Ladies Who Lunch: The BusinessWorld Female Forum

The Forum

Listen to the makeup talk by professional makeup artist RB Chanco as she shared her beauty tips and tricks. Click here.

The Menu

The Ladies Who Lunch forum began with an elegant feast prepared by the culinary team of Brasserie Boheme by The Gustavian. See the menu here.

The Venue

The Ladies Who Lunch “Make it with Makeup” forum was held last July 2, 2010 at the Picasso Suite inside The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences.

The Goodie Bag

Check out what the ladies brought home after the Ladies Who Lunch "Make it with Makeup" forum. Click here.

Ladies Who Lunch 13: Make it with Makeup

It’s not rocket science, but let’s admit it, applying makeup is a skill that most of us, women, can’t quite master.

For countless times, beauty magazines have pointed out that makeup is one of the things that could make or break our look for the day. The wrong eyeshadow, a clumpy mascara, or an unflattering lipstick can spell disaster to any woman’s look.

Applying makeup can be tricky, but as professional makeup artists would tell us, the key is to “practice, practice, practice.” Not only that, to achieve flawless makeup – that is, without looking like a circus clown – we are also told to do a lot of research.

Now you might ask: Are there things women still need to know about makeup? Apparently there are, and you’ll be surprised just how many makeup no-no’s you could be doing. At the recent Ladies Who Lunch: The BusinessWorld Female Forum, professional makeup artist RB Chanco gave some 20 female guests a step-by-step guide to makeup application.

Now on its fourth year, the Ladies Who Lunch forum hosted by BusinessWorld and Herword.com took on a lighter subject. The forum was held at the Picasso Suite, inside the very artistic The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences in Makati City. The guests who were invited for an afternoon of vanity sharing,discussed over an elegant lunch, were all career women who are accomplished in their respective fields.

Busting makeup myths

The invitation-only event wasn’t just about Makeup 101. Chanco, who also teaches professional makeup courses at the School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA), revealed a few makeup myths that a lot of women have come to believe.

“[Ideally], you should leave your pressed powder at home. If you want to re-touch, just use an oil blotter,” she said. It was one of the few pointers that shocked the female guests who were invited to learn a few makeup tricks from one of the city’s most sought-after makeup artists.

Chanco said a lot of things have changed in the way we apply makeup. The availability of high technology cosmetics gave way to creative makeup techniques. Citing his training from a beauty academy in New York, she also said a lot of makeup rules are already outdated.

There are a number of different tricks and techniques that professional makeup artists have developed to make applying makeup easier. Chanco was generous enough to share these easy makeup steps, with a few tips and tricks:

I. Prepping
Makeup artist RB
Chanco demonstrates makeup prepping on host Issa Litton.

1. Just like painting, makeup preparation should always start with a blank canvas - a clean face. Begin by spritzing a facial spray (e.g. Evian facial spray) or cold water on your face to “awaken” the skin.

2. Apply toner to cleanse and hydrate the skin.

3. Apply oil-free moisturizer. Chanco said that women should moisturize three parts of the face: the eyes, the face, and lips.

Tip: Chanco revealed that tinted moisturizers are ideal only for colder climates. It’s best for women living in a hot climate to stick to oil-free moisturizers.

Trick: Chanco uses a large complexion brush (instead of sponge) to apply toner and moisturizer. She also uses a separate makeup palette (or any small dipping saucer will do) for the liquid makeup. This is so the brush doesn’t contaminate the makeup.

II. Priming
A six-shade foundation set
is useful in makeup priming.

1. Apply foundation to even out your complexion and provide a base for the makeup. Chanco said the latest invention in makeup foundation is the silicone-based primer, which functions like a thin veil that gives the face a matte, oil-free finish.

Tip: When buying makeup foundation, she advised not to try the shade on your hands. “ You should try it on your face instead because your face has a different skin tone compared with your hands,” she said. She also recommended to look for a foundation with built-in sun protection. This gets rid of the need of adding sunscreen in your makeup regimen.

Trick: Always apply makeup under a combination of daylight and tungsten light. Too much white or fluorescent light can make the skin look harsh, she said.

2. Apply face powder using buffer brush. One of the makeup myths that Chanco wanted to debunk was that the face powder is a woman’s best friend. She insisted that instead of using compact face powder to “re-touch”, women should bring oil-control film to prevent the shiny face.

III. Contouring
Contouring with makeup can make
your face look a few years younger.

If there’s still more time and you want your face to look a few years younger, Chanco recommended women to master the art of contouring. The idea of face contouring through makeup is to highlight the good parts of the face and minimize the bad ones.

Trick:To contour the face, use a foundation that is at least four shades darker than your skin. Create depth and shadow in areas such as the nose, cheeks and jaw.

IV. The Eyes

1. When applying eyeshadow, start from the hollow part of the eye right above the eyelashes. Apply a lighter shade of eyeshadow from the lashes to the crease in the eye. The next shadow should be two shades darker than the first, Chanco tipped.

2. “Eyebrows make or break the makeup,” Chanco said. She discouraged women from getting a permanent tattoo for the eyebrows because these become unattractive as women age.

Tip: When before, the color of the eyebrows should match one’s hair color, the trend now is that the shade should be different, not entirely opposite, one’s hair color.

Trick: When applying eyebrow liner, start with the arch first, then trace the line inward.
Applying mascara is one of the final
steps in the makeup process.

3. Then apply mascara. Chanco said it’s a good thing most mascara products today are waterproof, which prevents the so-called panda eyes.

Tip: Because mascara is a breeding ground for bacteria, it is recommended that you do not share it with anyone else. For the same reason, adding water to mascara isn’t advisable.

Trick: When applying mascara, Chanco bends the brush of the mascara to form a 90-degree angle with the handle. This makes it easier to flick the eyelashes upwards.

V. The cheeks and lips

Tip: Smile to identify the apples of your cheeks before applying cheek tint or blush on. As for the lips, Chanco said ditch the lipgloss; invest in a good lipstick instead.

These five steps may sound complicated to some, but with practice, Chanco said all these can be done in five minutes.

But of all these seemingly complicated makeup procedures, what would be the most important thing in a woman’s makeup regimen? “Time management,” she curtly replied.

“Makeup is something that boosts your confidence, so you have to do it right,” she added.

The Ladies Who Lunch “Make it with Makeup” forum was held last July 2, 2010 at The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences, which is located at 119 L.P. Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines. The forum was facilitated by TV host Issa Litton-Garrido.

The forum is an event by BusinessWorld and Herword.com. It is co-presented by School of Fashion and the Arts (SOFA), with special partner, The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences. The event was also made possible with the help of sponsors, namely; Paul & Joe, Celeteque, Mary Kay, FitFlop, VMV Hypoallergenics, Brasserie Boheme by The Gustavian, Shu Uemura and L’Oreal Paris, with exclusive media partner, BusinessWorld Highlife magazine. Text by Mira Gloria. Photos by Tiger.