Ms. Madge Lejano – Brides and Beyond

In an industry saturated by dilettantes, how do successfully handpick suppliers who can deliver the needs of your once in a lifetime event?

In just a few months I’m going to marry the man I fervently prayed to God for. Wohoo, Amen! Of course, being part of the wedding industry myself I thought planning was going to be a breeze. Wrong! I know too much about the industry that I know every possible thing that could go awry, hence, the paranoia. I wanted the best suppliers because I’ve attended too many weddings and it planted in my mind the perfect wedding dream team.

For this wedding blog entry I’m going to talk about the lady who pioneered the many firsts in the wedding industry, Ms. Madge Lejano. You’ve probably seen her works in print, online, and with celebrities.

I’ve been musing at her works for quite some time, but I never had a chance to personally meet, or catch her in bridal fairs… Until Brides and Beyond.

Brides and Beyond has got to be one of the most well curated bridal fairs in the country. From their top notch wedding suppliers, to the biggest bridal giveaways – they truly are the bridal fair to look out for.

I don’t really spend so much time on Instagram, but when BnB raffled off free services from the roster of premier wedding suppliers I did not hesitate to join. To be honest, I didn’t think I had a chance, but with cost of a decent wedding being wildly extravagant, trying sounded reasonable.

To my surprise I won a free make up trial with makeup artist extraordinaire Ms. Madge Lejano. I was literally jumping when I was told I won. I got more excited to schedule our prenup shoot knowing that I will be in good hands with Ms. Madge.

To be honest I was slightly intimidated, knowing that this highly esteemed makeup artist has worked with top-notch celebrities. Nevertheless, I have a prenup shoot to pull off and I just wanted to look great in photos. 😊 I scheduled with her and woke up early for my appointment at her makeup studio in Makati.

Upon arriving she was all set up and greeted me with a smile. Instantly, felt comfortable and started feasting my eyes on her makeup collection.

I got more excited seeing her airbrush equipment at the ready. I thought it was so generous of her to use her finest products on me considering I just won the free service.

 

I had a bad breakout that day and committed the mistake of getting a facial before my prenup shoot, which apparently was not a good idea. Ms. Madge advised me that I should give my skin ample time to heal, except with big acne’s that needs to get injected to immediately heal.

Being the nosy host that I am, I didn’t miss the opportunity to know more about Ms. Madge and her humble beginnings in the industry. I had the most entertaining/ refreshing conversation with her. From all the blunders and challenges she had to go through to get to where she is today is just commendable.

 

Here’s the final outcome and I couldn’t be happier. #nofilter

For my hair, she had Carlene Lucero do subtle beach waves on my locks.

Overall, Ms. Madge did a phenomenal job in giving my face a flawless finish, concealing all blemishes,  and what’s more important is that her work looks good in person and in photos. You can win it all with a professional makeup artist!

I felt so elated from the entire experience and even feeling aisle ready that day! I think Madge and Carlene really make a perfect tandem for any bride seeking to achieve a timeless, elegant look for their special day.

Unedited Photo by Lito Sy

 

Thank you Ms. Madge, Carlene and the event who made this possible – Brides and Beyond! ❤

 

 

You can see more of her stunning portfolio of jobs through her social media accounts below.

The Makeup Studio Manila by Madge Lejano

141 Zodiac Street Palm Village

Makati

@madgelejano

Call 0917 894 9480

Brides and Beyond

https://www.facebook.com/bridesandbeyondph/

Crafty Nails: Review

I’ve never been loyal to any nail salon since I really go for convenience and value. I also can’t remember being extremely satisfied with nail arts, hence, the nail salon hopping. I’ve gone to the most high-end to the friendly neighbourhood parlor to get my digits groomed. I was determined to pay Crafty Nails a visit in Mayon, Quezon City after being handed a flyer in one of the events I hosted. I thought their designs were modern, classy and it suited my style. I tried calling them to book a schedule, but wasn’t able to do so coz their lines weren’t working. Even so, I took the chance to go and just walk-in. It took me 15minutes to get there from D. Tuazon and didn’t encounter any trouble looking for the place. At the ground floor of Mayon Galleria, you will immediately spot their catchy, rustic looking nail salon.

