Post V-Day

The super long overdue Love Day post.

I love V-Day!!! As I mentioned in my previous post.

And I celebrated this annual lurrrvveee day with the other people I luuurrrvvveee.

YapThomas and TinkiTalks


Biscuit Tin and Jotarol CY

And the fun thing about going out with bloggers... Is da comwhoring.

I love dis shot. Motion capture.


Ahhhhhhhh...


Slurp

Then the two bloggers left for other plans, while me and my two dates headed to Alexis to try out their delectable tiramisu.

The tiramisu was sold out by the time we got there. But the atmosphere made us all go on a crazy photo taking spree. And Jotarol ain't even a blogger!

The other V Day celebrators


Another shot I love. The motion capture caused an almost waterpainting feel (in my opinion anyway).


Mr JY emo-ing


Creative lamp with love notes stuck on it


Jotarol getting into the blogger mode


Reflections

And while I'm on dis V Day post, its time to announce the winner of the grand prize lucky draw of the Bondi Beach event. *drumroll*

Irene Ng Ah Ling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woot woot. Drum clap bangs. Imaginary screams from an imaginary audience. Hand clapping and cat calling heard all da way from the other Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Irene wins a daytime makeup training from "i call it art", along with tons of other prizes which i do not have details of and is lazy to find out for you.

Event over bah. You should have listened to me and gone if you really wanna know. Bleh.

Happy post V-Day!! I hope your V-Day was as fantastic as mine and Irene's. (Nyeh, syiok sendiri-ness).

Pre-Wedding Stress

And not on the bride.
Well, not JUST the bride.

The MUA is doubling up as a wedding coordinator for her friend's upcoming 9th March wedding.

Its midnight. I just finalised some of the PICs JDs and timelines.
My head feels like exploding.

I have never been married before. I have never coordinated a wedding before. I have never done anything more than be involved in the arranging of MUAs and hairstylists for weddings!

So yes. The kiasu-I-wan-to-showoff-I-can-take-on-challenges spirit in me is dying from the stress of looking, and relooking, and RElooking into the details of the wedding.

Sidetalk:
And STILL I find da time to blog.
You see? I am so serious bout 'i call it art'. Neh.

My cousin said: "Maybe this'll give you experience to coordinate more weddings after this."

=_=

No emoticon is dramatic enuff to express my "If looks could kill you'd be writhing on the floor in slow-mo agony" expression.

I'm learning some in-te-res-ting stuff though.
Dinner MC dude told me dis the other day:
"You know, during this time, there are 2 super powerful words you can use to your advantage anytime you wan your way."
"Oh? Wassat."
" 'I quit.' "

So smart orang ini.

"Remember to hurry up and use it."
"Time frame for blackmail is only till 9th March."

Huah! I may have just found a way to get my Gucci bag! Wahahahha!

Treats

Eye candy!

Louise

Careen

I did Louise's hair for New Year's eve, and touched up Careen's makeup for a simple Valentine's skit.

I WISH I KNEW HOW TO PS THE SUPER UGLY BACKGROUNDS AWAYYYY...!!

I'm sooooo super far from being a pro at doing hair, and Careen's makeup can't even be seen in dis pic.

Nevermind, I'm just happy to have 'em as my models.

Happy gettin diabetes thru ur eyes!

I (L) Juicy

The MUA went for lunch with N and J today.

Me: *lifted and wiggled arm holding Juicy for attention*
N&J: *oblivious*
Me: *wiggled J bag summore*
N&J: *oblivious*
Me: A-HEM!
N&J: Huh...?
Me: *wiggled Juicy again*
N&J: *blank faces*
Me: *gave up and pointed to Juicy*
N&J: Ohh......

N: *crinkle nose*
N: Its so... you.
J: Ya... *wrinkle brow*
J: So Erin.
Me: 0_0
Me: =_="

Is that supposed to be a bad thing?!?!!?

