Makeup Workshop with Tina Ngkaion

I was very fortunate to be invited to a makeup workshop conducted by Tina Ngkaion last October 25. It was a small class with a couple of my fellow southern bloggers, which was just perfect since Tina was really able to demonstrate how to apply makeup on everyone.

I was personally really excited to attend this class since I knew I had a lot of things to learn. I went to an all-girls Catholic school where wearing makeup was strictly forbidden. I guess this mentality carried over even when I went to college since the only thing I used back then was my Johnson's face powder, Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Concealer (which I still use until now), and ChapStick lip balm. I only started wearing (minimal) makeup when I began working and it was still pretty basic - face powder, blush and lipstick. I didn't even start filling in my eyebrows until much later on (and now that's a must for me since I have very sparse eyebrows!). I remember I also had an officemate who was very kikay and she was the one who taught me some makeup basics and how to use eyeshadow.

To be honest, I don't even buy the expensive brands of makeup. I'm okay with drugstore ones as long as it works. And I'm a bit clueless when it comes to what products to buy or how to use them. I don't even own primer or foundation or know what shade works for me. I guess it's also since I'm at home most of the time anyways so I hardly even use makeup. But of course, I've always wanted to know how to do makeup properly so I can do it myself if there's a special occasion like a wedding or event I have to attend.

We were asked to bring our own makeup kits but right off the bat, I could tell I didn't have most of the essentials. For the class, Tina taught us how to do a DAY look that could also transition to night. Anyway, I'll be posting the pics of the makeup we used and recommended by Tina so you can get an idea of what you need.

PORE PRIMER
As we get older, our pores definitely get bigger. Mine are very noticeable especially in the T-zone area and the apples of my cheeks. We learned to apply a primer first (either using a concealer brush or your fingers) to minimize the size of your pores.

the Benefit brand is obviously more expensive, but the Maybelline one works fine as well

FACE PRIMER
I don't own a primer, but now I want to buy one after seeing how the makeup goes on so much better on the skin. We used the Make Up For Ever HD Elixir and all we needed was one drop for the whole face!

COLOR CORRECTOR
As usual, this was something I'd only discovered now. A color corrector apparently helps further hide your imperfections. You use the orange shade under your eyes to conceal your eyebags, the green color is for any red areas in the face (like around the nose or pimples), while the yellow shade is for any veins.

Tina had this color corrector palette specially made abroad, but I believe you can get something similar in Suesh or Pure Beauty.

CONCEALER
Put concealer on top of the areas where color corrector was applied.

For under the eyes, apply the color corrector and concealer in an inverted triangle shape and blend outwards. See how my eyes look so refreshed after I blended everything? Dark circles gone! :)

FOUNDATION
According to Tina, if you're going to spend on makeup, make sure you do on foundation since that's the base of your whole face. She recommended Maybelline Fit Me (I'm in shade 110 Porcelain) but so far, this isn't available here locally.

LOOSE POWDER
Put loose powder under the eye area or anywhere you think makeup will fall. You can just brush this off after you apply your eye makeup.

EYEBROWS
Tweeze stray hairs and trim your eyebrows for a more defined look. Then fill them in with an eyebrow pencil. I have very thin eyebrows though, so no trimming needed for me hehe!

EYESHADOW PRIMER
Use a primer on your eyes to make the colors more intense and stay longer.

One trick Tina taught us for the perfect wing tip / cat eye is to put scotch tape on the corner of your eyes. This will give you a guide when applying the eyeshadow and eyeliner. Also apply the eyeliner from the outer eye going in.

She also taught us how to do our eyes, contour and highlight, as well as apply false eyelashes.

After applying the rest of the makeup, here's my finished look! Check out my BEFORE and AFTER. What do you think of my "no makeup" makeup look? I just love how flawless my skin looks! :)

I still have to practice more on the eyes, plus the contouring and highlighting. But for the most part, I'm happy with what I've accomplished. :)

Some more tips I learned:
- Don't put makeup with SPF at night. The sunscreen reflects the light taken in flash photos which will give your face a white glare.
- Don't put moisturizer right before applying makeup. This will make you more oily throughout the day.
- If you're acidic, get foundation 1 to 2 shades lighter since the color will darken on your face after a while.
- You can use baby wipes to remove your makeup and also to clean makeup brushes.

with Tina

everybody looking lovely all made up :)

It was such a fun afternoon and I have to say, this class has made me excited about buying and trying on makeup. I know I still have quite a lot of practicing to do but at least now I know the basics and what products to get.

If you want to see more of Tina's work, check out her Instagram @itstyn. You can also email her at tinangkaion.mua@gmail.com for inquiries on her rates and services.