To my relief I was instantly accommodated and seated. I couldn’t find any designs I wanted at the moment from their IG account so, I got creative and told them what I had in mind. First, they needed to take out my 2 weeks old Gel polish. What turns me off about Gel polish is the process of removing it. I hate the feeling of my nails heavily scraped and based from experience, my nails would end up rough and my cuticles thinner and traumatized. By far, Crafty Nails has executed the most delicate and cleanest gel polish removal on my nails. I was surprised to see how clean and smooth my nails were after they removed my gel polish with glitters pa.

I had Janice work on my hands, and another nail technician on my feet. I had some important events lined up so I was feeling a lot OC about my nail art. I found a peg I liked, and, even though they’ve never done anything like it before it didn’t stop them from trying. How Janice (nail tech) managed to stay calm, cool and collected for 4 hours to accomplish what I wanted for my nails is beyond me. From removing my gel polish, helping me arrange the positions of the Swarovski, to ensuring that the stones and finish is secured and comfortable for me is very notable. They even went as far as buying glitters from the store to help me get to the look I wanted. It may not have been spot on, but they really went for the extra mile which is rare, to think their boss wasn’t even around.

My Gel-mani costs 350php plus the stones, which ranges from 15-45php depending on the design. I was really happy about it since I remember paying that amount for a simple manicure in some expensive nail salons. After going to Crafty Nails I realized great service and glamorous nails doesn’t have to be so expensive. Gel pedicure is at 450php, but you get a discount for both your hands and feet at 700php.

They offer WiFi, beverage and a cozy rustic ambiance to make sure you’re relaxed and pampered to your utmost satisfaction.

I would pay them another visit and try out other bolder designs. Thank you to all their amazing staff for doing an excellent job in making sure I leave happy and satisfied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GF/ Mayon Galleria

Quezon City, Philippines

IG @ilovecraftynails

 0995 085 9848

Lip Shading, YUMI Lashes, Eyebrow Embroidery, Invisible Eyeliner and Everything Nice at Strokes by Momoi Supe

 

Waking up has been an absolute delight after my face went for the full production number😂 at Strokes by Momoi Supe. To break it down for you guys I had my eyebrow embroidery, invisible eyeliner, YUMI Lashes and Lip Shading done a couple of months ago. I waited to see its fullest effect before blogging about it to give you guys a full, extensive review on each beauty service.

Here’s a peek at Strokes by Momoi Supe – Greenbelt branch

 

 

 

As seen on my previous post I had really sparse and uneven eyebrows until my Eyebrow Embroidery with Keighty Wong over a year ago.  I went to see her again for a retouch, which I didn’t badly need since my eyebrows still are pretty well defined. Even so, I paid her a visit coz wanted to check out her new work station at Strokes in Greenbelt, and I thought the retouch might look good for my upcoming travel shoots.

I was highly impressed when I walked in Strokes by Momoi Supe. They have their friendly and knowledgeable staff to assist you with your schedule and all you need to know about the procedure you’re about to get. The place is swanky, spacious and has a very relaxing and comforting scent.

I sat to wait for my session and had anesthesia applied on my brows. My eyes got busy observing the place and also inadvertently checking out their team members who have gone through some of their procedures (SD eyebrows, eyeliner tattoo, shaded lips, etc..) In doing so, I was introduced to the semi-permanent invisible eyeliner. This procedure will give your eyes the illusion of thicker and fuller lashes. Keighty showed me the work done on Jhe Siwon’s eyes – the invisible eyeliner and YUMI lashes. I really thought it looked pretty and so natural I couldn’t even tell what sorcery they did to achieve that hypnotic look.

I had the time to spare and it was so cozy in their “Beauty Studio” I didn’t mind spending a couple more hours there to try out their other services. Of course, like most of you I’m freaking out inside coz they’ll be running a needle through my lashline, a thin and sensitive part of my face. But then, I guess they’ve really earned my trust having gone through some procedures with them before.

Let me walk you through the eyebrow embroidery procedure.:)

Topical anesthesia is applied,

Their team of eyebrow experts will guide you in deciding the perfect arch suited for your face,

Eyebrow area will be trimmed and shaped,

Then painless microblading begins.

