Product Review on Bare Minerals ALL WRAPPED UP 6-piece Collection of Festive Eyecolors

I can only say this is an amazing pigment collection by Bare Minerals. One of the best holiday gift boxes by this company. I've been wanting this for ages and finally I made up my mind to get it when I saw it on sale that day. I tried all of the pigment on the back of my hand in the store and I was immediately amazed by the gorgeous color! They are ultra shiny and sparkling! If you want to create looks like the Sephora Christmas catalog, this box is definitely the one that you need to get. It comes with six colors: blue, pink, beige, green, purple, and brown. Pretty basic tones that you can use for any occasion (another good thing about this magic box).
One more good thing about it is that the pigment is intense and shows very easily on your skin. If you are a pigment person, go get it now! For those who are used to pressed powder eyeshadow, it's time for you to make some change, lol. You will be surprised by how pretty the color is and how easy it is to use. Just use any of your eyeshadow brushes, pat it on your eyelid, and use regular technique to blend. I normally use a medium sized dome brush to do my eye make up coz it does a good job blending the color. Do a circular motion to blur the harsh line of the colors and get a faded smoky look.
Alright, ladies, it's time for you to try and experiment, Sephora still have it (I work at Sephora inside Jcpenny at Manhattan Mall) for 34 bucks. Come see me and I will do a demo for you guys!
Enjoy and let the magic begin....

Product Review on Elf Bronzing powder

I absolutely love this product by Elf. I think it's one of their best make ups. This is a glowing bronzer that should be put on after your foundation. Even if your foundation has the natural glow itself, this bronzer definitely adds more glamour to your face, giving you this amazing sun kissed and healthy glow. Your skin looks so smooth and natural after applying this powder. The only drawback of this bronzer is that the texture is a little bit too loose even it is pressed powder. You tend to lose a lot of them and put too much on unevenly on your face if you don't have a good control of the amount you get and the application with your brush. A good way to make sure you apply it evenly is to tap the excess amount of powder before you apply it on your face. Gently sweep the brush. Use big brush made of natural and soft animal hair instead of synthetic brushes which feels a bit harder. I hope you guys love this product and share your experience with me and everybody!
Let the magic begin....

Product Review on Elf Brushes and Eyelid Primer

   I finally got a chance to write some product review on the elf products that I got from Jacks' 99 store. Every make up artist and probably woman who loves make up knows that make up is ridiculously expensive. They are expensive for a reason but we are always trying to look for cheaper stuff that saves us some money and works good in the same time. I got an eyeshadow brush from elf that works amazing for me. I can do my entire eye make up with this brush. It is called Elf professional blending brush. It's write and is a medium sized dome brush. You can use it to pat the eyeshadow on your eyelid or wash the color on your lid. Do the contour in the crease and highlight your brow bone. It is really a multi-functional brush that you need for your eye make up. The most amazing part is IT'S ONLY 1 DOLLAR! What are you waiting for ladies. Go get one quick. Beside this awesome brush, I also want to recommend an eyeshadow primer from elf. Everyone knows that Urban Decay has the best eyeshadow primer but for those who only want to do some experiment with make up, try the elf eyelid primer. It comes in a tube and the color is pinkish nude. It feels a little bit oily and it doesn't blend that well. However, it does an amazing job grabing the eyeshadow and makes your eye make up last long. Your liner won't even smudge if you primer your eyes with this primer. Isn't that great! And it's ridiculously cheap, 1 dollar also. So ladies if you are in New York and is ready to try new stuff of low price. Go to Jack's at 34th St and have fun. 
Hope this is helpful for you guys. I will post some pictures later on. 
Let the magic begin....

Shoot with Usha Mernard Photography

I met this talented photographer Usha quite by accident. We collaborated at a very laid back shoot in her studio. She wanted to shoot her friend Christi who is quite pretty with blue eyes and short hair. Christi is quite beautiful. I was so fascinated by her pure blue eyes when I saw a picture of her and her short and naughty hair is another feature that makes her stand out from other pretty girls. Her bone structure is very easy to work on and he is very photogenic. So we did a classy portrait look for her and a dramatic dancing girl look with blonde bob wig. We were all satisfied with the result. I want to show three pictures that I got from Usha, which is her favorite ones.
Let the magic begin.....

On Set Shoot with Richard Scalzo Photography

It was freezing that day and the model was only wearing a mini skirt for the shoot. I did two looks on her---one natural and the other one sexy red lip. She has very good skin and a pretty classy beautiful face. I used the rosebud salve that I got from Sephora as an eyebase to create the charcoal feeling and it worked well on her. It turns out that the rosebud salve can be used as a good base for a burnt-like look. The only thing with this technique is that it's difficult to smudge the powder-base eyeshadow on top of that lip product bc it has a sticky texture. Use just a little bit and use the eyeshadow applicator instead of your brushes. 

Enjoy the pictures and let the magic begin.......

