Holiday Makeup Ideas

Holiday and Christmas parties are happening all around town and we all know that we gotta have a complete look from head to toe.  If you are having trouble thinking of makeup ideas here are a few classic Holiday Makeup Looks

1) Classic-  Red lip paired with a effortless chic eye, don't forget the lashes <3.  I recommend Ardell 120 Whispies for this look.  Red lipstick recommendations include MACs Ruby Woo,  Russian Red and  Makeup Forever Aqua Rouge  #49

2) Glam  :We all love a glam eye especially during the holiday season.  Some popular variation include gold/bronzes, silvers and green for a more cooler tone.

3) Playing it up: We dont have to over load on the eye shadow or have a bold lip.  Be a minimalist with just a bit of colour eye liner <3 You will still look fab with minimal work ;)

Have fun this Holiday Season and don't forget to smile and have fun! xoxo

Carmen Tse Makeup

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Winter Season Top 3 Lip Balms for Chapped Lips

Winter is here! ( Yes we had our first snowfall last weekend and its has been cold!).  I hate walking around during the Holiday Season with chapped, dry lips so I always carry something with me.  Here are the top 3 lip products I love!.  You always got to be ready for surprises under the Mistletoe right?

#1 Lucas Pawpaw Cream-  I have raved about this product before and it never lets me down, Ive stocked up a few times and seriously does wonders.  Lucas pawpaw cream is what Aussies called as their holy grail product.  A little bit goes along way and it has multiple uses ( rashes, burns, dry skin, etc).  You can purchase this online or if you are ever in Australia be sure to stock up ( I sure did)

#2 Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream- Another great product that I love,  I have used this for years ( started when I was in Makeup school).  It is a great medium to mix with your lipsticks, great that " shiny"look, subtle highlighting and of course lipbalm.  It does have a slight medicinal smell to it but I don't mind =)

#3 Rosebud Salve-  This is slightly tinted lipbalm, making your lips super soft with a minimal shine for those long cold Winter Days.  The price is very affordable starting at 7$ ( at Sephora).  Not waxy or slippery and provides just enough moisture for your lips.  A fan favourite all the way

Are there any lip must haves that I missed? Leave me a comment below, any question please feel free to email me at carmentsemakeup@gmail.com

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Free GIVEAWAY!

So I am in the spirit of giving :) ( its the Holiday Season) and I have 7 GIFT Cards to Giveaway. YUP  10!

I have
 4 - $25 Hair and Makeup Gift Cards
3- $100 Gift Cards ( Towards Celebrity Bridal Package)

How to Enter:

LIKE me on Facebook and post on my Wall "I want a FREE GIFT Card worth (Enter $25 or $100 depending on which one you want" OR

RT the following " I Want to win a FREE ( Enter Amount) Gift Card from @carmentsemakeup this Holiday Season"

OR Leave a Comment Below

Open to Vancouver + Lower Mainland only

Good Luck Everyone!
Draws Everyday for 10 Days

First Draw on Nov 27th

Carmen Tse
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Top 2 Favourite Foundations!

I have been asked what are my favourite foundations and here are my top 2 !

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation: This has been a favourite of mine for years!, Ultra light weight, build-able coverage and oh so smooth. Comes with a price but definitely worth it!

Makeup Forever HD Foundation: Amazing, if you are wanting medium to full coverage this is for you! Can be applied with brush, fingers, sponge, 2 pumps for your full face 

What is your favourite foundations? 

If you have any questions regarding tips/ products feel free to comment below or email me at carmentsemakeup@gmail.com
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Weddings happen not just during Summer!

    I had a pleasure of meeting Jessica and Eric through a local photographer in town named David Tam.  The wedding was schedule to be in November 7th ( not quite Winter but Summer was definitely over).  We had the pre wedding pictures on the same day as her trial because they were worried that the weather wouldn't be too good on Nov 7th. Pre Wedding Pictures are great times to fit your trial in as you get a chance to see how your makeup shows up in real pictures ( not selfies).  It gives you a chance to change up any makeup or hair details before the big day.  As you can see the makeup from the pre wedding changed on the wedding date it self.  A bit more glamour and you can definitely see the makeup!.  