And after 30 minutes or so, you will achieve well defined and natural looking eyebrows that resembles actual hair.

And as they say , it’s all about the strokes. 

At Strokes by Momoi Supe they understand the distinction from natural to what has been around for so many years- the solid and gaudy drawn facial tattoo.

Lip Shading anyone? I would never in my wildest state of mind ever consider Lip Shading😂 But after hanging out long enough at Strokes by Momoi Supe and seeing this Fil-Chi girl who seemed to have a low pain threshold get this procedure done without flinching or saying ouch.. I got jealous 😒

Like I’ve mentioned before they have really good topical anesthesia that works (kung pwede Lang gamitin sa broken heart 💔 ikayayaman talaga nila😂) I felt it sting a few times but nothing too painful that would make me regret getting it done. 3 weeks later, I’m happier than ever! 😊I can now do my food vlogs without worrying about lipstick touch ups.

I also took their aftercare instructions seriously by constantly clearing out the chapping of my lips with wet wipes and getting the Lip balm treatment. It’s a medicated balm that expedites the healing of your freshly shaded lips, and has lidocaine to relieve any stinging sensation.

See my before and after photo  🙂

Thank you Keighty for talking me into this and Jay Jayrald for doing a great job on my lips. 

Here’s the video link to my lip shading procedure:

 

You can also inquire about YUMI for sparse and lifeless lashes to effortlessly complete your “smize” (I quote Tyra banks). YUMI is natural looking, and it will give your lashes a fresh lift to make those peepers pop. 😉You can have it done a week after the invisible eyeliner.

 

It’s nothing like the ubiquitous eyelash extensions, YUMI is a keratin treatment that will help bring life those sparse, thinning lashes.

The procedure is a breeze and quite relaxing honestly. They would clean your lashes, apply 2 different kinds of treatment, and give it a nice lift to make those lashes look alive and perky.

Expect fuller, thicker and a semi-permanent curlash effect without looking like the old-fashion curl which is a letter C backwards 😓.

Here’s the link to my YUMI Lashes Procedure:

More than looking at the cost of the procedure, it’s really important to see the value of what you’re getting. The most valuable thing Strokes by Momoi Supe was able to give me is time. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that the time I spend in applying make up was reduced from 25mins to just 5 minutes.

I’m sincerely a fan of their work and the artistry provided by the team of Strokes by Momoi Supe. It’s premium and impeccable I can’t stop raving about them, even to people I just met.
Getting Momoi Supe’s team to work on your face truly life changing. Save time and money on makeup and literally say “I woke up like this”.

Schedule to get your semi-permanent makeup by calling 📞0916 774 9497 and visiting them at Unit 114 G/F Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas, Ayala Center. Makati

Or check out their latest branch at the Vertis North📞0956-677-0350

Kwentong Kilay: Keighty Wong – The Brow Expert Experience

I’m someone who moonlights as a makeup artist, but it’s never too easy to achieve that perfectly arched brows. Being an OC, shaping my brows indisputably consumes so much of my time. I use pencil, powder, gel… grabe ang effort ko bes para lang burahin ko siya at the end of my day!

There was the traditional eyebrow tattoo which I never considered… seeing how it looked on my amah (grandma) I really don’t want anything like that drawn permanently on my face. Fortunately, the beauty industry never stops evolving. We are presented with numerous options on how we can look prettier, sleek and up-to-date. For a strong brow game the 3D eyebrow embroidery is firmly holding its place on top.

After doing much research, I came across Keighty Wong’s profile and compared it to the work of others offering eyebrow micro-blading. Her portfolio looked good, a lot of rave reviews on her work, plus her services are reasonably priced.

As seen on the photo below, my eyebrows without makeup is sparse and just plain confused 😦 , until..

