Hello, and welcome to my blog! This section is where you'll find out more about me and my blog.Who are you?
I'm Musicalhouses, and I'm a late 20-something Asian girl. I was born and bred in Singapore, but I lived for awhile in Chicago and London, and so I ended up loving and buying makeup and nail polish from all over the globe. Whether it's a Western or Asian brand, I don't discriminate, I love them all! :)
How do you make your swatches?
My swatches are done on bare, dry skin without primer. I prefer not to use primer for my swatches so I can show colour and pigmentation level more accurately, and I'm lazy. I also swatch really heavily to show colour. I guess I just love digging out cosmetics and smearing them on my arm. I photograph my swatches in natural light, or in lighting as close to natural light as possible.
What camera do you use?
The camera I use is a cheap, old one that's been around for maybe 6 years now. It's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX3. Posts from March 2013 will also see the use of another cheapie camera I upgraded to, the Olympus VG-160. I get asked how I take photos with cheap cameras - I believe good swatches, angles, and lighting are more important than the camera used.
Do you edit your photos?
Nope. I'm not that great at photo-editing software, I don't have photoshop on my computer, and I'm really lazy. I watermark my pictures to prevent picture theft, and correct them for colour correctness (this applies especially for indoor swatches or event photos in crappy lighting). I do go to great pains to ensure that I'm taking pictures in good natural light, so I don't need to edit too much.
What is your skintone?
My skintone is NC20, with pale olive skin and neutral-to-cool undertones (if that confused you, you have to read my post on Asian and Olive skintones HERE). But for most ends and purposes, NC20 is pretty close :)
Do you make money from your blog?
Given all the time, money, and effort I put into this blog, I sure wish I did. I do get products sent for review, but I have a clear disclosure policy in place, and I give honeset reviews. If something sucks, I'll say it (a quick browse through my reviews should make this clear). I've also rejected requests for links or advertising on my blog that I felt was inappropriate or wouldn't be of interest to my readers.
I have a question that isn't answered here:
It might have already been answered on my Formspring page. If it's still not there, feel free to contact me!
I'd like to contact you, how can I get in touch with you?
You sure can! You can contact me in many ways, and I hope one of them works for you! I read every single comment/email/message I get. Here are five ways you can contact me:
1. Comment on any of my blog posts. If you ask a question in your comment, do revisit the post as I will be sure to reply there! :)
2. Twitter me over HERE.
3. Facebook me HERE.
4. Fill out this CONTACT ME form (this one is private and goes directly to me).
5. Email me: musicalhouses at hotmail dot com
6. Ask a question on THIS FORM (this form is public, but you can ask anonymously).
