Musings of a makeup artist, mom, wife, and Army veteran.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Candy Crush!
This week I had the opportunity to do makeup for a photoshoot with Sean Masaki and model Kristen. The proposed theme was Candy Crush and Kristen had solid ideas for her look. Armed with a lollipop and a big smile, she sat for nearly two hours to create her rainbow look. This look required a lot of colors, heavily applied so they popped nicely on camera. It also requires A LOT of blending! I tried as much as I could to make a nice even consistent transition from one color to another and because the colors are so different it was no easy task. I really liked the final product of our shoot. Kristen is so professional and she striked some poses easily and naturally. Overall a fun shoot! Her lips were done by mixing eyeshadow with lip gloss. her eyeshadow is part shadow, part blue eyeliner. Makes me think of shave ice! Here's her look:
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Vampire makeup: Making up Hannee for upcoming Miss Vamp Hawaii 2013
Vampires are technically dead, but a sexy vampire doesn't need to look dead. I think the quite the opposite. Vampires should look sexy, especially when it is for a vampire beauty pageant.
Ms. Hannee Chong contacted me to do her hair and makeup for a Miss Vamp Hawaii 2013 photoshoot. I gladly accepted and after deciding on the look this was the final result:
Hannee is Chinese and she wanted BIG eyes! To accomplish that I did a really heavy smokey eye to add depth to her eyes and make them appear bigger. I went light on the bottom eyeliner so that you could really see her eyes without having too much going on the bottom since the top was so heavy. Her look was made using the Urban Decay Smoked palette. It is mainly black eyeshadow with a hint of silver and a hint of metallic blue since her dress was blue. Her eyes were completed with long, thick lashes, and for her cheeks I decided not to use too much color since she already has very prominent cheeks, and really didn't want to put anything else on her face that would steer the attention away from her eyes. For her hair I used Revlon's Curl Magic Ceramic Styling Wand and Ion Smooth Solutions Hairspray. What I like about Ion Smooth Solutions is that is paraben-free, doesn't leave residue, and it works great in humidity, which is perfect for outside photoshoots. That day was raining like a son-of-a-gun, and Hannee's hair looked gorgeous. She has very very straight Chinese hair, and to get her hair to curl the Revlon Wand really did its job. She had beautiful curls in no time! I love the beaded style of the wand, where you could get waves or tight curls depending which part of the wand you use. Finally her lips were penciled in and filled in with a classic red, MUD's Lady Bug lipstick. She then was on her way to her shoot with Joe Marquez and her other vampire sisters. Her final shot looked like this:
Stunning vampire! She got her dress off of Ebay, although no idea which vendor. You can pretty much find anything on ebay!
I would love to know what you think. If you need to get glamed up like Hannee for your special event feel free to contact me at dehandmadecosmetics@gmail.com
Stay beautiful!
Eva
Ms. Hannee Chong contacted me to do her hair and makeup for a Miss Vamp Hawaii 2013 photoshoot. I gladly accepted and after deciding on the look this was the final result:
Hannee is Chinese and she wanted BIG eyes! To accomplish that I did a really heavy smokey eye to add depth to her eyes and make them appear bigger. I went light on the bottom eyeliner so that you could really see her eyes without having too much going on the bottom since the top was so heavy. Her look was made using the Urban Decay Smoked palette. It is mainly black eyeshadow with a hint of silver and a hint of metallic blue since her dress was blue. Her eyes were completed with long, thick lashes, and for her cheeks I decided not to use too much color since she already has very prominent cheeks, and really didn't want to put anything else on her face that would steer the attention away from her eyes. For her hair I used Revlon's Curl Magic Ceramic Styling Wand and Ion Smooth Solutions Hairspray. What I like about Ion Smooth Solutions is that is paraben-free, doesn't leave residue, and it works great in humidity, which is perfect for outside photoshoots. That day was raining like a son-of-a-gun, and Hannee's hair looked gorgeous. She has very very straight Chinese hair, and to get her hair to curl the Revlon Wand really did its job. She had beautiful curls in no time! I love the beaded style of the wand, where you could get waves or tight curls depending which part of the wand you use. Finally her lips were penciled in and filled in with a classic red, MUD's Lady Bug lipstick. She then was on her way to her shoot with Joe Marquez and her other vampire sisters. Her final shot looked like this:
Stunning vampire! She got her dress off of Ebay, although no idea which vendor. You can pretty much find anything on ebay!
I would love to know what you think. If you need to get glamed up like Hannee for your special event feel free to contact me at dehandmadecosmetics@gmail.com
Stay beautiful!
Eva
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Finally certfied and other exciting news!
