I'm not a big fan of make-up. Finding the right hair and make-up artist (HMUA) for my wedding was (once) a daunting TASK. The last wedding expo I attended in January with fiance BFD in tow, I brought a pedometer (a tiny gadget that counts steps). I registered over 8,000 steps in that pedometer for doing the rounds at the EXPO for about 6 hours. We were able to book several suppliers, but not an HMUA.
There's a lot of talented HMUA out there, but I wanted to work with someone who is very professional, flexible, and fun to work with...a good working chemistry would be easy to achieve. I have smooth and (very) sensitive skin, a condition that limits my choice of skincare brands. Thus, I'm really not comfortable with make-up in general. So I put a premium in working with an HMUA whom I could fully trust.
It was also a good thing that one of my cousins got married early this year. I'm a happy recipient of Cousin Maricar's (first hand) wedding tips, including the HMUA. I was able to (informally) interview and witness a live demo of the HMUA's expertise as she worked on Cousin Maricar's bridal make-up. A deal was sealed between me and Garla - the chief make-up artist of Makeup by Garla.
As for the trial make-up, BFD and I invited Garla to our prenuptial photo session at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite. She cheerfully obliged. She also introduced me to Aijhay, her partner hair dresser. Days before the pictorial, Garla asked for the theme and photos of my wardrobe. BFD and I wanted to accomplish a timeless theme, more of a traditional/romantic-themed photos that would be suggestive of love and romance - things that never go out of style. Classic.
I have limited knowledge of make-up, so I told Garla to just highlight my skin's healthy glow. Since she has a full grasp of the pictorial theme, I gave her an upperhand to work on the rest of the details with Aijhay. The make-up did not melt under the scorching heat of the sun. (Achieved na achieved!) I didn't experience any skin breakout during and after the shoot. Make-up application followed the traditional technique, no airbrush. =)
Here's a couple of sample photos from that half-day pictorial session. You may click on each photo for an expanded view.
 |
| The photographers of Close Up Photography made us run like kids basking in the sun. |
 |
| L-R: Aijhay, Meowth, Garla. Retouching make-up for the next segment. |
 |
L-R: Garla, BFD, Meowth, Aijhay. It wasn't all serious work. With supportive and fun-loving people around, it would be a shame not to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime prenuptial pictorial .
|
About Garla
Ms. Garla Cabuco is the chief makeup artist of Makeup by Garla. She is a full-time banker, but her passion for make-up drove her to pursue a Certificate Course in Beauty and Bridal, High Fashion, and Media Make-up from Make-Up Designory (MUD) Manila ('the Harvard School' for professional make-up artists; with schools established in LA and NY, and now in Serendra, Taguig City).
Garla is young, talented, and energetic - good attributes of someone who would want to jumpstart a career in high fashion. I got curious why she wants to specialize in weddings. She was delighted to share, "I believe that every bride deserves to be the most beautiful lady on her wedding day...and to me it is both an honor and privilege to help make it happen."
With the level of passion and quality of training Garla has, she uses brands that are popular among Hollywood make-up artists. For our prenup pictorial project, she used foundation and concealer by MUD, sponge by Beauty Blender (designed by Hollywood MUA Rea Ann Silva), and Banana Powder by Ben Nye (made famous by Kim Kardashian's MUA).
--------------------------
Disclaimer: I do not work for any hair and make-up artists, or make-up distributors/manufacturers. This is a personal review, based on experience. This is not a paid advertisement.
--------------------------
You might also be interested in these wedding-themed articles:
