Event : Garnier Vlogging Retreat

Hello gorgeous! First, I would like to say Happy Eid Mubarak for everybody who celebrated it. I bet all of you had a wonderful and joyous celebration with your beloved ones. Me and my family had an early holiday before the Idul Fitri started and back in time for the empty Jakarta and enjoy the friendly traffic. Oh how I wish the traffic would stay that way every day. Life will be so much easier hahaha..

Anyway, this is an update on the beauty event that I attended. I am one of the lucky beauty bloggers that got a chance to join Garnier Vlogging Retreat. The retreat was held on June 6^th & 7^th, 2015 at Padma Hotel, Bandung. Following its Light Complete White Speed series, Garnier invited us to learn more about vlogging, its tips and tricks, and how to make a good video that attracts millions of viewers (dream high people, dream as high as we could!) 

What is vlogging? Please do not mistaken it with mosquito fogging, ok? Hahaha

Vlogging is another form of blogging, using video as its media instead of blog. For some people, talking is easier than writing, and vice versa. So, it’s a good news for you who always been wanting to blog but got discouraged because you don’t know how or what to write. With Vlogging, you just need to talk in front of the camera! I know its easier said than done, because for me, writing is definitely easier and learning about Vlogging is something new and quite challenging for me. Want to know more about it? Let me tell you all about it now.

Day 1, June 6^th 2015.

We went to Bandung using a bus and arrived at Padma Hotel around 9.30 am. The hotel was beyond beautiful! Amazing view with green lush trees all over the complex. I couldn’t believe that we are going to stay in this hotel. I am totally in love with this hotel! After having breakfast and get to know other beauty bloggers, we started our workshop.

The workshop began with an opening talk from Mr. Pandu Brodjonegoro, Senior Brand Manager Garnier. It continued with the Vlogging Workshop presented by Ms. Priskila Eirene. She explained what is Vlogging and how to make a good one.

 

The workshop was divided into 4 parts and I will summarize it below.

1. Vlogging Preparation

First of all, you need to know what you are going to talk about in your video. Are you going to talk about product review or a makeup tutorial, or etc. Make sure that you are focus and not straying from out topic. Making notes before you shoot your video and rehearse it a bit might help too. 

2. Filming

Make sure you have a proper equipment to shoot your video. You don’t need to buy the latest video camera model though, especially when you are just starting your vlogging adventure (unless budget is not an issue).

A tripod would do great too instead of putting your camera on the stack of books or CDs (yes, I’m guilty). 

Lighting is important because you want to show your viewers the colors of your make up or the products that you want to review clearly. 

You also need to pay attention to the background and your filming environment too. Many amateurs forget that the viewers will be able to see what’s behind them aka the messy bedsheet, piles of dirty laundry, and other chaos that usually sits on your house. Make sure you have a background that is pleasant to see or at least a clean one, so the viewers will not be distracted by things such as guessing what leftovers on the table or what size is your bra ;p

Quiet the space where you do your shooting. It is going to be embarrassing if in the middle of your explanation on how to make smoky eyes then your mom yells, asking for you to do your chores. Put a do not disturb sign outside the door if you needed to.

Don’t forget to to a 5 seconds test to ensure your settings are all alright and the video quality is good.

3. Editing

We all have different types of camera and computer, so finding an editing software that fits you and your equipment is important too. If you are an Apple user, you can use iMovie. Windows user can use Windows Movie Maker. And if you wanted to step up your game and do it professionally, you can check out Adobe Premiere.

Separate the video materials into 3 parts, Title – Content – Ending. That way, you can edit them better and easier. Play and make yourself familiar with the editing software so you can optimize the functions.

Remember to add an End Screen in your video. What is an End Screen? It’s a page where you type all your social media contacts or even a teaser of your upcoming videos, so your viewers will remember to check for your updates.

4. Branding

Branding your video channel is vital because not only your viewers will remember you, but a good brand will also attract more and more viewers. Here are some tips that I got from the workshop:

• Choose a great youtube name

• A great name sometimes is not enough, why don’t you also create your own logo?

• Establish social media presence. Be active but still in the proper amount.

• Interact with your audience. Ask them questions and answer their questions.

• Create a memorable content that your viewers will remember.

• Make a good youtube thumbnail image to interest viewers.

There you go! Vlogging 101 is finished! Last but not least, in making videos, you need to have fun and be passionate about what you record. 

During the workshop, we were also being encouraged to shoot our own videos to be uploaded later in our youtube channel. After each session, we were given the chance to put what that had been taught to us into practice. We learned how to shoot, edit, and upload our own videos under Kila’s help. It was a new experience for me and I have to fight my self conscious in front of the camera. But it was fun doing it together with other bloggers. We helped each other in shooting and editing the videos. The result is not that bad after all hahaha.

The sun set and the workshop is finished. It’s time for us to check in to our hotel room and get ready for the dinner. Look what we found on top of our bed! My roommate is Kania from www.beautydiarykania.com. A lovely and kindhearted woman with long beautiful hair. We met before on other beauty event, so we’re not strangers anymore. 