I again have been MIA for a while... I'm here though! Just working really hard. My mom (who usually lives with me) went to my native Puerto Rico for 2 weeks, so I had two weeks playing stay at home mommy. My HAT IS OFF to stay at home moms! It is so much work! I enjoyed myself though. I am back at work now and also working on other projects. Last month I finished my makeup certification at Bella Torre Academy. The final was so nerve-wracking! I cried, for real, I cried after we were finished. I was so nervous my hand was shaking, and you know how hard it is to apply eyeliner with a shaky hand? Oh geez. I was happy though. So far I've participated in 2 fashion shows, where time is crucial. I did Zeitgeist, the UH fashion show, and did makeup for 6 girls in 6 hours. That is HARD work. I don't think anyone realizes how much work is to put on a full face of makeup. I also did the Lux fashion show at the Trump. That was a great experience also! If you're looking for a makeup artist in Oahu feel free to contact me at dehandmadecosmetics@gmail.com. My rates are super affordable and pretty soon I'll be having a space too! So exciting :) Here's a picture of the my models at the University of Hawaii Fashion:
OK, my next piece of news is that my makeup line is officially available at Down to Earth Kapolei. So, yes! You can now go there, touch, feel, and shop! I'm so excited to be in a store that values natural and organic products made in Hawaii. It was a long process, and they took a leap of faith and believed in me; I'm so grateful and amazed at this accomplishment. Hopefully the line will spread to their other 4 stores in the upcoming months. By the way. I will be at the Body Mind Spirit expo on May 18th and 19th, so please stop by and say hi! Come without makeup and get a makeover. I will have my director's chair with me happy to apply makeup on you!
Thank you for reading my blog. Stay beautiful!
Eva
OK, my next piece of news is that my makeup line is officially available at Down to Earth Kapolei. So, yes! You can now go there, touch, feel, and shop! I'm so excited to be in a store that values natural and organic products made in Hawaii. It was a long process, and they took a leap of faith and believed in me; I'm so grateful and amazed at this accomplishment. Hopefully the line will spread to their other 4 stores in the upcoming months. By the way. I will be at the Body Mind Spirit expo on May 18th and 19th, so please stop by and say hi! Come without makeup and get a makeover. I will have my director's chair with me happy to apply makeup on you!
Thank you for reading my blog. Stay beautiful!
Eva
Friday, March 29, 2013
Not MIA - Just Baby-ed
I don't know if any of my past customers come back to my shop in hopes that I had created new products, but this post is dedicated to that idea.
Running an Etsy shop takes a lot of time and work because you have to create, take pictures, write listings, keep SEO in mind so you show up in searches, then promote and promote some more. I consider my shop at the time to be moderately successful. I make enough money to pay for perhaps two bills, but obviously you only make what you put into it. Because I still work full time and I'm also going to makeup school on Saturdays, plus have two kids (one of them is really little and wants my attention pretty much every minute she's awake) and a husband, well I simply don't have enough time right now to create anything new. I'm taking a lot of steps to be able to do my business full time, but everything takes extreme patience and I'm very cautious because I would never want do anything that could place my family in some kind of financial strain.
It's very weird how one can have a "successful" career, a beautiful family, be a home owner, yet when you are not doing what you love you just can't shake the feeling that you're meant to be doing something else. That's me right now, that's my position. I spend 8 hours every day at a job that pays nearly six figures, and I hate every hour I'm there. People think that my job is cool, but it's not, and if my job wasn't as boring as it was I don't think I would be pursuing my business so vehemently. On the flip side, sometimes I feel bad because there are so many people out there who do not have a job, and I feel like I should be grateful that I do have a job. But we only live once, and well, going to a job daily that makes you kind of depressed is not a way to live. Not to mention every day when I leave my house I leave in so much guilt because my poor baby cries so much. I know this is normal, I have an almost 3 year old and she went through the same thing. But it doesn't mean I don't feel bad every morning when I leave. If I could do this over I would stay at home with my kids at least until they're one. But who knows, maybe they learned something by not having me there every single minute.
Running an Etsy shop takes a lot of time and work because you have to create, take pictures, write listings, keep SEO in mind so you show up in searches, then promote and promote some more. I consider my shop at the time to be moderately successful. I make enough money to pay for perhaps two bills, but obviously you only make what you put into it. Because I still work full time and I'm also going to makeup school on Saturdays, plus have two kids (one of them is really little and wants my attention pretty much every minute she's awake) and a husband, well I simply don't have enough time right now to create anything new. I'm taking a lot of steps to be able to do my business full time, but everything takes extreme patience and I'm very cautious because I would never want do anything that could place my family in some kind of financial strain.
