A Dove dinner and make-up lessons from Xeng Zulueta

To be a make-up artist is one of my secret wishes (and I guess it’s no longer secret at this point). I think there’s a fascinating art to looking good and the ability to transform a face with make-up is magic in itself.

I attended a dinner-cum-mini beauty workshop hosted by Dove last week and one of the first lessons taught was for women to have good skin before one can have truly great make-up. And one word came up in the discussion several times that I promised it will be my mantra: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

I can’t fault Dove for selling the idea to me since they are a leading moisturizer brand. It’s an institution in itself and Dove’s white beauty bar was one of the first products I discovered to leave me smelling real good 😀 To prove that Dove is not just a woman’s turf (there is Dove Men after all), the brand’s product manager in the Philippines is a guy. Meet Gem Laforteza.

After his short talk was the main part of our little get-together which was a tutorial + demo on how to achieve the “no make-up” look (while still using make-up!) with popular make-up artist Xeng Zulueta.

In a nutshell, here’s what she said:

1. It’s best to use combination products like a concealer that also doubles as foundation or brow definer that can also work as mascara. Saves on storage and cost.

2. A mini eyelash curler is best for Asian women who have relatively shorter lashes.

3. Cream blush is preferable over powder blush when trying for a no-make-up look.

4. When going for the natural look, one can skip the eyeliner and aim for natural shades of lipstick.

5. Begin your make-up by applying concealer on oil-prone areas, especially the T-zone: forehead, contour of nose and also the chin. Then apply powder foundation.

Bloggers Hannah and Angela are glowing examples that the no make-up look works indeed!

Our group picture:

It was my third time to visit the Ascott Hotel Makati and I should remember it for this yummy chocolate tart.Diet PHAIL!

For your make-up dilemma and instant make-up tips, follow @xengzulueta on Twitter

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