Q: Rhia, what's in your make-up kit?
A: So now that I've disclosed ALL of the make-up products I use to get myself normal-looking under ideal conditions (i.e. when I have at least 40 minutes to get ready - yes, that long), here are the products for those mornings when I'm strapped for time and have to set my make-up routine on auto-pilot. I would love to have a 5 minute face, but I'm afraid this mug needs way more make-up lovin' than that! Here are the Big Ten products I use to help my face wake up with make-up:

Part IV | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Auto-Pilot

FACE

1. MAC Tinted Moisturizer NC35
Moisturizes and adds colour in one

2. MAC Studio Fix C4
Adds more coverage and leaves a powdery finish

3. MAC Select Cover-up in Peach
Self-explanatory. During the work week, I average 5-6 hours sleep on a good night, and the peach concealer is a much-needed and much-loved step in the morning to play down the dark circles that characterize the past night's lack of rest. I add MAC Studio Fix in C4 above to blend this lighter layer in with the rest of my skin.

4. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Deep Dark
I use this powder with a big powder brush as a bronzer to help add colour and contour to my face.

5. Nars Orgasm Blush
Adding some blush is an instant way to make you look awake! I usually take my blushbrush and start blending from the ear in towards the nose, along where the cheekbone is. This deposits the most amount of colour closer to the hollows of the cheeks and helps add much-needed definition to my face!

EYES

6. MAC Paint
Still can't live without my MAC Paint! I would rather take a little extra time in the morning to do steps that keep my make-up long-lasting so I don't have to worry about it anytime throughout the day. I usually grab Paint in either Bare Canvas or Sublime Nature.

7. L'oreal Lineur Intense
Another day to day staple. Liquid liner can be a bit tricky initially, but once you master it, you're hooked. It's worth every bit the practice as it lasts all day! It's going to be tough to wean me off this product even later in life once my eyelids start drooping. My skin will be sagging, but I'll probably still be trying pull the eyelids up with my cateye sweep plus massive amounts of eyeshadow.

8. Inglot Eyeshadows

9. Eyelash Curler and Mascara

LIPS

10. Inglot Lipliner in #63

Total Make-up Time = 25 mins!

Ok, ok so I cheated up there, grouped multiple products and didn't factor in brushes, moisturizer, lip balm etc. But you get the point - I love my make-up!

For all installments of the What’s in my Make-up kit Series, check out:
Part I | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Face
Part II | What’s in my Make-up Kit: Eyes
Part III | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Lips
Part IV | Auto-Pilot

What do you use? Feel free to comment and tell me what make-up products work (or don’t work) for you!

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of playing make-up with a great friend and person, Jenn, in preparation for her engagement photos. Here are some stunning shots of the gorgeous bride-to-be! (...oh yes, and her groom-to-be Denny!)
Check out the talent behind the lens:
first image by Christopher Luk
second, third image by Claudia Hung

LOVE IT.

Q: Rhia, what's in your make-up kit? (...continued)
A: Now that we've dealt with the many products in my personal make-up kit for face and eyes, it's time to talk about what I use for the lips. This segment will likely be the shortest of the three, as I tend to focus my make-up efforts on the areas that need more attention - my skin and on my eyes.

Part III | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Lips
Here are my daily essentials for the lips in the order that I apply them:

LIP BALM

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1
I love this stuff - it's like crack for the lips. Or better yet - crack for lips that are cracked. I usually put this on right at the beginning of the my make-up routine to prep my lips for application later. You'll also catch me applying it throughout the day to keep my lips moisturized. I prefer the original non-scented version (why mess with a good thing?), but the product also comes in scented versions of Pear, Cranberry and Mint (which I believe are limited edition).

LIP LINER

Inglot Precision Lipliner #63
I made sure to stock up on this wonderful lipliner before Inglot closed, and now I'll have to go to Montreal to get it! The formula is creamy and doesn't pull at your lips when you're applying it. I usually line the lips just inside my natural lip line (no need to exaggerate these full puppies!). Then I take my lip brush and blend it inward towards the middle of the lips so it adds colour and acts as a base for the lipstick or lip gloss I apply atop of it.

LIPBRUSH

MAC Lip Brush
I use a retractable lipbrush from MAC that's been in my kit for a few years now. The lip brush is great for helping to build colour on the lips in a controlled manner. Make sure the brush gets cleaned frequently even if it is a brush you use strictly on yourself. The retractable brush can be more prone to contamination as usually it is still wet with product when it gets stored back into its container. Remember that the container is dark on the inside and with the wet brush, you have ideal conditions for bacterial growth if your brush is not taken care of properly. Make sure you wash/spray your brush appropriately and let it dry after each use to avoid any contamination.