I dun care. I still <3>

Yeah! Choose Juicy y'all!

Resolution gone wrong

I didn't mean to.

But...

Sigh...

At least that's one brand off my bag collection wish list.

Yvonne Foong

I had the priviledge and honour to do Yvonne Foong's makeup yesterday.

I saw her pictures of her ballerina days and heard her story. Though she can't hear me, I heard her. Her speech is still fluent, and behind the slow movements there is a quick brain.

I can't believe how much she had to endure, how strong and beautiful she is.

Yvonne Foong is raising funds to remove the tumour that is causing her to go completely blind. She is already deaf in both ears, and blind in one eye. Help her save her one remaining eye by donating money here!

Rocker Red

Red is a difficult colour to work with.

Red lips may be The Ultimate Sexy for our ang moh counterparts, but subtle glossy lips are what works for most of us yellow skinners.

But red eyeshadow? Gone are the days when pink eyes, pink cheeks and pink lips were the 'in' form of makeup. And every MUA will tell u red is a difficult colour to play with.

Not when you get a rocker chick liddis tho.

Final result

WIP to show you close up of the eyeshading

And yes... I still dunno how to PS lar.............................

Anyhoo, I thought red eyeshadow was most apt to match her red highlights and red amidst her B&W shirt.

Super shaky pic, but you get the gist.

So don't buy red unless you're an MUA who does makeup for rockers liddis. Heh.

i eliee u

Jill MSN-ed me after reading about my relocation woes.

Jill: You hae a lot of toiletries huh.
(Jill's keypad sot-sot and she lost her 'b' and 'v'.)
Me: Yeah... And I gave a lot away already. But my shelf is still overflowing, with bottles lying around with nowhere to go.
Jill: You won't use the things you store deep inside anyway. Why do you keep them?
Me: Cos I just keep thinking "Maybe I'll use it one day."
Jill: HAHAHHAHAH!
Jill: YA YA!

Me: I'm determined to get rid of most of my junk.
Me: I'm NOT gonna buy any more toiletries till I finish what I've got!
Jill: Rememer ur determination ok!
Me: I'm NOT.
Jill: Erm...
Me: I'M NOTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!
Jill: ........
Me: I'm trying to convince myself.
Me: Can you help or not.
Jill: Ok...
Jill: I eliee u.

Wet or Dry

The MUA was asked today...

Q: Does liquid foundation clog pores?
A: In a way it does as liquid foundation doesn't claim to be non-comedogenic. But really, most of the products we use do not claim to be non-comedogenic anyway. This includes your moisturisers, cleansers etc.

Good foundations cling to skin but wash off with the right makeup remover, and offers great coverage.

If you have really sensitive skin, try mineral makeup which is generally non-comedogenic.

Q: Should I use powder or liquid foundation then?
A: It depends on the coverage you want. I love the effect of liquid foundation. It provides a truly 'flawless' yet 'natural' look.

However, if you just started on makeup, can't be bothered, and have relatively good skin, a 2-way cake (powder with foundation) will do. Powder by itself, however, is not a foundation and doesn't provide lasting coverage. Make sure you get the right one by asking the counter MUA!

MUA Relocation Woes

Ms Pole Dancer went over to my place after the dinner to help me too.

PD: So how can I help?
Me: You could help me unpack the toiletries...?
Me: I have a lot of toiletries.
PD: Sure.

10 minutes later.
PD: Done!
Me: Err... There's still this box.

5 minutes later.
PD: Is that it?
Me: Erm, no. Two more boxes over there.

15 minutes later.
PD: Tada!
Me: Yay!
Me: But there's still another box here.

5 minutes later.
Me: And there's another box here.
PD: Ok... You weren't kidding when you said you have a lot of toiletries.
Me: *sheepish*
PD: And there's no more space in your shelf.

Sigh... I suppose I should start using finish all my toiletries first before buying new ones...

In the meantime, a picture of Ms Poley for you to enjoy.