    
                                        Pre Wedding Picture with Makeup and Hair from Trial

Wedding Hair and Makeup with tweaks

For enquiries for 2015 Wedding Season, please email me carmentsemakeup@gmail.com  Any budget big or small I can definitely work around it


Carmen Tse

I ♥ Wedding Season

Wedding Season is definitely  in full bloom~ I love being able to meeting brides who trust in me to perfect their makeup and hair look.  The time between the makeup artist and the bride is important as all eyes on the bride on the wedding date.  I believe communication is essential in creating the makeup and hair look.  Some tips  I would recommend for brides when hiring the makeup artist

-Do you research, do they have a website  or social media account
-How is their repor among other brides/clients ( reviews/testimonials and referrals are great)
-How responsive are they ( emails, phone calls etc-,I make it #1 priority to respond within mins or an hour or so )
-Lastly how  does the makeup look in pictures (its all about pictures on the wedding!)

I have a few spaces left for 2014 and also started booking into 2015~

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Motives Makeup

Recently I got the chance to try Motives Cosmetics by my friend Stefanie *waves*.  Motives is a makeup company located in the states which is known for their great colours, incredible pigments and it seems like alot of Instagram users have been raving about this!

I got to try the " Intelligent " Eyeshadow Trio which is great for my brown eyes, Its a mixture of 3 colours, pink, maroony and a deeper purple.  This is a great palette for Asian Eyes at weddings ;)















The other product I tried was " Manhattan" lipstick a true red lipstick.  I haven't found a lipstick that suits my skin tone in a while but this one does it just right!. I'm ready to paint the town Red now~

For any questions on Motives Cosmetics, don't forget to hit up Stefanie as shes wonderful and can answer all your questions!..

stefanie.johnson80@yahoo.com
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Have any of your tried Motives Cosmetics?

xo

Carmen Tse
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Trying a New Mascara

I want to give Tiffany a big shout out for having me try this new mascara. Tiffany was kind enough to introduce to be a new mascara called " Younique Mood Struck 3D Fiber Lashes", its a 3 step process which give you lashes a 300% increase.

You use the green tea transparent gel first to coat you lashes followed by the " fibers" then you seal the fibers with the green tea gel again.   I was quite concerned with this mascara at first as I didn't see any results but after a few times you can see my lashes are significantly alot longer and thicker =). They worked perfect for my Asian Eyes =) <3

 If any of you want to try give Tiffany a shout and she can def give you some pointers and tips, shes great!  For those on Instagram her handle is here 

Have any of you used this mascara and what are you thoughts?

xo
Carmen Tse
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Wish List =)

Its that time of year again and theres so many Spring/Summer Trends I am looking forward too.  Everytime I walk into Sephora or any makeup store I have to refrain my self from buying any more makeup.  Ive been a good girl lately and haven't gotten any thing haha There are 3 Top Makeup Items that are on my list tho!

1) Two Face Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick
"Shine of a gloss, lasting power of a stain and liquid lipstick pigment in a one high impact formula"

2) Maybeline Plumped Up Collosal Mascara- 

"Pumped up volume up to 16x with the first double shot brush that scoops up an extra shot of plumping formula for the most pumped up volumized lashes ever"

3) Bumble and Bumble Pret A Powder 

"An all in one powder featuring dry shampoo, style extender and volumizer in one"

These are my top 3 at the moment however my list grows daily. What is on your top 3 list for Spring/Summer Products?

Water Proof Me Please =)

Its mid April and we are heading into the hot, sweaty, humid days of Spring/Summer ( or am I just wishful thinking).  I love this time of the year, no more uggs, bundling up or wearing a million layers of shirts, sweaters, parkas, etc.  You can definitely call me a Summer Butterfly!.  Our makeup bags need a bit of adjustment too which brings me to this post today. Waterproof makeup~ =).  Alot of my brides get married in the Summer and we definitely do not want racoon eyes or makeup melting off their faces as they are walking down the street/ out door venue.  Here are my top 5 items/ products for all you Summer Beauties~.

#1-Waterproof Mascara.  My 2 favourites has to be Loreal Voluminous and Makeup Forever Aqua Lash, these 2 are staples in my kit and I wouldn't go anywhere without them.  Both are waterproof, long lasting and can be in your local drug store or Sephora ( Makeup Forever Only).  Don't forget to label what date you opened your mascara on tho as its always good to throw it out after a max of 3 months.  We dont want germs in our eyes, and this is the time where Sharing isn't allowed either ;)



#2- Eye Liner, -Its always hard to find a good liner that lasts all day, with no smudging, moving or melting.  One of my  faves has to be Stila All Day Eye Liner- the felt pen is easy to use and it doesn't get all over your lids.  A true cat eye/feline eye can also be be done with the precision of the felt pent .  However if you aren't a liquid eye liner pro yet;) , I strongly suggest Makeup Forever Aqua Liner- Waterproof, smudge proof and very affordable. A lil tip;) The Makeup Forever Aqua Liner can also be used as a base for a smokey eye for the evening <3