LIPSTICK and LIPGLOSS
various from MAC and Inglot

Ok, so I've lost track of the lipsticks I use on myself. I usually take my lipsticks, chop them up and put them in a palette - that way I have the freedom of mixing and making my own colours right at the palm of my hand. I also can carry all my favourite shades with me wherever I go with the palette! My choice of lip colour usually leans more towards the lighter pink and/or peach side just so I can keep the look balanced with the rest of the face. As I usually focus more efforts on my eye make-up, a lighter lip adds balance and helps the make-up not look dated. Some of my lipstick faves are MAC Faux and MAC Brave while some of my lipgloss faves are Inglot Paints in #20 and #14.

Check back to see all installments of the What’s in my Make-up kit Series for:
Part I | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Face
Part II | What’s in my Make-up Kit: Eyes
Part III | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Lips
Part IV | Auto-Pilot

What do you use? Feel free to comment and tell me what make-up products work (or don’t work) for you!

I am thrilled to be contributing to Make-up Junkie, the successful brainchild of make-up artist and beauty writer, Joy David-Tilberg. Make-up Junkie is the go-to resource online for the "latest and greatest (and not so great) in beauty products, beauty products, pro makeup tips, the latest buzz in the beauty world" and so much more!

Check out Make-up Junkie to get your daily fix of beauty!

As posted on Make-up Junkie:

Friday, October 10, 2008
Makeup Junkie Welcomes New Writer Rhia!

Rhia's love for make-up began the fateful day her mom purchased her first lipstick when she was just 10 years old. "It was a god-awful colour--Maybelline Wild Berries to be exact--and I had no idea how to apply it. I'm sure that some days I walked around with a pink mustache!" But that didn't matter - that tube of hot pink lipstick would start off a continuous love affair for beauty products that remains with Rhia to this day!

In high school, Rhia frequently experimented with her own make-up and soon became the go-to person for doing make-up for family and friends. While in university, she started working part-time for various prestige make-up brands. Yet, even upon graduation in an unrelated field, Rhia still couldn't suppress her passion for make-up: she continued to freelance and work part-time with Inglot Cosmetics while starting her first real world full-time job within the financial industry. Recently, Rhia decided to build on her self-taught make-up techniques and completed a course through Ryerson to learn more about everything from bridal and glamour make-up to make-up for stage and special effects. Today, she continues her passion and freelance work through her site www.artistrhi.com while also working as Make-up Artist with a local salon. She is a proud volunteer with the wonderful organization Look Good Feel Better on a regular basis. When she's not freelancing or playing make-up, you can find her blogging on artistRhi or on Toronto Wedding Professionals.

I'm a makeup junkie because...you know you're addicted when you have so much make-up, but still can go out and spend on more without hesitation. Take me to Sephora and it's like sensory overload--I feel like a kid in a candy store! (and I really love candy...)

Gloss Girl of Lipstick Lady? Both! Depends on the look I'm aiming for, but I usually love lipstick topped with a hint of gloss. You'll find both in my purse.

One beauty product you absolutely can not live without? Umm...only one? Too many to choose from. I would say my eyelash curler, but it would be lonely without my mascara!

If you could be a muse who would it be for? I love the feminine sophistication of Valentino designs, but I also love the practical downtown chic of Michael Kors and Jil Sander.

Chocolate or sex? Chocolate! You can have it anytime (well, and be appropriate that is)!

What makes you smile? My family, my friends and being able to do what I love and see someone smile once it's all done.

Welcome Rhia! Stay tuned for more!

Q: Rhia, what's in your make-up kit? (...continued)
A: Now, that I've owned up to all the beauty products I use to bring my skin to a normal-and-ok-to-go-out-in-public state, we move on to our next segment of what make-up products I use for the eyes. If I'm running short on time in the morning, I normally opt to cut off steps from the skin and face routine, but never from my eye make-up routine! Anybody that knows me and my make-up technique knows that I love to focus on the eyes on myself and my clients. I'm inclined to believe that even in the case of an emergency, I would reach for my eyelash curler and mascara before dashing out! (Can you say intervention?)