Quickie

I know. I should've wished everyone happy v-day.

But I've been soooooooooo bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

*wan to cry*

French class. Makeup work. Church. V-day dinner. V-day after dinner. Move house. Buying furniture. Kena saman. Unpacking.

I am now officially orang cheras.

Sob.

Makeup and Confidence

My passion doesn't really lie in makeup.
Nor in skincare. Or hair. Or clothes.

What I love... is the overall package of confidence.

I'm not talking about just loving yourself the way you are yadda yadda yadda. Yes, that is important. And if you do, with or without makeup, that is something good!

But true confidence is linked with influence.

And like it or not, people are attracted to people with confidence.

And I'm not talking about the loud man in the 500 dollar suit, who speaks loudly to let the whole world hear about his plans to meet Abdullah Badawi.
Or the bubbly lady, who makes up for her shortcomings by being extra friendly and outgoing, to draw the attention she wants to herself.

I'm talking about true. Pure. Quiet. I-know-who-I-am. Confidence.

And despite all the teachings against makeup.
Religious makeup-is-vanity-and for-whores-only.
I-am-green and don't put any chemical stuff on myself.
New age do-whatever-you-want-to-do-even-if-it-means-u-look-like-a-hoe concept.

If you're in a developed country, makeup is now considered courtesy. Part of an overall package of presentability.

Consider Lady A. Pretty, intelligent, mature, down-to-earth speaker.
And then Lady B. Pretty, intelligent, mature, down-to-earth speaker.
But without makeup.

I consider it denial to not accept that makeup plays a big part in a woman's image.

I want to take makeup out of its negative connotation.

Makeup isn't restrictive.
Makeup isn't slutty.
Makeup isn't always bad for skin.

Instead, I believe...

Makeup is a tool.
Makeup is fun.
Makeup helps connect people.

And when I see that girl speaking on stage. Or talking with her friends. Or walking the catwalk. Or singing like there's no tomorrow.

I like to think that makeup played a part. In helping her know that...
She's more than makeup.

She's an overall package of confidence.

Origins Foam Cleanser

Am currently loving...

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Foam Wash

Perfect for oily/ combination skin. It has a 'smart' technology that allows the cleanser to wash out all the excess oil under your skin, and at the same time, insert moisture to replenish the dryness.

Add in Tourmaline, the magic ingredient that allows you to only use a little dollop for your whole face!

When tourmaline crystals warm, as they can when they are rubbed onto the skin, they have the unique feature of becoming positively charged at one end, and negatively charged on the other. It is this feature that makes tourmaline so effective at increasing the absorption of nutrients into the skin, so that the skin can be healed and protected as a result. Because tourmaline is an energizing crystal as well, it can contribute to the vitality of the skin, making it appear more radiant and youthful. When combined with other ingredients, tourmaline can become an effective moisturizer, exfoliate, and anti-aging formula.
- Source: Carefair

Even LaMer, the super expensive skincare range, uses this ingredient.

End result: Smooth clean skin minus the tight feeling, with cash to spare in your wallet.

So cool, no?

The sales lady tried washing the back of my hand and it felt so smoooootttthhhh....

I passed my hand around to my cousins who were with me to check the 'smooth test', and it passed and amazed everyone!

I bought the limited edition 250ml bottle for RM100. Normal price is RM88 for 150ml.

Meet Lolli

Small Sis MSN-ed me today.

SS: I can't believe you got the Pink Ixus!! Is it the same one as mine??
Me: Err... I dunno which one is urs.
SS: Mine is Canon. Ixus. Pink.
Me: Erm, then ya. Its da same.

SS: Copycat!
Me: Hello. I'M da pink lover. YOU da copycat!
SS: I got mine half a year ago! You could've gotten a different camera.
Me: You could've gotten a different colour.
SS: What other colour? Der are no other colours.
Me: Any one la. But me?? Der's not other colour option for me.
Me: I mean, really.
Me: Can you imagine me with a BLACK camera?
SS: ...
Me: Or a SILVER one???
SS: -_-
Me: Or worst still. A BLUE one?!?!?!??!?!?
SS: Wateva la.
Me: Ugh. UGH. UGH!

