I have given up on wearing makeup daily as it just slides off my face in this humid weather. The only thing that stays intact are mascara and waterproof eyeliner; everything else melts away in an hour.

But there are special occasions lined up (weddings, reunions, debuts), so it is very timely that I have been introduced to Kay Rodriguez, a former banker who’s now pursuing her passion for makeup.

Now she’s a certified makeup specialist, having trained in Hollywood, New York, Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong (where she completed her Masters in makeup).

Like a Vogue cover girl

She’s now country manager and chief airbrush makeup trainer of Airbrush Diva Philippines. I was surprised to find her fees very reasonable, considering her credentials. She also does hair.

When I featured airbrush makeup a few years back, the going rate was P5,000. Her fee is only P3,000 in her Quezon City studio, hair included.

Home service within Metro Manila is P4,000. Wedding package is P25,000 (covering bride, groom and two others).

She also gives lessons and sells tools and pigments for those who want to put on their own makeup when out of town.

During our two-hour lunch, my face was dripping with perspiration and oil, while her airbrushed skin showed no hint of sweat or oily shine. She was as pristine as a Vogue cover girl.

Apparently her work lasts a minimum of 18 hours without retouching. Her clients have even been known to sleep with a neck pillow and just wash their bodies so they can still benefit from the lasting makeup through brunch and cocktails the following day.

They would just touch up the eye area with cotton swabs and reapply lipstick.

Forte

Kay is well-known for her forte: totally covering tattoos, dark facial birthmarks and scars as if they never existed. For chinita girls like me, she can make double eyelids look bigger, providing the illusion of a crease like a Eurasian mix.

If you check out her Facebook page, you will see before-and-after photos of men and women with port wine stains or blue-black birthmarks, acne, face scars looking totally smooth and even-toned after.

Those with rounded, short noses actually get contour and definition, with their double chins reduced by 80 percent.

According to Kay, people tear up when they see how good-looking they actually are without the distraction of their glaring flaws.

Facts: Bumps like acne, unfortunately, will still be present. Only the redness will be camouflaged. In this case, holes and pits will not be a problem because they will be filled in.

Fanatical

Skin color can also be changed, but prepare to pay extra as exposed areas on the body will also need to be airbrushed for a flawless finish.

What I love about Kay is that she is fanatical about cleansing the area to be airbrushed because the silicon base in her cosmetics keeps the dirt out. That way, if her clients decide to go past the 24-hour mark, their pores are guaranteed to be clean.

Her clients’ most unusual requests? Men and women who will go to the beach or a swimming party would request that she cover their body scars or skin asthma.

Some models also want six-pack definition on the runway when modeling undies and swimwear. To do all of this, she uses alcohol-based airbrush cosmetics which lasts three days even in water as long as the subject does not soap and scrub the area.

Call 3591150, 9323199 or 0918-9014647; e-mail [email protected]; visit kayerodriguez.com or Kaye Rodriguez Airbrush Makeup Specialist on Facebook.