#3-Eye Shadow Base/Primer- Gone are the days where your shadow creases after an hour. All that time blended is all out the window before you leave your house.  My 2 favourite eye shadow primers has to be NARS and of course the Urban Decay Eye Potion. Nars is a no colour primer that locks in the shadow to prevent creasing and movement.  It also intensifies the colour while making the shadow last all day.  Urban Decay Eye Potion is a skin/neutral base that you can apply with your brush or fingers before your shadow to prolong the longevity of your makeup =)












#4- Blush On Blush Off- Blush is the first thing that wears off on your face, from all the smiling, laughing, giggling, hugging etc. Its always great to use a liquid blush/cream blush followed by a powder blush to lock it in.  Benefit's Benetint is another staple in my makeup bag.  Its a flushed colour which can be applied on the apples of your cheeks.  Just dab some on your finger/brush/sponge and sweep away ( be quick tho, it does has a quick drying time ).  There is also Posie Tint, Cha Cha Tint and Lolli Tint for the more adventurous beauties~

#5- Sprayed,Locked and Sealed.  Last step before you step out, Seal your makeup!.  Model in a Bottle has been one the Go-To products for my clients (hosts, brides, actresses).  This spray will literally give you insurance on your makeup. A couple of sprays and you are good to go.  Waterproof, sweatproof, tearproof ;) I stock up every few months as my clients reserve them, if you would like to try let me know! you won't regret it =)

    Are there any products I am missing that you absolutely love for the Summer? I would love to     know!

  

Xo Carmen  

                                                                                                         

Beauty from Down Under

     I recently have fallen in love again... with Australian products.  In 2011-2012 I had the pleasure to going to Australia for the very first time and loved it there. Although your typical "North American" brands like Loreal, Revlon, MAC, Maybeline were very pricy I noticed that "local Australian" products were very affordable!  My favourite product that I found on that trip was " Lucas Paw Paw Cream" which if you are Aussie, you def have this in your makeup kit somewhere.  Lucas Paw Paw Cream has just recently made its debut in North America on Beautylish  and it already has a cult following !.  Not only is this product amazing at what it does, it is the Coconut Oil of Australia.  There are soo many benefits of Lucas Paw Paw Cream and I am so glad its finally available =) ( for a price of course)

I also got the honour of trying on Becca Lee cosmetics, made by Rebecca a Australian makeup artist whom is a major sweet heart!.  Her line is mineral based with natural ingredients ,custom made to order, FDA approved, UV resistant,  and guess what ? Also water proof!.
The lipglosses are extremely pigmented and ultra soft, smooth and of course non sticky.  One coat does its job and you are pout ready ;). My favourite is # 1 Raspberry Rush and #4 Kisses for Me. Im also in love with her pigments, they are incredible and have been added to my makeup kit =) Here are a few swaps of the ones that really stood out ;).

You can reach Becca Lee on Facebook/Instagram to check out her line~ Are there any other lines from other countries you absolutely love? I would love to know what other products are must haves ;)
xo

Carmen Tse
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Beautiful Skin Starts with Beautifiul Makeup Part 2

After a week of working on set, doing photoshoots and a Saturday morning wedding.  I decided it was a afternoon of " Me Time" aka Pamper Me Up Time =).  I recently had the chance  of going to Bare Essentials Skin Bar.  Located in downtown Vancouver on 970 Richards Street & very skytrain friendly,  it was the perfect location for a afternoon of Bliss.  I got the chance to meet the owner Amy (Owner and Founder) and ask her about skin and my "problem areas" before and during my treatment.

 Before my treatment, I filled out a consultation form that helped her decide which "treatments" and products were right for my skin type ( Perfect!!, as everyone has different skin and issues are always different).  During my treatment, it was Heaven on Earth!, great facial and really relaxing into my state of mind. She explained why she chose each product and how it would be beneficial for my skin, after 45 mins I swear I was a new person ;).