Anyhoo. I have decided to source for a super cool pink lanyard to differentiate between Small Sis' and mine Pink Eeexoos!
Now I just need to find one.

In da meantime. Random pics I took with Lolli!!!

(Yes, dats my new pink camera's name.)
(Short for Lollipop.)
(Sometimes I is so bimbo I kennot stand meself.)

Lookie! Lolli's namesake. I tot it fitting. ^^


A cracked mirror (now u know how vain I am)
and random brochures I stick around my cubicle.

The wall behind where I sit at work.

My pink Eeexooos

The banana MUA who speaks limited canton walked into a camera shop in LowYat today and asked to see the Canon Ixus.

Attempts to speak in English was met with a blank stare. Mandarin wasn't any much better. So the guy decided to take matters into his own hands and start speaking to me in cantonese.

I burbled and gurgled the best I could. Luckily I already knew what colour and model I wanted.

But when the time came to bargain the price, I reached into the far recesses of my brain for enough canton words to do the bargainning.

After 30 more seconds of pretending to look through the functions of the camera, I gave up and just told him I'd take it.

The dude was so ecstatic to having succesfully get a full price deal, he was extra nice to me when I asked in my broken canton if there was any other colour for the camera casing, and immediately offered the rare pink one the shop ppl hid at the back of the shop.

Oh well. At least one item off my wish list.

Off to take some piccies!

Sunset Love @ Bondi Beach, the Curve

I love Valentine's Day.

With or without a bf, V Day is my second favorite overrated-Hallmark-hyped festive, after Christmas.

What's not to like about it? Its a day to celebrate love!

I make sure I celebrate it every single year. Even when I have a bf-of-the-mo, if he's not as important, I ditch him for the frens.

After all. Its not about lovers love to me. Its about everlasting love. Love with The One. Love with your family. Love with your BFFs.

And is not love the most beautiful emotion in the world?

"I have searched this world. And I find no greater high. No bigger adrenaline rush. Than this emotion called love." - Ex-Skaterboy Seng

And if you're at odds on what to do, check out Bondi Beach @ the Curve this weekend.

Sunset luuuuurrrrrvvvveeeee is what its all about.

Click on the picture to view the full sized pic.
And also to see that "i call it art" is one of the sponsors of the event.

"Forget about up-tight candle light dinners and even tighter formal dress clothes to wear."
"Chill and groove with your loved one to sensous sound waves by our spindoctor DJ Andy C."
"An exquisite array of door gifts and lucky draw prizes are also to be given away because a party's not complete without presents!"

You get a DJ. Intimate cosy environment. Free gifts. Lucky draw. And good food (you can read sixthseal.com's review here).

Call 03-7729 2441 for a booking today!

Stage Art

Hello. This is weitieng, one of the actresses of a stage play who's makeup I did.

It seems that the colours of my makeup don't really show up on pictures.

How ar liddat??
I wonder how cheesie and ricebunny do it.

Anyhoo, if you notice, my darling friend helped me PS my pic and replace it with stickgal's, just to piss the idiot off.

And the original pic was taken from WT's blog. She PS-ed the original photo herself.

Sigh. I wish I was a designer.

Happy getting irritated!

FAQ

Q: What is dis blog about exactly?
A: Edited 13/10/09 7:10pm 
When I first started this blog it was with the intention to just provide a website to show my makeup works. 


Until I realized. 

My passion isn't makeup. Its people. 

I write to educate. To show aspects of the fashion/ beauty/ media/ entertainment world that the layman Malaysian wouldn't usually be exposed to. 