It's very weird how one can have a "successful" career, a beautiful family, be a home owner, yet when you are not doing what you love you just can't shake the feeling that you're meant to be doing something else. That's me right now, that's my position. I spend 8 hours every day at a job that pays nearly six figures, and I hate every hour I'm there. People think that my job is cool, but it's not, and if my job wasn't as boring as it was I don't think I would be pursuing my business so vehemently. On the flip side, sometimes I feel bad because there are so many people out there who do not have a job, and I feel like I should be grateful that I do have a job. But we only live once, and well, going to a job daily that makes you kind of depressed is not a way to live. Not to mention every day when I leave my house I leave in so much guilt because my poor baby cries so much. I know this is normal, I have an almost 3 year old and she went through the same thing. But it doesn't mean I don't feel bad every morning when I leave. If I could do this over I would stay at home with my kids at least until they're one. But who knows, maybe they learned something by not having me there every single minute.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
My View on Home Births
I'm just watching the news and a woman is shown along with her lawyer because she had a "botched" home birth and her nearly 2-year old child suffered brain damage and still cannot sit up. I would like to tell women out there: The birth of your child is NOT THE TIME TO PLAY AROUND with life or death. Yes, thousands of people have had succesful homebirths, and I understand that a lot of people don't want drugs during labor. YOU think that when you are in labor you will be able to be in charge of what's going. Well, let me tell you this. YOU will be in SO MUCH pain that you will not be able to control what's around and make decisions. If you chose to have a home birth, water birth, or any of that, you better have a plan if anything goes awry. IT IS NOT WORTH losing your child, or giving your child permanent disabilities because you chose an unconventional way of doing things. Yeah, ok, women gave birth naturally for centuries. Yeah, I understand that, but the mortality rate for women and children during child birth was way higher then. If you don't like hospitals, nurses, etc., well, put on your big girl panties and suck it up. If, God forbid, you may need emergency services you want to be at the hospital, not sitting at home wasting precious time, and messing with your BABY'S LIFE. Yes, that's what you are doing. I don't give a shit if you think an epidural is going to mess your baby up. IT WON'T trust me. Plus labor sucks a A LOT. It was designed that way. Believe me, when you start to feel someone is ripping your body apart, you'll be wishing you had the fucking epidural anyway. Sorry for the f-bombs, but it's true. I love both of my babies enough for one, having a C-section, and the other one having an epidural and being at the hospital where she was safe when she started grunting right after she was born. That episode really made me think, what if all these doctors weren't here, how would I know she's OK? The hour that she was away from me under observation was probably the longest hour of my life. And if you don't believe anything will go wrong, well, congratulations for your optimism for one of the most dangerous things you will do in your life which is giving birth to another human being. Don't gamble with life, be safe and keep your baby safe by giving birth at the hospital. Again, I know that lots of people have done it both ways, but why gamble? Visit Hurt by Homebirth if you need some examples. I can barely read that blog, I just sob and cry as both of my babies have had some kind of complication, and I can't simply imagine carrying a child for 9 months to then see him or her die to something stupid like wanting to have a home birth and not have any real doctors around. Please, please, think about your child before considering this, it is NOT WORTH IT.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
A Review of the Monkeypod Kitchen at Ko'Olina
The hubby and I celebrated our 3rd year anniversary earlier this month and we decided to celebrate it at Monkeypod at Ko'Olina. I love going back to Ko'Olina because that's where we got married, plus the place is gorgeous. The beach is gorgeous, the hotels are fabulous, and there are many nice restaurants where you can sit and have a super relaxing time. It's like being in a vacation 15 minutes from home! So, Monkeypod! What a peculiar name, right? I never thought this place would be so chic being called Monkeypod. But hey, Chef Merriman named it Monkeypod and that's certainly catchy and different.
Monkeypod specializes in fresh meals and by fresh, I mean fresh. They only serve local fish, local vegetables, Big Island grass-fed beef, virtually everything in their menu is grown here in Hawaii. Our server was extremely friendly and immediately explained to us how their items are organic and locally-grown. If you didn't know from visiting their website they're going to tell you once you sit down. All their appetizers sounded amazing. We tried the Raw Bar Mixed Plate which brings taco (octopus), ahi (tuna), and shrimp ceviche. It was pretty good, but kind of on the small side. The other appetizer we tried was the Pumpkin Patch Ravioli. WOW! That was amazing. That could be an entree all on its own. I really liked it, I thought it was delicious and original. 10 points! My hubby ordered the steak which, again, comes from the Big Island, and I had the ahi steak. I can't talk about the steak (all I can say is that he ate the whole thing - and it was a good size), but I can tell you about the Ahi Steak. It was PERFECTION. 5 stars. It was the BEST ahi I've ever had, cooked in the most perfect way.
Lastly, the drinks. Neither my hubby and I are beer drinkers, but they have more than 30 beers on tap, and serve all of the local beers from the islands. Their beer list includes beers from California all the way to Belgium. We stayed true to ourselves and ordered cocktails. I had a margarita which I thought was ok, and also had a sangria which was excellent. The hubby had a Mai Tai and it was served with some kind of cream on top. I've never seen a Mai Tai like that so points for originality. Overall we had a fantastic time, and they complimented us to dessert for our anniversary. They're just awesome!
