Monday Pic Post: A Peek at a Beauty Blogger's Desk

Part of my desk in my office: Family pics, sparkly nail polish (Zoya), and various beauty products for review, testing that are always in front of me. One makeup kit in black to the right. Cinegel color photo gels in middle to use for photos or to test colors for makeup on skin. My Canon T2I camera, which I use to shoot beauty stills and videos.

Everyday I sit at my desk and think beauty and what makes life and all of us beautiful. Here's a peek at my desk and a few of the things a Mom beauty blogger like me has to keep me happy, inspired, and plugged into the beauty industry on all levels.

Have a great week!

xo

-- N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

Backstage Beauty, Hair & Makeup at NYFW S/S `14: Zang Toi

Model Ling at Zang Toi S/S `14 NYFW, sports beautiful and soft blue on her eyes, nude lips and bold brows. The skin is left flawless with Amazing Cosmetics by Rudy Miles, lead Makeup Artist. Photo Credit: John M. Craig for René Furterer

Backstage beauty is super fun during NYFW. It's where all the action is and though massively chaotic (imagine dizzying amounts of flat irons, nail polishes and liquid foundations are being thrown willy-nilly all over picnic tables and stylists of every type are running like chickens with their heads cut off, and shouting in a setting like a crowded train station at rush hour) - the adrenaline of new fashion to be seen and created is adrenaline pumping.

I had the pleasure of interviewing a long time colleague, awesome hair guru Eiji Yamane, whom I'd known since my days at Issey Miyake. He was lead hair stylist for the Zang Toi show, where the collection was inspired by dance, and themed BALLET BABE. I also had great fun meeting Rudy Miles of BeautybyRudy, lead makeup - who created a look anchored around a soft but bold blue eye that was elegant but striking:

Eiji's Ballet Babe Hair How-To:

Eiji, lead Hair Stylist, uses an old fashioned curling iron to create sumptuous curls and romance for his bold but elegant chignons - for "Ballet Babe" - Zang Toi's fashion theme. Photo Credit: John M. Craig for René Furterer

Eiji's hair creations were a mix of classic, romantic Hollywood crimp curls, gently set into, slightly edgier chingons, with side and middle parts. Each look took about 20 minutes to create. Rene Furterer (I love his products!) was the exclusive hair product used. Here's the step by step how-to:

1) Begin by making a clean center part, misting hair with water before giving hair a blow-out. To give hair more body and hold, I worked in a little René Furterer VEGETAL SCULPTING GEL while blow-drying hair using a Mason Pearson brush to give hair a smooth finish.

2) Leaving hair on the sides free, I gathered the rest of the hair behind the ears and made a low ponytail, spraying hair with René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY for a flexible hold. Next, I secured the ponytail with a skinny hair tie, and then tood a section of hair from the ponytail, wrapping it from left to right around the base of the ponytail to hide the hair tie and tucking in a few hair pins for extra hold.

3) Using the end of a rat-tail comb like a pick, I lightly lifted the hair above the ponytail to keep it from going flat at the back of the head.

4) To create the finger waves on the sides, I took sections of the loose hair from each side of the middle part. One at a time I sprayed the sections with René Furterer LISSEA thermal protecting smoothing spray. This helps protect the hair against the heat from the curling iron. Using a medium-barrel curling iron; I rolled the section toward the head.

The sheer beauty of the exquisite chignon, Eiji's creation.
Photo Credit: John M. Craig for René Furterer

5) After releasing the iron, I combed through the curl and then crimped it with the curling iron to give it more bend, going down the length of the curled section at half-inch intervals. Now the sections were more of a wave than a loose curl. After curling, combing and crimping the sections on each side, I gathered the hair and to bring it behind the ear, taking care to cover the ears and shaping the sections in a classic finger wave pattern. Next, I secured the waves on both sides with several clips. Then misted the sides with René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY to set the waves while I work on creating the chignon.

6) Spraying the ponytail with René Furterer's VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY, I brushed through the length of the hair with the brush. If the hair needed a smoother finish I went over the ponytail with a flat iron. To make the Ballet Babe chignon, I took the ponytail, made a big loop and rolled it toward the base of the ponytail so that the finished chignon sat on the nape of the neck. This results in a full, dramatic chignon. To maximize fullness, I lightly fanned it out a little with my fingers or use the tail and teeth of a rattail comb to finesse the shape.

7) The Ballet Babe chignon calls for long, thick tresses, so if a model has shorter hair we faked it with beautiful 100% human hair extensions from Fantasy Fashion Hair. Whether faux or real, all chignons were given a final misting with René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY. Lastly, the waves were unclipped and were ready for the runway.

