Bat your lashes, and lash out

Dear blushers,

I'd like to fill you in on a little secret I have. I have this obsession that I don't think my husband even knows!
I am obsessed with....

Fake Eyelashes

Really. When I say obsessed, I really mean obsessed. Instead of having just enough, my idea of false eyelashes is pretty much the same as having a pair of shoes. You can NEVER have enough of it!

Here's something that will make you agree how obsessed I am with the lashes. Those are just SOME of my lashes. I still have boxes of lashes safely stacked in my secret compartments. :D  Anyway, now let's talk more about the lashes and less about my obsession...! We're definitely blessed to be living in this time. There are so many kinds of lashes out there:

There are interesting fashion lashes...

'normal' pretty lashes...

must-have bridal lashes and many more..

Did you know, false eyelashes was first invented by the American film director D.W. Griffith while he was making his 1916 epic, "Intolerance"? Griffith wanted his actress Seena Owen to have lashes that graced her cheeks, to make her eyes shine larger than life. A wigmaker wove human hair through fine gauze, which was then gummed to Owen's eyelids. As the procedure was rather expensive (and tedious), only famous people could afford it. So not much awareness there then.

And then, in 2004, a breakthrough in material production. False lashes owed its current popularity status to several Asian countries known to the world by their search for beauty. Those countries are none other than Korea and Japan, who introduced the single lash application technique, and individual lashes technique, hence creating an easier application. Not only that, because of the technique, we can now afford to have a more natural, fuller, thicker (and SEXIER) lashes.

False lashes are now produced using either with human hair, sythetic materials or a combination of both, and is applied with eyelash glue. There are even permament lashes, also known as eyelash extensions, that are available for those who would like to wear the lashes for a longer period of time (although, after experiencing what it felt like, I wouldn't recommend it. The glue stings! And when your real lashes naturally fall out, it carries a whole lot of the fake lashes too, leaving you with bald spots. Not pretty.)

Some of the beautiful false lashes that I often used on my models are the ones that are proudly produced right here in Indonesia. (Did you also know that Indonesia is one of the largest manufacturers of false lashes, supplying its lashes all across the world? *clap clap*)

However, there are some lashes that really just took my breath away..

Paperself lashes are designed and produced by PAPERSELF, who was launched in 2009 by London based designer Chunwei Liao. It sole purpose was to unite artists, designers and manufacturers from East to West, challenging conventions of product design.. and beauty. Their lashes are simply beautiful.

Inspired by the art of Chinese paper-cutting, Paperself eyelashes blend an element of traditional culture with contemporary design. Intricately cut and delicately pretty, they are now available in 11 styles.

Another one that I have to give my wholesome credit to is Koji  - Dolly Wink false lashes. It is designed by the very famous Japanese gyaru doll-faced Tsubasa Masuwaka. I was pretty skeptical at first. I mean, any celebrities can just lend their name to any products and claimed to be super nice right? Oh man was I wrong.. the lashes are soo sooo gorgeous, and really, you can pretty much stop any taxi with those lashes. It doesn't make you look like a drag queen too.. that's a plus point there.

I promise to make a special review on these lashes, but just in case you're curious to get your hands on these Dolly Wink lashes, make your way to Sogo or Debenham, or Guardian (not all Guardian stocked them though..) Highly recommended!

 Here are some illustrations on how eyelashes (when done properly) can enhance your eyes even more:

 This model, like many Asians, has monolids. With proper use of false lashes, it helped create double eyelid for both of her eyes, making her eyes appear larger.

This beautiful model is my every supportive mom. Volunteering (forced actually :D) herself to become one of my victims, she wore a stagerring 4 layer of false lashes, one on top of the other in each eye. What a trooper. Can you see how it helped to 'lift' sagging eyelids? Love you mom!

Promise to keep my promise for the eyelashes review..!

Till then, Love,
A

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my REAL life :)

Hi there bloggers and make up addicts in the blogsphere...!

