Event : Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi Gloss Launching

Hello gorgeous! Last week, I was invited to attend the launch of Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi Gloss. Make Up For Ever is known for their excellent quality of makeup products. Founded by a makeup artist, Dany Sanz, it’s no wonder that their products have been makeup artist favorites too. Me myself have tried some such as MUFE HD Foundation, Lift Concealer, and Aqua Eyeliner. Their products are so versatile and crafted really well. Your vanity needs them! 

This month they launched their newest product, Artist Plexi Gloss. It’s a lip lacquer with lipstick coverage and lacquered shine. Plexi Color Technology gives you a highly pigmented color of the gloss and Prizmalite^TM will deliver a vinyl shine finish and mirror like reflection. There are 35 colors to choose, 14 pearly shades and 21 non pearly (solid colors include one transparent). Imagine the limitless creativity in creating your lips look.

MUFE divided the colors into color codes:

100s : Nude and beige colors (100Ps : Nude and beige pearly colors)

200s: Pink colors (200Ps: Pink pearly colors)

300s : Coral colors (300Ps : Coral pearly colors)

400s : Red colors (400Ps : Red pearly colors)

500s : Artist colors (500Ps : Artist pearly colors)

Below are the swatches of some of my favorite shades. I was so overwhelmed with the amazing shades, I did not noticed the codes until later. So, I’m sorry if the swatches are not complete. 

As you can see, the colors are pigmented and really payoff. I especially adore the red and the hot pink shades. I fell in love with shade 405P, it’s a pearly marsala wine color. Jotted it down on my makeup wish list.

The artist colors became the most favorite shades to swatch by the beauty bloggers because when else can you play and experiment with those bold and crazy colors other than now. 

The Plexi Gloss also claimed to have 5 hours of staying power, a remarkable hours for a lip lacquer. Its superflex applicator also makes the application really easy too. The high precision paddle tip helps to apply the lacquer evenly on the lips without straying out of the line. The gloss reservoir, a small dent on the applicator, controls the amount of product coming out of the tube, ensuring a sufficient amount of gloss to be applied to the lips. So, one or two swipe is all we need to get that shiny and full lips. The applicator is also flexible and soft, definitely safe for any kind of lips. 

After a brief explanation about the product, given by Ms Sally Buntoro, MUFE Indonesia Public Relations Executive, an ombre lips demo was shown. The makeup artist showed us how to use Artist Plexi Gloss two ways, the first one is a full application on the lips, and the second one is applied to create an ombre lips. 

As you might be able to guess, afterwards, we were challenged to create our own ombre lips using Plexi Gloss. We can be as creative as we want by using other MUFE products available on the counter as long as the basic product used is the Plexi Gloss. You can imagine the excitement amongst us and immediately we went here and there grabbing the stuffs that we need to create the ombre lips. 

Since yours truly still hesitant to apply the artist colors (I felt like dark color lips are too vampy and unfit my overall looks), I chose to create a mix of pink and orange shade, I proudly called it O-pink! I was thinking about summer colors that day and I thought that I want to create a look that you can pull on summer days. 

Here’s the how to part (pardon me for unable to recall the precise codes of the products I used because I was too excited with doing the challenge).

At first I lined my lips with Aqua Lip Liner in Coral Orange, and then I started to apply the red orangey Plexi Gloss (its 300 if I’m not mistaken) on top of the liner and around the outer area of my lips aka framing the lips. I chose 2 pink shades to fill my inner lips, applied the lighter one first and then dabbed the bolder one on top of it. Voila! Its done! What do you think of my O-pink lips? Summery enough?

The great part is even though I layered 3 colors on my lips, it didn’t feel thick on my lips and the product stay still on my lips nicely. I will do separate review on Artist Plexi Gloss on other post later on and will share more experience wearing it. 

 

I still have time to mingle and chat (with a lot of selfie and taking pictures together of course) with the other beauty bloggers before the event ended. I had a blast on the event and it the highlight of my week. Artist Plexi Gloss has launched on August 1^st, 2015 and you can find them on MUFE counters. Have you tried them? If yes, please tell me what do you think about them? 

Currently, I am having a giveaway (Yes! it is my first ever giveaway! Sooo excited!) sponsored by Make Up For Ever. I am going to pick 3 random winners which will get one Artist Plexi Gloss each (colors are random). To join my giveaway, scoot out to my IG, @stefaniecarolina for the rules and how to. It will be closed on August 9th, 2015 at 11.59pm and I will announce the winners on August 12th, 2015 on my IG page. What are you waiting for?!! Join it right away!

Thank you Make Up For Ever Indonesia for inviting me! I wish you the utmost success for the launch of Plexi Gloss and sending you much love from here! *smooches*

For more information on Artist Plexi Gloss, you can contact Make Up For Ever Indonesia on their social media outlets:

Website : www.makeupforever.com

Facebook : MAKE UP FOREVER Indonesia

Instagram : makeupforeverID

Twitter : MakeUpForEverID

Cheers,

Stef

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