I loved everything about this place and I'm so happy they're close to my house. They have happy hour from 3:00-5:30pm where their appetizers and drinks go 50% off, plus they have live music. This place is not to be missed if you're visiting Hawaii, and if you live in Hawaii, careful because you might get addicted. We didn't have reservations, but the place is huge (2 stories), so they have plenty of space.
For more information visit www.monkeypodkitchen.com. They also have a location in Wailea, Maui, which is their original location.
Have fun!
Monkeypod specializes in fresh meals and by fresh, I mean fresh. They only serve local fish, local vegetables, Big Island grass-fed beef, virtually everything in their menu is grown here in Hawaii. Our server was extremely friendly and immediately explained to us how their items are organic and locally-grown. If you didn't know from visiting their website they're going to tell you once you sit down. All their appetizers sounded amazing. We tried the Raw Bar Mixed Plate which brings taco (octopus), ahi (tuna), and shrimp ceviche. It was pretty good, but kind of on the small side. The other appetizer we tried was the Pumpkin Patch Ravioli. WOW! That was amazing. That could be an entree all on its own. I really liked it, I thought it was delicious and original. 10 points! My hubby ordered the steak which, again, comes from the Big Island, and I had the ahi steak. I can't talk about the steak (all I can say is that he ate the whole thing - and it was a good size), but I can tell you about the Ahi Steak. It was PERFECTION. 5 stars. It was the BEST ahi I've ever had, cooked in the most perfect way.
Lastly, the drinks. Neither my hubby and I are beer drinkers, but they have more than 30 beers on tap, and serve all of the local beers from the islands. Their beer list includes beers from California all the way to Belgium. We stayed true to ourselves and ordered cocktails. I had a margarita which I thought was ok, and also had a sangria which was excellent. The hubby had a Mai Tai and it was served with some kind of cream on top. I've never seen a Mai Tai like that so points for originality. Overall we had a fantastic time, and they complimented us to dessert for our anniversary. They're just awesome!
I loved everything about this place and I'm so happy they're close to my house. They have happy hour from 3:00-5:30pm where their appetizers and drinks go 50% off, plus they have live music. This place is not to be missed if you're visiting Hawaii, and if you live in Hawaii, careful because you might get addicted. We didn't have reservations, but the place is huge (2 stories), so they have plenty of space.
For more information visit www.monkeypodkitchen.com. They also have a location in Wailea, Maui, which is their original location.
Have fun!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Pick Me Up
Today was one of those days where a lot of things went wrong. First thing this morning, I started working on my orders and soon realized that I needed to make a lipstick and an eyeshadow. I try to give myself a certain deadline for my orders, and I was pretty much at the end of that deadline for all of the orders I worked on today. So even though I still have to go to work to my full time job (which may a post for some other time) I make time to get all of this done.
I proceed to get everything ready, start printing labels, and I get some ingredients out to make a lipstick. I have made hundreds of lipsticks in the past, but today I was out of jojoba oil. I tend to substitute ingredients if I need to, so I decided to meadow foam seed oil, which I have used in the past as well. Well, I'm not sure what exactly happened today, but my lipstick did not work out. I don't know if I measured a tsp a tbsp, the matter is that everything I did was destroyed as soon as I pulled it out of the molds. What a disappointment! I had to contact my customer to let her know what happened and that I would need a couple of days. I'm a perfectionist at heart, but very much human and today I messed that up.
Next thing, I get to make my Lava Eyeshadow, that beautiful red shade many people love. Great! I get my mineral powder, my magnesium stearate, my red oxide, my red mica... everything I need. So simple, measure what I need and mix.... Until (and I don't even know what happened) I spill almost all of the eyeshadow I just made in my kitchen floor. Needless to say I was extremely upset, because at this point is 11am and I still haven't made it to my full time job, which means I'm working late on a Friday night. So after trying to calm myself down I find my vacuum cleaner, vacuum probably $100 dollars worth of eyeshadow from the floor, try to finish my second of three orders, get ready and go to work. I finally get here at 2:30pm, which means I have to work until 10:30pm. Thankfully, my job is flexible and they don't care at what time I come in as long as the job gets done. On the way to work I called my dad because I really needed to hear his voice, and it made me feel so much better to chat with him. He lives in Atlanta and I live in Hawaii so I miss him very very much.
It hasn't been the best day, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow and what comes with it. In the meantime well, smile.
Till the next one,
Stay Beautiful
I proceed to get everything ready, start printing labels, and I get some ingredients out to make a lipstick. I have made hundreds of lipsticks in the past, but today I was out of jojoba oil. I tend to substitute ingredients if I need to, so I decided to meadow foam seed oil, which I have used in the past as well. Well, I'm not sure what exactly happened today, but my lipstick did not work out. I don't know if I measured a tsp a tbsp, the matter is that everything I did was destroyed as soon as I pulled it out of the molds. What a disappointment! I had to contact my customer to let her know what happened and that I would need a couple of days. I'm a perfectionist at heart, but very much human and today I messed that up.
