I am a firm believer that makeup can completely transform the way someone looks. And I don’t mean this in a bad/fake way. I use makeup to enhance my features, not change it. However, when you put some creativity into your art, you can create magic!
I recently (just last week) did a makeup job with a beautiful model. However, when I first caught a glimpse of her, I was shocked. Not to say that she wasn’t pretty, because she was gorgeous, however, she looked extremely fierce. Her blonde hair and fair complexion almost made her look flat and washed out. Nonetheless, she had beautiful eyes and lips that I knew I could bring out.
I did my best to bring out her best features, and I was surprised to see that when all the makeup and hair was done, she looked just like a Barbie-doll!
I’m not here to praise my own handiwork. I’m just here to emphasized the fact that makeup can transform a person. And if you can look like the best version of yourself, then hey! What’s so bad about that?
I have a Youtube channel that I have been neglecting for a long long time. I’m not proud of it, but too many social media websites can be such a pain to maintain!
I upload some makeup and hair tutorials, as well as fun and random vlogs I do with my boyfriend some times. I do hope to keep uploading more vlogs and makeup tutorials, but you know, when you work in the TV industry, the last thing you wanna do when you get home is to deal with more cameras and editing softwares. Occupational hazard.
I will convince myself to do more though! But in the meantime, here are some of the tutorials that I have uploaded!
When I first started getting interested in makeup, I discovered the magic of makeup tutorials on youtube. I have to say that it has been one of my biggest ‘teachers’ thus far.
It not only taught me almost everything I needed to know about makeup techniques, it also gave me an insight into the world of makeup. I live in Singapore, where our makeup brands are pretty limited. Youtube exposed me to the million and one makeup brands out there, good and bad, and expanded my knowledge on them. It has also fueled my major shopping addiction, but…. that’s a story for another day.
I’m gonna share with you some of my top 5 (in no particular order) most favourite youtube gurus! And if you’re as interested in makeup as I am, do check them out and subscribe to their channels!
Sam and Nic Chapman are sisters and experienced makeup artists from London. They are incredible. They give extremely detailed tutorials on different makeup looks. I like that they are very original and current. Their makeup tutorials are range from day-to-day looks, to celebrity-inspired looks, to plain ole crazy Halloween looks. Their tutorial setups are mostly the same, and they don’t do crazy editing like many other youtube gurus out there. But I like that because then you can really focus on their looks. Their little commentaries are sometimes pretty hilarious as well!
I loveeeeee Judy! Judy is a Fillipino/American youtube beauty guru. She’s extremely down-to-earth and just downright bubbly! Apart from makeup and hair tutorials, she also does ‘first-impression’ videos based on viewers’ requests and products she just bought. Her looks are usually very easy to recreate and I just love her energy. I also love that her videos are relatively short, so you don’t have to sit through endless intros just to get to the main point. She also has a vlog channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/itsjudyslife) where she uploads DAILY vlogs documenting her daily life with her husband, Benji. I am absolutely ADDICTED to it! I watch her vlogs every single day! Judy is currently 9 months pregnant and I just can’t wait to see her baby!
Of course, this is expected…. who can forget the famous Michelle Phan?! As long as you’re interested in makeup and have a working internet connection, you will definitely be familiar with the beautiful Michelle Phan. Michelle is a Vietnamese/American youtube guru. What I absolutely love about Michelle’s videos are her quirky little DIY beauty and makeup tips, as well as her beautifully crafted and edited videos. As a TV producer, I not only watch her videos for her makeup tutorials, but also to take note of the production value in her videos. Michelle Phan has come a long way, and I have to say I kind of look up to her. Every celebrity has bad press, but I respect Michelle for the trouble she has put in to making good quality videos, as well as where she has gotten now from her humble beginnings.
Promise Phan is, most definitely without a doubt, one of the most talented youtube beauty gurus of all time. She is Michelle Phan’s sister-in-law, and famous for her larger-than-life, extremely amazing makeup transformations. She has transformed herself into various different anime characters, as well as celebrities. And when I say she transforms herself into celebrities, I don’t mean simply celebrity-inspired makeup. I mean she literally transforms her entire face into the celebrity! She once transformed herself into Drake! Promise’s videos are usually slightly harder to mimic. They require a lot of patience and talent. Honestly, I have never tried emulating any of her looks, but I watch her videos religiously anyway because I am completely in awe of her pure talent!
Last but not least…… Dulce Candy! Dulce Candy is the ultimate fashion guru. She has awesome makeup and fashion videos. I also like watching her videos for the different hauls that she does. Watching her videos just gives me so much inspiration! Her fashion sense is impeccable, and her makeup is always flawless! A great trivia about Dulce Candy is that she used to be in the military. Yep! Iraq and all! She’s now a Mum to 2-year-old Izek. You can follow her blog (http://dulcecandy.com/) too for fashion inspiration and looks!
I hope you’ve enjoyed viewing some of my top youtube inspirations! Be careful though! These makeup tutorials are hella addictive!