Q: Do you really work as a Writer/ MUA/ Trainer/ Event Mgmt contact/ Talent Manager or are these just glam titles?
A: Unfortunately/ fortunately yes I do. But all on a part time basis. I need to start a 'support Erin' fund so I can work on all these things full time instead.



Q: So what do you do full time?
A: I don't particularly want to share this unless you're actually a friend of mine. But lets just say it links to the Fashion/ Beauty industry. But really. Its not one of those "glam" jobs you'd think. My part time jobs are what feed my happiness.


Q: Why "i call it art"?
A: I always envied artistic people. My practical left brain always fought against my creative right brain and somehow made me screwed up so that I'm only so good at maths, and also massively lacking in the creative department.

Then I found out I could do makeup, and used this to feed my starving creative side. So I call it art.

Q: Then why 'youcallitmakeup.blogspot.com'?
A. Duh.

Q: Do you work solo as a MUA?
A: Yes and no. This blog/ brand was created by me. But should there be a job that requires more MUAs/ hairstylists, I do have a team of people I can resource.

Q: How much do you charge for your makeup/ training services?
A: It depends on the distance I need to travel, your skin type (extra sensitive skin requires extra expensive stuff), the type of makeup you want done, the number of people done in one shot, the amount of time required etc. But a general guideline would be RM50 per face for normal makeup, RM150 for bridal/ stage, RM100 - RM200 for a short training session.

Q: Are you available 24/7?
A: Makeup is a side job. Since my branding is on affordable services, the only time I can take out for you is during my weekends/ public holidays. Lets be real. I'm not doing this for money. If I were, I'd focus only on bridal makeup and charge RM600 per day like the rest of the MUAs out there.

Q: How many years experience do you have as a MUA?
A: It depends on what you consider as experience. I've been dabbling with makeup since I was a teen. Read this to know it all began. But I stopped when I left high school and only restarted again three years ago after winning a competition.

Q: Do you have a makeup cert?
A: No. I make this clear to all my clients. I understand that paper qualifications is important to some people, and I don't want anyone to feel like they were conned to pay for 'unqualified' services. 

I am though, trained as a trainer. 

Q: So why don't you just go learn?
A: I don't want to seem like I have a big head. But so far I have found no makeup schools in Malaysia that seem worth attending. Maybe in the future (when someone donates me enuff money), I'll fly to Japan/ USA to learn.

Q: So where DO you learn your makeup from?
A: Anywhere and everywhere.

I watch TV. I google online. I read books. I read beauty blogs. I watch professional MUAs at work and ask questions. I keep in contact with people in the Malaysian makeup industry.

I try out everything I learn, and I do makeup for others on a weekly basis to keep my skills finetuned.

Its all about practicing and knowing what works through experience.

Q: How can I make a booking/ enquiry?
A: Email me at erinwwc[at]gmail[dot]com.

Q: How do you look like?
A: If you're not my friend/ client, you don't need to know.

Edited 17 June 2009 4:03pm
See my profile pic.

Q: Why don't you post pictures of yourself?
A: Cos I'm not delusional to think I'm pretty enough to be gathering more blog hits by posting pictures of me me and me.

Edited 17 June 2009 4:03pm
I caved in to my vain self. Pics of me are now everywhere.

Q: Nice logo.
A: Thanks. Courtesy of my gorgeous friend, pamsong, who slaved away till 5am just to finish it, and made me fall on the ground and weep with gratitude.

Mommy Woes

And the new mommy (and noob to me makeup) said...

"Eh. Don't make me up till my baby can't recognise me ah!"

I haven't figured out how to PS yet lar...

Bonus baby pic

I guess I don't blame her. Pretty baby she is. I wud be scared if she dun recognise me no more.

Trust in those hands

One of the hardest things about being an MUA is not knowing what looks good on the customer, but convincing the client that it will look good.

Since I started doing makeup for other people three years ago till now, I think I heard them all.