My work with Chic Studio

So I graduated from Chic studio three month ago, and those pictures are taken one month after my graduation. I got two models that day and did two looks on them. The first model is quite young and pale, she has pretty light skin and deep set eyes. Her bone structure is good. She looked a little bit pale that day so I decided to warm up her face by using a goldish color. The second model is the model who I worked with before so I know her face already and did a more evening like look on her. I like it when she smiles. She's got the magnet. The pictures came out good and I appreciate the help from Amy, head of the studio. 

Enjoy the pics n don't forget my words "let the magic begin......"

First Studio Shoot with Piercing Light Photography

I finally got a chance to sit down and upload pics from my first studio shoot. This shoot means a lot to me not only because this is my first shoot in a studio, but most importantly, I met a very talented make up artist there and became friends with her. She is such a sweetheart and so accommodating. She helped me a lot at the shoot so I was able to finish my first creative look that you guys see below. Although it is not perfect at all, I did make my first move and that helped me build my confidence. There is nothing you can't do absolutely. It's only a matter of willingness and perseverance. I didn't feel comfortable doing this edgy make up look at all to be honest, but I felt so much better after I did it. Everything is worth a try. I remember another MUA once said that "Don't be afraid of challenging youself, coz deep in your heart, you know that you are ready!"  

Below are the pictures I like the best from that shoot. And I really want to say thank you to my dear friend Maria. You are the best!

Three Simple Eye Looks

Cali Blue Sky Eyes

Hey,what's up! Hope everyone is having a great day. I know the weatherer has been kinda of crazy recently and that made me miss Cali a lot (Maria, I know you do too, lol).The blue sky, gorgeous weather, and laid back life.So I was looking at the eyeshadow palette that night and was thinking about doing a bright blue eye-make up bc I always want to try those color on me and create an illusion that I am wearing Cali's sky on my eyes (it sounds a little scary but just ignore my wording). So below is what I came up with and it come out pretty good. I always come with different looks than I thought I would do and the end result always doesn't suck, lol. Anyways, hope you like the Cali Blue Sky Eyes! Let the magic begin.....

Erdan No.2 studio shoot

Erdan No.2 studio shoot in NYC

So I did my first studio shoot but the photographer was so kind that she hasn't given me any retouched pics yet. So I have no pics to show to you guys from the first one. Luckily, I have some retouched pics from my second and fifth one. I feel that I haven't posted for ages. Being so overwhelmed and blindly busy the past couple of weeks, I was too lazy to write anything, which is bad, I know. There are so many things that I should have done already. Anyway, enjoy the pics. Let the magic begin....

Definitely my favorite one. Josephina is very photogenic and very professional. 

My Russian beauty Lizz. She has a very structured face and pale skin.

This pic has a strong feeling

She and Lizz are both 17.PR beauty 

I like young girls coz they have good skin,lol

Metting Bobbi Brown

Meeting celebs is definitely not that hard in NY. However,meeting celebs who you really want by accident is like dating that cute guy who you always have a crush on.That feels like you won a million dollars.I have never thought that this would happen to me one day just as I've never thought that other things would happen in my life. On Friday, after a photo shoot without model, a random TV interview, I got pretty tired and bumped out. Went back home to relax and chill. When I logged on to my facebook account, a message popped up saying Bobbi brown is making her personal appearance at Bloomin Dales. Having no idea what is she gonna do there, I put on my jacket again and headed to Blooming Dales.Don't get me wrong, I am not a a huge fan of her,but her make up and the brand itself. I am dying to have the BB pro foundation palette. Remember how girls talk about BB's eyeliner.It's like the best ever.So I went there and saw her. It turned out to be a book signing event for her newly published beauty guide. She actually seemed very down to earth and easy to approach. Maybe she got a little bit tired after signing so many copies, she didn't talk that much. Anyway, I got her autograph and took a picture with her. Later on,my roomie and I were joking saying that one day I may possibly have my own make up brand called Erdan Li, lol. That kind of sounds weird now. But it won't anymore when it comes true... Let the magic begin.

This is the book itself 

her autograph

Bobbi Brown herself and me

 

smokey eyes from the softest to the most intense

Thought it would be fun to post some of my work on myself. My face was totally screwed up those days coz I've practiced so crazy and I can't find any models. Anyways, I did smokey eyes, red lips, boho looks, evening looks etc. Hope you enjoy those pics and if you like my work, just give me a thumb up,lol. Thank you for your support. Let the magic begin....

brownish smokey eyes

I personally like this look a lot. It is a softer version of smokey eyes with brownish and  vanilla color mixed together. For those of you who doesn't feel comfy wearing dark and dramatic smokey looks, just go for a lighter version. Brown and gold with shimmer work great together. Don't put anything in your inner conner coz you want to make it stay clean and clear. Add more depth to the outer corner by using a brown one shade darker than the main one you use on your eye lid and half of your crease. This will give you a more smokey look. For me, black eyeliner and a lengthening mascara is the key. This helps your eyes look bigger and glow!! If you have hazel or any color than brownish eyes like me, feel free to use brown eyeliner go without liner.