 

The dinner was set in a romantic lighting which was a bit upsetting for us because we could not take a proper picture of us and our makeup hahaha.. The food was delicious especially the dessert, a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream on the side.

With a full tummy and tired body, it’s time to call it a night. We still have more activities to do on the next day.

Day 2, June 7th 2015

 

The day started with a very early morning call at 6 am. You guys know I am not a morning person, so I literally have to drag my ass out of the bed and get ready to join the yoga session. As it turned out, the ass dragging got rewarded with a very refreshing Bandung morning air. The air was super fresh and cold, a wonderful change from the dusty air in Jakarta. I inhaled as much as fresh air that I could while I can.

The yoga session was led by Fey Astora from Astora Yoga. His yoga expertise and his charm definitely woke us up that morning hahaha.. It was my first time doing yoga with a proper instructor and my muscles were sore afterwards, but I like it. 

Calories burning done, then its time to input some calories in again hahaha.. Having breakfast at the hotel restaurant and more chit chat with the others. Afterwards, some of us went for a dip in the swimming pool. As for me, I prefer to relax in the bathtub, enjoying my last moment staying in this beautiful hotel.

After checking out of the hotel and some group photo sessions, we went to Miss Bee Providore for lunch. Miss Bee has been on my list for the must try restaurants in Bandung. The venue is dominated with yellow color hence the name. There’s a little playground for kids and they have rabbits too! The food portion was generous (I couldn’t finished mine) but the taste was just okay. The dessert was great though (they almost sold out so we have to share). 

We arrived in Jakarta around 7.30 pm (the traffic to Jakarta was really bad) and that’s the end of the retreat. We said our goodbyes and went back to our home. Thank you Garnier Indonesia for this fun and fruitful retreat. I got to meet fellow beauty bloggers, learned about new things, and it was an awesome experience. Wishing Garnier success all the way. Until next time!!

Cheers,

Stef

Beauty Story Sweet and Chic Lipstick & Nail Polish

Welcome to review part II of Beauty Story products. This time, I am going to talk more about their lipsticks and nail polishes. 

The sweet and chic lipstick comes in 8 shades. For swatches of the colors, you can check them in my previous post here. At first, I only had Rose, but then I was looking for nude lipstick and came upon Samantha, which I adore so much, and let me tell you why..

The lipstick is a total catch. It is moisturizing, glides effortlessly on my lips, and has a good pigmentation. It is enriched with vitamin E and lip conditioning hydrators, so it will not make your lips dry. My lips are easily dry and sometimes chapped, but this lipstick can handle it well. When I wear it, it doesn’t worsen my lip condition. I always keep one in my beauty pouch. 

Rose is the coral pink color with a little tinge of orange in it that will brighten up your face instantly. This has become one of my go to lipstick when I don’t have a lot of time to do my makeup, because I know this sweetie will save me and not disappoint me.

Samantha on the other hand is the pinkish nude color that so versatile. You can apply it when you don’t feel like showing off your makeup too much or you can wear it when you want to flaunt your natural makeup. 

The staying power is not too bad, around 4 hours if you don’t eat. I like how when it fades, it still leaves soft pigmentation on my lips. It has vanilla scent when you apply it on the lips, but the scent doesn’t linger too long and I usually don’t notice it after 5 minutes. Vanilla scented lipstick seemed to be around a lot lately, don’t you think? Tom Ford has it, Marc Jacobs has it, and Beauty Story has it.

Unlike some designer brands, or any premium brands lipstick, the price of this lipstick is unbelievably affordable. I think I will indulge a little bit and collect them all hahaha..

Nails nails oh pretty nails.. We could not left the nails out, don’t we? Well, Beauty Story offers 12 shades of mini size nail polishes to choose to play with. They also had a base coat and top coat. I chose Minty and Crissa because I thought the colors fits to welcome the spring season (I told you this is a very late post). 

The size of the bottle is pretty small which explains why the price is also very affordable. This again, another reason to just go buy and bring them all home. The color is wonderful and it dries pretty quickly. For the lighter color, I think you need to apply two coats or else it will be a bit streaky. On the picture, I wore two coats of Minty and one coat of Crissa on top of it. 

The biggest plus point for the nail polish is it’s a 5 free nail polish, means it is formulated free from Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, and Camphor. So, it is very safe to use.

I really enjoy playing with Beauty Story products and definitely a brand that I will repurchase and would recommend to my friends and family. Have you tried them? If yes, please let me know what is your opinion about it. You can find them at Watsons or Dan Dan outlets. They also provide online shopping on their website, www.mybeautystory.com (free shipping for purchase above 100.000 IDR). Thank you for reading my review :)

Cheers,

Stef

Beauty Story - Luminous Primer and CC Cream

Hello gorgeous! I cannot believe that it has been 6 months in 2015. As for me, this mid year is the busiest time of the year so far. Lots of things need to be done and time seems not on my side (said the procrastinator ;p). How’s your New Year resolution so far? Crossing some of it already or still working on it? Well, no matter how many lists you have crossed; never forget to always enjoy the process, the present moment and spend quality time with your loved ones. Always be positive and be passionate in everything you do :)

This is actually a very late post and I’m realllllyyy sorry. I thought that I would make a separate post and categorize it based on face, lips, and nails. As a preview on what I’m gonna review, you can check below pictures. On this post, I will only review the face products which are Beauty Story Luminous Primer Smooth & Luminous and Beauty Story Magical CC Cream.

