Heroine Make Event featuring Ms. Sayuri Igarashi

It’s nice to get invited to blogger events, but I can say that it’s even nicer when you’re invited to an event of a brand that you’ve long been using. I’ve been using Heroine Make cosmetics since 2009, which is why I was so excited to attend their makeup event last April 26.

They’re launching their new Jewelry Eye Color eyeshadow, and to do so with a bang, they invited esteemed international makeup artist Ms. Sayuri Igarashi to conduct a makeup workshop.

She has already had a makeup career spanning almost three decades, so she knows her stuff. It’s also nice that even if she is Japanese, she has very Western standards in makeup, which is why a lot of her tips are relatable to the Pinoy standards.

The event was held in Mandom’s office in Makati. The moment I get to the entrance, there’s a poster featuring Ms. Igarashi’s career.

And yes, this really is the office. This is the first time I’ve attended an event in the office because brands often choose cafés, restaurants, or hotels to hold their events in. I guess that they are fortunate enough to be able to hold events in their office because there is enough space inside to do so.

See, it is an office hahaha. But I like that somehow they all fit into the place.

I have no idea what this room is, but well, it’s filled with products. I am guessing that this is their demo shelf to show to clients and Japanese colleagues, maybe?

This is the amusing part because they have a simulated sari sari store inside the office. I asked them why they had this, and apparently it’s because when they have Japanese guests come over and want to know about the sales channels of Gatsby, or about sari sari stores, it’s easier and safer to show them the concept through a mock up store rather than bringing the guest to a real store.

And of course, here are the *ehem* crown jewels. This is the first time Heroine Make is producing eyeshadow, which is why I am so excited about it. I have been following the brand for quite some time now, and I’ve seen them produce powders, BB cream, eyeliner, eyebrow pencils, and mascara, but never eyeshadow. This is why I am so excited about this. I’m also so excited about the fact that the eyeshadow quads come in four variants and all of them are in neutrals. Honestly, if you bought all four, it’s like having a mini Naked palette collection already…

Hooray for Princess Elizabeth Himeko! She is the mascot of Heroine Make. Ever since the brand was incepted, I think she has already been the mascot, and things haven’t changed in all these years.

For the workshop, they had a traincase showcasing Heroine Make makeup. But since there are no available Heroine Make blushes and lipsticks in the Philippines yet (I think there are in Japan), there were Pixy brand ones instead.

Here is a zoomed in version of the showcase. The big blue bottles at the back are Bifesta makeup remover and Bifesta cleansing express. Time flies so fast because when I first used Bifesta cleansing express in 2010, there was still no Bifesta brand, and it was just the cleansing express. In fact, there was even no brand name on the packaging, just “cleansing express”. You only knew that Mandom made it if you looked at the back hahaha.

Of course, here with us are the stars of the show, the eyeshadows.

So for the curious folks out there, here are the four color sets. Each set comes with a primer (the upper left shade), an eyeliner shade on the lower left (the Japanese have a concept of making a half centimeter line above the eye line using a dark colored eyeshadow for reasons I have yet to understand after half a decade of following their culture), a highlighter shade on the upper right, and the main color shade on the lower right. What makes me happy, is that on preliminary trial, the eyeshadows are very, very pigmented, and the pan distribution is good. As in the lesser often used shades have smaller pans than those that will most likely be used the most often.

Today’s master of ceremonies was Mica Javier. She not only acted as an MC, but I guess also as a facilitator as she was the one who asked Ms. Igarashi questions every now and then, and questions that would not have been thought of by the bloggers.

Hooray, Ms. Igarashi is here! She is very, very warm, and she was very, very, very excited and enthusiastic (yes she expliclicitly stated that at least 93273981279832498274 times) about being back in the Philippines and conducting yet another makeup workshop.

Today’s makeup workshop is a small and intimate one, and there were a lot of chances to ask or speak up.

Ms. Igarashi’s first look is to do a natural look. This is of course, right in time for the summer season as we all want to look fresh while in the beach or while on vacation (this sentence is ironic because our calendar change means that we are suffering the most right now while everyone is already hitting the beach huhuhaha).

She gave some tips on how to do eyeshadow. She says that since Pinays mostly have big eyes already, a lot of times Pinays no longer need a dramatic look on the eyes and just need some enhancements and a little pop of color.

For those who never get the winged tip, don’t feel bad because even Ms. Igarashi agrees that it’s difficult to do even for the most seasoned of makeup artists like her. You really just need to practice and not give up. Or if you ask me, you can get stencils if you want to hahaha.

One of the other amusing things that she did is that she used the mascara without a curler. This is because Heroine Make is a curling mascara. Although speaking from a personal perspective, for a really eye-livening, eye-widening effect, I curl my lashes with an eyelash curler to the maximum humanly possible curl before applying my Heroine Make mascara.

The second look that she did is to demonstrate how to use Heroine Make products for an evening, or more dramatic look.

LOOK AT THAT PERFECTLY WINGED EYELINER THIS IS CIVILIZATION YOU PEOPLE.

They spent time answering questions, and we were allowed to go out of the room anytime to have food. (I am so sorry world I was not able to take photos of the very gracious Sumo Sam feast they offered to us huhu unli sushi I love you).