wearable day smokey look for fall

This is an even softer smokey eye look that I just created last nite, lol. This is quite wearable in the day and is a perfect look for fall. Copper, gold, and any kind of brownish color is trendy and a la mode this fall. Ladies if you are a brown person like me, go for it!!! Orangish gold works well with shimmery brown to create a creamy and softer color for this look. I used MAC grain and soft brown in the middle of my eyelid, and a Satin Taupe on my entire crease just above the highlight part of your eyelid, then I used Brun to darken the outer corner of my eyes. The key to this look is the black eyeliner both on your upper and under lash line.Line the entire upper lash line and just half of the under lash line toward your outer corner. Let the two lines meet at the outer corner and create a small wing. Don't extend that too far coz that is gonna make this look too crazy. Then use a eyeliner blending sponge to soften the line, make it smokey. Don't need to be perfectly bended, this look is not about precision and perfection!!! But make sure to blend your shadow very well at the outer corner where everything meets. Last but not the least, apply your lengthening mascara to make your eyes pop!! If you want your lashes to appear super long, apply twice. Go into the root and do it both vertically and horizontally.Good luck and enjoy it.

A mimic of Chinese female singers in the 30s

This is a simple yet quite wearable look with strong character. I did this look to recreate the look of the Chinese females singers in the 30s in Shanghai. Products needed are black liquid eyeliner, black mascara, peach powder blush, and the most important one, reddish lipstick. Basically, you just line the upper lash line and wing it out. Don't extend too far and make sure the line is thin and sharp. Remember the look of those female singers. They   always wear thin and dark black eyeliner on their upper lash line. Then, apply mascara only on your upper lash line. You don't necessarily need to curl your lashes because Chinese girls usually do not have curly lashes. Then you wanna line your water line using the same eyeliner pencil. Then you are pretty much done with your eyes. Blush your cheeks with a powdery blush. I usually go for a peachy color coz it goes well with my yellow undertone. But for girls who have a lighter skin tone, feel free to use rouge or a reddish blush color. Just apply the blush on your cheekbones. Don't go up and contour coz the key is to have a round shape blush. Then do your lips with a reddish color. Don't use anything shimmery or glossy. Go matte and neutral. Line your lips first. Make sure to create a well-defined line and use the lip stick to fill in your lips. If you want to have smoothier lips. Use lip primer and line filler before you apply any lip product. Tie a side pony and wear a flower! 

intense smokey look w glasses

Love love love!!!!! If you want sth crazy and edgy, this is the look that you want to wear. This look works best for girls who have almond and prominent shape eyes. If you have hooded or close set eyes, be careful with this look. I mixed Mac (I know, MAC again,lol) deep truth (shimmery blue) and nocturelle (pinky purple) and apply the mixed color on my eyelid starting from the middle to the outer corner.Blend it when you are done. Then draw a thick line using the Brun on the outter crease just above the purple shadow. Be careful with the Brun because it is dark and it goes on the eye very easily. Then blend this two color very well so there won't be a harsh line sitting there. Then you wanna use Black on your entire eyelid but don't go above your crease. Cover the purple shadow and extend to the outer corner. Apply multiple times on the outer corner in order to give it a dark look. After that, you need to blend these three colors. Take your medium size blending brush and run a window shield motion on your outer corner. You are halfway toward the end. Line your lashes with a carbon eyeliner pencil on both of your upper and lower lash lines. Finally, you need to apply your fake lashes to give this look a more dramatic effect. Use strip fake lashes on your upper lash only. Don't forget to line your upper lash line again to cover the fake lash line. Then you are finished and enjoy your nite out!!! (make sure to have your brows done before you apply this look. They need to be well-defined but shouldn't be heavy at all)   

My very first test shoot in NY!!!!

Date: Oct 08th 2010
Location: Madison Sq park, NY
Event: Photo shoot
Photographer: Shijuade Kandree
Models: Laura Davis, Wanzhenwu
Make up artist: Erdan Li


Erdan's first make up test shoot was done on a sunny gorgeous friday at Madison Sq park, NY. I have never thought that I would do this in my life. Neither have I ever thought about becoming a make up artist in my past 20 year. But now everything is happening in current life. Here in NY, a land of opportunities, I am doing something that makes me happy and gives me a sense of satisfaction. I am enjoying the moment and am on my way to a big dream. Hope you like what I did and keep supporting me. Let the magic begin......
Enjoy the pics 

By the subway entrance

                               very artistic work

one of my favorite work

me and my models


Check out more exclusive photographer hand-picked photos at  

Link: http://purplelotusphotography.blogspot.com/2010/10/erdan-li-makeup-artist.html