"I want BLUE eyeshadow!"
"Can you put fairer foundation to make me look fairer plssssss."
"I'll look auntie!!"
"Pink. I only do pink."
"My eyelashes are too long."
"My eyes are too big."
"I'll look like a cartoon."
"This is my first time. Go easy on me."
"Use the other mascara on me. The waterproof one if hard to wash off."
"You mean I need to use makeup remover?"

I've learnt to listen 'smart'. ie. Be confident, do the best I can, and show the client the end result first.

More often than not, once they see the end result, they is happy people.

=D

Cliche of the day: Believe in yourself!

On Facebook

Ok, I FINALLY managed to figure it out!
(Told you I'm not techy.)

Click here to go to our FB page!!

I'm already thinking about the sort of promos and giveaways I should be doing for 'i call it art'.

I can't wait!

Red Light

ARGH@!!!! Facebook refuses to let me sign up on an account with the name 'The MUA'.

Wad is dis laaaaaaaaaa.............

Yellow Light

I was supposed to spend money today.

Plan failed after a night of vomitting urges, splitting headaches, and nightmares of rats making nests in my wardrobe.

My pink Canon will just need to wait till Monday when I'm nearer to LowYat.

And I left the pictures I wanted to upload here at my office computer! Argh!

In the meantime, TomatoOnion was the hero of the day yesterday by offering his photoshop CD. No more torrent woes!

I and technology is not good fwen. I didn't know what torrent was, or how to download stuff till two weeks ago.

I suppose that why makeup and me work. And all the other creative thingamajigs don't. Cos they involve techy gadgets. (Ok, fine. 'Cept for painting. And drawing. And singing. And I consider musical instruments as gadgets.)

Now I gotta get started on creating a FB page for my baby.

Join the group if you see it!

Wuv for All

I need to buy a camera.

I need to learn how to photoshop.

All for the sake for zis blog.

See blog? Say u luv me.

SAY IT.

And say u wuv pammie for doing up your gorgeous logo. I think I shall name her Alex.

And don't forget to thank Sue, for adding your name on the official print (for some reason it doesn't show when I upload it. Will figure it out and upload later.)

Sigh... All this love and goodwill is making me giddy with excitement.

Are u happy, blog? I am. =)

Next up. PICTURES!

The Brand

With so many freelance makeup artists in the market, I didn't see the need for another to be mentioned in another wedding forum discussion.

Yes, the bridal market may be the most lucrative, but my love for art screams against the mundaneness of doing bridal makeup alone for a living.

I love colour. Creativity. Art.

I believe makeup should be affordable.
I believe makeup should be made available to everyone.
I believe makeup knowledge should be shared with everyone.

And most importantly, I want people to see makeup as a positive catalyst. A creative outlet, a method of bonding, a tool to build confidence.

So here, I do not brand myself as just a freelance makeup artist.

I offer my services as a trainer/ speaker, grooming instructer, personal grooming consultant, runway makeup artist, stage/ film makeup artist, concert makeup artist, everyday makeup artist, and in addition, bridal makeup artist.

I talk to my models about their skin, their beauty line, their makeup products.
I teach them how to curl their lashes, what products to buy.
I stand in front of a classroom and don't stick with the instruction book and give bare minimal knowledge, but share tips that I hope would help them.

I speak the truth if the combination doesn't work. But I also stick around to help you make it work better.

Its all about improving ourselves. And when I share more, I believe I learn more.

I'm out to change people's perception on makeup and creativity. Starting with "i call it art".


Erin, The Idealist MUA - believing in change

How It All Began

During my secondary school days, my friends and I were part of the Cultural Club of our school.

We learnt how to dance and went around Miri performing at different locations.

Our school got paid. We didn't.

But you just can't perform without makeup! And without any budget for our beautifying purposes (we literally had makeup slapped onto our faces resulting in pink eyes, pink cheeks and pink lips) thus a teenager's stumbling journey with multi-coloured powders and rich hued creams began.