-- N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

Why I've Committed Myself to Makeup: The Way It Was

Chloe Sevigny in Dazed & Confused, March 2013 - Makeup by Nuy Cho

I started doing makeup when I was in junior high on all my friends, hosting slumber party makeover shoots (usually five girls at a time in an average evening) to my mother's chagrin at my parents' house. Makeup would always run like my life-blood through my career, through multiple countries, as I trained my hands through classical piano, jewelry, drawing, pottery, painting, and later entered the fashion world in NYC.

I was conducting my own photo shoots and testing colors, lines, and textures on the face and body wherever I was -- in moving vehicles, in public restrooms, in airless basements -- wherever someone asked me to do makeup, I did it, no matter what the circumstance. I always had new colors/products (which I went majorly broke for) in my bag, and I didn't care if I got in trouble at my jobs. And trust me, I did. At Issey Miyake, I personally got in trouble for looking too "disco" while working at the showroom. And I got busted for looking like I was slacking off at another b/c I was trying to practice  a look w/ new shades, and was not looking present with my other tasks (even though nothing else was going on). I prioritized makeup for my "client." even when it wasn't my primary job, because ultimately makeup has always been No.1. I collected makeup - did it on everybody I could. Paid or unpaid, I just wanted to paint the face. I loved the way the color absorbed and reacted with skin.

My work can be seen on Chloe Sevigny, Leelee Sobieski, Laura Kampman, Missy Rayder, Zuzanna Bijoch, to name a few and publications like Vogue China, Dazed & Confused, Pop, 032c as well as others.

-- N.C.

Summer Seaside Beauty Giveaway

Swag includes conditioner, nail color, summer fragrance, eyeshadow, self-tanner, plus a bonus present! Brands include Revlon, Narciso Rodgriguez, CoverGirl, Zoya, L'Occitane, St. Tropez, and more -- Enjoy!

Inspired by the brilliant colors of the South Pacific ocean, here is a sweet little bundle of sea-colored treats to help you with your beauty regime. All you've got to do is like my Facebook Page by Friday, July 27. Then, I'll pick the lucky Liker and send you your seaside goodies. Swag includes conditioner, nail color, summer fragrance, eyeshadow, self-tanner, plus a bonus present! Brands include Revlon, Narciso Rodgriguez, CoverGirl, Zoya, L'Occitane, St. Tropez, and more -- Enjoy! You're a click away from beach-ready beauty! Xo!
If you follow me on Twitter/Instagram @nuybeauty too, I'll include bonus treats by Shu Uemura!
:-)!

Shu Uemura, impossible to get in the U.S. pastel shimmer sage green eyeshadow

Congrats to Emma Tuz for winning the Seaside Summer Giveaway!! Please contact my amazing intern alyssa@nuybeauty.com to receive your winnings! xoxo

--N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

Celebrate White Make-Up Giveaway

Win and celebrate winter whites with make-up from Shu Uemura and Make Up For Ever.

Hi! Keeping my promise to ride the holiday season out with festive, fun holiday giveaways, here's one I've been saving eagerly for the end of December because it symbolizes my favorite color, or maybe I should say non-color: WHITE! I've loved white everything forever. White clothes, furniture -- and white make-up is actually a ton of fun, and actually quite versatile.

For example you can use the above white eyeshadow (a hard to get one from Shu Uemura!) as a highlighter to bring out your bone structure. Use your fingers to gently dab a little on your brow-bones, the bridge of your nose, the point of your chin, and your cheekbones. You can also use a small, pointed eye makeup brush to apply a tiny bit of the white eyeshadow to the inner and outer corner of your eyes to brighten them. The results may surprise you :-).

To have a chance to win the goodies just tell me how you feel about white make-up, in the comment form below. Winner will be announced next week!

--N.C.

*And the winner is Cindy-y! Thanks for commenting!

Holiday Glimmer Beauty Bag Giveaway

A giveaway with sparkly items from Nars, MAC, Orly, C.O. Bigelow, CoverGirl, and more!

Hi there! Sorry it's been awhile everyone! This busy mama has been having a whirlwind of a month (I moved houses/home offices among other things), but I'm back and the holiday giveaways are happening strong -- no worries. Here's one full of sparkle and glimmer, and there's even a little scent in there to please you. Have fun with this! Just comment below and tell me how you feel about make-up with shimmer, and you'll be entered to win! Have a great day.

The lucky winner will be announced next week.

-- N.C.

*And the winner is Danielle: thanks for the fabulous and funny comment!