At Bare Essentials, they primarily use Dermalogica which is a high end skin care line sold in salons, it it has a lot of active ingredients that should be taught to you before you use them.  I have never really used their line however after today I'm sold! My favourite product was the " Multi Vitamin Power Recovery mask"which has Vitamin A, C and F in it which is great for repairing skin damage, recovery, pigmentation and your skin feels so oh so soft and smooth afterwards~

Here  are top 3 products  I also recommend

 1) Power Serum- 22ml Great for hydration, texture, pigmentation and a awesome preventable product.  This is safe around the eyes and suitable for all skin types

2) Sheer Tints-We are coming up on Spring and its time to put away all the compacts, foundations, powders etc.  Sheer Tints are great for days where you don't want to wear too much makeup. Its light with SPF20 and provides a light coverage without clogging your pores.

3)Daily Resurfacer- These are great! These travel friendly wipes exfoliate, hydrates ( serum inside) and brightens up your skin in just a wipe!

Hope you all enjoyed my Part 2 of Beautiful Makeup Starts with Beautiful Skin, If you are a Make Artist don't forget to check out their Dermalogica line, you get an industry 15% off. Tell them Carmen sent you and you can thank you me later. Is there any other lines you absolutely love? Tell me which ones, I would love to hear~

Carmen Tse
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Spring has Sprung

Spring Cleaning time, Heres are approx expiry times for makeup. We do not want to use makeup for longer then the expiry date as bacteria will grow and I'm sure you you do not want breakouts or an infection~. One tip is to label your products~

Oil-Free Foundation: 1 year 
Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months 
Concealer: 12-18 months 
Powder: 2 years 
Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
Cream Blush: 12-18 months
Powder Eye shadow: 2 years
Cream Eye shadow: 12-18 months
Eyeliner: 2 years
Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
Mascara: 3 months (also no sharing either~~, we don't want infections = /  )
Lipstick: 2 years
Lip liner: 2 years
Lip gloss: 18-24 months
Nail Color: 1 year

Stay tuned for Part 2 of " Beautiful Makeup Starts with Beautiful Skin" coming soon!

Any questions feel free to comment or email me carmentsemakeup@gmail.com =)

Xo
Carmen Tse Makeup Artist
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Great Makeup Starts with ....

Great Makeup Starts with * drum roll please* Great Skin!. Skincare is the foundation of which provide us with the canvas to be able to do fabulous makeup! =).  As most of us know, makeup can only cover colour but not " texture".  So if our skin is not smooth, when we put makeup on top of that it will actually accentuate our imperfections believe it or not!  Some of the ways to have a " smoother " complexion is by using primer before to using out the skin texture so makeup can sit better.  If any of you have had their makeup done by me, you will know that I am a " minimalist ", I am not that type that uses a million products because the more we put on our skin the "thicker and cakier" it may become.  So I start from the very beginning  a.k.a skin care to avoid having to put too many products on

Here are 3 tips for Great Skin

1) Always wash your face before going to bed- Okay ladies I know we are all guilty of one of these where you come back home at 3-4am and are too tired.  I'll let 1 or 2 nights slide but essentially we want to be washing our face and getting rid of all makeup and impurities before we get our beauty sleep, that way our skin are heal it self


2)Exfoliate, We all have those days where we have dry patches on our face because of dry weather,  not enough sleep, stress , we have dry skin.. the list goes on.. Make sure you exfoliate ( will elaborate in Part 2 of Great Makeup next) to get rid of any dead skin cells that are on your face.  The essentially creates a more smooth canvas ( remember what I said about texture?) for makeup to sit on =)

3) Drink Water!, Its such a simple way to hydrate your skin, our skin is the biggest organ and we need to keep it hydrated to keep the youthfulness.  Drinking water is one of those things that should be second nature.  They say to drink 8 glasses a day, I say never stop,  I always carry a water bottle with me because, you really can't have enough water!=)


Stay tuned for PART 2   of Great Makeup Starts with Great Skin, I got a few more secrets to share.

Any questions, comments please feel free to email me

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Welcome to my World of Beauty =)

Hello everyone, my name is Carmen Tse and I am a makeup artist in beautiful Vancouver BC Canada. I have decided to do a blog on "All things Beauty".  Being a makeup artist I get to play around with many different products which include makeup, skin care and of course discovering the next "beauty must have".  I am honoured to take you on a journey of what things I absolutely love and some things I am not a big fan of.  Besides products, I will also be doing reviews on "Beauty Spas/Bars/ Lounges" that I visit.  These are products and places that I have experienced first hand, please keep in mind that everyone is different, just because a certain cleanser works for me does not mean it will work for you or not work for you.  We all are  individuals with different niches and needs,  I will try and keep a general audience in mind tho~ Happy Browsing!.  Any questions let me know!~ Feel free to email me or contact me via social media

Carmen Tse-Makeup Artist
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