This Stuff Won't Budge: The Best Makeup For Your Workouts

Makeup that lasts through your wedding day, tears and all? That's a piece of cake.
Ask for makeup that is going to last you through your swim, spin class and kickboxing matches? Now that's a real challenge.

Most of my friends and clients who know me will know that I go for a work out almost everyday. And no, I never wear makeup on my hill rides and laps in the pool.

OK I lie.

If there's gonna be a cute guy there, I sure as hell don't want to look like a sweaty mess. At least I will look like a sweaty hot mess. Yeah!

And I agree with you ladies who just can't go out without makeup, even if it's to the gym downstairs. I know they all say "makeup will clog your pores" and even I worry about that, but sometimes you just have to put something on. Right?
If you have to meet your client over golf, or play tennis with that yummy boy, you want to put your best face forward at the very least, yet not look like you're wearing a ton of products.

Here's a quick guide to shopping for the most sports,sweat & sun-friendly products in town - tried, tested and loved.


Skin:

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Matte SPF15
















This is a personal favourite. I use it daily! It's a fantastically light-weight mineral foundation that keeps shine away, does not contain preservatives and helps minimise pores too. It doesn't give you the foundation-y look, just makes your skin look great.
Although this is not going to withstand your swim, it's fantastic for your land-based sports like golf, gym, tennis and jogging.

Available at Sephora (get the starter pack, it's well worth it at S$104!)

Cheeks:

Face Atelier Facade












This beautiful liquid (well, not really, since it's silicone based) to powder blush is like a cheek stain that builds up or blends out easily with your fingertips. Although it looks scarily bright in the tube, upon application you'll find that it's actually very sheer and really natural looking.
It also goes onto your lips as a matte lipstain, and it's handy pocket size means you don't need to look for more space to cram it into your gym bag.

Available in Singapore from luxola.com at S$45 or in North America from the Face Atelier website


Brows:

B & C Browlash Ex Water Strong W Eyebrow



















I know i JUST wrote about this in my last post about brows , but I am hooked onto this waterproof, long lasting eyebrow pencil and brow liquid liner. Yes, it sounds weird, but this is a double ended pencil that has a wind-up crayon on one side, so you never have to bring a sharpener with you, and a liquid liner for the ends on the brows on the other side so you get a sleek, defined brow. This WILL last you through your swim, although I haven't tested it in the surf, but it really takes a great deal of heavy rubbing to move.

Available from Watsons at S$19.90 or on Sasa's online store


Eyes:

M.A.C. Liquidlast Eyeliner
















I have recommeded this to ladies who go swimming in this and I've seen it do what it claims to do, last and last and last! It doesn't move at all, and in so many colours, you can always get a new colour to suit your bikini.
The Liquidlast Liner does last even longer than the Superslick, if you want to compare these two liquid liners from MAC.



Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Shadow Pencil















Once you get a hang of quickly blending these pencils before they dry to a waterproof finish on your eyes, you'll love how longlasting and beautiful they are. You can blend them out to a full eyeshadow, or keep them neat and defined as a pop of eyeliner. My fav is the emerald green Clinic colour, but you'll be spoilt for choice with more than 10 shades.

Available at Sephora


Diorshow Waterproof Mascara




















Ah, mascaras.. tricky tricky. With so many of them claiming to be waterproof, water-resistant, I've found that I always go back to relying on this classic. It gives you big, bold, va-va-voom lashes and stays put.

*Quick tip: For mascaras, the trick to getting them not to smudge especially with smaller asian eyes, is to lay off the creamy concealers which once your mascara-ed lashes touch, tend to melt off and onto your lower lids. If you can, dust a light veil of powder onto your lower lash line just to help it stay matte and prevent the mascara from smudging.


Lips:

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm












There's nothing ickier than having lip gloss goo all over your lips when you're working out, it gets on your towel, your bottle, your face..
I love lip blams and bless the genius who created coloured balms. They moisturise your lips and give a lovely hint of colour, especially great if your lips tend to turn pale when you're gasping for breath in the cold pool or surf.

I just got my hands onto the Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry and am loving it! It's so cute, love the way it looks like a little pencil, and the sheer touch of colour it gives, without making my lips feel oily like some balms do.

It's costs a little bit on the steeper side for a tinted balm, at S$26 it's an indulgence you probably want to get at the duty free store.



Body:

I felt like i had to include this in, because it's no point putting all those lovely colours on if you're not taking care of the rest of your body.

#1 Please, please remember your deodorant!
Smell as pretty as you look with

Burt's Bees Herbal Deodorant















It combines sage, lavander and lemon essential oils to naturally neutralise any odours, without all the harsh chems like other anti-prespiratants or deodorants.

Available at Sephora


#1 (Yes, #1 again 'cos it's just as important!!) Sunscreen
I was mortified when I trained with athletes who don't use sunscreen while training in the hot afternoon sun at the track. You might think you don't see the sun damage, but soon you will. I know I have, from all those holidays, workouts and generally taking my skin for granted when I was younger. Right now I use an SPF50 whenever I know I'm going to hit sun when I cycle, and I'm reminding myself to use it daily too.