My sleek Korean Eyebrows done by Keighty Wong from Strokes by Moimoi Supe ☺️😘 I’m so excited to wake up with fully groomed brows! It was quick, painless, and the value added chikka was an added treat! 😍Thanks Keighty, Fen and Je for patiently walking me through the entire procedure. The finished work is gorgeous, natural looking and expertly done!💋💋See you guys for my retouch.😘💕 #3Dbrow

So after 9 months…and other #kwentongkilay

I must’ve done something wrong today to fall into the hands of a sadistic aesthetician. This is by far the most excruciating facial experience ever!#boyfieTreats😌 😩 On a happier note, the facial lady warned me that my eyebrows will be erased after she clears my skin from make up.😁😋 ehehe Well, after just one session from Keighty Wong The Brow Expert my semi-permanent SD brows managed to stay put. It truly withstood my series of exfoliation😄😁

Will soon post Part 2 when I get my “Retouch” 🙂

Schedule to get your eyebrows on fleek by calling 0916 774 9497

and visiting them at

Unit 114 G/F Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas, Ayala Center.

Makati

Skin Philosophie to the Rescue

Just like the most of you, I’ve always dreamed of having a silky “kutis-artista” skin. Having this seemingly expensive goal, I thought of ways to improvise and come up with my own DIY treatments, which led me to a site offering a DIY deep skin peel home kit. This site sold oil peels that will penetrate deep into the epidermis resulting to thick sloughing of the skin.

The site photos looked appealing, and my friend seemed to be happy with her results, so I decided to purchase a set for myself. The package didn’t come with instructions, but the online seller will send you the “how to” after you’ve received your package.

It took 3 days of tormenting application. I needed to dry the thick oil out, while dealing with the stinging sensation that came with the experience. I was sleepless for nights, because of the discomfort, and would occasionally scratch myself inadvertently mostly during my sleep. Here’s a photo of the peeling process:

After 3 days of application= sleepless nights and lots of discomfort

To get to the bottom of it, the peel didn’t do me good. I don’t necessarily blame the peel, maybe it was too harsh for me that it made the treated areas darker!! Opposite of what the product was supposed to do. I literally looked like a Zebra  after applying the peel only in specific areas of my body. My heart dropped, and my family poked fun at me for experimenting with myself.

     Oh, my poor inflamed skin after my DIY peel 😦

I learned a valuable lesson in economizing when it comes to skin care, aesthetics and the like. Just as I gave up on the idea of escaping from my Zebra skin, my boyfriend suggested I visit highly esteemed dermatologists to see what they can do to solve the problem. Unfortunately, the cost to even just get my normal skin back is ridiculously expensive. As in I have to pay 80x more for what I spent on the peel solution (just dreadful!). After a few more asking around, I discovered that Skin Philosophie by Dra. Kyla Talens in Taguig offered a solution that is of par to those luxurious clinics, at a much friendlier rate! 😊 I was so relieved to know that there is hope to get my normal skin back, and even better.

Skin Philosophie prides its clinic with highly trained dermatologists, and state of the art equipment that offers solution to any skin related concerns. They know exactly what to do, and would cordially answer any issues their clients may have until fully comfortable and satisfied to proceed with a recommended treatment.

For my skin dilemma, they suggested I do Cutera- this technology will treat the appearance of scars and help lighten the skin after trauma (from the burn that is). Here are my photos after only 1 session of Cutera.

4weeks after my 1st session with Cutera 🙂 the line is barely noticeable

To give you an idea, Cutera is a laser treatment that directly targets pigmention on skin, helping it to lighten up and restore skin elasticity as it heals. The treatment takes less than an hour depending on the area.

Got this photo from their site 🙂 not sure if this was the same treatment I had

I’m so ecstatic, that I won’t have to deal with my Zebra legs, especially that I’ll be tying the knot soon. I’m so grateful that Dra. Kyla Talens is so patient and nurturing to her clients, giving them a peace of mind and clear idea of the treatment they’re getting. What’s blows my mind even more is that you won’t have to spend a fortune to get the exact treatment celebrities get to achieve that “kutis-artista” skin.

Cutera recommends 3-4weeks interval for best results 😊 not bad at all, considering 1 treatment already showed obvious results.

                                                       I’m so happy that their statement is true 🙂

Learn more about Skin Philosophie by Dra. Kyla Talens, their great immaculate correction deals and offered treatments through their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/skin.philosophie/?fref=ts

Clinic Address: 9th Avenue corner Lane P, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City

Taguig

Call: 0917 866 4433