Next thing, I get to make my Lava Eyeshadow, that beautiful red shade many people love. Great! I get my mineral powder, my magnesium stearate, my red oxide, my red mica... everything I need. So simple, measure what I need and mix.... Until (and I don't even know what happened) I spill almost all of the eyeshadow I just made in my kitchen floor. Needless to say I was extremely upset, because at this point is 11am and I still haven't made it to my full time job, which means I'm working late on a Friday night. So after trying to calm myself down I find my vacuum cleaner, vacuum probably $100 dollars worth of eyeshadow from the floor, try to finish my second of three orders, get ready and go to work. I finally get here at 2:30pm, which means I have to work until 10:30pm. Thankfully, my job is flexible and they don't care at what time I come in as long as the job gets done. On the way to work I called my dad because I really needed to hear his voice, and it made me feel so much better to chat with him. He lives in Atlanta and I live in Hawaii so I miss him very very much.
It hasn't been the best day, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow and what comes with it. In the meantime well, smile.
Till the next one,
Stay Beautiful
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Bedroom Decor: Update Your Look
I've been wanting to change my bedroom, but I don't want to paint walls or do anything messy. So I'm leaning toward a change of decor and these are some of the things I have been considering:
Wall Stencil: I think a nice stencil is a great way to refresh the look of a bedroom without the mess of paint. I have my eye on this one from 3rd Ave Shore:
It is so pretty! This whole shop has wonderful stencil with a beach-Hawaii theme. They were one of the first shops I ever favorited on Etsy.
Unusual Art: A piece of art that it's simply unusual and original it's a great addition to your bedroom. I'm loving this piece from Pecan Workshop. It's stunning!
New Comforter: Spice up the look by getting new bedding. I have had my comforter for more years than I'd like to admit, and I only alternate it when it's wash day. Although it could be a pricey purchase, overstock.com has a lot of not-so-expensive options for bedding. I'm liking this one which has a coral reef theme and goes great with my already blue walls.
A Reminder: Many of us have so many responsibilities that we find it hard to unwind our thoughts even when we are trying to fall asleep. The bedroom should be a sanctuary for relaxation, and having a physical object as reminder could be a powerful tool. This sign can be found on Studio Liscious on Etsy.
I hope you enjoy these items. If you do please visit their stores and leave me a comment.
Stay beautiful,
Eva
Wall Stencil: I think a nice stencil is a great way to refresh the look of a bedroom without the mess of paint. I have my eye on this one from 3rd Ave Shore:
It is so pretty! This whole shop has wonderful stencil with a beach-Hawaii theme. They were one of the first shops I ever favorited on Etsy.
Unusual Art: A piece of art that it's simply unusual and original it's a great addition to your bedroom. I'm loving this piece from Pecan Workshop. It's stunning!
New Comforter: Spice up the look by getting new bedding. I have had my comforter for more years than I'd like to admit, and I only alternate it when it's wash day. Although it could be a pricey purchase, overstock.com has a lot of not-so-expensive options for bedding. I'm liking this one which has a coral reef theme and goes great with my already blue walls.
A Reminder: Many of us have so many responsibilities that we find it hard to unwind our thoughts even when we are trying to fall asleep. The bedroom should be a sanctuary for relaxation, and having a physical object as reminder could be a powerful tool. This sign can be found on Studio Liscious on Etsy.
I hope you enjoy these items. If you do please visit their stores and leave me a comment.
Stay beautiful,
Eva
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Counting My Blessings
After the divorce paperwork was started, filed, accepted, and signed months later -divorcing takes so much longer than getting married- I found myself single again and thought I would be single for a while and I would just take care of myself. But life had a different plan for me. A set of events happened to me and placed me in the best ride of my life. I was standing at a food court on the Army base where I was stationed, I remember perfectly, it was about noon. I was walking by Charley's Grilled Subs and I saw this man and I was just mesmerized. I'd been in the military for so long and I was used to be around attractive men in uniform, but something about this man in a firefighter uniform just struck me. It struck me so much I tried to find him on MySpace. I had no luck with my search of "firefighter" near "96858" so I had pretty much given up when I thought to look for the word "fire." I found one person under that search: A young man who was 22 at the time, and whom I knew wasn't the person I saw at the food court. In my curiosity for seeing more of his pictures I added him to my friends and it wasn't long until we began communicating via email and he invited me out.
I went out with "MySpace guy" with apprehension due to his age; I was 28 at the time and not really interested in dating a 22-year-old. But he was so sweet, so kind, I continued seeing him every day and the more time I spent with him, the less I wanted to be away from him. One thing that made me fall head over heels for him was the feeling and knowledge that he accepted me for who I was, he's never judged me for any reason, and he supports every decision I make. He's my friend and I have learned true love with him. I pray that we have a long life together and can see each other grow old. He is the most amazing husband and father and every day I feel I'm more in love than the day before -I did not know that was possible, but it is, and it's amazing! I'm so proud he is the father of my children and I'm so thankful that the mysterious man in the food court led me to him. Thanks babe for the happiness you bring and for the beautiful family we've made together.