If you remembered a few post before, I wrote about Beauty Story, a local brand that launched few months ago. I had the chance to try some of their products and impressed with their quality, I adopted some for myself. The first one is The Beauty Story Luminous Primer Smooth & Luminous which from now, I’m just gonna call it BS Luminous. It is a base make up and works as primer, which means you use it under your foundation or your sunscreen routine. Primer helps to prep your skin, smoothen them out, so it’s ready for the next base makeup. Some primer also able to cover your pores, makes your skin look flawless. So, what is so special about BS Luminous? This primer is pearls based. It has gold, pink, and green pearl tint that could brighten your skin. 

Are you familiar with Guerlain Meteorites?  Well, this is the liquid version of it (a lot cheaper too!). BS Luminous will give you a luminous bright skin without making it Edward Cullen diamond sparkly. Its primer function also makes my skin looks smoother although not so much action in pore covering. But I think with its pearly based and the shimmer is wonderfully soft and fine, it will diffuse the light and makes the pore less visible. The oil control of BS Luminous is around 5 hours with loose powder to set your makeup base. I never not set my makeup base without loose powder, so I don’t know how long it takes until the oil will gain control on your face again. 

On the picture I tried to apply it on my hand so it will be clearly visible to you. I tried to capture it when I’m using it on my face, hopefully you can see the luminous skin that I am talking about.

You have to remember that the consistency is pretty thin, so a little comes a long way. Be careful not to squeeze too much products out. 

The next product is The Beauty Story Magical CC Cream. I bet a lot of you already know what the difference between BB Cream and CC Cream is, so I will go straight explaining about the product. I only had tried one CC Cream, which is Hera CC Cream. Hera’s CC cream texture is a bit similar to BB cream, it is pigmented and a bit thick. In the contrary, BS Magical Cream texture is moussey and light. 

Do not need to be surprised at first when you applied it to the face because the cream is white. The cream will adjust to your skin color and evens it out. On me, the cream brightened my complexion and made it look smooth too. It did not feel too sticky and easy to blend. Another wonderful part is that it contains SPF 30 PA ++. It just like the cream claimed, a multi tasking cream that not only brighten, evens out skin tone, moisturizing, and UVA UVB protection. 

This is a CC Cream; means the coverage is minimum, so you still need to add concealer if you want a flawless look. The oil control lasted for around 4 hours on me.

I love wearing this cream on the days when I don’t feel like wearing too much make up or when I just need to run errands. It gives me a simple but fresh look. 

I hope you find my review useful. Don’t forget that I will do another review on other products from Beauty Story. With a good quality product and wonderful packaging, Beauty Story is definitely a great contender coming in Indonesia’s beauty world. It is paraben free and no animal testing too! What have you tried so far? Please let me know.

Cheers,

Stef

Laneige Satin Finish Loose Powder

Laneige has been one of my favorite Korean Brand. Well, with Jeon Ji Hyun and Song Hye Kyo as their brand ambassador, they definitely had captured a lot of beauty lovers’ heart. 

I always prefer using loose powder instead of compact powder or even powder foundation because of its light texture. It feels and looks natural on my face and doesn’t cakey at all. 

Laneige Satin Finish Loose Powder is an amazing product. I love it so much and I already finished 2 jars. I’m on my 3rd jar now and I suddenly remember why I haven’t written a review about it. So here it is!

The powder is finely milled and the texture is unbelievably soft. When you pat or brush it to your skin, it will set your make up easily and will blend into your skin. The powder will sit on your pores perfectly too. It is slightly scented and for me the scent is definitely not overwhelming, I usually don’t notice it after the powder set on my face. Other thing that I love from this powder is how the powder gives me a brighter complexion but not the pale and white-ish kind of complexion. It is not a powder with shimmery or pearly effect, but somehow it manages to give me the glow that I need. 

A soft and fluff puff comes along with the powder. The puff is softer and puffer than my Shu Uemura Loose Powder puff and I like how it feels on my skin. I rarely use brush in applying my loose powder because I like to pat the puff on my face to really set my base makeup. 

On the picture, you could see the powder when it is not blend and when it’s blended. It goes smoothly on the skin and remember when I told you about the brightening effect? 

It will usually hold my makeup for around 5-6 hours without blotting. For you who have oily skin, you might need a better oil control powder than this, because the powder is very light, so I don’t think it will be able to hold longer than 4-5 hours for you. A little tip, you might want to try to tap some translucent silica powder to some parts of your face that will shine easily or slap on some primer with a good oil control before you put on your foundation etc. I hope that ought to give you some extra hours more. 

Hope you enjoy reading the review and have a fabulous day! 

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Cheers,

Stef