Part II | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Eyes
Here are my daily essentials for the eyes in the order that I apply them:

EYESHADOW BASE

MAC Paint – Bare Canvas
I once heard that MAC Paints were going to be discontinued with the introduction of MAC Paint Pots, and my heart skipped a beat. I swear by MAC Paints - I use them in all my applications in my own routine and in my client appointments. I use Bare Canvas paint as a base applying it from lashline all the way up to the eyebrow to help prolong the daily life of my eyeshadow. Bare Canvas is a pale colour that lives up to its name as it neutralizes the eyelid and in doing so also helps the true colour of your eyeshadow to come through. I cannot say enough good things about MAC Paints! Definitely a personal kit staple!

EYELINER

L'oreal Lineur Intense
I've had a love affair with this product since high school, but we did have a rocky start. My hand wasn't always so steady; I have some questionable photos of liquid liner rimmed lids from high school (think thick black liner nearly shaped like a thick rectangle on the top lashline. It might look half decent on the runway, but it was an attempt to disguise my shaky hand by drawing on thicker! In fact, too thick). The thin brush of Lineur Intense does take precision, practice (and obviously) patience. But once you've got a handle on it, you'll see that the tiny brush is the best part! I use it tight against the top lash line and then I tightline the bottom lash line. Read more of my review on L'oreal Lineur Intense here.

EYESHADOWS

Inglot Eyeshadows and MAC Eyeshadows (too many to mention)
My eyeshadow look usually varies with how much time I have to get ready in the morning and on what I’m wearing, etc. For as much as I would rather sacrifice sleep to have more time to get ready, some days my body just refuses and wants to sleep in! I usually opt for a more neutral coloured look for the day when going to the office, and kick it up with colour at night using any of the colours from my Inglot eyeshadow palettes.
One eyeshadow that I do use daily is MAC Starflash Eyeshadow in Grand Entrance. I use this colour to highlight the inner corner of the eyes and help them appear larger.

CREAM EYESHADOWS

MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist, Artifact, Quite Natural, and Blackground
So, I've already detailed my love for MAC Paints and their crease resisting charm. MAC Paint Pots are the next generation of the Paint, and versus its predecessor, Paint Pots are a lot more user friendly. With the Paints, you have to work with them really fast and blend or else you end up with uneven colour. Paint Pots allow more room for movement and do not set as quickly making them easier to blend. I like to layer the Paint Pots atop my eyeshadows to soften the powder for more of an airbrushed and slightly diffused effect. Depending on what eyeshadow I have used, I match either Constructivist, Artifact or Quite Natural and concentrate it in the crease of my eye and lightly pat to blend it outward using my finger. I use Blackground whenever I want more of an intense smoky eye: I smudge it tight to the lash line and blend it with a pencil liner to create more depth and interest for the eyes. See more on my love for Paint Pot here.

EYEBROW PENCIL

Rimmel Dark Brown Pencil
Rimmel's eyebrow pencil is an absolute kit essential for several reasons:
1. I only have 1.5 eyebrows without it - I need it to make my brows presentable!
2. The waxier formula is perfect for doing the feathery strokes of a great filled-in brow. See here.
3. A pricepoint of $7 for a brow pencil can't be beat.
See more of my product review for it here.

EYEBROW BRUSH + EYESHADOW

MAC 208 Angled Brow Brush + Inglot Eyeshadow in a matching dark brown
The angled brush works great for doing the light feathery strokes and blends out any unevenness in the pencil. The eyeshadow acts as a powder and helps to keep the waxy eyebrow pencil in place all day long!

EYELASH CURLER

My eyelashes tend to do the Asian thing and grow straight and then downward. Thus, an eyelash curler is a definite prerequisite before applying mascara. Applying mascara without it would do the opposite effect of what we're aiming for - longer, plush lashes that make our eyes look bigger! Lesson learned. Curl those lashes before applying mascara!

MASCARA

Since mascara has a high turnover rate, I use this as an opportunity to go out and try something new. I would rather not spend $30 on a mascara, but some days--guilty as charged--I submit. On these days, you'll see me picking up either Kiss Me Mascara or Dior Diorshow. But I'm also a sucker for drug store mascaras and love trying out the latest claims of 500% more lashes, 98% thicker, (enter exaggerated claim here), etc. As much as I like to try new mascaras (more of my faves here), a tried and tested kit staple that I know I can always revert back to is L'oreal Voluminous.

Check back to see all installments of the What’s in my Make-up kit Series for:
Part I | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Face
Part II | What’s in my Make-up Kit: Eyes
Part III | What’s in My Make-up Kit: Lips
Part IV | Auto-Pilot

What do you use? Feel free to comment and tell me what make-up products work (or don’t work) for you!