I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be this way, that's why every day I count my blessings!
Stay beautiful,
Eva
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Lipstick vs Lipstick... who wins?
I constantly play ideas is my head of how to get my lipsticks more creamy, more full of color, more long-lasting, you imagine it and I'm thinking it. I can get pretty obsessive about my lipstick formulas which leads to impulse purchases of ingredients even though I have perfectly fine ingredients at home to make lipsticks.
I was reading a blog today and they had listed all of the ingredients in a MAC lipstick. As I was reading down the list, I'm just like, whoa! Who needs so many ingredients? I still don't understand why so many ingredients are used in a lipstick when only a handful are needed. So here's that list:
As you can see a very looong list of ingredients for a mix of wax, oil, and color. My lipsticks look more like this:
Castor oil
Meadowfoam seed oil
Jojoba oil
Avocado butter
Candelilla wax
Carnauba wax
Mica
Vitamin E (tocopherol)
Sorbic acid
Given, some of my lipsticks contain other ingredients such as isoeicosane which is a hydrocarbon that allows a lipstick to feel creamy without being shiny. According to the Environmental Working Group and Cosmetic Safety Database this ingredients is safe, and I would not put it in my products without checking their database first. I don't include anything questionable in my handmade cosmetics. I offer different products for different types of customers and their preferences, though my focus has always been to stay as natural as possible. Sometimes if you want a POP of color you have to use different ingredients!
Do you ever pay attention to the ingredients in your lipstick? Leave me your comments or thoughts, I'd love to hear them! Visit my website or Etsy store to learn more about my products.
Stay beautiful,
Eva
I was reading a blog today and they had listed all of the ingredients in a MAC lipstick. As I was reading down the list, I'm just like, whoa! Who needs so many ingredients? I still don't understand why so many ingredients are used in a lipstick when only a handful are needed. So here's that list:
MAC Satin Lipstick
|
|
| Castor Oil | A vegetable oil |
| Trioctyldodecyl Citrate | An emulsifier to make the ingredients blend together |
| Glyceryl Triacetyl Hydroxystearate | A blend of fats and oils used to make the product more emollient and lubricating |
| Candelilla Wax | A vegetable wax |
| Octyldodecanol | An emulsifier and thickener |
| Silica | A mineral used to thicken |
| Jojoba Oil | A vegetable oil |
| Beeswax | An animal-derived wax |
| Sesame Oil | A vegetable oil |
| Ozokerite | A petroleum based wax |
| Carnauba Wax | A vegetable wax |
| Cetyl Ricinoleate | Made from oils and sugars, it improves the consistency |
| Microcrystalline Wax | A petroleum based wax |
| Ascorbyl Palmitate | A vitamin C type antioxidant |
| Tocopherol | A vitamin E type preservative/antioxidant |
| Vanillin | Flavoring additive (vanilla flavor) |
As you can see a very looong list of ingredients for a mix of wax, oil, and color. My lipsticks look more like this:
Castor oil
Meadowfoam seed oil
Jojoba oil
Avocado butter
Candelilla wax
Carnauba wax
Mica
Vitamin E (tocopherol)
Sorbic acid
Given, some of my lipsticks contain other ingredients such as isoeicosane which is a hydrocarbon that allows a lipstick to feel creamy without being shiny. According to the Environmental Working Group and Cosmetic Safety Database this ingredients is safe, and I would not put it in my products without checking their database first. I don't include anything questionable in my handmade cosmetics. I offer different products for different types of customers and their preferences, though my focus has always been to stay as natural as possible. Sometimes if you want a POP of color you have to use different ingredients!
Do you ever pay attention to the ingredients in your lipstick? Leave me your comments or thoughts, I'd love to hear them! Visit my website or Etsy store to learn more about my products.
Stay beautiful,
Eva
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Post Office Did It Again!
I feel like I need to take some time and write about the increase of postage that happened in January 27th. I owe it to my many international customers, who may, or may not could happen to read this blog. So, the U.S. Postal Service increased their rates dramatically last January. You may notice at my Etsy store that international shipping prices have increased to $6.99. This is almost the same as some of my products! I know it sucks, it totally does. Paying seven dollars for shipping a 3 or 4 oz item is not something I agree with, but unfortunately I have to use the US Postal Service as it is the cheapest service from Hawaii. I know they Post Office has their money problems, but this is really hurting business that ship internationally. The increase was about two dollars, approximately 40% increase.