Clinique Sun SPF50 Body Cream

















I started using this cream when I was having a really strange arm rash and it not only helped protect my skin from the sun, but also helped soothe the rash, thanks to it's creamy, moisturising texture.
Since then I've continued using this sunscreen, and it's awesome because being fragrance-free, like all Clinique products, it doesn't have the strong smell of sunscreen.
I've let my best friend try it recently when we went for a swim, and he (yes! a guy! wearing sunscreen!) commented that it "didn't feel sticky". Yay for men who use sunscreen!


So, enjoy your workout, the sun, sea and the great outdoors, while knowing you ARE LOOKING HAWT!

Her World Brides : Bridal Makeup & Hairstyle inspirations!

It's almost coming to the close of 2011, and this time it's turning out to truly be the wedding season of the year!

If you haven't decided on what style of makeup and hair you're going to have on that day, maybe you'll like some inspiration from these pages of Her World Brides

Makeup & Hairstyling by yours truly :) for Her World Brides September Issue
Assisted by Norah Salazar
Styled by Janice Seah


The model was blessed with full brows, which I paired with a full matte red lip, nude eyeshadow (The Naked Palatte!) , Creamy Eyeliner (24/7 in Zero & Perversion) falsies and lots of mascara. In case you think I'm off my rockers talking dirty, that's cos I'm using Urban Decay for this shoot! Loving their products!!

I curled her hair into tight ringlets and swept it all back into a full, low bun. No backcombing and teasing needed!





And from an earlier issue, the June 2011 Issue of Her World Brides...

Makeup by Joanna Koh
Hair by Sunny Kor

For this shoot I was partial to bareMinerals makeup, which is pretty much taking up more and more space in my kit and drawer. And that's cos I keep going to Sephora to stock up!

If you want a little glow in your skin, try the bareMinerals Original mineral foundation, and if you have oily skin (which so many of us do in this climate!), choose the Matte version.

Their eyeshadows go on beautifully and they have a great range of colours too.


Read on for the looks..


A glowy finish to the skin, with rose lips and a touch of shimmer to the eyelids, so pretty for everyone.

This is how you do a bold lip without having to choose red. A bright pink works, but keep your blusher natural. I've used a peachy blusher and paired it with silvery eyes.
Some might argue against that, citing the warm & cool makeup theories , but hey! We're in 2011, not 1989, so I don't buy that anymore!





A really beautiful bronzed eye and lip makeup look. Wear this to your sunset destination wedding with your tanned skin (remember the SPF while you're on the beach!)



I'll be more than happy to help you achieve these looks for your wedding day! Drop me an email if you would like to enquire more :) jo@joannakoh.com

A peek into my makeup drawer and the contents of my makeup bag ;)

So... many people ask me what products I would recommend, or use.

Well, here's my open secret (drawer) !
.
.
.
.
.
.
.



What a mess right.. I've obviously got too much makeup for this one face of mine. I don't use everything everyday. So I think it's better to show you what are the staples in my personal makeup pouch.


I believe makeup needs to be tailored to suit each person's lifestyle and personality. I don't like to wear too much makeup simply because I'm running around all day for work and honestly, after doing makeup for people day after day after day, I hardly have the energy or patience to do a full face of makeup for myself (especially not in the morning when I've not had my tea!)
Also, I spend 3 days a week working out in the sun and more often than not, I find myself wiping my face with my hand or towel. Smudged eyeshadow and runny mascara is NOT a pretty sight..! Plus the boys I train with can't be bothered if I'm wearing a full face of makeup during training or not (correct me if you're reading this and I'm wrong :P)


So, what do I really, really, favour?

.
.
.
.
.




From top left to right:

1. (Silver Pen) Lancome Miracle Teint Concealer .. it's peachy-pink based so it corrects dark eye circles and the formula is really light-weight and comfortable to wear

2. (Black Pen) M.A.C. Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in On The Hunt .. I don't wear this daily but I love how it doesn't budge. At All. Nothing worse on the face than walking into the bathroom and discovering I've got a funny ring around the bottom of my eyes. This one guarantees I won't be getting a shock anytime soon.

3. Urban Decay After Glow Glide On Cheek Tint in Bang. This product was released in spring this year and I keep 3 colours in my drawer and a few more in my professional case. It's creamy, glides on smoothly and it's really sheer, although it looks intense in the compact.

4. Nars Blusher in Orgasm. Classic product! If you must buy only one blusher, this is the ONE. Brightens your entire complexion, with a very light wash of shimmer

5. Kate Kanebo Waterproof Eyebrow Gel. The only drugstore brand in my makeup bag. At about $16, it's not dirtcheap but I haven't come across any other brands that do waterproof eyebrow gels. It's kinda like eyebrow wax, but it doesnt feel sticky and the colours are really natural. I wear this almost everyday cos I have almost no brows! One day I will try it when I go swimming.

6. Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Waterproof Mascara. I admit.. I wear this for sports. And it's never failed me. I could be crying while swimming and it wouldn't move. Best of all it washes out with my makeup cleanser without me tugging at my eyelashes
Click on the link to check out the shape of the mascara brush!!

7. bareMinerals Original in Medium Beige. Tons of compliments about my skin while I'm wearing this foundation. I use it with the Prime Time foundation primer and buff it in with the bareMinerals foundation buffing brush.

8. M.A.C. Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium Plus. Before bareMinerals came to Singapore, I couldn't find any face powder to compete with this one. Why does it still remain although I have the other mineral face powders? Because it's PRESSED! nice and compact.

9 & 10. Bobbi Brown Eyeshadows. These are in Copper Cocoa (Single), Chino and Beige Linen (Double). I have tons of these in other colours. Mostly I choose nude, earthy and brown colours for eyeshadows. I wouldn't say I'm afraid of colour, but it's just much more classic to stick with the neutrals.


And there, the secret is out :) Now to get on with my packing! I'm moving out :D

My Eyeshadow Lasted Through The Rain! ... psst, here's the secret

Ok, let's all admit it. Singapore is SCORCHING hot, and brides here SWEAT like nobody's business. Also, it tends to POUR almost every other day (and at the present moment, it's the monsoon season, so, every day).

Add that to touching speeches and teary moms, most brides tend to shed a tear on their wedding day - Recipe for eye makeup disaster!

So, a few days ago, I put on some pretty makeup (eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara) as I had a meeting. I confess I do not usually put on makeup otherwise - shock shock horror horror! But that's for a simple reason, read on.
I workout at the track 3 times a week. This time, when I got to the track, the coach said "You gotta hustle, it's gonna rain". So I zipped into the bathroom to get changed and forgot to wash my makeup off! And then the rain came. And we kept going. I trained in the rain for more than an hour, and then in the shelter for another half an hour.
And I was thinking, I look like CRAP! My mascara must be streaking down my face.
Understand me here, my entire class is made of boys.. and I didn't want to look like a wreck.

I only took a good look at myself when I got home and just before I showered. And I thought " OMG! That is like the most perfect end-of-day makeup EVER!!"
My eyes were still slightly smoky, my eyeliner was in place, and my mascara didn't run, it just flaked a little. And this was about 11 hours after I had applied it, gone into the rain and worked up a sweat!

OK, so I must must must share my secret. And then I am sure your makeup on your big day is going to be tear/sweat/rain resistant.. if not waterproof!


The Big Secret is....... Eyeshadow PRIMER !

It's not that big of a secret actually, because I use a primer on almost all my clients before applying eyeshadow. hahaha.

The main great benefits about using a primer are that it holds your eyeshadow to your lids for a longer duration without creasing, or dissolving into oily lids (so common in our climate right?). Also, the big effect you can see immediately is that eyeshadow looks really VIBRANT when applied on top of a primer. The colours pop and you wouldn't need to use as much colour to get the effect. Eyeshadow also blends much better when applied over a primer.

Easy test if you don't believe me? Go to a store, swab a little primer on your skin (back of the palm's good, really flat surface), smoothen it in. Afterwards, get any eyeshadow colour, or use one that you feel you have a hard time getting the colour to show up. Now apply the eyeshadow over the primer, and another time, over your bare skin.
Trust me, you'll see a world of difference.


The primer I used on myself was one from Red Earth. Esprit in Singapore used to carry it years ago, and then Sasa had it. Right now, I have no idea where they are. But I'm sure you can find Red Earth all around Australia.


Here are a few more options that I really do like:

Make Up Store Eyeprimer Tinted



This tinted formula (also comes in clear) goes on liquid smooth and is great for hydration and filling fine lines too. The eyeshadow, especially glittery ones, adhere firmly to your lids when applied on top of this primer.
Love it. It's a staple in my makeup bag.


Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion



This one, I've just tried using recently and really am liking it. No creases, all holding power. Goes on nude and then dries to invisible.
They also have it in a matte finish and champagne shimmer, very cool, but you should use complimenting eyeshadows with it. No point using a matte finish primer with a shimmery eyeshadow or vice versa.
The personal sized one is great 'cos it has the applicator wand, but I'm gonna get myself the SUPERSIZED Professional Sized one without the applicator, although I have no idea how I'm going to finish using all 25mls of it :P


While we are on the topic of eyeshadow primers, don't forget the rest of your face! A little smoothing primer before your foundation goes a loooong way in keeping your makeup fresh all day.


I love Shu Uemura's UV Under Base SPF 30



It's a mousse and goes on great under foundation to even out skin tone and texture. I use this on brides on their big day and on models before a photoshoot..


Also really worth trying is RMK's Makeup Base Mat




I find it really funny that they don't spell it correctly as MATTE, but shorten it to MAT. Maybe it's a Japanese thing?
Anyway, on days when I want to go really light on my makeup, I use this and finish off with powder, skipping the foundation step. As it's slightly tinted, that works well for me, almost like a tinted moisturiser, but mattifying.



So there you go.. one BIG tip which will help your makeup go a long way especially on your wedding day!

Enjoy!