Forgive me for not writing for so so long.. omg, it"s been almost 2 years since I last posted! That IS long..

BUT

within that 2 years, a lot of things have happened, so let me quickly give you an update;
. i'm a proud mom to the most gorgeous, most talkative baby I've ever met, Chloe Daniella Joewono.
She came into the world after a giving me a 32 hour struggle, and one look into her face, I just knew I would go another 32 hours for her.
Okay. That's a lie. 32 hours okayy!! Who do you think I am? Wonderwoman? I aint gonna go through that again yo! I'm not equipped for that I think.. but really people, for all the pain and discomfort, she IS definitely worth the fight :) and I thank God every time I looked at her smile, for she is truly my living, breathing miracle..

Our first family Picture - 26 Dec 2010

. i'm now teaching make up. Oh Em Gee. Can life get any better than this? Well I guess it can, coz I'm teaching in one of the make up academies that are famous for its make up, and that's Make Up For Ever (MUFE). *scream* I love teaching. I love make up. and I love MUFE products! It's just the perfect combination. Give me a talented, easy-to-teach, eager-to-learn student, and I'll definitely know its a dream. It's just too perfect.. Hahahaha.. But I literally wake up super early, got ready for work (while humming along to a song) with a smile on my face. It's weird (and annoying), I know, but that's how much I love my job.

That's me re-arranging the model's headpiece, with my student finishing her work

. Never in my head or imagination would I imagine saying this; I have done quite a number of fashion shows (Alberta Ferreti, Jean Paul Gaultier, several Indonesian designers etc), Photoshoots for famous magazines and even weddings. It started slow, but I'm making my mark in the make up world, one foundation at a time.

So my dear friends, with that, let me give you my word that from this moment on, I'm gonna dedicate myself to writing and updating this blog of mine with everything and anything that is in my brain.. It can be things related to make up, or even simple tips and tricks that I've discovered along the way that would help you in your make up routine.. Either way, I do hope that it would turn all of you into my 'beautiful blushers'..

Write to you tomorrow..!

Love,
A

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my first discovery

I created this blog to share to the world how I finally discovered my real obsession. Sure, shoes have always been (and will always be) amongst the top obsession list, but from a very young age (as my family members and friends will vouch for), I have always been fascinated with the world of make up and beauty.


Picture this, me as an 8 year old looking at my mom applying her daily make up. I remembered being curious and at the same time amazed at how someone can colour their face without using crayons or paint - the only media colours I knew at the time. I seriously could watch her for hours. Yeah, unlike other 'normal' kids, I didn't need toys to keep me entertained, just give me a mirror (and possibly someone colouring her face) and I'll be happy with it. Honest.

I remembered one time when my mom was getting ready to go to a wedding. When I finally said something, I couldn't remember correctly what it was, but it was along the line of "orange doesn't suit you mom.. and your face is too white and your eyebrows are scary". (Yes, my honesty and frankness have always been with me ever since. But that's not the point. Let's put that to another topic for another time..) The main point here is, I was actually noticing how colours can affect or change a person's face...! But who would take a 10 year old's advice seriously? So off she went to the wedding proudly wearing her orange-ish gold eyeshadow and super duper flawless (read: porcelain too-white) face... well, it was the late 80s, so maybe the gold dust was still the IN thing in some parts of the world? Oh, let's not even start on her hair style! All I'm gonna say, think words such as: poofy, curly, wet, and BIG...! I'm gonna let your imagination begin now.. :)

Okay, this post is not to badmouth my mom.. I love her to death, she's one of the cutest and bravest person I've ever known. I was just trying to make a point that beauty and style have always caught my interest. Sure, I suffered bad fashion choice and make up mistakes in my lifetime (I've burned most of the pictures, you have no proof!).. But from failures come success! (I hope.. fingers crossed).

So, come and share with me my path to self discovery, as I've finally come to slowly embrace my addiction to beauty. It's not gonna be easy, but at least I know it's gonna be anything but ugly.. :D

Love,
A

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