My prices did not increase to offset the shipping -I simply added the seven dollars separately and I just want you guys to know why the increase is seen. I'm still offering all orders over $50 go with free shipping (domestic and international) and this will not change, at least not for now. I also still have the offer for orders over $20 go with a free eyeshadow of choice. I love my customers and love to spoil them as much as I can! Money is tight as my business is still a baby, but I'm very excited about the future and about all the things I get to do to get to my "future" as an independent cosmetics company.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Please visit my website and don't forget the 20% off sale at my Etsy store ends tomorrow.
Stay beautiful!
Eva
My prices did not increase to offset the shipping -I simply added the seven dollars separately and I just want you guys to know why the increase is seen. I'm still offering all orders over $50 go with free shipping (domestic and international) and this will not change, at least not for now. I also still have the offer for orders over $20 go with a free eyeshadow of choice. I love my customers and love to spoil them as much as I can! Money is tight as my business is still a baby, but I'm very excited about the future and about all the things I get to do to get to my "future" as an independent cosmetics company.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Please visit my website and don't forget the 20% off sale at my Etsy store ends tomorrow.
Stay beautiful!
Eva
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The Chinese New Year celebration is in high apogee right now. The upcoming year will be the year of the snake. Even though the snake is not the favorite animal of many, it's said that those born on the year of the snake are thoughtful and wise. Hmm, ok, doesn't sound exactly like a snake, but hey, I think it's cool that we can think of ourselves related to these animals, and maybe carry a little amulet with us for good luck.
I live in Hawaii so I'm surrounded by a very strong Chinese culture everywhere I go. I love going to Chinatown every year and see the lion dances, and most importantly, "feed" the lion some money for good luck. I've always said I was born into the wrong culture and have always been drawn like a magnet to Asian cultures. It's so mystical to me. Every time I look at my husband and kids I just find them so interesting! It never gets old :) My children have Chinese, Filipino, and Hawaiian genes, and of course Puerto Rican! They are beautiful, and of course as their mom I think they're the most beautiful kids in the world!! (I hope they don't hate me when they're 15 for writing this :).
Do you celebrate the Chinese New Year? It's a wonderful holiday, I'm so glad I live somewhere where it's very-well celebrated. If you need a gorgeous and different shade for your Chinese New Year party try Plum Rum Lipstick, a magenta-purple shade that will get you many compliments for sure!
Sooo pretty! Thank you for visiting and reading. Visit my website at www.dehandmadecosmetics.com
I live in Hawaii so I'm surrounded by a very strong Chinese culture everywhere I go. I love going to Chinatown every year and see the lion dances, and most importantly, "feed" the lion some money for good luck. I've always said I was born into the wrong culture and have always been drawn like a magnet to Asian cultures. It's so mystical to me. Every time I look at my husband and kids I just find them so interesting! It never gets old :) My children have Chinese, Filipino, and Hawaiian genes, and of course Puerto Rican! They are beautiful, and of course as their mom I think they're the most beautiful kids in the world!! (I hope they don't hate me when they're 15 for writing this :).
Do you celebrate the Chinese New Year? It's a wonderful holiday, I'm so glad I live somewhere where it's very-well celebrated. If you need a gorgeous and different shade for your Chinese New Year party try Plum Rum Lipstick, a magenta-purple shade that will get you many compliments for sure!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Valentine's Day is Just Around the Corner!
Can you believe that today is February 1st? This year is just flying by! In celebration of Valentine's Day I created the treasury below titled "All The Things I love" featuring great findings to celebrate Love Day 2013 in a vegan and fashionable way!
'All the Things I Love' by esalcedo
Vegan findings for Valentine's Day!
 Three Vintage Glass Vas...
$18.00
|  25 Holiday Red Envelope...
$6.50
|  Savoy Mark II Camera - ...
$75.00
|  Geometric flower neckla...
$32.00
|
 Metallic Magenta and Go...
$8.50
|  Red beaded crochet ipho...
$15.00
|  Floral Red Poppies iPho...
$14.99
|  Red Clutch Linen Lotus ...
$75.00
|
 Cowl Scarf - Moss Green...
$25.00
|  Small Mint Green Heart ...
$5.00
|  Red neoprene fabric med...
$79.00
|  Mint Green Ring // Aven...
$19.00
|
 Southwestern Turquoise ...
$75.00
|  Red Slipper Socks, Laci...
$16.00
|  Adorable green eco-felt...
$6.00
|  16k Gold Plated Chain w...
$18.60
|
Treasury tool supported by the dog house
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Tweet Tweet
Finally decided to get a Twitter account. Now what? I can't really tweet too much because -well- I have to work and do other things :) But I have to say... it's addicting! I've only been there maybe a week, and I'm constantly looking at it when I'm at home, and constantly trying not to look at it! LOL
I'm like a total Bachelor junkie, so now I'm following Sean Lowe's abs Twitter, and all Bachelors and Bachelorettes I like from previous seasons. I'm finding a really hard time not tweeting "personal" stuff! If I get my own account I will NEVER tweet as D&E Handmade Cosmetics. Oh geez! If there weren't enough (and much more important) troubles in the world!
