MINH BUI

NOTES ON NAPKINS

Men rarely ever get told they’re beautiful. They should be. You were. You are. You had the kind of beauty that wasn’t glaringly obvious. It crept up on a person like the morning sun. Slowly, but surely – inch by inch until it suddenly dawned on me, covered me in its warmth; until that blinding smile of yours was all I could see. Your beauty could rival the setting sun over the Seine, give the glittering Tokyo lights a run for their money, put the Sierra Nevada to shame. And the realization screamed at me, louder than the roaring Pacific. 

You are beautiful. And I was in love.




Q + A: HOW I DID MY MAKEUP

I recently ended up in front of the camera because my friend, David (who btw is a fantastic fashion photographer),  wanted to expand his portfolio to include beauty. Since the premiere of this image, I’ve gotten a lot of Q’s about how I did my makeup. I figured it was a great opportunity for a post. Since David was shooting me on a orange-esque background, I wanted to go for a look that said: “summer radiance” – which basically was dewy skin and clean brows. Here’s everything I used:


1 - I prepped my skin with Skindinavia primer spray. It’s oil-free, it won’t clog your pores, and it’s lightweight. 

2 - I combined Clinique’s Acne Solutions BB Cream with ELF tinted moisturizer. While the former is a BB cream, it does give you more coverage than your average but still feels lighter than foundation. The latter will give you a nice, suntanned look.

3 - I lined my eyes with Revlon ColorStay eyeliner in black. I then proceeded to smudge it a bit, so it looks not quite perfect.

4 - Next I used Clinique’s Color Surge Eyeshadow Trio palette (this has been discontinued, but the quad is similar). I used the Coffee Shop color to fill in my brows. The Beach Plum color got a sweep across my eyelids.

5 - Using a concealer from ELF and a Q-tip, I refined the shape of my brows. 

6 - I curled my lashes and applied a coat of Face It’s Maxx Eye Mascara for Double Curling and layered on a second coat of Face It’s Maxx Eye Mascara for Mega Volume

7 - I applied the Bronzed color from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit to the hollows of my cheeks. 

8 - To heighten the glow, I finished with one of my favorite highlighters - the ABVH Illuminator in So Hollywood (currently sold out, but any of the other colors would work just as well!). Applied to under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose, and in an inverted triangle on my forehead. Naturally, you should take care to blend well.

And that’s it!


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