What are some of your top youtube beauty guru inspirations? 🙂
I love playing with my hair. I’ve had long hair for many years now, and I doubt I will ever cut it short. Having long hair just gives you the option to style it in so many different ways! Here are some of my looks:
I LOVE fishtail braids! I think they are so much more sturdy than regular braids, and strangely, I find them so much more easier to achieve. Fishtail braids are really popular these days. Just type ‘fishtail braids’ into the searchbar in youtube and you can find a tutorial is a jiffy!
This is my go-to everyday hairstyle when I’m having a bad hair day, or feeling lazy and simply cannot be bothered to think of a hairstyle. This is inspired by Nicole Richie, who seems to always have the cutest hairstyles! It might look complicated, but you’re just braiding your hair down into 2 pigtails and gathering them into a bun!
The waterfall braid is interesting and fun! A great way to spice up a regular old braid! Once again, seems complicated, but it actually pretty simple!
Curls are definitely my favourite. Some people think they take too much time to achieve, and that’s why I think it’s important to invest in a set of good hot rollers! It takes about 10 mins to put all the hot rollers in your hair, and then leave them on while you put on your makeup and get dressed! Take them off after 15 minutes and voila! Curls!
This Kim Kardashian-inspired top knot is achieved by using a hair sock! Yep! It is a donut shaped sock! Just put it in your hair and you have a sturdy top knot!
Now this upside down braid is tricky and requires lots of practice. Basically, you tip your head down and braid from the base of your neck up. You need lots of patience and nimble fingers for this! If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again!
I was contacted by an old schoolmate and friend recently who saw the makeup photos I post on Facebook and would like me to help her friend with her makeup on her big ROM day.
For those of you who are living outside of Singapore, ROM basically means ‘Registry of Marriage’. It isn’t exactly your wedding day, but a day where your friends and family gather together to witness the signing of your marriage certificate.
I was extremely delighted and excited to help! We decided to arrange for a day to do a trial makeup look. I usually encourage such trial sessions because I think it helps me to understand the bride’s makeup preference better. This just avoids confusion and unhappiness on the actual day.
I’m looking forward to Audrey’s ROM day in November! But until then, I hope she enjoyed the look I created for her!
Before I started doing freelance makeup, I was posting random DIY makeup photos on my Facebook page. Being in the TV industry means I am the number one person to come to for celebrity gossip and news. I am not ashamed to admit that reading gossip sites is my ultimate guilty pleasure. Thus needless to say, I get my makeup inspiration mostly from celebrities.
When I see a picture of a celebrity with makeup that I particularly like, I usually save the pictures and try to emulate it.
So here are some of my less-than-perfect attempts. 😀
Dianna Agron inspired look that she wore to the Grammys. I love the bold dark look that she’s wearing. Very different from her usual ‘Quinn Fabrey’-look that she wears on Glee. I managed the super sharp flick at the corners by using tape as a ruler!
This is the look Beyonce sported in her ‘Party’ music video. I fell in love with the olive green colours that she used. Once again, I managed the sharp flick with tape!
Now this is a makeup look I am not usually very comfortable with. very dark on the eyes with black eyeliner on the lower waterline. But I really like this look by Effy from the TV series ‘Skins’. This was actually requested by a friend, so I decided to give it a shot!
This look is cray cray!! I just needed to use my new MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick, and that was why I decided to do this crazy look. I got the colours mostly from my Coastal Scents 88-colour palette!
I love Katy Perry! This was also a request from a friend. I wanted to make the look as wearable as possible…. though I really don’t think this is suitable for a daytime thing. Totally up to personal preference! But I had so much fun doing this!
I hope you guys like these looks! IF you have any requests, then leave a comment! I’ll see if I can try and recreate it!
My name is Stella, I’m from Singapore, and I have an addiction to makeup.
In the day, I am a fulltime TV producer at an international television network station. I help come up and develop new show ideas, as well as produce programmes that air on the channel. In my spare time, I am a freelance makeup artist.
I’m a sucker for makeup. I’ve always been. My earliest childhood memories were of me sitting beside my Mom and watching her put on makeup. By age 5, I already knew what different makeup products were, and which part of the face they went on. My Mom always told me that makeup is essential for girls. It is a form of respect to the outside world. And I agree. Some people argue that girls should have‘natural’ beauty and not cover their face with makeup. I beg to differ. In this day and age, there really is no such thing as ‘natural beauty’. We shave our legs/underarms, we trim our eyebrows, we whiten our teeth, wear contact lenses etc etc. What is ‘natural beauty’?
I look at makeup as a form of art. Some people paint on canvases, I prefer to do art on my face instead. Makeup is not just about slapping on some eyeshadow or blush or lipstick. Makeup is about techniques, about the right use of tools and brushes, it’s about colours and blending. Makeup is an art. I don’t use it to change the way I look or cover my ‘natural beauty’, I use it to enhance my features. After all, humans are on a perpetual quest of self-improvement.
Makeup is a hobby for me. I am not looking to earn big bucks by being a makeup artist. I would just like to have fun doing something I love, and at the same time share my craft.
This blog will be my little catalogue of works that I have done. I also will post reviews on makeup/skincare products. Feel free to comment or even share my posts if you like what you see!