soft 70s look book

do yourself a favor and put on some fleetwood while you scroll through these images! serious 70s vibes are coming your way.

vendor list:
Photo and Styling: Kobe Wagstaff ig @kobewagstaff
Hair Styling: Chantry Wagstaff of Blow Beauty ig @blowbeauty
Vintage Jewelry: Bella & Chloe ig @bellaandchloeshop
Model: Diana Tlalpam ig @deetlalpam
Makeup by me ig @pluckycharm

enjoy!

pastel pop look book - feat. Constantine Huang Photography

Hello! Just wanted to share some photos from the collaboration I worked on recently with Taichung, Taiwan local photographer, Constantine Huang. We also petitioned a couple of local girls to be our volunteer models, Laura Chen and Karen Mao. Although I hadn't met these two girls before the photo shoot, by the time we were finished I felt like we'd been friends for years. Isn't it incredible that you can meet people from anywhere in the world and still find common ground on so many things?! I love that!

For this shoot, I chose two springy pastel colors and worked around those to create some funky, yet wearable, spring time looks. I'll share product details at the bottom of the post for those who are interested. I haven't really shown a lot of behind-the-scenes shots in previous posts, but I thought it would be fun to share a few from this project.

enjoy!

Hello, Laura! (pre-makeup)

Mao Mao aka Karen (pre-makeup)

starting things off with a brightening mask to prep the skin...

a little peek into some of my makeup kit favorites I used on this shoot

standing in for a lighting check! sidenote: I'm not really representing my work as well as I'd like to in this photo (see lack of makeup and humidity hair) but I'm still sharing it because A. I was there and I want to be included and B. The reality of photo shoot mornings is that my makeup and hair is the last thing on the to-do list!

almost ready...

pops of lilac and dewy fresh skin for Laura (product details at bottom of post)

getting a little dolly-eyed look with some lash singles on the bottom lash line

a minty green 'feline flick' on Mao Mao (I did a rendition of this look on myself. check it out on my instagram account. link in sidebar)

and one of the three of us for good measure!

product details-

skin prep-
Murad Intensive-C Radiance Peel
Tarte Maracuja Oil
Evian Mineral Water spray

on Laura:

eyes-
CLIO Professional Gelpresso Waterproof Pastel Upper Liner in Peace One Day No. 4 (I bought this liner in 3 colors because it costs $10, blends easily, isn't chalky, and I think works better than my NARS pastel liners!)
Ardell Short Knot-Free Individual Lashes

skin-
Bobbi Brown Illuminating Face Base SPF 25 PA+++
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska Light 2
mixed with Josie Maran Argan Luminizer
Benefit Erase Paste concealer in No.2
finished with MAKE UP FOR EVER Professional Pro Finish pressed powder in 117

color and highlight-
MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade (highlight)

lips-
I lined and blended the CLIO eyeliner onto Laura's lips as well!
finished off with MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Patent Pink for some shine

on Karen (Mao Mao)-

eyes-
NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Barrow Street (mint color)
Urban Decay Naked II basics eye shadow palette in Frisk (lid) and Skimp (inner corner and brow bone)

skin-
Bobbi Brown Illuminating Face Base SPF 25 PA+++
Dr.G Hydra Intensive Blemish Balm (one shade) mixed with
Tarte Maracuja Oil

highlight and color-
NARS The Multiple in Copacabana (highlight)
NARS Bronzing Powder in Casino

lips-
NYX Butter Lipstick in Snow Cap
MAC Mineralize Glass in Beautiful Moves


I hope you found this post enjoyable! Feel free to leave feedback in the comments below!

Thanks!

-Riley

Hong Kong Haul - Mini Reviews of Favorite New Beauty Products from Asia

I'm back at my home in Taichung, Taiwan after a week long trip to Hong Kong. I traveled there with my husband Sunny to visit family and experience what the city had to offer. I did not come away disappointed. With giant shopping centers at basically every MTR stop, its not difficult to find yourself in a whirlwind of products and potions. I even came across an entire shopping mall completely dedicated to makeup and skincare counters. They had all the global beauty brands and more, but I was on the hunt for smaller, local brands that I hadn't heard of before. I was able to get some recommendations from a few local beauty professionals and came away with the products you see pictured above. I'll give a short review of each product, pricing in US Dollars, and where you can purchase.

Skin Care

-TONYMOLY Panda's Dream Eye Patch. about $1.50 for one packet. Available on Amazon.com globally. If you live in Asia, you can find this product at Sasa or Watson's. (Made in Korea)

photo credit Kawaii Beauty Corner

These are my favorite kinds of products, the ones that have quirky packaging, easy use, inexpensive, and instant results. It's also a plus if the product makes you look like a panda while you're using it. Don't worry, this one does. On clean skin, you rest these black, oval shaped gel eye patches over your under eyes and eyelids for 10-20 minutes. I left mine on for about 20. After removing, there was a little gel residue left over but it wasn't sticky and I just massaged it in to the skin. I tend to have some puffiness under my eyes, and I noticed right away the puffiness was relieved. It also made the fine lines under my eyes less noticeable and skin seemed more supple. The fragrance is also very subtle and nice. I actually liked this eye mask a lot. I probably wouldn't use it every day because of the time commitment, but this is the perfect solution to prep your skin for a special event or for a mini-spa experience to unwind. Little Tip: Throw it in the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes before use for some extra de-puffing action.

