix schedules and also to take care of the wedding details. So when she arrived in Manila, she took time to meet me and I even did her makeup since she will be having a shoot on that day. Ana May is such a sweet and thoughtful bride that even I don't know her personally(nor even have the chance to chat or talk with her) she get to bring a "pasalubong" for me (Thanks again Ana May).
Ana and Dongski were already married and been living together in US for years and they just wanted to have a formal wedding here in Philippines. They are such a sweet couple that when you see them together, its like as if its their first wedding experience.

The cute Couple on their wedding carriage

On the wedding day, the guy escorted us going to the bridal room with his camera while capturing every moment related to her bride and said it will be for her behind the scene photos. Ana May has been very vocal with what she wants for her makeup. She wanted a dramatic eye yet fresh and naturally looking and of course something that will fit her age or better if she will look more "bagets". So what I did is to make a smokey eyes using a mixture of bronze and dark brown eyeshadows to make it look soft and natural still.

Before and After look

Creating the dramatic/smokey eyes

Ate Weng doing the hair

The wedding theme is very dramatic and fantasy like especially that the venue look itself is fairytale inspired. Castle like wedding venue, wonderland inspired reception, cinderella inspired carriage with her very own coachman, etc. and not to forget her very own Prince Charming, only deserves a beautiful princess that will make the clock stop ticking as she walks down the aisle.

The Princess

As she walks down the aisle

And finally with her Prince Charming

Ana and Dongski are very cute and very thoughtful couple that they see to it that all our needs were taken care of. Hearing them appreciating my work and at the same time seeing the happiness on their faces especially on the bride just made my day. It was indeed a fantasy which was then translated into reality. The princess finally marry her prince and nothing took away their happiness and their moment not even at the sound of the clock. Congrats again Ana May and Dongski, and as any fairy tales end.. May you live happily ever after...

Ana May and Dongski's On-site video