In any case, if you have Twitter, please follow me @de_hawaii. Other than tweeting about the bachelor I promise to post coupons, special offers, looks, and well, more Bachelor! "Tierra-ble" (ha! that's what they're calling Tierra nowadays) is just a train wreck to watch and I'm hoping Sean Lowe keeps her a little longer just to watch her unfold in her pure evilness. Oops! Did it again. No mas Bachelor for now. But please follow @de_hawaii and visit my website www.dehandmadecosmetics.com.
Eva
I'm like a total Bachelor junkie, so now I'm following Sean Lowe's abs Twitter, and all Bachelors and Bachelorettes I like from previous seasons. I'm finding a really hard time not tweeting "personal" stuff! If I get my own account I will NEVER tweet as D&E Handmade Cosmetics. Oh geez! If there weren't enough (and much more important) troubles in the world!
In any case, if you have Twitter, please follow me @de_hawaii. Other than tweeting about the bachelor I promise to post coupons, special offers, looks, and well, more Bachelor! "Tierra-ble" (ha! that's what they're calling Tierra nowadays) is just a train wreck to watch and I'm hoping Sean Lowe keeps her a little longer just to watch her unfold in her pure evilness. Oops! Did it again. No mas Bachelor for now. But please follow @de_hawaii and visit my website www.dehandmadecosmetics.com.
Eva
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Eva (Franco, not Salcedo) Dress and Chevrons
Unless you live under a rock you may have noticed that chevrons have been trending strongly since last year. I don't know what the next big thing will be, but chevrons are cute and I hope they stay here longer!
Hopes has so many cute clothes and accessories, I'm definitely bookmarking them! This one is so dreamy, if I only had a place where to wear it to :-)
This teardrop beaded necklace is cute, but it's too much for me. It would look great with the chevron dress above to give a pop of color!
And today's winner... (haha, in my eyes at least!) it's this baby here. Wow! What a find! Designed by Romanian-born Eva Franco and available at LIT Boutique, it's only available in a size 4 (yep, not me :-). But if you're interested an you're a size 4 this ziggy dress can be yours for $202 dollars. Gorgeous!
Please visit my website and don't forget next week is Art and Flea. Hope to see you there!
Eva
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Cute Find from Wanelo
I've come to love perusing Wanelo and "saving" things that I find super cute. I find Wanelo to be a great marketing tool for my etsy shop so I visit, post, and save often. Today's favorite item is this gorgeous tribal dress from Charlotte Russe. So, OK, I know it's not winter-friendly, but I live in beautiful Hawaii! Pantone reported the colors for this spring and the color "linen" it's just what the bottom of this dress is. Beautiful! Yours for $36 dollars you can find it here.
If you're curious, here are the colors to be trending in Spring 2013:
Thanks for reading! Visit me at www.dehandmadecosmetics.com and sign to the newsletter (to the right and up) to make sure you learn of sales and everything good before anyone else!
Thanks for reading! Visit me at www.dehandmadecosmetics.com and sign to the newsletter (to the right and up) to make sure you learn of sales and everything good before anyone else!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Back to School
Well, talk about a new year and new endeavors! After I finished my masters degree at Hawaii Pacific University in 2011 I swore I was done with school. I do believe in life-long learning, and I love reading and researching (I'm a geek and not afraid to admit it!), but school stresses me out. The fact that there are deadlines and so many books and subjects has always been something I found hard to manage. But now it's time to, yet again, go back to school. Oh my God, I can't believe it! I enrolled in make-up artistry school. Holy Toledo, I just hope it's not too hard! I love making make-up, but applying it on others intimidates the heck out of me.
As you may know I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last July, so that means that I spent the first half of last year getting more and more pregnant and unable to do many in-person events due to that. But now it's a new year and I'm ready to go out with my products. I'm doing Art and Flea every month, and hopefully I will be able to do Women's Expo and the Made in Hawaii Festival. I had scheduled to do the Honolulu Spring Gift Fair, but it got cancelled. What a bummer! Oh well, maybe next year. In the mean time I'll be attending Bella Torre Academy to learn how to make women more beautiful, and I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. Good Lord, just wish me luck!
Join my Facebook page to participate in makeup giveaways! Do you like free stuff? Yesss, free is good :) Like us today!
As you may know I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last July, so that means that I spent the first half of last year getting more and more pregnant and unable to do many in-person events due to that. But now it's a new year and I'm ready to go out with my products. I'm doing Art and Flea every month, and hopefully I will be able to do Women's Expo and the Made in Hawaii Festival. I had scheduled to do the Honolulu Spring Gift Fair, but it got cancelled. What a bummer! Oh well, maybe next year. In the mean time I'll be attending Bella Torre Academy to learn how to make women more beautiful, and I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. Good Lord, just wish me luck!
Join my Facebook page to participate in makeup giveaways! Do you like free stuff? Yesss, free is good :) Like us today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)