-TONYMOLY Egg Pore Yolk Primer. around $15 USD. Sold online at urban outfitters. Available in Asia at Watson's and Sasa. (Made in Korea)

A mattifying, smoothing, pre-makeup primer. It's supposed to have the texture of an egg yolk, which is not exactly a turn on to me, but whatever, it's smoothing and I still like it in spite of its eggy-ness. It really does smooth out the appearance of pores, texture, and fine lines. I've had smoothing primers in the past that had a tendency to roll, or ball up when you apply foundation over them, but this primer seems to stay put. It's also paraben free, has a nice smell, and gives the skin a silky texture without over-drying. Definitely a must for those who have combination/oily skin or uneven skin texture.

- Naris Up Parasola Essence UV Cut Spray SPF 50. $8 USD. Available on Amazon.com. At Log On in Hong Kong/China. (Made in Japan)

Kind of a unique name for this product. The packaging is all in Japanese so I didn't initially know what the brand was, but Sunny helped me to look it up online so here we are. This is a light-weight mist on sun protection spray. It's in aerosol form so it may not be available in some places. My favorite thing about this spray is how light it is on the skin and over makeup. A problem I run into with sun protection is that you need to reapply it on an hourly basis. However, if you're wearing makeup, it makes it difficult to reapply cream sunblock and sprays can leave your skin feeling greasy. I tried this out when I was at the beach in Hong Kong and it didn't get greasy or sticky at all, even in 85 degrees and high humidity. That is impressive in my book. The can also sprays while upside down so you can still cover hard to reach areas. This might be my favorite product I picked up in Hong Kong.

Makeup

-Dr. G Hydra Intensive Blemish Balm SPF 30. About $35 USD. I could only find this at Sasa in HK. It's available at Sasa.com. (Made in Korea)

I am very much a BB Cream kind of girl. I love the one step, the medium coverage, the 'no-makeup' makeup, the hydration, the sun protection. And this BB cream just took it to the next level. Kiu Kiu, my sales girl/goddess in HK suggested this product and told me it's the most popular BB cream in Asia. That is quite a statement seeing how this is the place BB cream was invented and people here have a nearly impossible standard to meet when it comes to a good BB. After trying it out, I think she might actually be right. It ticked all of my boxes for a great BB cream as well as an extra bonus for giving a very pretty dewy glow without looking sparkly or oily. It glides on to the skin very smoothly, and easily blends in. I recommend applying with a densely bristled foundation brush or using the finger tips. It also contains hydrating and anti-aging ingredients which no one hates. The only negative side I see of this product is that it only comes in one shade, which kind of works in Asia, but won't match lightest and deepest skin tones in other parts of the world.

-BEYOND Angel Aqua Moisture CC Cream SPF 25. About $20 USD. Available online. I bought mine at Sasa in HK. (Made in Korea)

I know I just reviewed a BB cream, but I wanted to share this CC cream as well because it's at a lower price point and caters to different skin needs. Not as tailored to aging skin concerns as the previous BB cream, I would recommend this product for those who have dry, dull skin. It's a water based product so it's gentle on the skin but also contains ingredients that help the skin retain moisture and give it suppleness. The color looks grey with little flecks of peach when you squeeze it out of the bottle, but as you massage it on to the skin, it color adjusts to match the wearers skin. Again, this product only comes in one shade (kind of a common occurance with BB and CC creams made in Asia) so it won't match deeper skin tones. My favorite thing about this CC cream is the texture. It doesn't even feel like you're wearing makeup. The coverage is definitely there as well. If you like a more made up look, I would suggest using this product as your base and applying a fuller coverage foundation or powder over top. If you like a more natural look (I do almost every day), this can easily be worn alone.

finally

-Y.E.T Very Merry Lip Tint in Orange Flower. Under $10 USD. Purchased from Log ON. Available on Amazon.com. (Made in Korea)

If you're into Korean Pop (K-Pop) or Korean TV Dramas (confession time: I'm obsessed with both), you have seen the very popular gradient lip look that so many stars wear. For those of you who don't spend your spare time getting lost in the world of Korean pop culture, the gradient lip is a very girlish, natural looking stained lip. Like this:

photo cred: www.chickadvisor.com

I've been wanting to try a few variations of this look but I only had a few Benefit tints (which I also love) and I needed some more color variety. It also doesn't hurt that this product in under $10 USD. This Y.E.T brand lip stain stays on very well, doesn't over dry the lips, and is easy to apply. It can be tricky to choose your color because the color you see in the bottle is not what you get when you swatch. The texture is very liquid-y but it goes on quite sheer. As with most lip and cheek stains, you need to work quickly with this product because it will set and stain just a few moments after you apply it. (If you're not sure how to use lip stains or want to learn how to do the Korean gradient lip look, I'll be creating a step-by-step tutorial soon). Overall, I'm happy with this stain and will purchase more colors in the future.

Ok, that was a lot of information for a 'mini-review' but if you're curious about Asian beauty products, or just trying something new, I hope it provided a bit of insight. If you have any additional questions about these products or general inquiries feel free to reach out to me at my email pluckycharm@gmail.com or through any of the social media platforms listed in the banner to the right.

Thanks! 谢谢！！

-Riley

Fall Fashion Look Book

Today I'm posting a selection of shots from this Fall Fashion Look Book I got to work on a few months ago. It was my first time collaborating with all the vendors involved and I had such a great time getting to know other like-minded women in the industry. Meeting creative, hard-working people continues to be one of my favorite aspects of being a makeup artist. I hope you enjoy this look!

Vendors:
Photography & Styling - Jordan Zobrist Photography ig @jzobphoto
Hair Color & Styling - Mandie Barnes of Essensual Hair Design ig @hairbymandielynn
Model - Chelsea Hoer ig @chelseahoer
Head piece - Danani Handmade Adornments ig @dananihandmade
Make Up Artistry - by me, Riley Chou ig @pluckycharm